On Tuesday, we kicked off our fitness series with some insights from Modern Mississauga's Lead Fitness Writer, Alicia Jones. Alicia also interviewed Mississauga’s top fitness experts for their most valuable insights, starting with Wednesday's tips for older adults from fitness expert Christina Nowak. Today we bring you some inspirational advice from Alicia's interview with Flavio Gracile.

Flavio Gracile is a force to be reckoned with, specializing in strength of both the body and mind. He’s the founder of Fitness Battalion, the unique 10,000 square foot fitness facility housing everything from obstacle courses to power racks and Olympic specialty bars. He’s ISSA certified in both fitness and nutrition as well as a Seal Fit graduate.
If you’re looking for the latest weight loss fad or quick weight loss fix, look elsewhere.  Flavio’s no-nonsense fitness approach is for those willing to be honest with themselves about the true effort it takes to create positive lasting change.

Flavio says: “[I work with] people who are finished with fads and convenience and want to make a real commitment and real improvement. I think a lot of people get wrapped up in the promise of losing that 20 pounds or gaining that six-pack, without considering the reality of what it takes…Our bodies are truly marvels of engineering with vast capabilities. We should therefore be able to develop our capabilities with an open minded wonder for how far we can go physically, mentally and spiritually.”

Flavio’s tips revolve around this very important principle:

Before you take your first steps towards fitness, make sure you want it badly enough to put in the effort and do the work.

1. Fitness and proper dieting are each a process of trial and error: Expect to make mistakes and at times fail. Errors and failures are lessons, not reasons to quit.
2. Remember that growth happens outside your comfort zone: You must be prepared to be uncomfortable in order to reach whatever goal you’ve set for yourself. You must decide if your desire for your goal is greater than your desire to be comfortable.

Keep an eye out for more tips throughout the week from the rest of our fitness experts at Modern Mississauga!