Women of Intention Week Six: Fitness
Welcome to week six of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. So glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE.
This Week's Intentional Woman:
Today, we meet Emma of I'm His Little: An awesome community for believers and non believers alike to come to learn and converse.
As you will soon find out, Emma (a fellow Canadian!) leads an exciting life with her husband and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to child birth! Today, she'll be talking to us about one of her passions: fitness! Be sure to check out her website and share this post when you're done!
Tell Us A Bit About Yourself: What are your passions, work and interests?
My name is Emma Messner, and I am newly married to my wonderful husband, Jordan. I am a Canadian, born and raised on the West Coast in Alberta and British Columbia. I now live in Washington State with my husband who was born and raised in Ohio.
I work in the birth community, as I feel that God has called me to serve childbearing women. I serve pregnant and labouring women with their transition into motherhood by playing a role as their Birth and Postpartum Doula. I am currently working towards my certification as a Childbirth Educator, and a Prenatal Fitness Instructor.
I am a former Competitive Figure Skater meets Powerlifter, and I love both sports because they’ve taught me so much in my lifetime. I love to bake, cook, and knit. I enjoy reading--but only when the book is enjoyable. ;)
How do you approach the subject of fitness intentionally? Is it just about having a fit body, or is it more than that? Do you think fitness or being fit is necessary for everyone?
I love being asked this question, because it’s an opportunity to share my faith and also share one of my deepest passions. I started taking my fitness seriously about two and a half years ago when was forced to quit skating due to a torn labrum, which resulted in hip surgery. When I was healed from my surgery my focus changed. I wanted to worship Jesus with my body and take care of the body that Christ died for.
The way I see it is that we have one body. God has entrusted us with that one body to care for, and I want to do that to the best of my ability.
I do sincerely believe that fitness is necessary for everyone--believers or non believers, because we have one body to live with. Taking care of your body is vital, and staying fit comes with a multitude of benefits. It’s much more than aesthetics, but if that’s what gets you to the gym, then go for it!
So I know you’re into powerlifting. Could you tell us a bit about why you’ve chosen this sport and some philosophy behind it? Would you recommend it?
I explored the different avenues of weightlifting and where it could take me, and I decided that Powerlifting was the best sport for me. I looked into Bodybuilding, but with my competitive figure skating background, I needed more the typical Bikini or Figure Competitors.
Powerlifting is about being the strongest you can be in your weight class. There’s no significant bulking or cutting in Powerlifting, for the most part. Powerlifting is about finding the strength that your body can take and growing from there. It wasn’t until about 8 months ago that I started lifting heavier. I didn’t even know that I truly wanted to be a Powerlifter until about 3 months ago, when I settled into Washington State and my hubby and I were able to work-out consistently with each other. With a background in Exercise Science, and a Strength and Conditioning Coach resume, my husband was able to guide me into the transition of powerlifting. Needless to say, I’m so thankful for his expertise because I wouldn’t be where I am without him.
I would definitely recommend powerlifting, but I know that in all honesty, not everyone (especially women) desires deadlifting 300+lbs. However, I would recommend Powerlifting to someone who wants to weight lift and wants to be strong more than they desire aesthetics. With that said however, aesthetics will come to the Powerlifter who eats reasonably healthy. It’s just the nature of the sport.
What would you say to encourage someone who is struggling with intentionality in this area of their life?
It’s a very common area that people struggle with. I used to be that person that hated going to the gym. Maybe that will never change for some, because God created us all very differently. It’s always helpful to have an accountability partner, and my partner is my husband. We push, encourage, and motivate each other, and we’re always there when the other needs a spotter! A work-out partner is an awesome way to hold yourself accountable because two is always better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10).
I would ask them why they believe (or don’t believe) that health and fitness is essential to their daily lives. Then, I would ask them what their goals are towards their health and fitness, and what they see their future looking like if they don’t start intentionally living a healthy lifestyle.
I would encourage them to not look so much into themselves, but look upwards, and remember what their purpose is in this lifetime. We were called for something so much bigger than ourselves.
What about you? Do you intentionally approach fitness? Inspired by Emma's story? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, and connect with us on social media?
(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)