‘I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH’
The fitness fanatic reveals how she’s found balance during challenging times
Personal trainer, influencer, entrepreneur and working mum, Ashy Bines already knows a thing or two about the importance of balance. But like all of us, she admits the past few months have been a steep learning curve full of readjustments.
She’s sharing many of those wisdoms in her new book 15 Lessons That Changed My Life. “I love learning from others, especially through their personal experiences,” says Bines, 30, who lives on the Gold Coast with her husband Steven Evans and their 4-year-old son Taj. “Finding the gifts and lessons in all my life challenges is something I love, and I really do believe my own life lessons can also help change the lives of others.”
Here, Bines spills on family, fitness and how she stays positive …
How has your approach to fitness changed since the start of the pandemic? Dramatically! I didn’t go to a gym for months and instead home workouts from my Balance app quickly became my go-to. I was also just moving my body with loads of walks while listening to my favourite podcasts and running around with my little man, my son Taj. I never focus on what I look like anymore, my focus is on movement for energy, positive mental health and strength.
Do you think it’s more important to be kind to ourselves than ever?
Being kind to ourselves is incredibly important. Feeling guilt or shame and beating ourselves up when we’ve eaten cake or a treat doesn’t achieve anything positive. I’m such a big believer in balance, which is all about never restricting or overdoing anything so that we can have a much healthier relationship with food.
Has your diet changed at all?
I’ll be honest, when I saw so many of my local cafes and restaurants were struggling, I started eating a lot more takeaway to try
and support them. While I still enjoy the occasional takeaway, I did wind that down to come back into balance. Today, I’m back to making sure most of my meals are ones I make at home. I have a lot of go-to meals that I love making from my Balance app. Has the pandemic brought extra challenges as a businesswoman?
Yes, absolutely, especially as we’re running multiple businesses. My main concern was keeping everyone in a job. I adore my team and they’re like family to me, so we worked together to establish a way to make sure we stood strong. We’ve been really grateful that we were able to find ways to adapt and ultimately serve more, and help educate and inspire more women.
How do you deal with negativity on social media?
It can be tough, I won’t lie, but overall I’ve been the target of a lot of online trolling. The key thing I’ve really learned is that hurt people will hurt people. So I always try to have compassion and understanding that whatever is being said is usually because that person on the other end is being triggered for whatever reason.
How have you sought to stay positive over the past few months?
Surrounding myself with incredible people has been key, and using this time to work on myself and connect with my family even more so than usual. Finding gratitude for what we do have and not focusing on what life used to be like has also been helpful. What have the past few months meant for you as a family?
Even more family time and connection. My mornings are no longer rushed, instead they start with cuddles and chats with my husband and 4-year-old son. Pre-pandemic, I was up and out of bed at 4am and ready to go. I’d do emails, walk, train and then get straight into work. However, this pandemic has really slowed me down and helped to remind me what’s really important, which is family, health and purpose.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned since the pandemic began?
Life is so short and we cannot control what happens but we can control how we respond. Slow down, breath and find gratitude for what you do have, not what you don’t have.