Kayla Itsines' workout advice is exactly what we needed to hear %%

(Image credit: Kayla Itsines)

"Doing things for yourself is powerful. It's not selfish."

Kayla Itsines is pretty inspiring when it comes to workouts. The personal trainer and founder of SWEAT is considered the queen of high intensity interval training (HITT) and her 15.2 million Instagram followers are here for her words of wisdom.

Sharing the quote 'do it for yourself and no one else' on her Instagram page, Kayla explained why, although it might seem like a simple message, it's a powerful one too.

In the accompanying caption, she wrote:

"Over the years of being a personal trainer, I've spoken to a lot of women about A LOT of things... one topic being WHY they have decided to start training with me.""For me... training and prioritising my health and wellbeing had always been about me. But after becoming a mum... I realised it's actually SO hard to put yourself first and dedicate time to investing in YOU."

Kayla, who is currently pregnant with her second child, added: "And now more than ever, even while growing this beautiful baby... I still make the conscious decision to wake up every day and move my body for ME."

"Not for Arna, not for my fiancé, not for my job... not for anyone else but me. At the end of the day, we need to prioritise what makes US feel good."

She also had some words to share about why putting yourself first is crucial, and not selfish. Kayla wrote:

"And yes, putting ourselves first does allow us to show up as our best self to other people... but the real message here is that it actually shouldn't NEED to be about anyone other than YOU. Doing things for yourself is powerful. It's not selfish. It's strong and empowering and absolutely incredible!!"

In a world where pressures to look a certain way can feel constant and come from all angles, Kayla had one key message that she hoped her fans would take away from the post. "So next time you go to work out... don't do it for ANYONE else. Just get comfortable with doing it for you," she finished.

As Kayla said, keeping that in mind is "more powerful than you might think."

Amy Sedghi is a freelance journalist, specialising in health and fitness, travel, beauty, sustainability and cycling.

Having started her career in The Guardian newsroom working with an award-winning team, Amy's proud to have reported on a variety of topics, speaking to a range of voices and travelling far and wide to do so. From interviews on ski lifts to writing up breaking stories outside courtrooms, Amy is used to reporting from a range of locations (she’s even been known to type up a story in a tent).

She also loves being active, spending time outdoors and travelling - with some of her favourite features she’s worked on combining all three. Cycling and eating her way round the Isle of Man, learning to sail on the Côte d'Azur and traversing the Caminito del Rey path in Spain are just some of her highlights.

Covering a diverse range of subjects appeals to Amy. One minute she may be writing about her online styling session with Katie Holmes’ stylist and the next she’s transporting readers to the basketball courts of Haringey where she joined a group trying to lower knife crime in the capital.

While at university, Amy was awarded The Media Society bursary. Following her stint at the Guardian, Amy worked at Google and as well as writing for Marie Claire, she regularly contributes interviews, features and articles to National Geographic Traveller, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Stylist, Refinery29, Glorious Sport, Cycling Weekly and Rouleur.

When she’s not writing, Amy can be found trying to get through her towering stack of books-to-read, cycling down at Herne Hill Velodrome or looking for the next place to eat and drink with friends.