Distance and Balance - Carina Isaksson
Meet Carina Isaksson - one of Sweden's perhaps most prestigious fitness athletes of all time! Carina talks about distance and balance and how this is the key to sticking to things in the long run - both mentally and physically. And especially when you live the fitness lifestyle.
Carina has been with us since 2002. During these years we have been in Carina's life in various ways with everything from competitions, workshops, work and in her active everyday life, to the fact that she has been with us at fairs and events, photography and athlete activities and more.
What has been most special to me as an ambassador for Better Bodies, is that regardless of whether I have been an athlete at the gym, in town taking a walk with the stroller, on a golf course, hiking in Zermatt, etc. the basic wardrobe always has been Better Bodies. It's a lifestyle. The clothes have been suitable throughout all the day's activities. Except for a change to a new set of Better Bodies after training.
Known as a bodyfitness athlete, but started the career in Atletic Fitness and Bodybuilding
Carina has been active all her life and trains to feel good. As a young woman, she was riding horses and found her way to the gym at the age of 18. After six years of training, she made her debut in bodybuilding at the Norrland Championships in 1990.
A win in the -52 kilos class and silver at the Swedish Championships a few weeks later really whetted her appetite. Carina has competed almost every year during her career except for the years her children were born and today Carina can be proud of her track record.
Bodybuilding: 4 Gold, 4 Silver
Bodyfitness: 10 SM Gold, 2 SM Silver, 3 Nordic Gold, 2 EC gold, 2 EM silver, 2 World Cup Gold, 2 VM silver, 1 EM bronze
Athletic Fitness: 1 silver
Routines are crucial to get the life together and to feel good!
Without children, you could spend all your time on yourself, the gym and your goals. But when the first son was born in 1995, Carina realized that it was necessary to adapt. You yourself were no longer the first priority. Routines and habits became extra important to put together the puzzle of life, something that Carina believes in and sticks to. For example, to train before the children woke up and use the lunch break or in the evening when the children had gone to bed to get their cardio done.
For Carina, it has always been important to have her own time, but at the same time that her own investments have not interfered with family life and everyday life - to have distance. Something she is trying to convey to her clients. Even when she is not dieting, routines play an important role in everyday life. To get everything together and above all to feel good!
Competition or not - Life should have room for strict diet and exercise, but also family, friends and enjoying life!
Likewise, when it comes to diet, Carina always make room for the good things in life every weekend - diet or not! She believes everything is about planning both your training and diet, so that you can invest and be serious, manage your diet a week, and at the same time have room for friends, family and, for example, a three-course meal on Saturday. This "distance and balance" mentality is important in Carina's lifestyle and has almost become her mantra.
“If you live in a family, the weekends are perhaps the only time you are really together. In addition, there must be time and space for some fun, even if it’s in moderate amounts."
To have a genuine passion for training to succeed in fitness and bodybuilding
Another thing that is important for success in this sport and industry in the long run is that you must first love to train and then comes the competition, not the other way around where you only train to compete. It is easy to lose all joy for the lifestyle, exercise and everyday life which can result in ending up in imbalance or that you're questioning what you do.
Exercise is crucial for well-being
Exercise is a natural part of life, to train to feel good. I have trained all my life and life also becomes easier to handle if you have that lifestyle. When you exercise, endorphins are released which gives a joy and kick mentally. But the body also feels so much better!
To find the philosophy of life!
"Distance and balance" have been the one that worked in the long run for me and many of my clients. It's about finding your own philosophy that works, this concept with distance and balance to everything in life and routines has worked for me and many clients (the majority of them being career women and mothers of young children) finally get the life puzzle together, get their own time and training done and feel so much better. Whether you are a competitive athlete or a person who just wants to feel good, this thinking works.
Feeling responsible for the new generation and to encourage people to acquire knowledge for themselves
With her solid experience and being active in the industry for more than half her life, Carina is passionate about, and feel a responsibility for the new generation. She believes that, for example, there are many "coaches" who have damaged more than they have helped. And she encourages people to acquire knowledge about everything - not just coaches but themselves and their own body. This way you can always criticize and reason about what is right and wrong. She also stresses the importance of competing for the right reason as well as pointing out the danger of not getting critical and honest feedback in the process to avoid disappointment on stage.
