Day by Day

Tinchy of @FrecklesInMyMind makes progress through habits and routine

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Twenty Eight year old fitness enthusiast and influencer Martina, affectionately known as ‘Tinchy’ by her friends and family is the personality behind @FrecklesinmyMind.  I talked with her about her fitness journey, her inspiration, and how she keeps motivated to strive for healthy goals.

How would you describe what it is that you do?

My aim is to show people that no matter how little free time they have on their hands, taking a half hour off your day to move and nourish your body will help them both mentally and physically. You take it day by day, a meal by meal, a workout by workout, and slowly, but steady change your lifestyle for the better.

When did you first start your fitness journey?

I “officially” started my fitness journey in July 2015, when I’ve also opened my instagram account to keep myself accountable and to find inspiration. Before that I tried going to the gym off and on, but never had the determination to really stick with it.

What was the impetus to get you started?  

It was getting sick all the time, my immunity was really low and I was under a lot of stress. I was lacking energy, felt anxious all the time, had trouble sleeping properly and felt like my days are passing and nothing was changing. Working out daily helped tremendously with all of that.

Tell me about your childhood, is there anything about your childhood that you can link to your inspiration?

My parents always supported all my choices and let me do my own thing..even if it meant playing piano and practicing handball which was a nightmare for my piano teacher since I fractured my finger twice, LOL.   Growing up I’ve always had extracurricular activities and I’ve loved doing different things.

I have been active pretty much through all my childhood. I played handball through my elementary school and high school and when I went away to university, I’ve tried rowing and tennis. I love moving my body and when I stopped playing sports I felt like something was missing.  That’s something I found again which  through daily fitness, when I brought that back into my life.

Who do you consider the icons in the Health & Fitness space?

Well, if we are talking about instagram fitness community, I find Kayla Itsines a great role model that’s promoting a healthy lifestyle, positivity, and not promoting diets.  She teaches just nourishing your body with good food 🙂  

I also like Emily Skye because she shows all the good and bad and keeps it real.   I really like Kevin Hart who daily inspires people to just go and smash their workouts 🙂 Oh, and also makes you laugh a lot.

I think having positive role models is great, especially today, when so many print, tv and online media are pushing their own agendas without really thinking of the damage they are doing to young people growing up.  It takes a lot of time and effort to change the mindset that a scale is just a number that does not define your worth; that beauty and happiness comes from within; that you should workout and eat healthy because you love your body; and not because you hate it.

Little by little, things are changing and more and more people are showing that a healthy sustainable fit life is doable by sharing their day-to-day lives on social media.  That in turn inspires other people, which I think it’s amazing.

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What is your training regimen? 

I am following Kayla Itsines BBG program (bikini body guide).  

This means I do resistance training 3 times a week:

Monday is leg & cardio day, Wednesday is arms day, and Friday is either a full body or abdominal workout. Thursday and Thursdays are reserved for liss sessions (low intensity steady state) which for me is usually taking a 30-45 min fast paced walk.  However, since I’ve been doing BBG program for a year now, to change things up a little, this round I am not doing any liss sessions but mixing BBG resistance workouts with running 4-5 times per week.

I’m hoping to attend my first half marathon in the end of October, which makes me feel pretty excited.  I try to do my resistance training in the morning before work, and go running in the evening.  Even though it seems a lot, I make sure I have a rest day or two to let my body recover.  I’m also trying to incorporate more yoga, to help with recovery of my muscles.

What’s your beliefs on performance diet like?   

I believe that food should have good nutritional value and that you should pick wholesome foods instead of processed ones.  The food you eat should not make you sluggish or give you cravings which a lot of  junk food does.  Good food makes you feel good too.  Personally I do not follow any performance diets.  I try to listen my body and eat healthy.

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What are the obstacles that you see preventing people from being their healthiest?  

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford was so right about this!

To be honest, I believe it all comes down to the mindset.  Everyone has to start by wanting a change and then do your best to show up every day for yourself.  Make yourself a priority at least half an hour a day.  No one can make your life better if you do not put effort to make it better yourself.  Taking shortcuts is easy way and well we all do it, but putting an effort is something that actually makes a difference. You have to understand that you won’t feel motivated everyday and that’s why it is important to build up habits and be dedicated – so that you still do what you need to do even though you don’t really feel like it.

Changes can be scary because we are all creatures of habit. Even though we sometimes don’t like where we are in life, over the time we got used to it, and thus find a comfort in the known. Starting something new can be hard and people often give up before they’ve managed to create new habits for themselves.  It takes time, but once you do create new, good habits and feel their benefits you will not want to go back.

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I noticed that you wear some of the coolest fitness gear.  Can you tell me what you look for in fitness apparel?  Any anecdotes or advice there?

Thank you 🙂 Since I’ve made fitness a part of my daily life I feel like I’m spending all my time in workout clothes, LOL.  The comfort of the clothes is a priority to me.  If something irritates your skin during the workout or moves in a way it shouldn’t, it will bother you the whole time and distract you from your goals.

Apart from the functionality, it needs to look pretty too!  I love different designs and the fact that active wear has gotten so popular that there are plenty brands to choose from.  Most of my workout clothes end up being black or monochrome for practical reasons, but I love seeing colorful clothes too.  Also, I think one of the most important thing is to have sneakers which offer good support to your feet.

Anything else you would like to add?

Don’t be afraid of starting because you might fail.  Start and give it your all.

If you fall, pick yourself up again.  If you want a change, do not wait for the next monday, next month or a specific date.  Start now.  Every little change counts.  

Find some activities you are passionate about and it won’t seem like a chore.  Not everyone likes cardio and not everyone likes lifting.  Just because someone else does it or just because something is popular and everyone else seems to enjoy it does not mean you will too.  It does not matter what anyone else thinks, they are not you.  So you do you and find what works for you.  Surround yourself with people who share your interests, who lift your spirits, and push you in the right direction.

And most importantly, believe in yourself.

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Tinchy @FrecklesInMyMind

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