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Feminine, Firm and Fit
A Healthy Lifestyle Choice
By Kelly Burgess
At age 36 Debbie Hickey led a life most women can recognize. She had a full-time job and a young child, she was still carrying around 20 extra pounds from her pregnancy nine years before and she really didn't take time for herself to make sure she was following a healthy lifestyle. Her wake-up call came in the form of a stroke. After a period of rehabilitation, she was told that the therapy had done as much as it could and that she would have to live with her limitations.
"I sat home and felt sorry for myself for a while," says Hickey. "Then I saw my daughter getting older and the days going by and realized that wasn't how I wanted my life to be; I didn't want to accept that. I started researching nutrition and fitness issues and began working out at home and watching what I ate. At my physical therapist's suggestion, I took up tennis. When I first started, I couldn't hold the racket in my right hand."
Now, 15 years later, Debbie Hickey can do more than hold the racket. Her commitment to regaining her physical abilities after her stroke led her to a new career in the field of health and fitness. She earned a personal trainer certification in 1998, and has since been certified as a wellness coach in addition to numerous other health and fitness certifications. She also plays on a competitive tennis team.
"Women in our society face greater pressure to look a certain way and the media preys upon the negative emotions that this creates," says Calabrese. "This is why programs that offer quick solutions are so popular. We want women to get back to the basics and to understand that our bodies are different and to work within the body we have. Thin is not what's important; being fit and healthy regardless of size is extremely important. Focusing on health and fitness will improve your body as well."
Calabrese notes that women too often rely on the scale to tell them how they should feel about themselves, and that can be counterproductive to health. "Just 'going on a diet' is a terrible idea because, although you may lose weight, that weight you're losing may be muscle," says Calabrese. "Incorporating a fitness regimen into you life will ensure that what you lose is fat, not muscle."
Both Calabrese and Hickey acknowledge that this can be easier said than done. Women usually bear the brunt of the responsibilities for home and child-rearing issues, as well as often working outside the home. The stress and exhaustion can be overwhelming. These factors can make it incredibly difficult to stay motivated day after day.
"I sometimes struggle with the question of how a woman can make this a priority because I see in my clients that sometimes the stress of life is so overbearing that they just physically can't go another minute," says Hickey. "You have to help yourself first or you can't help anyone else. "
