It seems a bit ironic that I am writing a testimonial for my fitness and wellness coach while eating a forbidden salt-crusted bagel slathered with butter and slurping a giant coffee for breakfast – my carbo-caffeine fix to face an otherwise uninspiring stressful day.  There is no full-fat plain Greek yogurt or fresh fruit or almonds anywhere in sight.  No hard-boiled eggs. No tall glass of water.  I feel at the opposite end of the spectrum from where I want to be at the moment.

But that’s life – some days can be quite challenging, and it’s impossible for me to be my best self every day, and do the right thing for myself in body, mind, and spirit all the time.  And it is precisely during these types of tough days where I think Ramsey has made the most positive impact on my life with his approach to fitness and wellness.

It would be way too easy to talk about how wonderful it is to have Ramsey as a trainer and coach on those “good days,” when I’m eating well, sleeping well and feeling good – when I’m full of energy, and Ramsey organically and expertly guides me through cardio and stretching and isometrics and foam rolling and lunges, works my core and glutes and upper back – all of which improve my balance and posture, build total body strength and flexibility, and foster a healthy mindset.  It just feels really good in a deep and natural way.

But when the fitness journey really counts most to me is on the days when I feel like I’ve taken a wrong turn on the map, am a bit lost, looking at a steep incline with hardly any gas in the tank, and shit just ain’t right for one reason or another.  When one or more of my body, mind and soul is a little weak or off-kilter, or two or more of them are out of sync with each other, and none of them want to move. This is when the time I’ve spent with Rams really matters most – when the consistency, steady progress, measured building of strength and flexibility, wellness philosophy, discussions about life and healthfulness, and friendship provide forward momentum.  On balance, the lasting effect that helps me to navigate the tough days, and really enjoy the good days, is knowing that I’m doing the right thing for myself by paying attention to fitness and wellness as much as I can on any given day – and listening to what Ramsey has to say, and doing what he tells me to do, is the biggest part of that “right” feeling.