When I was younger, I posed for Playgirl magazine, but the magazine ceased publication the month before my pictorial was scheduled to appear. When the pictures were published on an Australian site, it brought some attention to my Instagram. Having done the shoot years ago and seeing the reaction, I decided to focus on my personal journey of health and wellness.I live on Maui with my husband, Brian, and we run our personal training business together. As I have aged into my fifties, I approach my own training differently than I did in my 30s and 20s. Finding the energy and time can be a challenge, especially as our schedules get filled with responsibilities for work, family, children, and pets. It's key to book YOU time. It's essential to be strategic in creating a schedule that accounts for your personal needs, so that we don't neglect the responsibilities we have to our physical and mental well-being. We'd like to suggest that our clients first allow you time, and then proceed from there. While reprioritizing your needs can be challenging at first (as change often is), once you commit to making your health a priority, the benefits of feeling better become a driver.Consider how you physically feel as you start your fitness journey: your strength, endurance, and flexibility. We often don't realize how much 10 pounds weighs us down or how hard balance can be as we age. Reminding yourself how much better you feel when you take care of yourself can create an energy that motivates you to continue.Waking up with the first morning breath, as my eyes gain focus, I feel every muscle and joint discomfort from the day before. As we age, the body takes longer to get going and recover, and it becomes harder to gain and maintain strength. Restoring our memories of a younger self can be a roadmap for our journey to a healthier experience. Remember how you felt when you learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Or attacking that big hill in your neighborhood with your skateboard. Or whatever personal memories, joy, and accomplishment trigger positive motivations.Bring back the memories that made us feel invincible.Building strength in words is just as important as building muscle strength. Words become like a muscle, stronger when you exercise them. In addition to focusing on our physical health, it is also important to consider our mental health and the impact that certain words have on our attitudes. We can use words to elevate the training and reach our goals, and likewise avoid the doubts and excuses that limit us.Gratitude can rewire our thoughts away from the negatives that hold us back. Everyone has looked in the mirror and seen things they don't like about themselves. Those thoughts can either dominate our narratives, holding us back, or we can flip the script and apply the word workout, focusing on the positives. Those positives will become drivers for health and motivations.For example, the word "fat" has mostly had negative connotations. However, it also has its strengths, as anyone who has seen the advantages in football can attest. So, if you look in the mirror and see fat you want to lose, instead, see the strength underneath that will push you to lose it, and the fat as fuel for the change. Our bodies can navigate many scenarios we put in front of them. We can have more control over the levers than we realize.Often, past injuries can hold us back, both from continuing physical pain and/or fear of reinjury. However, one of the primary benefits of fitness is reducing pain and preventing injury. It is vital to acknowledge our limitations and heed our doctors' advice. Still, it is also crucial to continue challenging our bodies.To get the most out of training, consider the muscle you are targeting. Connecting the mind and the muscle not only makes us aware of how our bodies work, but also focuses the muscle you are working, which builds greater strength. The focus also allows us to clear our heads of all the other stresses and bring our thoughts to the present.You have the power. Remember to start with three simple words: "Just show up."Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit out.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Out or our parent company, equalpride.