Tegan Yorwarth wants you to make your move.
Billie and #ITSMYMOVE want to help encourage Kiwi teenage girls to explore more ways to move.
Whether you move for fun, friendship or the feels - we will help you discover how to be active – your way.
This month Mai FM host, Tegan Yorwarth, told us about growing up feeling like sport wasn’t for her but why staying active is so important to her now.
Physical activity has always been a challenging concept for me. Growing up all I thought it was, was playing sports. And playing sports? Well that was not my jam.
I don’t know about you but I come from a family of really sporty people. My mum was a long distance runner, my dad always stayed extremely fit from being in the army, and my older sister was an absolute gun at netball and volleyball. Me though? Uncoordinated AF. I was awkward. My PE teacher used to say “...well at least Tegs tries!”
I was surrounded by sports growing up. My cousins all played something, most of my peers at school were in a team sport too but for some reason I never connected with it. I felt left out. The idea of practising a skill to get better at it never occurred to me, because I didn’t have a natural skill of, say, throwing or catching a ball. I wasn’t fast, I was a bit gumby. I felt physical activity was something I’d never like or be good at.
I wasn’t a kid who did dance growing up, my mum didn’t drag me along to things like karate like some of the other kids. I just did my own things and interests whilst others were on the field or the court. Unbeknownst to me that lack of connection to most things physically manifested into a massive insecurity for me as I reached my latter years.
Now as an adult I’ve learnt the importance of physical activity. Especially how it’s not just for your physical health but your mental health as well.
In my early 20’s I remember looking at myself in the mirror and knowing I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I knew how much I wanted to change the way I felt about myself. I have several friends and even my mum tell me how vital it is to do something physical in order to change the perception of yourself.
So I bit the bullet, and entered my first functional fitness class. It was one of the scariest things I ever did (and also very humbling as well 😂). I couldn’t lift much weight, I generally struggled to keep up in the class but something afterwards clicked. I felt GREAT. I couldn’t believe what I had achieved in just attending my first class. It really stuck with me.
Since then I’ve fallen in love with weights and functional fitness. Which then progresses into learning how to box and eventually get into CrossFit as well. Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of fitness classes and finally found the ones I enjoy the most. It’s all trial and error, and figuring out what works best for you.
The best advice I would give my teenage self, and anyone else that feels like getting active is intimidating, is that physical activity doesn’t have to be just sports or the gym, it can be ANYTHING you enjoy doing.
You can do something more like mellow yoga, or dance with your friends, go for a hike with your mates to unwind, take the dog on a long walk, or maybe even attempt a run if you’re game. You can play social sports instead of competitive. You can try ANYTHING. Like the look of boxing? Try it! Wanna give a hip hop class a go? Why not! Saw a viral TikTok of a girl roller skating? Go get a lesson!
There is no limit on what you can do, the biggest and hardest step is just trying and giving something a go. There are proven results and research that shows being active is good for you. Your mental health and physical health are deeply connected, and it’s a connection that needs to be nurtured so you can feel your best.
Take it from me, your previously uncoordinated non-sporty girl, you’ll never regret getting active.
Sport NZ launched the #ITSMYMOVE campaign to help young women get active and stay active, their way, after research showed many young women stop participating in physical activity and sport in their teenage years.
Do you want to learn more about #ITSMYMOVE? Head to their website where you can find inspiration, free online workouts, podcasts and playlists.
Keep an eye out next month for another story from Billie x #ITSMYMOVE!
