Fitspiration Month Isn't About Losing Weight, It's About Being Strong and Healthy

A conversation needs to be had about fitness, and why it's not about that dreaded phrase 'bikini fit' or (just) about losing weight. Because if I thought fitness was just about losing weight then it just wouldn't much fun anymore, and I'd rather blame work or a hectic social life - anything to not run on a treadmill like a hamster in its wheel.
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Around half the people I know are dedicated to fitness - so regular runners, gym goers or yoga enthusiasts - while the other half still equate it with weight loss.

For them getting fit is still primarily about losing weight, and out of this group, the majority of them find it impossible to find the time to fit in a workout. Meetings, early starts, business dinners - all of these are much more important than getting fit or doing some form of exercise.

So clearly, a conversation needs to be had about fitness, and why it's not about that dreaded phrase 'bikini fit' or (just) about losing weight. Because if I thought fitness was just about losing weight then it just wouldn't much fun anymore, and I'd rather blame work or a hectic social life - anything to not run on a treadmill like a hamster in its wheel.

Undeniably, fitness helps you to lose weight, maintain your weight and in the long term, helps stave off diseases such as heart disease (UK's biggest killer), diabetes and other diseases. It's why the NHS is really hot on people being active each day.

But above all that, there is so much else fitness brings to your life. It helps you sleep better, releases endorphins that can banish the cobwebs of a bad day, and it makes you feel calm. For me personally, I love that hour of working out because my mind just goes to a blank place, whether I am hungover, irritated, angry or tense.

Here at HuffPost UK Lifestyle, we wanted our Fitspiration campaign to inspire you to get strong and get fit.

We've got Victoria Pendleton telling us about her exercise routine now that she is a retired Olympian, and Paula Radcliffe dispensing pearls of pre-marathon wisdom.

Apart from the tips and tricks from our raft of expert bloggers, we've also got the HuffPost team getting stuck in.

Yoga bunny and assistant lifestyle editor Brogan Driscoll will be stepping outside of her comfort zone and trialling a personal trainer for four weeks, while Emily Verdouw, editorial assistant for blogs is going to see if you can get fit in 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I'm going to try the high intensity interval training (HIIT) program Speedflex which supposedly burns through body fat.

Nike master trainer Sonja Moses (beautiful yet terrifying) talks us through her fitness tips, while our intrepid runners - MyDaily's Ellen Stewart and Daisy May Sitch, HuffPost editor-in-chief Carla Buzasi and HuffPost News' Charlotte Meredith will all be taking part in Nike's We Own The Night's 10k run.

And THAT'S before we even get to to reviews and interviews of some of the best niche and well-known sports brands for women.

So hey, if all of that doesn't get your adrenaline going, we don't know what will.

Forget what your schedule is telling you, what your fears are stopping you from doing, or that you won't do it right.

Because if Barack and Michelle Obama (and there's a fitspiration couple and a half) can pencil in time for a daily workout then anyone can.