By Samantha Williams/Personal Trainer

I am likely about to make some people angry and possibly make a few enemies, but I’m OK with that.

As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I am used to being “hated” a lot of the time. 

This is not meant to offend anybody, and honestly if you find it offensive, maybe that’s because you have the issue we are discussing.

But I feel it has to be said, so here goes….STOP MAKING EXCUSES!!!

We all have “stuff” that makes working out challenging. You are not the only one who didn’t get enough sleep last night, or whose kids had a tough morning. Your job is not the only job that sucks.

We all have reasons why getting to the gym might be hard, or why when we are there, we are tired and do not want to push ourselves.

But seriously? Shut up. 

Did I offend you yet? I have people who show up to classes or trainings and give me 10 percent effort and 500 excuses. Why show up then? Did you come just to bring everyone else down or to watch us kick butt at our workout? You are taking up time and space just to complain about how rough your life is and explain how “I am not able to give much today because_______ (fill in the blank).”  

Or my other biggest frustration is hearing, “I HAVE to go work out,” or, “I HAVE to go to the gym.”  

Working out is not a punishment. It’s a privilege. You woke up with a capable body (granted, it might be tired, sore or worn out) that is ABLE to work out. Don’t for a minute take that for granted.

Maybe stop complaining long enough to look around and see the people who are not making excuses, just kicking butt and pushing themselves to the limits. I bet they have a valid reason why they should take a break, but they don’t. 

I have a few people I train who inspire me everyday. I do not always practice what I preach and some days, I am having my own “pity party.” But one look at these amazing people and I am throwing my excuses out the window.

I have one woman who comes to Spin, who is a bad mamajamma (yes, that is a word).  She is a young mom of three little beautiful girls who last year underwent a double mastectomy.

Did this stop her? No! She took a few weeks to recover and was back stronger than ever. It hasn’t even been a year and she just completed the triple bypass bike race and is doing the Leadville 100 ride coming up soon. This is a woman who had a reason to quit but never used it. She inspires me everyday. 

While you are complaining about not getting enough sleep, or your job, she is getting stronger. If you stopped looking for excuses and looked around, you would see many people like this woman.

There is the man who goes to Africa for weeks doing mission work, coming back tired and usually having lost quite a bit of muscle (not a lot of nutritious food in Africa). He is always ecstatic to get back to working out; his heart is happy and grateful to be there. 

Oh, and what about the woman who just had a baby and is back ready to give it her all (after not sleeping much with a newborn)?  

Or the pregnant woman with four other young kids? I watch some people give up, and she gives 110 percent every time. 

An amazing woman I was lucky enough to call my cousin always inspires me, even though she is no longer alive. She was born with a hole in her heart and was never able to be very active, though she always wanted to be. Until she finally got a heart and lung transplant and nothing could hold her back.

She competed in and won several events in the transplant Olympics. She waited most of her life to do what all of us take for granted – work out and push our bodies. Never did I hear her say, “I have to go to the gym.” She was always grateful for what she could do, whether that be big or small, never taking a day for granted. 

That is inspiring and humbles me.

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about ninja warrior because a 5 foot tall, 100-pound woman is rocking the course and doing unheard of things, things no woman has been able to do until now. 

Kasey (that’s her name, I can’t stop watching her, she is AMAZING) is a tiny little thing, who is inspiring many. Do you think she got there making excuses? Many people are looking up to her, myself included. She gives her all, not 10 percent.

Kasey is an inspiration, but so are these everyday people who overcome tough circumstances only to push themselves beyond what others are willing to.

We get so stuck in our own little bubbles.

Look up, look around, be inspired. When you think you’re tired, or maybe your legs can’t do one more, find that person who inspires you, let them be the reason you do one more rep, or one more mile.

Inspiration is all around, you just have to see it.

Samantha Williams is a personal trainer with her company Fit 4:13. She owns Rhema Music & Clothing Company in Fruita and is also a fitness instructor and personal trainer through the Fruita Community Center. She is the mother of two beautiful girls and the wife of an incredibly talented musician. She was born and raised in Fruita, and can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. Join her March Fitness Challenge on her Fit 4:13 Facebook page. No matter what your size, you are welcome to participate in the free month of workouts!