I’m gonna start with a spoiler.  You’re not about to read why I think no one needs to ever exercise because that is NOT what the title of this article refers to.  In fact, you could claim that the title of this piece is misleading (you’d be wrong) and you’re still here reading it so I’ll continue.  Exercise is a big part of my life.  It helps me deal with stress and makes me feel good on the inside, helps take the focus off other things I have going on in my life but also, least importantly, helps me looking the way I desire.

However as a fitness ‘influencer’ (hate that word), I fell into the trap of thinking ‘I have to show the world how much I’m working out no matter what it is and when it is and everyone needs to see everything all the time and fitness should be preceded by fitness and followed by more fitness. FITNESS FITNESS FITNESS!’ Basically my life should just be one big fitness bubble.  Oh dear – how wrong I was and it nearly cost me my sanity.  We’re all different when it comes to what makes us tick, that’s why when I created the Danielle Peazer Method I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone. Hence why you’re be able to try a DPM Sculpt, Sweat or Style workout depending on who you are and what you want.  The crazy thing is though, is that I knew that I wanted to cater for everyone out there yet didn’t take that information on board when it came to my own fitness routine.

Dancing is my favourite.  It enables me to get my cardio in (which I have a strong dislike for) whilst still toning my body and allowing me to feel sassy AF all at the same time.  However until I manage to take over the world and teach my own classes there are very few places that offer what I have designed which leaves me looking for other classes.  Going back to my crazy thoughts on ‘everyone needs to see me do fitness all the time’ frame of mind, I felt the urgency to go to a class or do a workout even if it didn’t excite me and ultimately I didn’t gain from it.  Now I’m not saying anything bad against the studio or teachers that I had for these classes but simply that they just weren’t the class for me and that is OK.  I would literally drag myself to classes for the sake of doing it and posting an obligatory boomerang which lets face it, no one looks that great in and you wouldn’t know if I’d actually done a class or walked into the studio to pick up a smoothie without working up a sweat but I still felt the need to show the world what I was doing.

This is the interesting bit (in my opinion).  I wasn’t noticing any sort of change in my mindset or my physique and I couldn’t understand why not.  It was only after having conversations with people that were clearly much wiser than me who said that you body reacts to what it feels and if you don’t connect with a workout then quite frankly you’ve just wasted an hour of your time and £20 or so that you could’ve spent online shopping (that bit really cut deep after lusting for a new Autumn/Winter wardrobe)  After having a think about it I realised that as much as I tell you guys to workout for you and do what you enjoy I wasn’t doing it myself so I guess I’m writing this post in a slightly confessional manner – I admit that I didn’t practice what I preached and also….I don’t like spin or HIIT classes.  But also to tell you that it’s OK to never do certain workouts, just because others say they’re great or even your favourite Instagram account (ahem) is telling you what they enjoy, you don’t have to do it too and sometimes the best thing you can do is to turn your back on it and walk strongly and proudly towards a different class, one that won’t make you feel like crap and that is well worth the money you spend on it.

So that’s that.  I’m not really sure what my main aim of writing this post is other than to share my own story with you and confess my sins (lol) but I’m hoping (legit praying) that at least one of you reading this can relate to the feeling of doing something because you feel as though you either have something to prove or just because everyone else is saying it’s great (this applies to things outside the fitness world too of course).  And I hope it makes you think a little more about prioritising number 1 and making a conscious effort to make sure you do what you want, when you want and if you happen to capture it and find a perfectly accompanying gif then by all means tell the world, but make sure you’re doing it for you first and foremost and for those suckers second.

To finish, I thought I’d list everything I like and maybe some things I don’t and if you feel the same please feel free to DM @daniellepeazermethod, tweet us @dpeazermethod or post your own image and caption explaining your likes and dislikes too!

I’m Danielle and I like the following: I like to dance, boxing, working on my abs and bum, I really don’t enjoy arm exercises and have a passionate dislike for cycling.  I don’t mind hiking but the scenery has to be pretty and I have to get into a good rhythm.  I enjoy stretching but don’t do it enough so I try to go to yoga however if you ever see me in a Bikram yoga class then run because there is most likely someone holding a gun to my head forcing me to do it (it’s up there in my top 3 things I cannot stand along with cinnamon and rude people).  Please share yours over on social media and come back to this article and read it if ever you’re feeling a little mislead by life and struggling to stick to your wants and needs.

wearing a full outfit from P.E Nation. Crop / Leggings / Jacket