Fit By Fifty

Carrie is a FRÉ Ambassador since Feb 2018

Website: https://www.instagram.com/fitbyfifty.us/

Occupation: Licensed building contractor and designer

When I was in my mid 20s, I joined a gym and started buying fitness magazines. I ended up getting enveloped in the world of fitness which led to me competing in fitness for 3-4 years. I loved competing, to me it was very rewarding. But after I got pregnant, about two weeks after I got married, exercise kind of took a back seat and I basically stopped working out altogether. It wasn’t until I no longer needed to work that I finally started going back to the gym. But I was  out of practice, and naturally with time, my body had changed. My body wasn’t the same, and I didn’t feel the same. So once again, I stopped. But by the time I was nearing 40 years old, I started to really feel out of shape and wanted to get back into fitness again, but this time I wanted it to stick. Actually, it was my daughter who introduced me to Instagram, and from there, I started following different fitness models and trainers. Three years of watching, reading, and listening led to me finally starting my fitness journey again. I’ve been on my fitness journey now for almost two years, I never thought I’d physically get back to where I was in my twenties, but, actually, I feel better now.

When I was younger, I had no balance between my fitness and my life, I was all or nothing. I was so strict, regimented, and grueling with myself. It got to the point that I was dreading my workouts. But now? I’ve found a way to enjoy it, to balance my fitness with my life. Now that fitness is incorporated into my life, rather than my life. It’s better this time around; there’s less pressure and stress. I wish more people understood that you have to give fitness time. You have to plan it like you would a doctors appointment. Mark it in your calendar, and don’t stand yourself up. You have to stick to the routine. But, you also cannot put an end date, it’s about getting started and continuing it throughout your life. Start where you’re comfortable, without comparing yourself to other people, and just ease into it. I know myself, if I let myself skip a workout, it could be the beginning of my derailment. So, I have to go through the battles in my mind; I have to pull myself through. I know once I start slacking it’s going to snowball, I’ve learnt to overcome that, by scheduling my workouts and sticking to them, it’s more of a mindset at that point. I’ll be fifty in May. I don’t let that number dictate my abilities, just because I’m getting older doesn’t mean I have to get old. We all still have that young, healthy, vibrant twenty year old inside of us, it’s just about bringing them out. I don’t even go to a gym, I workout at home. Fitness doesn’t have to be your entire life, you can have the best of all worlds: home-life, work, and fitness life.

Rapid Fire:

• What are you most excited about in life right now?
• Just my life in general. I’m in a great place both with my health and fitness, and I love what I do.
• What excites you most about working out?
• The challenge and seeing progress.
• Where do you hope to see the world in 5 years from now?
• More unity.
• Who do you admire the most?
• It changes all the time, but mostly my daughters. They understand the meaning of putting in the time and working hard towards the things they want, and I’m super proud of them.
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life?
• Being told never to judge someone.
• What advice would you offer to your 16-year-old self?
• Don’t always act on your feelings. Think things through, think about your future.
• What does it mean to be a woman today?
• Being confident in who you are is so important. It’s not about what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside as well. Being a good soul makes a good woman
• What does FRÉ mean to you?
• A good skin care regimen. It is the best moisturizer with SPF I’ve tried. I love the serum and the cleanser; it’s a great 3-step program!