Canadian based fitness trainer, Ottillia Giralico has said for any individual to stay healthy and fit, he or she must focus on staying fit, exercise a lot and most importantly engage in whatever makes them happy.
The Jamaican – Italian bred stated this while enlightening the public on the importance of health and fitness, in her words, “I think the public should know that fitness is not only physical. There is fitness for your physical body, but also for your mind, heart, and soul. Its’ so easy to focus on the physical aspect of fitness, and while you may be physically in great “shape” your mind not necessarily be on the same level. Exercise should apply to all realms. In order to be healthy as a whole being, focus on every form of fitness and exercise and do things that you truly enjoy”. She stated.
She continued, “I don’t think that one can exist without the other. I think that in order to be healthy (physically, mentally, and emotionally), fitness would have to be something that is consistent in ones life. And vice versa, one cannot be fit and perform fitness activities without having a healthy solid foundation to work with. For example, if someone is not healthy enough to get out of bed, then they obviously won’t be able to include fitness into their everyday lifestyle. Personally, fitness positively impacted my mental health. At difficult times I would turn to physical fitness to cope and relieve stress, and it helped me with feeling both physically and mentally stronger. Overcoming challenges in the gym while working out and lifting, felt like a metaphor for me overcoming challenges in life”.
On the impact, the global pandemic have had on her career and how she is handling it, Ottillia Giralico, “Due to COVID-19, I haven’t been able to train clients face-to-face or be present in the gym at all. Due to this, I have been self-isolating at home while training clients online. Overall I feel hopeful, positive, and productive however, there are moments where I feel down because the gym was an environment where I was able to truly identify as myself.
However, COVID-19 has been a blessing for me because I’ve been able to work on so many other projects, including my business”. She said.
Giralico also speaks on her life philosophy, “Be your best self, and live your best life”- To me this really means putting self-care first, and loving yourself. Once that is in place it becomes a lot easier to show love and compassion towards others. Love is always the answer. Also, putting your personal well being first will then allow you to be able to live life to the fullest, and enjoy every moment.”
29 year old Ottillia Giralico who lost her parent at young age, said her only regret was wasting her time in an unpleasant relationship, “My only regret would be the years that I lived while being unhappy. I was unhappy in my relationship, and career. This was something I settled with for years. It was only after I removed myself from certain situations, and put yourself first that I was able to have a whole new and different perspective on things. I regret not knowing what I know now at an earlier age, and I regret not pursuing my passion and believing in myself at an earlier age”. She confessed.
The graduate of Science in Psychology and Sociology also revealed how she was able to pull through the challenges of life as an orphan, with the help of her grandparent, “My mother was a very independent and strong woman. She taught and raised me to be the same. My grandmother and grandfather also played an integral role in my life, and were very strong resilient people who created an amazing life for the generations that followed after them. A strong upbringing and supportive family definitely helped me get through most of the challenges I encountered. Giralico Certified Personal Trainer, Online Trainer, and Entrepreneur.”