What I learned during my Internship

The last three months have been a whirlwind. As I sit back and reflect I realise how fortunate and lucky I was to have this opportunity and to continue my development with Motus in the New Year. These are three ‘key' learnings from my experience over the past few months.

1. What is a Lifestyle coach at Motus?

When my friends ask me what my job role is I thrive in telling them I am a Lifestyle Coach. The usual response: “what's that?” To me this means being a facilitator of change, a role model who should inspire and energise people to be the best version of themselves. It is not just about working with people to achieve a short term goal, but building long-lasting relationships allowing a more sustainable and nourishing lifestyle. I fully believe in the same values and principles as Motus and cannot wait to get involved in the new developments, in-person, online and in the corporate world. I hope that I too can inspire lifestyle transformations in the future.

2. There's a lot more to it than exercise

The past 3 months have enabled me to understand that there are many factors beyond exercise that affect our health and wellbeing. Through talking to clients and undergoing my own ‘mini lifestyle transformation' I have realised that what we put inside our bodies, the duration and quality of sleep and how we prioritise our own well-being are just as, if not more, important as physical activity. We wouldn't fill a petrol car with diesel, so why would we fill our bodies with foods that aren't going to maximise our performance? Or the oxygen mask analogy on an airplane; in order to help our loved ones, we need to put our own oxygen mask on first. These things all sound pretty obvious but how many of us actually do this - I for one didn't respect all aspects of my lifestyle. Being part of Motus over the last 3 months has increased my awareness to the multitude of factors which need to be considered when trying to improve our lifestyle and well-being.

3. People are different

When I first started at Motus, I realised I was very narrow minded and in some cases judgemental as to why not everyone was fit, healthy and happy. I now understand that every situation is unique. It is my role to support and encourage clients to find solutions to these barriers. Not only this, but different exercise and nutritional habits work for different people. A carbohydrate or alcohol free diet isn't going to work long term for someone who loves their potatoes or a glass of wine on a friday night is it? Removing these completely as many ‘fad diets' in the industry do is not a long term solution. In most cases this leads to a relapse meaning the individual is in a worse situation than when they first started. It is about moving away from this ‘one size fits all' model and finding a sustainable lifestyle for each and every person Motus work with so they feel happier and more energised.