Mohandas K. Gandhi, otherwise known as Mahatma Gandhi was, as his moniker implies, a wise fellow or sage, and came out with some great quotes. I love his one that goes, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” For without our health all the wealth we might accumulate is not worth much. So when I saw his quote (at the top of this newsletter) it stopped me and made me think, “Yep… strength has to come from within not from your physical abilities; from the inside person… The power of one.” But surely strength has to come from your physical abilities? Not so fast young paduan!

Sure our physical abilities and our muscular structure will determine how strong we can get from a purely physical standpoint. But what about the average person who just wants to be as healthy as possible, and understands that strength training is important in helping them live better as they age?

They don’t need to be super strong, or have any desire to compete in strongman competitions. They just want to be the best they can be in the time frame they have available with the tools at their disposal. To do so requires some form of inner strength.

Go to the gym or sit on the sofa?

Prepare and eat healthy meals that are cooked from scratch or eat ready meals?

Take a bus or get the steps in?

All of these and so many more decisions require an inner strength; a strength that allows you to then build the physical strength that you may be after.

Possibly the greatest football manager of the last few decades, Sir Alex Ferguson, once famously said, “Hard work will always overcome natural talent when natural talent does not work hard enough.” And having coached many sports over many years and seen lots of talented athletes, I can assure you that this is so true. There has to be an inner strength and desire to be better, to get ahead of the competition, and to win.

But I’m not a sports person, so why should I care?

It applies to everyone who wants to be as healthy as possible. Without that inner strength to get that workout in when you’ve had a rubbish day at work, or to cook something healthy when you are pushed for time, or to go for a walk in the cold and the rain, or whatever it is you choose to do, it will not happen. You have that inner strength or you wouldn’t be doing whatever you are doing to be stronger, fitter, leaner and healthier.

It isn’t always easy, and there will be many occasions when that sneaky, devious part of your brain will tell you to “Take it easy. Have a seat on that cosy sofa. Go out in the rain? Lift heavy stuff? What? Don’t be daft!”. Acknowledging what the brain is trying to do and doing the opposite requires strength. 

And having an accountability partner in the form of a friend or personal trainer, who you do not want to let down, is a great way of ensuring that the strength you have doesn’t start to waver. And the inner strength is a bit like a muscle, in that the more you exercise it, the easier it becomes to stay on track. If you’d like help with accountability and nourishing your inner strength please do get in touch, as I’d love to help you build your “indomitable will” as well as your physical strength.