My name is Gráinne Kierans (business name GG), I’m a 44 year old woman who is involved in fitness throughout most my life and long may that continue.
What I have witnessed throughout my career has been rewarding, eye opening, shocking, disappointing, and invaluable, a mixture of all the above. Reason being, when we know what’s good for us but choose to give up or ignore the true value of survival of the fittest, or just a good shot at living life to the fullest, I can and will only speak from my experience in the industry and the whole fitness fad.
I know for me personally, it has taught me the true value of oneself, wellbeing, mind over matter, physical being, and mostly SANITY toward day to day challenges, and freedom when there is none (challenges).
I have seen all walks of life with mostly 2 mind sets 1. LAZY and 2. SELF BELIEF. That’s simply it in my opinion, you can use all the excuses, plenty to find, and plenty out there for you.
One of the biggest challenges in the industry every day is to get up and motivate your peers your staff and your clients its no doubt something you love or you’re doing exactly what you’re here to do - it's not easy, but in order for us all to activate we must participate.
For a long time, exercise has been a part of our everyday lives, regardless of whether you hit the gym or studio, it started from our very front door every morning till late every evening,
We walked to school, we did P.E. at school, we played football or GAA, or all the above at any given moment. We ran home from school, dropped our bags and we were gone, we never stopped from morning till eve. Then we had our sports or team meet ups, a place were we felt safe with our coaches and our friends (coaches are more qualified now, rightly so and need to be).
Innocence was bliss back then...
As our universe has moved on so has everything else. Nowadays, there are more things at our feet, at our hands, we now have choices, which means we take the easy ones now. The easy way, not necessarily the right one. We may not have P.E. in many schools now, we don’t walk from and to school as much, we practically drive into class. And that my friends is putting it lightly. Our teenagers have fit fingers now, highly skilled thanks to our connection to the word via screen time, but the disconnection to the reflection that they assume is imperfection. The encyclopedia of illness that we have been introduced too mentally and physically, the nutritional world of food, the do's and the don’ts.
What and who do we trust????
The best quote I’ve heard from a very young age and we all have one that sticks to our mind and we hold onto, mine is SIMPLICITY IS A GENIUS - we’ve become all or nothing, our expectations of everything has increased dramatically and patience has declined rapidly, we want everything here and now. So back to the topic of why fitness is important in my life and I try to share it with all those who have an interest in themselves, is because we all know what’s best for us, we all know what we should and shouldn’t do. The information out there is not all to be believed for sure, but a lot is certainly very helpful. Any person can make one sweat you don’t have to be qualified to a degree - but to keep your clientele, to keep your business improving, to keep you in the know of how to get one best out of each and every being that crosses that door, we must be educated on a behavioural platform. Not every face can tell a story, a gym or studio can become peoples second home, a comforting place, a social gathering, a place to let go, a place were they have their own identity, a place of FUN… very important to have fun. Walking into any place were you put your body on show is daunting at first, it's like exposing yourself, and that’s why I love what I have created,
I know what people want and its to feel bloody good about themselves, not to beat one another.
But to complete not compete, creating an environment where everyone is appreciated and valued, whether it's mothers, fathers, nurses, people in wheelchairs, cancer patients, pregnancy, people going through IVF treatment, people who have had miscarriages, suffering with menopause...Everybody is going through or has gone through something, and facilities like mine help people find a solution to carry on and move forward.
Industries like this are invaluable - they listen, they understand and they activate your thought process in how to take care of yourself, we need to keep things simple: BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE (LITERALLY).
In this blog I have not mentioned WEIGHT, yet it's something most people think about first thing when they wake up and last thing when they go to bed. If you notice now how Operation Transformation they have even changed their approach now toward the programme, its not all about weight, it’s only a section of our well being along with many other important factors. In some studies you have before and after pictures of weight loss after a 6 week to 8 or 3 month programme is absolutely a short term fix to a long term problem, I my self-stopped doing it years ago and PT too (personal training). A body may change in that time and there is yes photo evidence to prove that, but its what’s behind that that’s important, has the concept of thought changed, is there photo evidence of how you feel about yourself and the way you think changed too, where’s that picture????
I promote at my studio a class environment, were I want people to team up with each other, to encourage and be encouraged, to share stories, to keep young in themselves. To laugh, to cry.
I have many stories of accomplishments and stories will never know because the towel was thrown in… The immune system is constantly ready for battle, patrolling every part of the body for invaders. Let's make it crystal clear nobody wants to be sick or compromised, so NOBODY should ever have a fear of healing.
Do not look at fitness as a chore, it's therapy but cheaper, and sometimes just sometimes,
IN ORDER FOR US TO BE WHAT WE WANT WE HAVE TO SOMETIMES DO WHAT WE DON’T WANT TOO (but never ever regret when we do).
About the author - Gráinne Kierans is an Irish fitness studio owner, trainer and UEFA A License Soccer Coach. Currently running her successful studio, GG's Studio in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, Gráinne has enjoyed an impressive professional soccer career, playing for teams including Arsenal, Leeds Utd and the Republic of Ireland.
Make sure you check out the lively class videos on the GG's Studio Facebook and Instagram page - they're guaranteed to be full of fun and fitness! Reach out to Gráinne through Facebook if you are interested in joining.
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