I was drawn to exercise and healthy eating as a young adult when I watched my mom first struggle with weight gain and then, as a result, begin to succumb to lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. That was bad enough. But seeing how these afflictions affected her quality of life was what spurred me to work to avoid a similar fate for my own life.

Once I became a mother, I realized it was my responsibility to not only teach my two girls about health and fitness but, also, to model that behavior.

That change of focus, from inward to outward, is what brought me to pursue my personal training certification. I believed it was my duty to share my knowledge and expertise with anyone who needed help finding her way to fitness.

But at the age of 43, just two years after launching my training business, I heard the four words no woman wants to hear from her doctor: you have breast cancer. I had to put my business on hold as I embarked on the most important battle of my life. I felt betrayed. Hadn’t I done everything right? Hadn’t I worked so hard to avoid something like this?

The first lesson is there aren’t any guarantees in life.  But I also learned working hard at being healthy is the right thing and it’s never without its rewards. In my case, the reward wasn’t avoiding a breast cancer diagnosis or the resulting double mastectomy. The reward was I made it to the other side. The disease was caught early, it hadn’t spread and I am now cancer free. I beat it, in part, because fitness was a priority in my life.

I returned to training with a laser beam focus on the priorities. Prior to the diagnosis, I was concerned with health, yes. But also, like so many women, too concerned with the number on the scale or the size on a garment tag. If a woman’s fitness goals are tied only to her outward appearance then she isn’t really putting her health first. Worse, she is chasing a goal post that will always keep moving away from her.

Fitness is not thinness or deprivation. It’s nurturing and nourishing the mind, body and soul. It is not about extremes. It’s about balance. Fitness is a state mind, a way of life.  A fit and happier life.

If you are ready to put your health and happiness first in your life, I can help you get there.

~Michelle

• Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach & Fitness Blogger
• Wife & Mother
• Breast Cancer Survivor