I HAVE TO ADMIT that when I turned 40 I had a bit of crisis….
For 2 years I had seen my body start changing yet I wasn’t really doing anything different…
Eating as usual, exercising as usual, and teaching Pilates.
Then I started hearing comments from other people like… “when you pass 40, that happens”, “you have to accept it” and “you are not 20 anymore” and “you won’t look like when you were 20 anymore”.
Now, one thing about me:
Criticism or negativity doesn’t “kill” me. On the contrary, it makes me want to try even harder to improve or prove it wrong. It is the very reason my Pilates practice has evolved; to provide that challenge to continue to grow.
I learn from my mistakes and I appreciate criticism when it is done with good intentions but when it is negative, it can really put you down. But I have learned to fight it.. and beat it.
More than the look of my body, it was the feeling that I didn’t like. I felt tired and heavy even if I wasn’t too heavy. I love cycling and walking and when even that felt like it was an effort, I didn’t accept it.
I was getting heavier on my waist and hips… It was a clear sign of hormone imbalance.
I was also losing muscle tone. I had to push my body in a different way and use my body weight even more to take resistance training to a higher level. I embraced the use of more equipment in my studio, such as my Pilates chair, to help meet the challenge.
For example; I was never able to do pull-ups. No matter how many times I tried – even with assistance of bands or machines. But I tried again and, yeah! – I went from 0 to 10 and continue to work to a higher goal!
In the process, I’m strengthening my entire body from head to toe. I learned having a solid lower body helps the pull. And even if I knew it, I never experienced that in the past.
I actually thought my legs were strong, but it turns out they weren’t strong enough.
My fingers are getting stronger too…learning to play Ukelele!!! But joking aside, I’m training them too – for a solid grip.
I was not enthusiastic to celebrate my birthdays once I had passed the 40 mark, but this year I was kind of looking forward to it!!
I had the best mind-switch on ageing in the late summer of 2020 when I met the Super-A Founders, Wayne and Josh. They made me feel ageing is something to be proud of, especially if you are healthy. I am happy to be able to share our experiences and beliefs with the entire world. It has set a wonderful new purpose for me.
I knew that for the last 2 years I managed to reverse my biological age by acting immediately on the very first signals but still mentally I could not accept the idea that I was getting older.. I didn’t feel it… and I couldn’t see any value in being older.
Being part of the SUPER-A Tribe and becoming a Super-A made me proud of my age.
I looked at all the amazing trainers over 50 in the Tribe and I felt for a moment…”Oh no, I still have to quite a few more years to be like them!!”
They inspired me. I was already happy doing the job I love the most, and now even more.
Happy to make other people feel good about ageing as well!
Love, Catia
#forte.pilates
www.forte-pilates.com
catia@forte-pilates.com
