Navigating New Fitness Goals: From Aspiration to Achievement
December 2023 | Episode 6
Producer’s Note: The following is an AI-generated transcript of The Wellness Conversation, an OhioHealth Podcast
SPEAKERS: Missy Gleason, Amy Kleski, Marcus Thorpe
Hello, and welcome back to the wellness conversation an OhioHealth podcast. I'm your host, Marcus Thorpe.
And I'm Missy Gleason. Today we're talking about setting and conquering new fitness goals.
I'm not the right person to answer your questions, but we do have the right person, an expert in the house, the director of retail operations, and McConnell Heart Health Center, and the neuroscience Wellness Center. Let's give a warm welcome to Amy Kleski. Amy, it's good to see you. Thanks for joining us for our podcast.
Thanks for having me.
So, Amy, I want to kick things off and ask you about your own fitness journey. And how has it led you to your current role?
Yeah, so I think for me, my passion for fitness really started when I was young, I was very much involved in sports all through my high school career into college. So, I love being active. And I could already see the benefits, I think of being active. When I was in undergrad, I was exposed to cardiac rehab. So, we had an opportunity to make some observations in our exercise science program. And I was hooked right away, because for me, I was interested in health care, but also just saw, like from the fitness side of things, how you could be involved in that continuum of care. And then actually what we would refer to as like secondary prevention. So I loved cardiac rehab, I did both my internships there. So when I graduated from Ohio State, I ended up going, having the opportunity to be an exercise physiologist on the fitness team at McConnell. I've stayed there ever since I was able to really starting in the beginning working with the community. And then I was able to kind of pursue my passion around leadership. So I've worn quite a few hats. Since I've been at McConnell, and I've been there for the past 15 years. It's awesome.
How about a moment or milestone for you and your journey that might stand out to you the most?
Oh, gosh. So if you come to mind, when I started at McConnell, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Cancer Wellness Program. So we've had that program going since 2009. And that was, I don't take any credit for that. That definitely was one of our exercise physiologists, Laura, Laura Leach, she really just had a passion for helping cancer survivors and just navigating what to do to take care of themselves. So I always joke that I started at the right time, she basically needed a partner and I just started, and I had bandwidth. So I was like, Sure, you know, it sounds great. I think being a part of that program really kind of changed my life, as far as just the impact of seeing what we were doing just by providing guidance for cancer survivors in their journey, like post diagnosis. And it motivated me to think, wow, like I saw a whole variety of patients that could be currently in treatment coming in. And I know that there are days that they didn't want to be there. But they knew that that was what was best for them in the long run. And I thought if they can get in here and do it, there's no reason that I can't continue on my fitness journey. We also were able to see in that program, you know, just the hope that was established between the participants, because we would have, you know, some of our folks would be right, you know, in the middle of chemo treatment, we would have some that would be five years post, you know, remission. And they were able to help each other. And I think that sense of community and just, you know, seeing what they did for each other was so rewarding. So that's something that will always hold a very dear place in my heart is being a part of that program. I think another one, you know, I love being at the neuroscience wellness center every day, I love to just pop up there and be at the desk as I watched the members come in. It's just like a breath of fresh air. You know, these folks have a center that's built just for them. They feel safe. They've established, you know, so many great relationships with each other. And, again, it's just seen a unique group of individuals that are putting their health and wellness first, it helps motivate me and I think that's where a lot of folks don't realize, you know, what we get from just being a part of their journey. So that's huge for me, too, is being a part of that center.
I think about the Dempsey center as another one of those places where you talk about folks who are coming in and they gather support from others who are going through something similar and you mentioned that with the cancer program and the neuroscience Wellness Center. I do think that drives not only the staff and the team, but also the patients who are working so hard.
Yeah, absolutely. I think it's a game changer. I'm definitely a believer in the importance of community. So I think that's accountability and that too, so we would have I know in some of our programs with Cancer Wellness, if they didn't see each other for a couple of weeks, if someone wasn't able to come, I know that there'd be people calling and checking on them and seeing how they are and, and trying to, you know, maybe they're just in a rough spot or a rough patch. But I think that that is so important, when you're on a fitness journey is just having that sense of community.
Being able to see somebody achieve goals and know that you can do it too has to be super impactful as well.
Oh, yeah. I mean, it's again, like I said, I truly think like, with the Cancer Wellness Program, in particular, it was, there would be days, I mean, because I think with fitness, fitness is definitely it's a journey, and you're gonna have days where you're motivated and days that you're not. I think at some point in time, though, your motivation has to just, you turn it over into discipline, and it's just part of what you do. But I think that's where, you know, there would be days that maybe my motivation is lacking. And I think about the folks that I get to work with every day, and it helps get me out of bed and just go do my thing. I believe it. Yeah.
So we're talking about goal setting today. And we kind of just touched on that a little bit. But when it comes to making your own fitness goals, how do you advise someone to kind of strike a balance between challenging themselves, and then ensuring that those goals are realistic, so they don't get overwhelmed?
Yeah, I think anytime you're starting your fitness journey, or maybe you're getting back into a routine, you have to start small. And I think that's hard. Because you, you want to have like, overnight success and see results right away. But I do think you have to be able to set small, attainable goals. So you have those wins kind of upfront. So I think it's and also to I mean, we live in a world, obviously, I mean, I'm on social media, I get it, it's very important. But it's also can be a little discouraging, because you see what others are doing or maybe results that they're getting that maybe you're not getting. So I would encourage folks to kind of put that to the side, and really focus on, you know, from one day to the next, you know, how are you feeling after you finish that workout or, you know, after you've accomplished your goal that you set for the day. And if you're feeling good about that, I think that's where you start your foundation and how you continue to build from there. But I do think you have to start small, and really focus on those easy wins upfront so that you can kind of gain that confidence as you get back into it.
I know I'm not alone. I'm a starter and a stopper and a starter and a stopper and I go through those waves. Can you talk about how to break through that with setting the short-term goals and the long-term goals so that there is a destination that you're trying to get to? And you don't have those big pulls of starts and stops so much?
Yeah. Again, I mean, I think you have to have short term goals, everyone has long term goals, I do encourage folks that I get you know, we still hear it a lot that a lot of times, you know, weight loss is a goal for someone and not to say that that's not important. But I think that having that as a primary goal sometimes can be a little defeating, or it can derail you a little easier when you're not seeing the results as quickly as you want. So I think as far as short term goals, really focusing on you know, how are you able to increase your duration when you're starting something, you know, even if it's by a minute, I mean, we've coached folks on, you know, if they're brand new to exercise, and even walking to the mailbox is challenging, and then we say, Okay, we'll start there, you know, walk to the mailbox, and then try to do it twice in one day. And then do it three times, like it can be pretty small. In what you set your goals up to start. I again, I believe in accountability. So I think when it comes like to the starters and stops, you know the ones that are, it's hard to keep it going, I think you have to have someone there kind of in your corner to help hold you accountable to that. And that can be a variety of people. And even if you're not someone that likes to go, you know, and be in a class setting or be around other people. I think having someone that's just going to kind of check in on you to see how you're doing is important. You know, I want I know one thing is when my mom started her fitness journey a couple years ago, I was getting a daily report of her workouts and even some of her nutrition, how things were going there. And I do think that that's important to just know that someone else knows that you're on this path, and how they can kind of help keep you going to say, you know, because there's many times I would tell my mom like, oh my gosh, I'm so proud of you. I can't believe you're doing this. And I do think that made a difference for her. And I think that's the case for a lot of people.
I can say that I when I started my fitness journey, I can remember already beating myself up on day one. My husband and I did a workout together and we got done and I and I was like he was like you did it. That was awesome. And I stopped I'm like yeah, but I stopped like four times and he was like, but you didn't give up and you kept going and I think if I had just been doing it by myself, I probably would have just beat myself up and been like I'm no good at this.
Yeah, so I absolutely know For myself, personally, if I didn't have the accountability in my life with a group of friends that I go to the gym with, you know, my husband knows about, you know what I'm doing. But I think it's just having those people that are there to push you and encourage you and say, Hey, you're doing a great job. And look how far you've come from where you started. I think that's important.
So setting goals, are there any, like myths or misconceptions that you see people make or think?
um, I think the biggest thing is, you know, where people get stuck, at least from what I hear in my experience is that when there's a new trend that's out there, then and you see people being successful, and again, I think a lot of that comes from social media, than they think, Oh, well, then I need to go do that, like that's going to help me achieve my goals. And fitness is not cookie cutter, it's across a whole spectrum. And I think it can mean different things to different people. So I think, you know, not focusing on so much what you're seeing others have success with. But whenever you're starting a routine or trying to get back into the swing of things with fitness, try different things, because you have to find something that you enjoy. Or I used to joke with personal training clients, something that you hate the least. Because you know, everyone, a lot of people will say, I hate working out, but I think you really can find something that when you're finished, you're like, wow, I feel better than when I started. And I think that's a big key to that is, you know, really not focusing on what others are, you're seeing them have success with but trying out different things. What are you enjoying? I also think, you know, when, if you were to Google, what's the recommended amount of exercise per week, that can be a little daunting. So when you see, you know, 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, and you're like, oh my gosh, you know, I'm doing zero right now, don't focus on that, I would always encourage someone to say, you know, if you can only get in 10 minutes a day, and you know, or 10 minutes a day for three times a week, that's a place to start. So you know, don't look at the numbers so much right in the beginning, because you can build up to there, but nobody starts there.
You're making a nice pivot into our next line of questions, which has to do with more of the mental side of things. You know, when you're dealing with the psychological challenges that come up, when you're trying to come up with a fitness goal? How do you overcome some of those mental challenges? Again, like Missy said, where you're psyching yourself out, sometimes, instead of pushing yourself beyond maybe just what you think you're capable of doing?
Yeah. I think going into a fitness routine, go ahead and expect that those, you know, mental challenges, or those psychological barriers are going to happen. We all have them, you know, it's very normal. I'm, you know, I'm an avid exerciser, but then I will still have days where, you know, I can get in my head about, oh my gosh, I'm into a new decade now. And now I don't perform the way that I used to, and you know, whatever age. So I think having, again, accountability is important. You know, I know, when my mom started her fitness journey, and I know I keep referencing her, but she's definitely a motivator for me. You know, I don't recall my mom exercising when I was young, like she was busy doing mom things. And it wasn't as encouraged, I think, for females to be lifting weights and doing things like that. So a couple years ago, you know, for so long, she had said, I'm too out of shape to get started, I'm too old to get started. And I'm not going to be able to do you know, some of these things that I see other people doing and I was able to get her connected with Actually, she's a personal trainer, but also a crossfit coach. And now my sorry, Mom, I'm gonna say my 61-year-old mom is doing CrossFit. And she's doing it five days a week. And she I mean; I'm amazed at what she's doing. So I think, you know, just again, having someone to talk through some of these things as they come up is very, very important. And it doesn't have to be a family member, I think, you know, find someone a fitness professional that can help because they can expect those types of things that are going to pop into your mind to try to derail you. But you know, I think that's, that's one thing we hear a lot is people psych themselves out to where they can't even get started. And I think that's where I've had the pleasure of seeing so many people break through those psychological barriers and then see success. And once you start to see some success, you really can't be stopped.
Let's flip that around. From the knock getting started to almost pushing too hard. So how do you know the difference between a healthy push mentally and then over? Overexerting yourself?
Well, that's a great question because I struggle with that. You know, I think, again, you should you know, at the end of the day, really doing a self assessment, especially if you're on this journey, and you know, like you're really prioritizing your fitness. You should be able to sit back and feel good about what you've done. and not be like, oh my gosh, I'm mentally exhausted, I'm not enjoying myself. I'm physically exhausted. And if you're in the, if you're experiencing some of that, then I think you're, you're pushing too hard. And again, it's recognizing, I know, it's a cliche saying, but, you know, fitness, fitness is a marathon, it's not a sprint. So if you're starting from scratch, and you're trying to sprint your way to results, then you're probably going to be physically and mentally exhausted. And you know, that's going to discourage you to where then you may take a step away from fitness and never get back into it.
let's focus in on some of those people who are the starter stoppers, or maybe somebody who just wants to start and they've been putting it off for a long time. How about some starter techniques, maybe some habits they can develop to start the growth mindset and kind of a fitness journey and, and thinking of it more long term, instead of just well, this day or this week, like you said, this is not just about losing weight, this is about being healthy for life, right?
I mean, I think, you know, I always encourage anyone, when starting a routine, try to make your goals relatable to everyday life. So you know, thinking about so why is it that you find it important to get fit, you know, quote, unquote, fit, like, what does that mean to you? And what does that look like in your everyday life? It really needs to go beyond cosmetic; it needs to go beyond a number on a scale, it needs to be relatable to, you know, how is this going to improve your quality of life? I think when you start to attach, you know, your fitness routine to those types of goals, it's much more motivating. Personally, you know, I know I, I became super motivated when I became a mom, of recognizing, like, I'm setting an example for another human being who I know is watching my every move. And, you know, now especially as he's a little older, he recognizes, like, oh, this is important to my mom. And this should be important to me as I get older. So I think when you start to think about your goals in that regard, of how is this actually going to improve my quality of life? What kind of example am I setting maybe for others, I think it really helps to kind of keep you in that journey to where it's not quite so easy to stop.
I think that makes perfect sense. Being a mom, myself, I started my fitness journey like 13 years ago, 12 years ago. And so my oldest is now a sophomore in college. And it's so nice to be able to speak from experience and encourage him to move daily, not just because he's not on the track team or cross-country team anymore, but because it's a wonderful way for him to just stay active and clear his mind. And I mean, those are things I never would have experienced had I not done it myself.
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I think you brought up a good point, missy, like, as I've gotten older, too, I recognize the mental benefits from exercise that go far beyond anything that I could experience physical. And I think that's important to share with others of, you know, the idea around mental clarity and the psychological benefits from just getting up and moving, and how it can really reframe your mind for whatever's going on. Personally, I think we all experienced that I'm sure during COVID, like I really turned to exercise pretty heavily. Because it was a nice break from what was going on. So I think that's always important to be able to share that with other people as well.
So beyond just the starter journey for folks, once they've become more of a habit based and they're starting to do on a regular basis, how then do you switch it up for folks to make sure it doesn't become monotonous where I'm like, okay, I'm now walking to the mailbox four or five times, and this is really getting old and bored. How do you pick that up a little bit?
Yeah, I mean, I think variety truly is key. So, you know, not only from the monotonous standpoint of how you know becomes boring for someone, but your body adapts to exercise. So the more I do the same consistent routine, the less benefit I continue to get. So you do have to be able to mix that up. I think, you know, checking in with a fitness professional is always an option. So you know, with like, if you're going to a gym where they have exercise physiologist or personal trainers, someone that you can just check in with to kind of get a different take on what you're doing and maybe how you can mix that up as important. If you're a class-based person, I think that's always helpful because generally you're gonna go to classes routines are different. You've got an instructor that's kind of laying out the workout for you. So that's one thing for me, you know, I, I could write my workouts all day long and do it every single day like from my own knowledge, but I like the idea of someone else doing it for me. So I go somewhere where the routine is already laid out. I'm not having to think about it, I just show up and do it. So I think that that helps as well is just you know, so you're not having to put in too much thought into what's going on let someone else kind of help you navigate that journey, you may not be doing the exercises the right way.
So you think you're doing something when really you might be hurting yourself, too, if you're not doing it the right way.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, we see that a lot. And that's, I think that's where I've had to remind myself, you know, especially when I was a younger exercise physiologist, what is a little bit easier for me or just what feels like second nature, when it comes to exercise is generally not easy for folks to do, and they don't understand proper form. So I think, you know, making sure that you're checking in with someone that can help with that so you don't hurt yourself is important.
I want to shift a little bit to technology.
Yeah.
So what is your take on wearables and apps and integrating those into your fitness routine?
Yeah, I'm a huge data nerd when it comes to fitness and wearables. So at one point in time, I would be known to be having three different wearables on and I like to compare what I'm seeing. So I think, if you want, again, this is a way to see like some quicker, easier wins, like you can start to see, you know, how you're really building up that cardiovascular endurance and what your heart rate response is like to wear a wearable and see, like, Oh, I'm actually my heart rate is not getting as high anymore, because my heart is getting stronger. And then you can start to see like the benefits that you're getting on the inside that aren't, you know, able, you're not able to see that on the outside. I think that's, that's key for a lot of people. I love wearables, I love technology integrated with fitness, I you know, and now it's pretty much everywhere you go. But on the flip side, if that's not your thing, you know, then I wouldn't focus on it too much, I don't think it's something that you have to have in order to be on a fitness journey. But if you if you want to be able to see like, kind of what's going on behind the scenes, I would encourage folks to do that. And you have a variety of different ways that you know, you can work, you know, get different wearables. But again, I love it. And I love having that real time data. So then I could see like, oh, my gosh, I just burned however many calories. And granted, it's an estimate. So I will put that out there. But I think that that's also important. If you'd like to see stuff, you know, right away and have that visibility.
I know you said, you talked about how you live a healthy lifestyle, which is awesome. And you're also not only living it, but you work in this space, too. And you have a friend group, you said that you all are kind of accountability partners, what is it like for you, in all your phases when you see success stories, when you see people that are really leaning into that journey, and maybe seeing those gains, even if they're slow and low, but they're still there, and they're still grinding it out?
Yeah. I love it. I honestly, I think that's been why I've stayed where I've been is just, I've been able to see so many success stories. And I've shared with some folks before, I used to have a personal training client, that basically every year, we would, she would have a couple of trips planned out. And we would base our training around what her trips were going to be because she didn't want to be the person that had to bypass some of the excursions or, you know, had to sit on the bus while the others were getting off and going, you know, climbing whatever peak it was. And that, for me was so much fun, but so rewarding. And she would send me pictures after all of her trips when she would have accomplished her journey. And I thought, wow, like I really am making a difference. You know, so I love it. And even if it's beyond where I work, I think we all should be encouragers of everyone that, you know, I think we all can recognize, like exercise is medicine. So why wouldn't we want everyone to be focusing on that and having that as a primary, you know, objective in their lives that they're putting themselves first, I think something that we, I, we sometimes hear from folks is at the beginning of the year, you know, you got a lot of new year's resolution errs, and oh my gosh, it's packed at the gym, and I can't get my piece of equipment. And, you know, I've tried to help folks shift their mind to think, you know, like, we really should be encouraging people when they're getting started. Because at one point in time, you were getting started on your journey, too. So I think instead of being that person, like Oh, I'm not going to talk to the new person at the gym, we always encourage folks like, hey, you know, welcome somebody, if you notice that they've been there, you know, consistently for a couple of weeks say hey, great job, I see you in here, you know, getting the work in. And I think that can make a huge difference for somebody if they just know like, wow, somebody actually noticed I'm new here. And you know, trying to remember folks’ names like that's really important for us, I know at our centers just to have that connection, but we really should be encouraging people versus discouraging them just because it feels crowded.
Okay, Amy So before wrapping up, we've got a little tradition here. We want to get to know you a bit more just beyond fitness. So are you game for this?
I’m, game!
Let's do it.
Awesome.
Okay, so first off, if you could travel anywhere in the world for a fitness retreat, where would it be?
So I have to say this place is already on my bucket list. So why not do a fitness retreat there? I would love to go to Bora Bora. And I'm going to get there one day. But I think if I'm there, I might as well do a fitness retreat. It seems like the perfect setting for that. So that's where I would go.
So have you tried any, like, unconventional or unusual fitness trends? Oh,
so I will say, when I think of unconventional, I think I haven't tried anything too crazy. But I have used equipment at times that you were like, Oh, that's weird. So I like to flip tires. I've done different CrossFit environments where we're using sledgehammers to bang a tire. And honestly, that just felt good mentally to be able to do that and release that. I think that's probably the most unconventional type of exercise I've ever done. It's just kind of using more of like, unconventional equipment.
Well, we want to thank you for joining us today really great information. So much going on. In the world of fitness. Sometimes it's hard to keep up so to have a podcast like this that people can maybe go back to and listen a couple of different times when maybe they graduate or they change their fitness journey a little bit, I think will be helpful, and we really appreciate your insight, Amy,
thank you guys for having me.
And to all our listeners, we hope this conversation has fueled your passion for fitness even more. So remember, every step counts, and every goal is a journey. Until our next episode drops, we invite you to follow us on all major social channels to stay up to date on new episodes and other health and wellness topics. And if you're looking for more information on OhioHealth services and locations, be sure to visit ohiohealth.com.
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