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.