YEG Fitness - July August 2017

COUPLES FITNESS

Mandy and John Trapp

Trying to navigate all that life is full of, including a couple of businesses, a few kids and family/social commitments, making time to stay fit and

healthy has been one of the most challenging parts of life together. 

Growing up, both John and I were highly active, competitive athletes that spent more time running, jumping and skiing than anything else. It was

all that we knew. We both married early (I was 24 and John 25) and life quickly took over. Staying active was easy for me as I was a personal trainer,

but for John, his new business demanded a significant amount of time and energy. We quickly found that the pace of life was going to require more

out of the box thinking and a new perspective on staying fit. Fitness for both of us became more of an attitude than a strict practice and both of us

had to learn to be more flexible than ever before as we quickly found ourselves managing multiple business and three young kids!

It's been a work in progress over the past 15 years and while we still have our family activities that influence the importance of sport and fitness to

our kids, the turning point was our commitment made several years ago to our mental fitness. Meditation has played a pivotal role in both of our

lives and has provided a safe foundation for all of its moving parts. We both have our own personal practices but I think that the most influential

has been the ability to practice together. It may not look like your normal partner work-out, however, after a long and stressful day where the last

thing on the mind is connecting with your partner, sitting back to back and feeling their breath move with yours, has been the most grounding

and nurturing practice for our own personal wellbeing and that of our family. And just like those days where you are too tired to get to the gym

but do it anyway, digging into this practice when times get tough, has gifted both of us the ability to move mountains with strength, grace and a

whole lot of gratitude.

By Mandy Trapp

PHOTOS BY CHAN RIN
VIVID RIBBON PHOTOGRAPHY
AT LIFESTYLE MEDITATION STUDIO