Gabrielle Reece, pro-volleyball player, sports announcer, fashion model and actress, has accomplished ten lifetimes worth of adventures and achievements.  Gorgeous, determined, smart, athletic, generous... her no-nonsense, disciplined habits catapulted her to the top and the really nice part, she likes to pay it forward dedicating a lot of her energy to helping others be their personal best also.   

Gabby has shared some great information in our interview which I hope helps shape your body, mind and life.  We are thrilled this is a five part interview focusing on food, healthy kids, aging and fashion and being an effective team captain.  This week's interview focuses on exercise and exercise motivation.

Gabrielle Reilly:   For people out there that are trying to get inspired or are having are hard time maintaining an exercise routine, do you ever have days when you don't feel like working out?  What do you do to overcome that?

Gabrielle Reece:  I think sometimes when people see me, they misconstrue that I wake up and go "woo hoo" everyday about training.  That isn't the case at all though.  I have young children and the details of life and work can bog me down some days.  It can drain your energy and motivation.  The difference is that I have learnt to create an environment that has a failsafe backup. 

What everyone has to realize is that most of us feel, for the most part, that we don't really want to train or exercise.  I actually think humans are inherently lazy.  I think that is our nature, we sort of roll around and just get up and bounce around to get food.  I think the problem is, that people don't want to exercise and then they feel bad about not wanting to, so then they have added another negative layer on top. 

But I do two things.  I take the emotion out of it so I just think I don't feel like doing it, but I am going to.  I compare it to when people have a meeting or they need to go to the DMV to get there new license, no-one feels like going but you wouldn't let your license expire.  Or you wouldn't say I'm really busy I'm not going to pick my kid up from school.  We have a lot of that in our life but we do it.  But somehow we don't take that approach when it comes to taking care of ourselves. 

The other thing is I've created an environment of accountability over the years, and I've lived in a different reality having had a coach for volleyball and a trainer for physical fitness.   I volunteer teaching a class three times a week where I live in Hawaii.  I can tell you there are days when I don't want to do it but I am accountable to forty or fifty people who are coming to my class so that helps me on the days that I don't want to.  I would say just create a situation of accountability by exercising with a partner or friend.   Write on the calendar where and when you are going to work out, walk, run, swim or whatever.  It is at this time on this day and schedule it in like everything else.  That has helped me tremendously over the years so I think that is the way I deal with it. 

On the philosophical side, when I look at all the things I have put a lot of energy into, I should at least put a lot of energy into investing in my health.  It is like investing into a friendship or a relationship with a family member, it is really important.  So I think it is how you view it.

Gabrielle Reilly:  I guess it's how you feel if you didn't do it also?

Gabrielle Reece:  Well see there is an interesting side to that.  I've trained at a very high level for 25 years now and I know the feeling so I'm committed because I have got the rewards.  For the people that haven't had the feeling, or they don't remember the feeling, who are looking to lose weight or whatever, have to realize there is an extended period of faith between getting started and the results you want.  When you're done you just have to know it is not only good for you, you will feel better.  Your mind will be clear, you will make better decisions, you will ultimately have more energy and that bleeds into the rest of your life in a positive way. 

So I think people can't think that people who are very diligent about their fitness or who are very fit are ecstatic about exercising every day.  It is what you said, it is they know the feeling.  

They have placed a high value on taking care of themselves. I think that is another thing, we don't value it enough.  We keep our house clean, our car clean, ladies get their nails done, but somehow fitness and health is not quite so high on the priority list.

Gabrielle Reilly:  Yes, it is critical; it's the only vehicle that can take you through life so you better not let it break down, or even worse, fail completely.

Gabrielle Reece:  Yes, my husband talks about that when we give a lot of talks to kids, "What is the best vehicle that you could have?"  The kids normally answer "a helicopter,"  "a plane" etc, and Laird says "No it is right here, because you can fly a helicopter, you can drive a boat, you can drive a racecar.  We already own it."  So.

Gabrielle Reilly:  So you better take dang good care of it!

Gabrielle Reece:  Yes!!!  Culturally we've lost that it is something that is important.  On top of that, women objectify themselves so we have all those things going on.  It is not important to take care ourselves but then we obsess about being thin or looking a certain way.  You should think of using your body as an instrument, as a tool, and relating to it on that level, can be very liberating.

Gabrielle Reilly:  Thanks so much for all the how-to information on setting a regular excercise routine!  We look forward to your next interview on food.

For Gabrielle Reeces next interviews, click here:  Interview 2. Interview 3

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