STRONGER TOGETHER: 700 Workouts Later - A Reflection on Movement, Mindset & Self-Leadership

"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week Tanya discusses how completing 700 workouts became a personal milestone in consistency, self-leadership and wellbeing, after choosing to prioritise movement following an arthritis diagnosis.

By IMPACT Community Services Managing Director Tanya O'Shea

In July 2022, I made a decision to prioritise movement after being diagnosed with arthritis in both knees. After years of paying for a gym membership without achieving consistency, I started working with a personal trainer and picked up some basic equipment from Kmart to train at home.

Three days a week turned into four, then five. After 12 months, I invested in a full home gym setup, removing every barrier I had created that once prevented me from getting to the gym. Now, I simply roll out of bed in my PJ’s, throw on my shoes, and training begins.

Today marks 700 workouts.

But what does 700 sessions really look like?  

It looks like getting out of bed at 4am, five days a week. It looks like relying on yourself, knowing only you can do the work. It looks like training in the dark, braving the cold during winter. It looks like doing the work no one else sees. It looks like holding yourself accountable, even when your mind says you’re tired or your body wants to rest. It looks like pushing past the voice that says, “You deserve a day off.”

It means logging every rep, set, kg and session. It means taking a week or two off and not beating yourself up about it. It means accepting that some days your heart is in it, and some days it isn’t. It means that on some days, you rely on autopilot to get through a session. It means recognising that movement is only one part of the equation when it comes to personal health and wellbeing. It leaves you appreciating your weekends, using the time to do other things you enjoy that support your rest and recovery.

700 workouts isn’t just a number to me. It is a personal celebration of my consistency, accountability and commitment. It’s about self-leadership, showing up for myself, day after day and building a foundation that now supports every aspect of my life.

Training is now a sacred part of my morning routine. If you’re on a journey of your own, keep going. The results aren’t immediate, but the long-term payoff is worth it.