Kathy Johnsun’s top 7 tips for finding your fitness groove

Have you found yourself slinking past the gym or ‘accidentally’ forgetting your workout gear each day?

Meet one of Australia’s top fitness instructors, Kathy Johnsun, as she shares her top 7 tips for finding your fitness groove.

Upon meeting Kathy Johnsun, 43, you can’t help feeling buoyed by her positive energy. With her huge smile and bubbling enthusiasm, this mother of two, personal trainer and group fitness instructor immediately conveys the values she is all about. Sitting on a park bench out the front of her frequented Fitness First in St Leonards, NSW, I ask what her secret is to having so much energy.

“I love what I do. I am so blessed to be able to look forward to every day knowing I am going to be helping people change their lives for the better. My energy comes from my passion.”

“I love what I do. I am so blessed to be able to look forward to every day knowing I am going to be helping people change their lives for the better. My energy comes from my passion.”

Kathy recently won the Australian Fitness Network: Group Fitness Instructor of the Year, one of the highest honours in the fitness industry – although she is humble about it. She prefers to focus on her passion for exercise and the rewards of helping people.

Kathy is particularly passionate about Zumba™ group fitness as a means to inspiring people to enjoy exercise. She believes that in order to establish a sustainable fitness routine, it must be fun.

“Exercise shouldn’t be seen as a chore – it should enhance your life and give you more energy. It can be a means of stress relief, make you stronger and improve your overall quality of life.

“Exercise shouldn’t be seen as a chore – it should enhance your life and give you more energy. It can be a means of stress relief, make you stronger and improve your overall quality of life.”

Kathy has clients of all ages, backgrounds and situations. Many of them are women, from workaholics to new mothers, caught in a vicious cycle of weight-gain and depression. She genuinely cares about people and how their situations can be improved with good nutrition and exercise.

Here’s Kathy’s top 7 tips for getting on top of your health and finding your fitness groove:

1. Be honest with yourself

People often justify their poor decisions with excuses. When it comes to your health, be honest and take responsibility for your situation. Only you are accountable for your own actions (or inaction) so own it and do something to change it.

2. Replace bad habits with good ones

If you can identify areas where you are falling down – staying up late, binge eating, reality TV marathons – switch it out with a new habit. Swap evening TV for a neighbourhood walk; swap dessert-time for 15 minutes of stretching. Replacing just one bad habit with a good one will help you get on track.

3. Use exercise to relieve stress

If you don’t like exercising just for the sake of it – do it as a means of stress-reduction. Our bodies have major stress-busting responses to exercise which directly benefit your brain. Choose a sport or activity which makes you feel happy. If you love swimming or walking the dog – then do it!

4. Ditch the diets

We all know that diets are not sustainable. You don’t need to detox or crash diet if you eat lots of healthy food, fresh fruit and veggies. Keep your portion sizes within reason and approach everything with commonsense and moderation. Make healthy food and clean eating a daily habit and you can’t go too wrong.

5. Make yourself physically strong

Don’t underestimate the power of being physically strong. Many women do regular cardio but don’t include strength training in their exercise regime. Two weights sessions a week will empower you to take on daily tasks such as lifting or carrying shopping with ease.

6. Eat less, move more

The simple mantra of eat less, move more can be very effective. Eat only what you need to without over-indulging and make sure you move your body at least 2-3 times a week. Even 20-30 minutes of exercise several times a week can have a huge impact on your overall health.

7. Get over your #1 excuse: you are NOT too busy!

If your boss wanted a meeting today, you would not say you are too busy – so don’t use the busy excuse with yourself. Squeeze it in somehow. Schedule exercise time for when you know you are least likely to make excuses. Prepare your gear the night before and make a commitment to do it. Take charge and be the boss of your own well-being!

Kathy Johnsun

Kathy is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Check out her blog here.

Interview by Sally Miles, Women’s Editor, Leaders in Heels.

What keeps you motivated to exercise? Share your ideas and tips below.