How honoured and timely it is to write a fitness and wellness column on my 40th birthday.

I’ve been writing for close to ten years. Putting words on paper, with sentences structured to spread my love of fitness and wellness. And now, on my 40th birthday, I’m still able to do something that I love so much.

To have a platform where I can share my thoughts, my experiences, my lessons, my failures and my growth is something I will never take for granted.

But as I sit here entering a new decade, I can’t help but smile at how much my message has changed over the years.

My definition of fitness at 20 looked very different from my definition of fitness at 30. And my definition of fitness at 40? Well, she’s definitely been through some things.

And I love her for it.

My younger years were spent as an athlete. Training, competing, pushing my body, and, honestly, sometimes judging my success based on performance, appearance and the next goal I wanted to accomplish.

Then came the transition from athlete to trainer. Suddenly fitness was no longer only about me. It became about helping others. Encouraging others. Creating a space where people could walk in unsure of themselves but leave standing a little taller.

That’s when I really started to understand that fitness was never meant to just transform bodies.

It transforms lives.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching people accomplish things they once thought were impossible. I’ve watched people walk through the doors afraid to start and slowly find confidence they didn’t know they had.

I’ve seen strangers become friends, friendships become accountability partners and a gym become a community.

Somewhere along the way, as I was helping others grow, I was growing too.

Life happened.

I became a wife.

I became a mother.

My body changed. My priorities shifted. My understanding of strength became deeper.

Because let me tell you, nothing humbles your fitness journey quite like motherhood. The body you once knew changes, your time is no longer completely yours, your energy is divided and suddenly success looks a little different.

Some days success isn’t hitting a personal best.

Some days success is simply showing up.

And that’s a message I have found myself sharing more and more over the years.

Just show up.

Not because you’re always motivated.

Not because everything is perfect.

Not because life has slowed down and finally given you time.

Show up because you are worth the effort.

This past decade has shown me that wellness is so much bigger than workouts.

Wellness is managing stress. Wellness is protecting your peace. Wellness is surrounding yourself with good people. Wellness is finding moments of joy, laughter and gratitude even when life doesn’t go according to plan.

It’s showing yourself compassion through every season.

At 40, I look at my body differently.

This body has sprinted, lifted and pushed limits.

This body has taught thousands of hours of classes.

This body has created life.

This body has carried me through some of my happiest moments and held me through some of my hardest ones.

And for that, I owe it appreciation, not criticism.

Funny enough, when we’re younger we think 40 sounds so far away. We create these imaginary timelines of what life should look like by a certain age.

By 40 I should have this.

By 40 I should look like that.

By 40 I should be here.

Then you get here and realise the greatest accomplishment is not checking off some perfect list.

It’s becoming someone the younger you would be proud of.

So as I enter this next decade, I’m choosing to let go of those imaginary timelines. The deadlines we create for ourselves. The pressure to have every piece of life perfectly placed by a certain age.

Instead, I’m embracing life exactly as it comes — the planned moments, the unexpected detours, the beautiful surprises and even the difficult chapters that shape us.

Because if the last 40 years have taught me anything, it’s that life rarely follows the exact path we pictured. And sometimes, the moments we never planned become the ones that define us the most.

This next chapter isn’t about chasing who I think I’m supposed to be.

It’s about staying true to who I am.

Growing. Learning. Loving. Living.

And continuing to become the best version of myself — in my own time.

And if you’re reading this, I hope you give yourself permission to do the same.

Release the timelines you created that no longer serve you.

Maybe you thought you’d be further along by now. Maybe you thought your career, your health, your family, your fitness journey or your life would look completely different in this season.

That doesn’t mean your story isn’t unfolding.

Don’t spend so much time focusing on where you thought you should be that you miss the beauty of where you are.

Celebrate the small wins.

Appreciate how far you’ve come.

Be proud of the storms you’ve survived, the lessons you’ve learned and the growth that happened quietly when nobody was watching.

Your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be meaningful.

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.

For almost ten years I’ve ended these articles hoping that someone reading felt inspired. Maybe someone decided to take their first walk. Maybe someone walked into a gym for the first time. Maybe someone stopped being so hard on themselves. Maybe someone simply realised they weren’t alone in their journey.

If even one person did, then every word was worth it.

As I enter this next chapter, my message is still simple:

Move your body.

Take care of your mind.

Feed your soul.

Love your people.

Celebrate what your body can do.

And through every age, every challenge, every season...

Remember Rule No 1.

Don’t give up.

Because fitness is not about fighting age.

It’s about creating a body, mind and life that allows you to fully embrace every year you are blessed to receive.

Cheers to 40.

A new decade.

A new chapter.

And somehow, I feel like I’m just getting started.

Happy Thursday, fitfam! As usual, remain unapologetic about your entire fitness and wellness journey, stay true to yourself and always be honest with your efforts.

Cheers to 40!

• Dre Hinds is a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness “addict” with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness and Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her at absbydre@gmail.com or on 599-6683. Find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under @Absbydre