I’ve been doing this fitness thing for a while. 10 years of academic teaching + 15 years of fitness instruction. The whole writing-for-fun thing is still new, but otherwise, it’s been a journey thus far.
In that time, my coaching style has evolved, my teaching philosophy has been solidified, and I’ve grown in more ways than I can count. There have been deep, deep valleys where I’ve been in a training deficit (i.e. postpartum) and was lucky to walk around the block. There have been years, much like this one, where I’ve surprised myself with what I’ve accomplished.
Over the last decade, I’ve realized that the training isn’t really about the physical outcomes. The beauty lies in all the growth that happens behind the scenes.
Doing the things that scare you
Fighting feelings of inadequacy
Continuing when I want to quit
Understanding how gritty I can be
Appreciating all the ways my body can move
Long before I became an educator in the literal sense, my goal when working with clients was to show an authentic, realistic picture of how to make fitness part of your life. I quickly realized that debunking myths, dispelling lies, and delivering facts was more challenging than I anticipated- especially in a world where physical appearance and body type supersedes knowledge.
I’m a pale, nerdy, “regular” mom who has been exercising regularly since I was in high school. I’ve had to repair my own relationship with exercise at times in those earlier days, when my inner voice had convinced me I needed to move as a way to pay penance for things I ate.
Developing a more gracious approach for myself occurred naturally, with more education and more life under my belt. Becoming a mom was truly the pivotal moment where I had to rethink everything I had ever done and develop a scalable way to incorporate exercise into a seemingly impossible schedule.
These days, my heart has realized it’s happiest when I’m helping a brand new gym goer realize they CAN make exercise work for them, when I’m helping a spin student understand what all of their training metrics mean and how that translates to their everyday life, and when I’m helping a senior adult realize it’s never too late to become stronger.
So whether you’ve read my words and learned something, or you’ve taken one of my fitness classes, thank you. You’ve helped solidify my sometimes shaky belief that I’m doing what I’m meant to do. You’ve encouraged me to pursue fitness and learning for the greater good. And, you’ve motivated me to keep showing up, even when I haven’t always felt like it.
I'm excited to see what 2025 has in store. I hope this is the year that you realize what you’re truly capable of.
P.S. I haven’t forgotten about Part 2 of the myofascial content. I’ve just made sure to actually take a break over the holidays. :)
Simply Fit is a free, weekly newsletter written by Dr. Amanda Durall, a Kinesiology professor and fitness professional aiming to simplify exercise science and deliver practical recommendations to help you achieve your fitness goals. To support this work and help increase its visibility, please consider subscribing and sharing with someone you know.