1. About Primi Mariti?
Primi is from Bloemfontein in the Free State. I’m outgoing, talkative and my laughter is contagious, I rate it’s one of the golden things about me. I studied psychology at UJ and graduated in 2017, which is one of my other passions, but I am currently working as a radio broadcaster on CUT FM in Bloemfontein doing a lunchtime show between 12 and 3 pm. I enjoy being social and laughing a whole lot. One also can’t talk about me and not mention coffee, Primi is insanely in love with coffee, which is actually healthy if you think about the antioxidants it has and the health benefits it has.
2. What’s the biggest milestone you’ve to reach within your fitness journey so far?
The biggest milestone in my fitness journey is having a healthy relationship with food, I used to nitpick each and every single thing I eat and I think I came from seeing all these diets that say you should eat this and not that, without taking the time to educate and inform myself of the food choices that are best for me. Another milestone would be. Accepting my “flaws”. I used to be very self-conscious about the sight of my cellulite, feeling like folks would question if I really workout with having cellulite, and once I got to a point where I realized that things like that, which are normal, aren’t a measure of how healthy or fit you are. The last but most important milestone is knowing when to rest, I used to want to work out all the time and as a result, I’ve had a couple of issues with my hamstring and so that also forced me to slow down and realize that my muscles, just like my body, need time to repair and recover.
3. What keeps you going back to the gym?
I always think of the gym as one of my saving graces. I’d always been someone who would try and eat healthily but after I had TB in 2009, I decided to be conscious about what I eat and to give my immune system a fighting chance by making sure I stay as healthy as I can be, externally and internally. The gym also started out as a coping mechanism for me back in 2015, I love what it’s done for me, not just my body but mentally too. Knowing that I’m not just working out to look and feel good now but long-term, that’s what keeps me going back to the gym. You ever noticed how good you feel after a workout? Especially one you didn’t want to do in the first place? Who wouldn’t want to be endorphin-high?
4. What do you do daily to keep you on track with your fitness journey?
I keep track of what I eat, not necessarily counting calories, which is recommended and I at first used to do this and had an app that helped me but that was when I was still trying to get to a goal weight of 65, but just being aware of what I’m eating and I try not to snack too much. I always try and make sure I’m hydrated, that’s the most important thing. I’m just always conscious of what I eat and drink. I also have a routine of the “must**-**eats” and “must drink” and make sure I stick to that. I also limit my “cheat meals”. If I feel like fast food during the week, I will go ahead and have some and not feel guilty like how I would before. That’s why I spoke about having a healthy relationship with food.
5. How do you balance your career and working out?
My gym routine has had to change because of the slot for my show so I try and aim for 3/4 days of workouts and since I don’t really like working out super early in the morning, I would go to the gym at the end of the day after my show. But since lockdown**,** I’ve had to get creative with home workouts, which have been a struggle but they’ve helped me stay in shape for the most parts. So I’ll usually plan out my workout days as 2 days of legs, 1 day of full-body, and 4 days of core and upper body. I aim to rest at the very least 2 days.
6. What advice can you give other women out there who want to work on their bodies and get to a better place?
Developing a loving relationship with your body and where it’s at is important. It took me quite some time to truly love my body in the different stages it would go through as I was working towards what was my ideal body goal. I think also following folks that are relatable is something that helps because you draw inspiration from them and the content they put out so having someone who is authentic is always great. Most importantly, do it for you, it’s cliché and we hear it a lot but it’s true. Wanting to workout and look good for yourself, first and foremost should be the goal. Doing some research and knowing which foods are helpful also helps. A lot of the times folks will think eating healthy is boring but trust me there’s ALWAYS an alternative, just like with certain exercises that you may not be able to do at first. Find what works for you and go forth and prosper.
END .sqs-gallery-meta-container