Fitness Identity Crisis: Who Are You If You Can’t Train Like You Used To?

It's easy to see how this one hits close to home for me... for most of my life, fitness wasn’t just something I did… it was who I was. The fitness instructor. The personal trainer. The one yelling “just one more rep!” I loved pushing hard. I loved sweating. I loved feeling strong and capable in my body.

Then MND came along and stripped so much of that away.

First I couldn’t run. Then I couldn’t lift. Then I couldn’t even move my arms. And I remember thinking… if I’m not the fit, strong, high-energy woman leading from the front of the room… then who am I? It felt like a bit of an identity crisis, if I’m honest.

But here’s what I noticed instead... fitness was never just about burpees or weights or how much I could push through. It was about discipline. It was about mindset. It was about resilience. It was about showing up.

And I am proof that those things didn't disappear when my physical ability changed.

I had to redefine what training meant. I had to let go of the version of me who could smash out workouts and embrace the version of me who trains differently now.

The thing is, this isn't just an MND story... so many of us go through this in quieter ways. Hormones shift. Injuries happen. Energy changes. Life gets busier. What worked at 25 doesn’t always work at 45 or 55.

The real question becomes… if you can’t train like you used to, who are you now? How can we honour our body without constantly comparing it to a past version?

Anyone else had to adjust your fitness identity at some point in your life? What was hard about it… and what did you gain from it?

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