We all know the benefits of working out and exercising.  A lot of times we tell ourselves we don’t want to or can’t because of our amputation.  The truth is, we are just allowing our insecurities to be our excuses. We feel the struggle of being an amputee and it is hard! We have been conditioned to feel insecure about our “disability” and our appearance.  Then you add in the “now I have to exercise in a crowded gym with people staring and judging me” factor.  Let me just clear, this is how I felt the first time I went to a gym.  This is not why people are staring! People are staring because it is different to see an amputee in a gym. It is human nature to look; it’s curiosity.  It’s not just amputees though. Even able-bodied people have insecurities and will avoid the public because they are insecure about their appearance or abilities.

Here is the truth: we all start somewhere.  If you have read any of my other blogs know my story you will know that I literally started my amputee fitness journey from the ground up.  I started by crawling on the floor.  Laying on the floor doing Pilates and core exercises.  One of my biggest worries was “what are people going to think when they see this 220lb woman crawling around on the floor with no leg?”  I later learned that the people that I was feared were judging me are the same person I have become today.  That person you feel is judging you has been on a journey too. You didn’t see his/her journey. You think to yourself, “They don’t understand what it is like to… (Insert your own battle here).” This my friends, is why fitness is the rebirth of, not only your health and wellness, but your mind as well.

When you finally walk through the doors of a gym to work out it can be an overwhelming feeling. That anxious feeling that made me wonder if I really belonged there, was really the energy of all the people the gym has helped; the rebirth I was talking about.  I learned to walk in that gym and I learned to fall in the gym. I learned to trust people in the gym, and I learned I am capable and worthy of an amazing outcome.  I learned to love myself through facing my fears and insecurities and by throwing away my excuses big and small. (Except spiders.  I’m still deathly afraid of spiders. You can’t win them all.)

Exercising doesn’t only have to happen in the gym. You can exercise anywhere.  Home, outside, the mall, a football field, a park, anywhere. Accountability is the key.  Even though I own my own personal training studio, Pollreis Personal Training, I still go to a gym to workout.  Though I don’t have a trainer, I still need accountability.  I have always said “even trainers need trainers.”  My accountability is the gym staff and people I encounter at the gym.  If I can’t make it to the gym and I exercise elsewhere, my accountability is you, my readers, my community, my fans; all of you reading my blogs, and social media feed.  I know that if you don’t see me in my normal routine, I can trust you to call me out and say, “Hey, Jenny, why didn’t I see you check in at the gym at 3:00am?”  You are my trainers! My #fanbase. My #RUSHfamily.

As amputees, we can easily find many excuses to become lazy and avoid living life or exercising.  Trust me, I know I have not only heard them all, but have also come up with a few excuses on my own.  In my experience, we can overcome almost anything and have more strength than others who have not struggled as much. This also gives me that extra push to kick some butt.

The first challenge of facing our excuses and overcoming our insecurities will be this simple exercise. Jot down your negative thought or excuse on a little piece of paper and stick it in your socket, shoe, or someplace it will feel pressure. It’s time to take control.  Remember, YOU and YOU alone are in control of what YOU choose to let affect YOU.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the video portion of this blog for more about excuses and how to overcome them.  Now…go show that excuse what you think of it. LET’S GET MOVING!

After your workout, be sure to visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/rushfoot. Leave a post telling the world what you did to overcome your excuses. Make sure to LIKE our page and visit regularly for upcoming blog posts, informative videos, and to meet and chat with all your favorite Rebels, ReBELLES and Rascals.

To contact Jenny:

[email protected]
Facebook.com/peglegtrainer
Instagram: @peglegtrainer
www.peglegtrainer.com