Never Give Up

Finding the motivation to workout can sometimes be a struggle. But what if you had a chronic illness that effected your day-to-day life? How hard would it be to find the motivation then?

Sarah Hauge is a 22 year old from North Carolina and is battling chronic illness everyday. However, her spirits are always high and she is constantly thriving for successful. By simply taking a look at her social media you can see her strong positivity and dedication; a true inspiration to many. We spoke to Sarah about her journey and found out just how amazing she really is…

Sarah tell us a little bit about your chronic illness and how it effects your day-to-day life.

“I have Autoimmune Pancreatitis Type 2 and was diagnosed on my 18th birthday. In the beginning I really struggled. I refused to do anything the doctors told me to do and continued to end up in the hospital having attacks. Four years later I’ve learned to manage it a lot better and as of today have not had a hospital visit for 11 months!! I also cannot drink any alcohol which is honestly tough in social situations because I hate explaining my disease to random people since it’s so complicated. I also have Fibromyalgia which effects my joints as well as Ehlers Danlos which causes my joints to be weak. Strengthening my joints has helped so much! I also have GERD, and IBS which definitely affects my digestion, but working out helps!! It definitely causes a lot of pain and bloating. Lastly, I have Chronic Migraines and Vertigo; mostly triggered by my hormones and the bad weather. When I have bad migraines I can’t really get much done, so that’s definitely tough.”

How has fitness helped you deal with your illnesses?

“Fitness has helped me with the anxiety that stems from being ill by giving me much needed endorphins. It also gives me something to be in control of when so much of my health feels out of my control.”

When would you say you started your fitness journey?

“I was a swimmer from the time I was 6 years old to 16 years old and it was basically my life. I stopped fitness all together when I injured my shoulder and got surgery; basically I was way too

afraid of injuring myself and stayed away from anything that had to do with exercise. When I got to college my Pancreatitis got really bad and I met my best friend who is also into fitness. We started going to the gym together & I fell in love with it! So it’s been about 4 consistent years of going to the gym.”

That’s amazing! What do you love about fitness?

“The main reason I love fitness so much is for both my mental and physical health. I have anxiety and exercising helps release endorphins and allows me to release that anxious energy in a healthy way. For my physical health, I have a TON of digestive and joint issues and exercising has helped me so much, especially my digestion.”

Do you ever get scared to train at the gym?

“When I started at the gym I would literally only do the elliptical for 45 mins and call it a day because I was so intimidated. I got over it eventually by picking a corner to do my workouts in. Now, I really don’t care what other people think because I’m exercising for myself and not anyone else.”

Finally Sarah, do you have any tips or advice for those that may be struggling with chronic illness and want to start on their own fitness journey?

“Start slowly and don’t compare yourself to other athletes. Just make a goal to move your body daily, it doesn’t have to be anything intense. Most importantly do it for YOU, not for anyone else. Definitely give yourself grace & be easy on yourself. When I started my fitness journey I started going to the gym only twice a week and slowly built up to more. Remember everyone is different and everyone’s bodies need different things so do what feels good to YOU. I started mindfulness & meditation practices so I could become more in tune to what my body tells me. I highly suggest that if you have chronic illness; because your body WILL tell you what you need!”

With such dedication to not let her illness determine her life, Sarah is such an inspiration within in the fitness community. If she can do it, then so can you!

Check out Sarah on Instagram: @fitnessbysar_

Self-love Self-acceptance &

Fitness isn’t all about having abs, eating salads and training hard every day of the week. Fitness is about loving what you eat, loving the way you train, loving the way you look and having the confidence to rock whatever body you may have…

Many of you may know the feeling of getting sucked into a fitness worm hole on the internet. It starts off as a search for inspiration and motivation but ends up making you feel bad about your own body and your self-confidence gets buried under solid concrete! The internet is full of so many female fitness fanatics, many of which are showing off their solid abs and peachy booty; but is it really worth it?

Instead of looking to those girls and feeling jealous, try looking at your own body and showing it some love and acceptance. Sometimes it can be easier said than done but once you switch your mindset then it’s hard to undo it! 25 year old Megan Frances is showing her followers just how easy it is to accept your body the way it is. After starting her fitness journey around 4 years ago she has been on a path towards health, peace and acceptance ever since. She started out her fitness journey with a personal trainer to see how it went and she ended up falling in love. “I thought to myself why not you may enjoy it, and turns out I did. Best thing I have done for myself. I feel empowered and genuinely feel like I can take on the world when I lift a heavy weight. It is apart of my lifestyle now and I just couldn’t imagine life without it.” Starting out on a fitness journey is easy but having the right mindset towards it is another thing!

From scrolling through Megan’s Instagram feed you may think she has always been a bubbly self-confident woman but the reality is different. Like most women, Megan started feeling very self-conscious about her body and the way she looked. “I haven’t always been self-confident or body positive. I used to hate everything about my body and used to spend so much time wishing I could be someone else. I used to cry myself to sleep because of the fat on my stomach. Fitness has helped me massively in over-coming this though. And I’ve realised it is just too much effort and time wasted on wanting to be someone else.” Although she may have struggled to accept herself in the past she no longer compares herself to other women. “I couldn’t say I do compare to other women because I realise that I will never be them so there isn’t any point in comparing! And I think it is an insult to your authentic self when

Check out Megan on Instagram: @mb__positivefeels

you do compare to others.” As young vulnerable women we often find it difficult not to compare ourselves to other women but it usually happens.

The fitness culture is very vast and parts of it focus very heavily on the way you look. Selfconfidence is a very important aspect in ensuring you stay happy and well. Megan is using her platforms to express this to her followers. “I think self-confidence and body-confidence is important within the fitness industry because fitness isn’t just one size! It is important to show people this so that everyone knows that they can work out no matter what they look like. I try to show people, threw my Instagram, that bodies are normal in every shape and size and that just because you have cellulite or fat rolls doesn’t make you any less worthy of exercise. It also doesn’t make you unfit or unhealthy. I encourage body positivity for myself by just showing myself love and being kind to myself and by also not caring what people think. They can have their opinions and keep them for themselves.”

The way that Megan showcases real bodies and real thoughts is so inspiring to her followers, you can see their appreciation simply by looking at the comments she gets on her posts. Megan’s goal is to continue helping as many women as possible, “My goal is to help as many people as I can with their body confidence. And just to normalise bodies and make people feel good about themselves and appreciate who they are!” Being appreciative of your body can sometimes be a struggle but with her advice and influential social media posts, anyone can do it! “My advice would be just go for it! Set your goals and smash them. You can do whatever it is you put your mind too! Never give up on yourself and be kind to yourself always.”