Romina V. Personal Training

It's time to up your game people! We're coming out of lockdown, so it's the perfect opportunity to grab a workout buddy and get back into a healthy routine. Accountability is so important and truly does help keep you on track (and a little competition never hurt!). Honestly there's no "right" time to start. You just have to jump in and give it a go. Finding a routine that works for you can take time and a little trial and error, but that's just apart of life. Give things a go and you might surprise yourself! I never thought I'd like going to the gym.. and now I'm a personal trainer. Go figure. I had story in my head that I told myself, and that was that I don't like the gym. Full stop. But that wasn't the case. I just had to find the right one for me. And you can do the same too. Once you find a place that's a good fit for you, the work you put into yourself doesn't feel like work anymore. You feel better, you move better and the results show.

So who can you think of that would motivate you and keep you accountable? Get them in your corner! Help each other out! Check out www.mantraactive.com.au
Mantra Active 🤸

Mobility is something that has really interested me over the past couple of years. The more I train people, the more I see how important functional movement really is. A lot of us take for granted the fact that we can’t move in a certain way because “that’s just me”. But there are a lot of underlying issues as to why it’s “just you”.

I come from a long history of working in retail – more specifically the paint industry – and it was lots of standing and lots of lifting. When working in retail, your body becomes quite ridged. You basically just move in plane of motion which is out in front of your body. Arms up, arms down; standing at a counter, standing at machines; some squats to pick up items; some deadlifts to pick up heavier items. That’s about it… Movement is incredibly restricted. But over time our bodies compensate for this. We build up muscle strength in some areas, while others get forgotten about.

A lot of people that work in the retail industry have tight hamstrings and hip flexors, sore feet, ankles and knees, and the classic: a sore lower back. These problems are not unique to a few people, these issues are widespread and seen in varying degrees in lots and lots of people. And I was one of them. Wearing the correct shoes and performing correct lifting techniques helps, but it’s not the solution. What I found that worked for me was building proper strength and functionality; moving in those planes of motion that I didn’t usually use, building strength in the areas I should have been using but wasn’t. And then I actually started to get better. When I first starting training, I could barely lift two kilos over my head. I had a mad case of spaghetti arms! There was just no strength there; I was actually a little embarrassed, because I seriously thought I was strong. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of your sails…

But it can be fixed – I’m proof! The key is consistency and commitment to getting better. I was doing two to three personal training sessions per week. I also started going to the chiropractor and I started working on my mental health too. It is all so inter-connected. Honestly you can’t just rely on one thing to help you; it is so much deeper than that.

If this sounds like you, I’m absolutely here to help you, because I’ve been there.

Today I’ve been in a very reflective mood; looking back at old photos; a lot of memories coming back. A lot of stuff I had forgotten about. Well, not forgotten, but just don’t think about much anymore. It made me thankful that I had taken all those photos, especially from my teenage years with my friends (even though I didn’t like getting my picture taken). This was a time when digital cameras were becoming a thing, so you could take so many photos, it was awesome! A lot of them still came out blurry though. I think it came down to a lack of skill…

But it was nice to look back on my life so far; to see how far I’ve come, what I’ve done, who I’ve met along the way. I think sometimes it’s good to do that; it leaves you feeling grateful. And puts a smile on your face 🙂

I never thought I had a story. Sure, stuff has happened in my life, but I never “took notice” of it, if that makes sense. I never thought about it in a “story” context – this is just my life. S**t happens. Good stuff happens. You think you deal with it, and you move on. I always considered myself to have a boring life; nothing ever really “happens” as such. But upon reflection, you can start to see things that have happened. Some are bigger than others, but are no less important, I think.

I’ve lost friends, been betrayed, bullied, travelled, had family members who didn’t want to know me, fallen madly in love, almost lost a parent, became an aunty, changed careers… so yeah, there are some chapters there. And there’s a whole lot more, I’m sure.

I guess it isn’t until you stop and really think about all this stuff, you don’t realise how much has happened and how much you’ve actually been through; how much you have gotten through and what has changed you. Without losing friends, I wouldn’t have gained new ones. Without falling madly in love, I wouldn’t have been betrayed, and without being betrayed, I wouldn’t have found strength and forgiveness. I have come to believe that every chapter has purpose. You may not see it at first, as it can be confronting and painful, but soon enough the silver lining – the lesson – shows itself. Sometimes you just have to be patient.




*thappens

Pretty sure you're using it wrong! 😆
It's always a bit of fun when you get the dog involved in your exercise routine!

Something that these lockdowns have taught me is the importance of moving and staying active. It is so easy to let everything fall by the wayside because motivation lacks. I had to get inventive and interesting with how I trained my clients online because we didn’t have all the machines and equipment to use. I like to do research when working with a client because I feel that I can tailor something more specific to them – especially if they have underlying issues. So that’s what I did. I did lots of research about bodyweight exercises. I feel that it has given me a greater appreciation for this type of training. Of course, it’s great to use weights and various machines, but I think time needs to be put into purely just using your body and finding out how it works. I’m a sucker for a good core workout (as many of my clients know!) and I incorporate a lot of those sorts of exercises into my programming. Sometimes the simplest looking exercise is the one that is the most challenging!

I run a Pilates class twice a week and although it’s more of a gentle practice, I incorporate a lot of core work and there’s not a lot of up and down. I aim for strength and stability in order to increase mobility. I actually never thought that I would be running Pilates classes, but I really think that I have found my little niche, not just in Pilates, but in bodyweight training in general. Yoga is another great modality that uses bodyweight and it’s gentle on the body but can also be a challenge.

I think that is what‘s missing sometimes – a bit of variety and inventiveness. Try different exercises, classes, sports. Get moving! Have fun!

When people ask me about myself, I always struggle with an answer. Who am I? How do I define myself? What actually defines me? I don’t know. And I think this is true for a lot of people – we think our jobs or careers define us. I am a _______. I’m a doctor. I’m a sales assistant. I’m a personal trainer. But that’s not what we are, that’s what we do. These are two very different things as I’m coming to learn. For a long time, I almost tried to be two people – the one that worked in the paint shop, and the other was a colour consultant. I felt that if people knew I worked in a shop, I’d lose credit. I wouldn’t be seen as professional. But again, that’s coming back to what I do. That’s not who I am. If you really wanted to delve deeper into that, then you could probably take away the fact that I just wasn’t confident enough in myself. I felt that I had to hide a part of me because I didn’t think people would accept it. Confidence is not something that comes easily to me. I’m not great at backing myself. But to be honest, I think I’m getting better, and I would have to say that it comes with being honest. Not just to others, but to yourself as well.

Ok, so who am I? I’ve been thinking about this for a while. This is what I’ve come up with:

I am unwaveringly loyal (like a true Leo). Sometimes to the point where I know I shouldn’t be because it no longer serves me. And this leads to me not taking risks or really shaking things up and trying new things.

I am so much mentally stronger than I ever thought. I have so much resilience that I didn’t know was there.

I can admit when I’m wrong or if I’ve made a mistake. There’s no point in trying to hide behind what is false. And it’s ok to be wrong. That’s how I’ve learned so much.

I’m an ex-perfectionist. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that this just isn’t practical. I’m releasing the need for everything to be a certain way (at least in my eyes). To be imperfect is much more interesting and authentic.

These are just a few things that I’ve learned about myself.

So, who are you?

Join me Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6.45am for Mat Pilates. This is an online class, so you don't even have to leave the house! How good is that?!

Get a workout in before you start work. It's a nice quick class that will set you up for the rest of the day 🙂
Link in the bio!

THIS COLLAB THOUGH!

Tonight we have our Insta live at 7:30pm, where we will be chatting and doing our Q&A. A great chance for us to get to know each other and also for YOU to ask us questions.

We are going to try to unpack what it’s been like to be a small business owner in such challenging times and how we are reshaping how women relate to each other in business.

Truly, you will get to see some seriously awesome, empowered and authentic women just shooting the sh*t and building one another up.

TUNE IN 7:30pm Friday 4th!

We have something pretty special happening during the month of April! We'll be giving away Mantra Active Wellness Packs!

In order to secure yours, all you need to do is refer 5 people to us who purchase a pack themselves or a membership. Simple, right?

The pack includes a gorgeous scented candle from J2J Candles, an awesome gym towel from White Knuckle Grip, a Mantra Active drink bottle and Mantra Active shirt.

So what are you waiting for? Start spreading the word!