What Made Me Start My Health and Fitness Journey

There comes a moment in life when you realise that no one is going to change things for you. No one is coming to rescue you, to push you forward, or to put the pieces back together. That realisation hit me hard after my divorce. It was the beginning of a new chapter, one I hadn’t expected, one I wasn’t prepared for, but one that forced me to take a long, hard look at myself.

Mentally I was feeling good, but health and fitness wise, I wasn’t in a good place. My energy was low, my body felt sluggish, and my mind was constantly weighed down. I had never really taken the time to understand how food, movement, and daily habits impacted my health. I ate what was convenient, exercised sporadically, and assumed that feeling exhausted was just part of life. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t really looking after myself.

The turning point came when I realised I couldn’t keep going like that. If I wanted to rebuild my life, I had to start with the one thing I could control: my body and my health. Everything else felt uncertain, but I knew that moving my body and fuelling it better were things I could take charge of, no matter what else was happening.

Starting from Zero

I had no plan, no real knowledge, and no idea what I was doing. I wasn’t someone who had grown up understanding nutrition or the importance of exercise. Like most people, I had heard bits and pieces “cut carbs, do cardio, drink more water”, but I had never really questioned what was true and what actually worked for me. So I started with the basics. I walked more (10km a day), I drank more water (tracking my intake), I paid attention to what I was eating instead of just grabbing whatever was easy (meal prep was key). I didn’t have a strict routine, but I focused on making small, manageable changes that I could stick to. The first few weeks weren’t easy. My body felt heavy, and my mind kept trying to convince me that this was pointless, that it wouldn’t make a difference. But I kept going.

The Shift

Slowly, things started to change. I felt a little less tired in the mornings. My head felt clearer. It wasn’t just about losing weight or building muscle, it was about feeling in control again. Every workout (however small), every healthier meal, every bit of progress reminded me that I had the power to shape my life.

Then I found the gym, greater movement, and later, Body Combat. Strength and cardio training made me feel capable in a way I hadn’t experienced before, pushing myself, seeing progress beyond just numbers on a scale. Body Combat eventually became more than just exercise; it was an outlet, a way to push through mental barriers as much as physical ones.

More Than Just Fitness

The thing about starting a health and fitness journey is that it doesn’t just change your body, it changes your mindset. When you commit to showing up for yourself physically, it spills over into everything else. I became more disciplined in other areas of my life. I built better habits, managed my time more effectively, and stopped making excuses.

Fitness wasn’t the only thing I worked on after my divorce, but it was the foundation. It was the thing that reminded me, every single day, that I had control over my choices. And with that control came confidence.

For Anyone Starting Out

If you’re in a place where everything feels overwhelming, where you don’t know where to start, do one thing and just start small. One step, one change, one commitment to yourself. Don’t wait for motivation, because it won’t always be there. Just take action, and the progress will follow. Looking back, I don’t recognise the person I was when I started. Not just physically, but mentally. And while my journey is far from over, I know that taking that first step was the best decision I ever made.