"Oh I've been meaning to come see you!" "I'm coming to see you next week." "Once I get back in shape I'm going to come join your club!" "I need you to be my personal trainer!"
If I had a dollar for every time I heard comments like these, well, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog right now. No, I'd be diving for lobsters in the inlet on the east side of my island, and then going for a run around the volcanic rock spewed by the now silent and dormant volcano. Yes, I would have bought my island retreat and retreated.
Okay...maybe not an island to retreat to, but I would definitely have the money to buy an island. I've tried to figure out what makes people feel the need to tell me that they need to come see me when they really don't have any intention to come in. Maybe it makes them feel better that they are at least making the effort to tell me they are thinking about it. It used to bother me that they didn't follow up. You can lead a horse to water....
If you happen to be one of those people that has told me or someone else something like that in the past...stop it. It's very unbecoming and doesn't do anything for your credibility. Own up to the fact that you aren't going to become a gym rat...today. Relieve yourself of the pressure you are putting on yourself to do something you really don't want to do. It's okay. You aren't going to hurt my feelings one bit.
I can't help you decide whether this is the day you exercise or not. It's totally up to you. I can't make you exercise. Only you can decide that you will exercise and when you're ready you will do it. All I can do is provide a place and the knowledge to help you.
So for now if you see me out somewhere don't feel the need to tell me that you are planning to come see me or that you need personal training or that you want to join the club. Either do it or keep silent and talk about the weather. I'm not into oral fitness.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Summer Vacation
Seems like I just got the Christmas decorations put away...how can it be summer already? I guess when you're having fun, time really does fly by!
Summer is upon us and time for those coveted and well-deserved few weeks that we take time to be with our families to decompress and make memories. Vacations are a somewhat new thing for me. I didn't grow up taking summer vacations so it wasn't something that I naturally fell into when I had my own family.
Fortunately I figured out that they are great and something we should all do from time to time, if only to keep our sanity! I learned the value of taking my family do different places for the experience and growth that it brings. It's neat when you can say you've been to those places that others are talking about. I think it makes you a more interesting person.
But I didn't start this blog to extol the virtues of vacations. Most of you already know. What I wanted to talk about is the destructive force of a vacation on a workout routine. I'm guessing that most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I've seen more workout habits changed (some permanently) by vacations. I'm all for taking a physical as well as mental break when on vacation. Some people go on vacation and think they need to exercise while they are gone. Not totally necessary but good for them for keeping up the habit.
Wait a minute...did I just say it's not necessary to exercise while on vacation? Yes, I believe I did. See, I'm not such the hardcore guy that most of you that know me think I am. I believe vacations are a good time for some total rest, both physically and mentally. Your body and mind go a hundred miles an hour on most days of the week. We can usually find some time to refresh on the weekends, but lately it seems that the weekends are just as busy (if not more) than the week is.
It's important for our bodies and our minds to get rest. They need to recover more than just a day or two. Getting several good, restful nights sleep can do wonders for the body and soul. You come back feeling refreshed and relaxed.
That's were most people find themselves in an interesting place. They have become too relaxed and enjoyed the time off. However, like your job, you have to return to your workout habit once again. Some of us get so side-tracked by all the things that have piled up while we were gone that we feel we don't have time to exercise until all the piles are eliminated. That can take a few days or even a few weeks.
Once you have been out of your routine for more than a week, each day drives a wedge further between you and your exercise habit. Then when you do come back (usually after a few weeks off), it feels like you are starting all over again. Hey, don't shoot the messenger...I'm just reporting what I hear you saying to me. We've all been there and know it can be somewhat challenging to step foot back into your health club, but trust me on this, the sooner you return, the better you will do, the better you will feel and the sooner you'll be reminded why you workout in the first place.
So my best advice is this: Go on vacation. Have a great time. Get rested and relaxed. Come home, unpack and get to the fitness center the next work day. If you don't work outside the home, go to the fitness center when your spouse goes to work.
Believe me, following this advice will get you back into your routine quicker than anything else. It will also be less painful! Trust me.
Have a great summer and get a vacation booked if you haven't already.
Summer is upon us and time for those coveted and well-deserved few weeks that we take time to be with our families to decompress and make memories. Vacations are a somewhat new thing for me. I didn't grow up taking summer vacations so it wasn't something that I naturally fell into when I had my own family.
Fortunately I figured out that they are great and something we should all do from time to time, if only to keep our sanity! I learned the value of taking my family do different places for the experience and growth that it brings. It's neat when you can say you've been to those places that others are talking about. I think it makes you a more interesting person.
But I didn't start this blog to extol the virtues of vacations. Most of you already know. What I wanted to talk about is the destructive force of a vacation on a workout routine. I'm guessing that most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I've seen more workout habits changed (some permanently) by vacations. I'm all for taking a physical as well as mental break when on vacation. Some people go on vacation and think they need to exercise while they are gone. Not totally necessary but good for them for keeping up the habit.
Wait a minute...did I just say it's not necessary to exercise while on vacation? Yes, I believe I did. See, I'm not such the hardcore guy that most of you that know me think I am. I believe vacations are a good time for some total rest, both physically and mentally. Your body and mind go a hundred miles an hour on most days of the week. We can usually find some time to refresh on the weekends, but lately it seems that the weekends are just as busy (if not more) than the week is.
It's important for our bodies and our minds to get rest. They need to recover more than just a day or two. Getting several good, restful nights sleep can do wonders for the body and soul. You come back feeling refreshed and relaxed.
That's were most people find themselves in an interesting place. They have become too relaxed and enjoyed the time off. However, like your job, you have to return to your workout habit once again. Some of us get so side-tracked by all the things that have piled up while we were gone that we feel we don't have time to exercise until all the piles are eliminated. That can take a few days or even a few weeks.
Once you have been out of your routine for more than a week, each day drives a wedge further between you and your exercise habit. Then when you do come back (usually after a few weeks off), it feels like you are starting all over again. Hey, don't shoot the messenger...I'm just reporting what I hear you saying to me. We've all been there and know it can be somewhat challenging to step foot back into your health club, but trust me on this, the sooner you return, the better you will do, the better you will feel and the sooner you'll be reminded why you workout in the first place.
So my best advice is this: Go on vacation. Have a great time. Get rested and relaxed. Come home, unpack and get to the fitness center the next work day. If you don't work outside the home, go to the fitness center when your spouse goes to work.
Believe me, following this advice will get you back into your routine quicker than anything else. It will also be less painful! Trust me.
Have a great summer and get a vacation booked if you haven't already.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I keep doing the same thing...
This is one of my favorite things to talk about. I'm continually amazed how many people talk to me about what they want to achieve and what they are doing to achieve it. They ask my opinion, I tell them...and they keep doing the same thing, but maybe vary it a tiny little bit.
Hmm...did it work before? Well, in the beginning they say, but after a while they plateaued. So they did it longer, harder, faster and that worked for a while and then...the plateau emerged. So figuring something is better than nothing, they continue doing the same thing and getting the same result...zip, zilch, nada.
Most people I find, know what they need to do, but don't really want to do it unless provoked by an upcoming event. Weddings, class reunions and a slinky black dress are usually enough to make the most hardened among us soften into submission. Okay. I'm ready to listen, they say. And you know what? They actually do listen. By now I have their full attention and they are ready to do what I ask them to do.
Everyone is different and while you can generalize people into categories, there is some fine-tuning needed with every individual. Our bodies don't always respond the way we want them to and expect them to. That can be very frustrating and I'm sympathetic to the despondency to which that leads. But I also know that whatever the mind can conceive, the body can achieve. I've seen it far too many times when we are pressed into action we will do it or die trying.
Most everyone will give it the "old college try". That's usually about 4-12 weeks. The most tenacious will hold out for 6 months before throwing in the towel. That's a shame because one thing they fail to remember is they did not arrive in this shape in one day, one month or even one year. It took many years to perfect the condition your body is in and to fine-tune the mechanisms by which it responds. To think that cleaning up our lifestyle and changing our habits for 4-12 weeks is going to get us where we want to be...well, that is just another definition of insanity.
Your body had become very good at adapting to the way you've been treating it. It has adjusted very well to the abuse you have dished out over the years. You know what I'm talking about. Eating too much, eating too little, smoking, imbibing excessive quantities of alcohol, swimming in the stress pool too often, eating too late, skipping breakfast, sporadic workouts, weekend warrior expeditions, sleeping too much, sleeping too little, eating crap, no regular physical checkups, breathing smog, drinking too little water, emotional carnage, spiritual neglect, OCD, too many medications, too much sun exposure...the list goes on and on.
So if you think cleaning up your act for even six months is going to get you where you want to be, you are sadly mistaken and being mislead by mainstream media and irresponsible marketing. There is no magic pill, powder or potion. No mystical product, no cutting-edge medical breakthrough that will get you where you want to be. Think about that for a moment. If there was such a product, potion, pill or procedure that would get you where you want to be AND KEEP YOU THERE, we'd all be buying it, taking it and living happily ever after.
The sad truth is THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. You cannot short circuit your way back to health, wellness and fitness. You have to stop doing the same things you have been doing all these years and start doing the things that are really going to make LONG TERM differences in your life.
Take heart. There are millions of people that have gone before you into this brave new world. You are not alone and don't have go figure this all out for yourself. I would expect you to learn along the way as you start slowly making those changes that will put you back on the course to achieving your goals.
It all starts with making the commitment to change what you do, one detrimental habit at a time. Once you've decided that you can and will do this, you are on your way to success. The next step is to find someone to help guide you down that path blazed by generations before you.
Hmm...did it work before? Well, in the beginning they say, but after a while they plateaued. So they did it longer, harder, faster and that worked for a while and then...the plateau emerged. So figuring something is better than nothing, they continue doing the same thing and getting the same result...zip, zilch, nada.
Most people I find, know what they need to do, but don't really want to do it unless provoked by an upcoming event. Weddings, class reunions and a slinky black dress are usually enough to make the most hardened among us soften into submission. Okay. I'm ready to listen, they say. And you know what? They actually do listen. By now I have their full attention and they are ready to do what I ask them to do.
Everyone is different and while you can generalize people into categories, there is some fine-tuning needed with every individual. Our bodies don't always respond the way we want them to and expect them to. That can be very frustrating and I'm sympathetic to the despondency to which that leads. But I also know that whatever the mind can conceive, the body can achieve. I've seen it far too many times when we are pressed into action we will do it or die trying.
Most everyone will give it the "old college try". That's usually about 4-12 weeks. The most tenacious will hold out for 6 months before throwing in the towel. That's a shame because one thing they fail to remember is they did not arrive in this shape in one day, one month or even one year. It took many years to perfect the condition your body is in and to fine-tune the mechanisms by which it responds. To think that cleaning up our lifestyle and changing our habits for 4-12 weeks is going to get us where we want to be...well, that is just another definition of insanity.
Your body had become very good at adapting to the way you've been treating it. It has adjusted very well to the abuse you have dished out over the years. You know what I'm talking about. Eating too much, eating too little, smoking, imbibing excessive quantities of alcohol, swimming in the stress pool too often, eating too late, skipping breakfast, sporadic workouts, weekend warrior expeditions, sleeping too much, sleeping too little, eating crap, no regular physical checkups, breathing smog, drinking too little water, emotional carnage, spiritual neglect, OCD, too many medications, too much sun exposure...the list goes on and on.
So if you think cleaning up your act for even six months is going to get you where you want to be, you are sadly mistaken and being mislead by mainstream media and irresponsible marketing. There is no magic pill, powder or potion. No mystical product, no cutting-edge medical breakthrough that will get you where you want to be. Think about that for a moment. If there was such a product, potion, pill or procedure that would get you where you want to be AND KEEP YOU THERE, we'd all be buying it, taking it and living happily ever after.
The sad truth is THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. You cannot short circuit your way back to health, wellness and fitness. You have to stop doing the same things you have been doing all these years and start doing the things that are really going to make LONG TERM differences in your life.
Take heart. There are millions of people that have gone before you into this brave new world. You are not alone and don't have go figure this all out for yourself. I would expect you to learn along the way as you start slowly making those changes that will put you back on the course to achieving your goals.
It all starts with making the commitment to change what you do, one detrimental habit at a time. Once you've decided that you can and will do this, you are on your way to success. The next step is to find someone to help guide you down that path blazed by generations before you.
Welcome to the ramblings of a fitness guy.
I talk to so many people every day I always learn more than I pass along I'm sure. Half the time I don't remember what I even said and to whom I said it! Sadly enough, I forget the lesson I learned...until I have another conversation along the same lines and then it all comes back to me.
A guy in my men's group talks about the blogs from his missionary daughter and the enjoyment he derives from reading her exploits. I really haven't read too many blogs nor have I ever published a blog. But after some encouragement to start writing more, I decided to give blogging a try.
There are many topics that I could write about. My passion lies in serving our Lord Jesus Christ and those around me. One way I do this is through health and fitness. About 8 years ago a few partners and I opened an all adult health club. Our mission was, and is, to help adults to become healthier, stronger and more productive in all facets of their lives. We have succeeded in helping several thousand people become healthier, more educated and more aware of how fitness impacts their life, both daily and in the long run. Given that we are the arms and legs of Christ, it behooves us to ensure those appendages are fit for service.
I continue to be amazed at the misinformation and confusion caused by media and those trying to cash in on the fitness game (i.e. weight loss). It is obvious to me that no one has found the magic bullet to easily make fat go away, muscles stronger, heads clearer and illness eliminated. The key word there is EASILY! We have become so accustomed to our fast paced world that we want everything how we want it, when we want it. Unfortunately our bodies don't do so well in the fast-paced world we have created for ourselves.
In these blogs I will pass along learnings from my real life experience in my health club from real life stories and experiences from my members. While many answers can be derived from a laboratory setting for most questions in this life, the age-old question of our health and fitness eludes the watchful eye of the researcher.
A guy in my men's group talks about the blogs from his missionary daughter and the enjoyment he derives from reading her exploits. I really haven't read too many blogs nor have I ever published a blog. But after some encouragement to start writing more, I decided to give blogging a try.
There are many topics that I could write about. My passion lies in serving our Lord Jesus Christ and those around me. One way I do this is through health and fitness. About 8 years ago a few partners and I opened an all adult health club. Our mission was, and is, to help adults to become healthier, stronger and more productive in all facets of their lives. We have succeeded in helping several thousand people become healthier, more educated and more aware of how fitness impacts their life, both daily and in the long run. Given that we are the arms and legs of Christ, it behooves us to ensure those appendages are fit for service.
I continue to be amazed at the misinformation and confusion caused by media and those trying to cash in on the fitness game (i.e. weight loss). It is obvious to me that no one has found the magic bullet to easily make fat go away, muscles stronger, heads clearer and illness eliminated. The key word there is EASILY! We have become so accustomed to our fast paced world that we want everything how we want it, when we want it. Unfortunately our bodies don't do so well in the fast-paced world we have created for ourselves.
In these blogs I will pass along learnings from my real life experience in my health club from real life stories and experiences from my members. While many answers can be derived from a laboratory setting for most questions in this life, the age-old question of our health and fitness eludes the watchful eye of the researcher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)