“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Confucius.

My journey to “the unknown” has begun. I say unknown because while a fairytale comeback - to the Olympic rowing team after a two-year hiatus - would be nice, the real reason for me undertaking this journey is for the pure enjoyment of, well, the journey.

Fitness is a relative concept and while I consider myself to be a fit and healthy individual compared to the norm, I am unfit by world-class rowing standards. Consequently, Olympic selection is a long way from my thoughts at the moment (and thankfully I have a bit of time on my side in case my journey does take me down that path; final trials for the 2012 Australian Rowing Team will be held in February 2012). 

I won’t bore you with the details of my short-term health and fitness goals; suffice to say step one on the comeback trail targets fat loss, strength gain and enhanced aerobic capacity. And there are no secrets to achieving those goals; it all boils down to committing to plenty of cardio training, a well-structured strength and conditioning plan and a sensible diet and lifestyle. (Please speak to a health professional for individual advice if you are unsure).

I’m so glad I’ve finally taken the first steps on my journey. They are definitely the hardest ones to take! But I find it so much easier sticking to a regular healthy eating and exercise program when I have a goal in mind (yes, even Olympians and personal trainers can go off the rails without a plan).

So my words of wisdom are … stop procrastinating and start moving. Make some health and fitness goals for yourself, put a plan in place and hop to it! Because, invariably, any person who reaches a weight-loss target or improves their health and fitness through diet and exercise says – or at least thinks – “I wish I’d started sooner”.