Fitness has 2 sides; The HARDWARE and The SOFTWARE
A. Hardware is what exercises, with what equipment, when and for how long.
We could talk about that all day long, but in the end, every "camp" has its opinion but the SIMPLE ACT OF MOVING THE BODY INTENTIONALLY FOR A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME is what really matters!
- Get moving! Do what you like with what you have, then fine-tune as you go.
- Don't make it too complicated. Just begin!
B. Software is the drive/desire/motivation to make it happen.
- Intrinsic motivators.
- Discussed last week - health/biometrics (what the numbers say)
- How you feel in your clothes
- How you feel in your skin
- Daily living tests (running up the stairs, sitting down and standing up with ease, chasing after kids, etc)
Extrinsic motivators - To look a certain way; To wear a certain size, to weigh a certain number; For a wedding ,event, etc.
C. The two aspects of fitness (hardware/software) will yield different results.
What sets them apart is the mindset How to GET YOUR MIND RIGHT.
- Soar with eagles, who you associate with, people you like/your friends; if people in your circle workout, you will be more likely to workout too.
- Journal, meditate, document and reflect, use to see how far you have come and understand your goals and intentions.
- Live your Life BACKWARDS
- Envision yourself years from now and how you will be remembered, talked about
- Lay the groundwork with action steps to move you every week. every month. every 90 days. every year. every five years. DREAM BIG.
- You will find that to be successful in everything you want in life, you must be healthy and strong.
- Music that moves you
- Quotes, stories, books, Pinterest
Any one can go through the motions of a workout or training plan, but until they want it so badly they can taste it, until it burns a fire from the soul, until they feel better with it than without it, it will either remain simply a workout, or it will BECOME A WAY OF LIFE.
D. What keeps one going is the lifestyle it becomes
- Fitness and Health become not something you do, but SOMETHING YOU ARE.
- They become something you do not when you have time, but SOMETHING TO ENHANCE YOUR TIME
- Like brushing our teeth, there are daily steps to maintaining its vibrancy. Do you brush your teeth every day? Assuming yes, follow up with, do you workout/move your body intentionally for a sustained period of time everyday?
- The "excuse" I don't have time is simply a way of saying, "It is not a priority" or seeming to think that one person has less than the 24 hours everyone else has.
E. YOU DECIDE
- Preventative Medicine OR Apologetic Medicine
- What will your legacy be?
- Research (NYTimes, "The Upshot", Aaron E. Carroll, June 20, 2016 Closest Thing to a Wonder Drug? Try Exercise )- Academy of Royal Colleges report in 2015, calling exercise a "miracle cure; " "Exercise is as good as drugs for many conditions;" Moderate intensity consistently, "physical activity seems like a no-brainer" and has been argued to be "the best buy for public health."
NOW IF YOU HAVE YOUR MIND RIGHT, IF YOU KNOW IT WILL NOT BE EASY BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT, IF YOUR SOFTWARE IS READY....LET'S FIND THE RIGHT PROGRAM FOR YOU! (Keep in mind, fitness is not a "one-size-fits-all approach!)
Jill Rooks, Creator, Owner, Health Specialist and Movement Coach at The Energy Lab