Impactful people can come into our lives in different ways. Most of my closest relationships as an adult have manifested through my fitness journey and Kristyn is no exception. Kristyn is an incredible yoga instructor, good friend and someone I thought we could all learn something from. So I sat down with her (via phone call) as she walked me through her fitness journey and gave some insights on how she keeps fitness in her life.
Living an active lifestyle
Kristyn leads a very active lifestyle that started in her youth, growing up playing sports. As she got older, she got into high impact fitness classes and after college, decided to give yoga a try. Thinking back on the experience, she said, “the first yoga class I took, I thought it was boring.” Well, she kept going and after just one week, she noticed how much more aware of her body she had become and is now a certified yoga instructor with devout followers.
But, yoga isn’t the only thing in Kristyn’s very active life. For her, she doesn’t think about fitness in what you would consider a traditional sense. It’s less about going to the gym everyday and more about keeping her body moving. Every morning she goes for a walk, she prefers riding a bike over driving and stairs over an elevator. I can’t say the same for myself, but I sure felt motivated to take a walk after hearing her talk about moving! Movement is enjoyment for Kristyn and taking the time to move everyday has become such a habit that it’s just part of her now.
“Am I able to live the life I want to live?”
Kristyn told me that for her, fitness is about how she feels in her own body. “Am I able to live the life I want to live?” Fitness is a way of life for her, she stays motivated because keeping active makes her feel better, reduces her aches and pains and gives her more mental clarity. Living an active lifestyle allows her to face and overcome challenges building both her mental and physical strength.
Learning to love yourself where you’re at now
This led us down a discussion about setting fitness goals. Kristyn believes that setting goals is important, but you have to be careful to not think you’ll be more worthy when you reach that goal. (Wow!) Goal setting shouldn’t be about thinking that you’ll be happy once you get there, it should be about setting challenges for yourself that will help you grow. We all need to learn to love where we’re at now, because “no matter the pounds on the scale or fitness level, if you don’t love who you are now, you won’t love who you are then.”
I thought this was such a powerful message from her. We all get so caught up in working on our “summer bodies” or reaching our “ideal weight.” But if we don’t look inward now, and become happy with who we are as we are, can we really be happy if and when we reach a specific goal?
Showing up for yourself isn’t selfish
Speaking to Kristyn, I could feel her passion for leading an active life and keeping healthy habits. It’s very clear that she is super mindful in every aspect of her daily life. She is aware of what her mind is serving her each day and consciously decides if those thoughts benefit her. Referencing the book, Atomic Habits (which is now on my reading list), Kristyn understands consistency to be like compound interest in a retirement account, just a little each day will grow and grow. But, you first have to make that decision to show up for yourself. “Decisions are one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. Deciding to show up, create healthy habits, being consistent and conscious.”
It was such a joy speaking to Kristyn and I hope you find her story as uplifting and encouraging as I did. I’m so excited to continue down my own fitness path and become more mindful of my daily habits. Thank you, Kristyn, for letting us into your life and sharing such motivating and powerful messages.
To learn more or to contact Kristyn, visit her website at www.kristynyoga.com