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Work on the mind. The
workout will follow. Thoughts on enhancing your commitment to a healthier lifestyle If you have questions that you'd like to see addressed in this blog, or if you have comments, please e-mail results@fitrightin.com. I made a typo the other day and may have
come up with the next new concept in fitness. I meant to type stability. I typed
stagility. I looked at it. I thought about it. (Yes, the word show
up on Google, but not in this context.) The combination of stability and agility is
the goal of many recreational as well as competitive athletes. You
need to keep your major muscle groups – your pelvis, abs, low and
mid back – firm (or stable), in order to transfer power to your
extremities to move (be agile) well enough to perform your sport or
exercise. Next time you’re thinking about how to improve your game (better yet, call or e-mail me to set up an appointment), think about exercises or activities that work the muscles that allow you to move freely. Think stagility. Posted Jan. 24, 2010
The discussion about weight control is
moving away from willpower and toward genetics. Putting the fault in
our stars gets us off the hook, but it doesn’t solve the problem.
Our obsession with weight is
part of a disease model that is becoming as unwieldy as it is
ineffective. What would move us toward a solution is a
culture that values movement. That culture rewards city planners who
build sidewalks and bike paths, encourages developers to put
pedestrian lanes in parking lots, requires phys ed in schools,
offers incentives to employers who promote wellness and brings
neighbors together to create safe playgrounds. As the conversation about health care reform
continues, let’s remember that health care is not only about
treating the sick. It’s also about keeping people well.
Posted July 19, 2009
An eating plan isn’t a diet, it’s a series of
tradeoffs. On Father’s Day, I was invited
to a friend’s for a grilled steak dinner. The company will be grand.
The meal will be delicious and I plan on enjoying every succulent
slice of beef. But the day before I have a team picnic. That menu
features burgers and hots. I’m not fond of either. Fortunately,
we’re encouraged to bring a dish. So I’m bringing some veggie
burgers and tabbouleh. This way, it’ll look like I’m eating a burger
so I won’t feel left out, and I’ll have the flavor of the garlicky,
minty, parsley bulgur. (I have food sensitivities,
so I tend to pack a meal whenever I
travel.) Barring an allergy or condition
that prohibits a specific food, it’s possible to enjoy what you like
if you’re willing to do some give and take.
Posted June 20, 2009 As a capitalist society, we’re
afraid of socializing medicine. Maybe we have good reason to avoid a
government-sponsored, single payer system, but we need to have an
open mind about the pros and cons. Nevertheless, any system will
fail if it continues to ignore prevention and reward only treatment.
So I propose a plan that teaches people how to be well and supports
those efforts. My plan has a high deductible
in exchange for lower premiums. It will cover routine screenings and
an annual physical. It will have an out-of-pocket maximum so that
catastrophes will be covered. But it will encourage wellness.
In order for people to learn about nutrition, six visits to a
registered dietitian will be covered. In order for people to be more
active in light of any limitations, six visits to a physical
therapist will be covered. To help people deal with stress, anxiety
or other upset, six visits to a mental health professional will be
covered. If a person wants more visits, those will count against the
deductible. This plan helps people be
responsible for their health. It’s not a guarantee against illness.
Nothing is. But we can start with a warranty for
wellness. Posted June 9, 2009 People who have always been
thin and those who have successfully lost weight share several
traits. Both groups do the following: ·
Stre ngth train at least once a
week. ·
Exercise vigorously at least four days a week
. ·
Eat at least five fruits and vegetables a
day. ·
Eat whole grains rather than refined
grains. ·
Eat less than one-third their calories from
fat. ·
Practice portion control at every
meal. ·
Count calories. The list comes from Consumers
Union, publishers of Consumer Reports, and was reprinted by the
American Council on Exercise. This may oversimplify what it
really takes to lose weight and obviously ignores any genetic
components. But it provides a no-nonsense
strategy. Before you start, write down your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, pant size and anything else you think is important. Then pick the strategy that’s easiest for you. Each week (or two) add another. In seven weeks (14 at the most), record those numbers and note any change. E-mail me and tell me how well it worked. Posted May 25,
2009
Changing behavior takes patience more than it takes time – or maybe they’re the same thing. We need to wait calmly as we learn new responses to old triggers. We need to realize the evolution of change. Becoming aware of the need for change, thinking about how to make that change, identifying and overcoming barriers to that change and practicing the new behavior are processes. But we shouldn’t confuse
patience with procrastination. Taking steps, even faltering
steps, toward a healthier way of being requires perseverance,
forbearance, self-control and tolerance.
We may be successful right
away; we may feel as though we’re walking in circles. But we’re
moving. We won’t get anywhere if we postpone, delay or deny the need for change. We certainly won’t fail, but we also won’t know what we could have accomplished. If you feel you’re procrastinating, be patient. Rather than put off what you feel you should be doing, find ways to be kind to yourself as you embrace a new way of doing things. Posted April 26,
2009 Ergonomics is the science of engineering the workplace to the needs of the person who occupies that space. Computer users think of ergonomics as the need for a split keyboard, track ball instead of mouse and an adjustable chair with a lumbar support. All are part of an ergonomic
work station, but there’s another component of human factors
engineering that may be overlooked. That component is
fitness. Years ago, I attended a
workshop about the mechanics of typing. The person running the
seminar was hired by my employer to teach better, less harmful ways
of typing to those of us with repetitive strain injuries. He called
us keyboard athletes. Like other athletes, he said, we need to be in
condition to do our jobs. To get in shape to type seems
ludicrous. Typing requires little more than sitting a chair and
tapping keys. Anyone who has spent hour after hour at a computer,
only to rise from that chair with a stiff back, sore neck and tired
arms realizes there’s more to it. Sitting requires a strong core.
Good posture, with shoulders down and relaxed, reduces neck pain.
Strong shoulder and back muscles, and flexibility in the forearms,
takes the strain off the fingers. While typing wouldn’t qualify as
cardiovascular exercise, good aerobic fitness means that blood is
flowing freely to nourish those working
muscles. A fitness program that
addresses heart health, muscle strength and flexibility and posture
can delay or minimize the effects of hours, days and years of
typing. Keeping fit can help keyboard athletes, like any athlete,
cope with the demands of their activity and if they become injured,
recover faster so they can get back to the other athletic endeavors
they enjoy. Posted March 28, 2009
Strength training is gaining
attention as a way to help children control their weight, and the
results could have implications for
adults. Australian researchers looked
at the effects of eight weeks of strength training among 48
overweight or obese children between the ages of 7 and 12. Three times a week, the
children did three types of activities. Each time, the number of
repetitions was changed. At the end of the study, the kids lost an
average of 2.9 percent body fat and increased lean muscle by 5.3
percent. While the strength gains were impressive, the results also
led researchers ( McGuigan et al., Journal of Strength &
Conditioning Research, vol. 23, no. 1) to conclude that weight
training could be a way to get overweight kids more active. This is
an interesting approach because many times we hear only about
promoting aerobic activity. But the researchers say that aerobics
may be painful for overweight kids, plus there could be an
embarrassment factor. With strength training, the kids felt better
about themselves, which may lead them to try other
exercises. The same approach could be
taken with overweight adults. Rather than automatically start with
treadmills or other aerobic activity, the individual and trainer
could consider beginning with a resistance program (assuming
physician consent). This helps the person establish a routine. With
any regular exercise comes results – and the confidence that feeds
success. Posted Jan. 16, 2009
A friend from years ago recently contacted me (the wonders of Google) and during our conversation, talk turned to staying in shape. Over the years, he said he’d gained about 30 pounds and recently tacked on seven more. He blamed the usual suspects -- overeating, eating foods that lacked any redeeming qualities. He said he’d been to the gym the past three days and was heading there on the fourth to “punish myself on the treadmill with a 30-minute run.” He asked what advice I’d give him. The 30 pounds didn’t come on in 30 minutes, and they won’t leave after 30 minutes on a treadmill. I asked why he wanted to punish himself till he felt like Tin Man between oilings. The world is full of people who’ll find a way to punish us for some perceived misdeed, whether it’s a failure to exercise or a shortcoming in another aspect of our lives. These folks will point out flaws without offering constructive alternatives. If we can’t be nice to someone else, at least have a heart and be nice to yourself. Posted Jan. 4,
2009 Whether you’ve been laid off or
still have a job, it’s likely you are reassessing your finances to
see what you can do without or where you can cut corners. Now is not
the time to shortchange yourself on your health. When you need all
the resources you can muster to deal with uncertainty, you need to
be as physically and mentally fit as you can
be. In June I wrote about fitness
as a form of insurance. I called this concept wellness insurance –
the knowledge, ability and desire to maximize your potential for
wellness. It’s worth a few moments to revisit this
idea. When we’re upset, stressed or
pressed for time or money, one thing we may neglect is ourselves.
People who value fitness are cashing in on their wellness policy
without even knowing it. They are likely to be telling themselves
that they ought to work out or that it’s been a while since they’ve
seen friends or pursued a favorite hobby. When bombarded with what
seems like bad news, they limit their wallowing to five minutes
every hour. Being fit has made them more resilient. They have a way
to cope. If you’re wishing you had
wellness insurance, you can get a policy right now. All it takes is
deciding on ways to be more active, even if it’s taking the stairs
or parking farther away. Make a list of hobbies you’d like to
pursue. You don’t need to spend a lot
of money. Becoming more fit doesn’t have to cost you anything but
time, and unlike the stock market, the value of your investment will
never go down. Posted Dec. 7, 2008 I teach a class called
Contemporary Issues in Health at SUNY Brockport, and on a recent
night I had a discussion about stakeholders. I asked the students
who was depending on them to come to grips with course material and
the writing and speaking skills required for success.
Their list included their
friends, families, other professors, their future bosses, society
and even politicians. That was an interesting answer. The student
explained that politicians would have ideas about health issues and
it was up to people to learn whether they should support that person
and those policies. I pose a similar question to
you. Who is depending on you to be as healthy as you can be? Who are
the stakeholders in your decision whether or not to be more active,
to make better food choices, to improve your physical and mental
health? Posted Nov. 13, 2008
I’ve been reading some ideas
about promoting behavior change that have interesting applications.
The ideas come from a writing teacher in Substitute whatever behavior is
causing you trouble – exercise, healthy eating, reducing stress,
quitting smoking – and the theories have
merit. Visualization and self-talk
dominate the theories that David adapts from behaviorists and other
psychologists. One psychologist he cites is Albert Ellis, who talked
about how some people turn mishaps into catastrophes. Ellis said
that events don’t cause distress. Rather, our beliefs, opinions and
views of those events lead to trouble. Change your beliefs about an
event and you change your reaction. Try it. Maybe you haven’t
exercised for a while. If you’re convinced you’ve blown it for good,
reframe your beliefs about the missed sessions. Are a few missed
workouts really such a disaster? After some careful consideration,
you may find there’s no crisis and you’re back to your
routine. Another approach that David
favors in helping writers, and I think this can help anyone trying
to start a good habit, is to fast forward to the future. This is an
approach from Dr. Milton Erickson, and while he used hypnosis, you
can use your imagination. Think about a problem – no time to
exercise, stuck in a rut of unhealthy food – and see yourself at a
time where this problem no longer exists. You’re active, eating well
and feeling great. Then, think back to how you found the solution.
Now, just follow those steps. In each case, the scenarios you
create need to be realistic and you need to believe in them.
Thinking about exercise won’t automatically make you work out, just
like thinking about writing won’t make you Hemingway. You need to set yourself up
to succeed, and that requires action, which I’ll address at
another time. Until then, consider the words of Gandhi. While not known as a behaviorist, he was on to something. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” he said. In our case, see the change you want to be in the world. Posted Oct. 12,
2008
Cal Ripken Jr., the Hall of
Fame shortstop who played in 2,632 consecutive games with the
Baltimore Orioles, did not start out to set a record for the most
consecutive games played. He played his first major
league game on Aug. 10, 1981. Early in the 1982 season, he sat out
two games. But from May 30 of that year until Sept. 20, 1998, he
played in every game for Orioles. From May 30, 1982 to Sept. 14,
1987, he played in every inning, a run of 8,243 over 904
games. Inning by inning, game by game,
Ripken was developing a habit. He could no more not play than the sun could
rise in the west. In fact, the night he took himself out of the
lineup, it was as though the planet had realigned. Every day, Ripken
had played. He wasn’t the flashiest shortstop and later third
baseman, but he was the most consistent. His results were stunning.
But they didn’t come all at once. They came from every day doing a
little bit, maybe a little bit more than the day
before. We can put ourselves on a
streak, just like Cal Ripken Jr. did. Set a realistic goal that
every day, you will do one thing that benefits your health. Taking a
walk at work instead of going to the vending machine. Packing lunch
instead of being at the mercy of the cafeteria. Turning off the TV
or computer and doing some stretching exercises before bed. Learning
a new way to cook vegetables.
You can have a streak like Cal
Ripken Jr. enjoyed. Be consistent. Show up every day. Before you
know it, you wouldn’t dream of sitting
out. Posted Sept. 22, 2008
Consistency and commitment are
crucial to the success of any endeavor, let alone an exercise
program. Think about activities that you
started and then stopped. Why didn’t you keep going?
Think about a hobby or any
activity that you enjoy. How did you commit to that activity? How
consistent are you in its practice? How did you develop the
commitment and consistency? How did this activity get to become a
habit? Someone or something made the
difference between you shrugging your shoulders, saying “no big
deal” and walking away, or staying with it and enjoying the
activity. Maybe it was instruction or encouragement. Somewhere along
the way, you started having fun. Maybe you received an incentive at
the beginning, but doing the activity for its own sake became reward
enough. If you think you can’t stick
with an exercise program, that it’s not worth it, that you’ll never
get the hang of it, think about the first stages of that pastime
that you now enjoy so much. Think about where you were then and
where you now. Think of where that same dedication can still take
you. Posted Sept. 1, 2008
I recently returned from a
hiking tour in The adventure was physical and
mental. Walking on level ground was a luxury. In the words of our
guide, we went down and down and down, and then up and up and up.
Often, we had to figure out how to get around the boulders in our
path. I realized that two legs is not always an evolutionary
advantage. Many times, I scrambled over rocks on all fours and
negotiated embankments on my butt. When I returned and told
friends and colleagues about the exploits of our nine-woman group,
they said, “That was a vacation?” Indeed, it was. I wasn’t sure
what I had signed up for, but I knew I wanted a challenge of my
choosing. Too often, the challenges aren’t of our making. We don’t
get a vote if we want to cope with illness, death of loved ones,
loss of job, trying to pay the bills. Choosing a challenge may seem
silly when faced with the vicissitudes of daily life. But finding
the courage, resolve and creativity to find a way around a boulder
jutting into a narrow path is invigorating. Listening to your breath
as you climb keeps you focused, and hearing the crunch of dirt
beneath your feet is its own music. Looking up from the trail and
seeing the sun shining over a jagged cliff is inspiring. Finishing
is exhilarating. Having taken and passed this
challenge, I know that the energy and confidence discovered on the
trail will make my trials that much easier to
bear. Posted July 26, 2008 A colleague participated in the
JP Morgan Corporate Challenge in May. She walked the 3 ½ miles with
another colleague, who encouraged her each step of the way, and this
woman finished. She said she was so happy and proud when she crossed
the finish line, she wanted to cry. She also had a sobering
thought. The finish line was her starting line. She was just
beginning a new part of her life. Now she’s thinking that it’s going
to be hard to stay active, what with her job, her family and having
to overcome many years of a sedentary lifestyle. She was thinking of
everything that conspired against her. We usually don’t have to look
very hard or very far to find obstacles. Rather than see how we can
fail, we need to look for ways to succeed. To do that, we need to make
our goals attainable. Being 30 pounds lighter or being able to jog a
mile sounds great, but can you commit to all that requires? Why not
start with something more manageable? Twice a week, take a walk with
the family after dinner. Then look back and say, “Hey, we walked two
times each week. That wasn’t so bad. Maybe we can make it three this
week.” We need to put ourselves on a
winning streak. Setting realistic goals that form new, positive
habits gives us the thrill of victory.
Most likely, you have insurance
for your car and your house or apartment. Do you have insurance for
your well-being? That’s health insurance, you may say. Not
really. I’m talking wellness insurance.
In our system, health insurance is for when something goes wrong.
Many of us have that, but millions don’t. Wellness insurance aims to
keep you running smoothly. It’s the knowledge, ability and desire to
be active, to eat and drink in moderation and to try to relax when
things get out of hand. It’s how we ensure and insure that we live
the most healthful lifestyle that we can.
Even though we drive carefully
and keep our homes in good repair, sometimes things happen and we
need to use that insurance to be made whole. That’s the principle
behind wellness insurance. Unfortunately, you can’t just buy the
policy. You have to earn it. Maximizing your physical and emotional
fitness can’t guarantee you’ll never develop diabetes, cancer or
heart disease. It will, however, delay the onset, lessen the
severity and help you recover if you become ill.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to
use your policy. One thing’s for sure, though. With wellness
insurance, you reap the benefits even if you never make a
claim.
Health news in newspapers and
magazines can be contradictory. It seems like what once was fact is
now falsehood. Part of that is the evolving
nature of medical research. The more that scientists learn, the more
they discover that they don’t know and so back to the laboratory
they go. Part of that is the way that newspapers and magazines
operate, particularly in the Internet age when they face intense
competition to report news. Some studies which shouldn’t be
publicized, because they had so few participants or because the
research is in very early stages, get attention from the mass media.
Also, the limited space in a newspaper means some information will
have be left out. When you see or hear news about
an alleged medical breakthrough, look or listen for key items. How
many people were in the study? How long did the study last? What
were the researchers trying to find out? Did other researchers, not
involved in the study, comment on the thoroughness of the
investigation? Who sponsored the study? There are other questions to
ask, but these will give you a healthy skepticism the next time you
hear about a breakthrough in the disease du
jour. Even if all questions are
answered to your satisfaction, remember that the latest word is not
the last word.
People with good posture exude
confidence. It doesn’t matter how tall or short they are. When
someone stands proud, they look proud and more importantly, they
feel proud. One way to improve your posture, and how you feel, is to practice the neutral spine position. In this position, your spine is holding its natural curves. Your shoulders aren’t rounded and your lower back isn’t arched. Neutral spine is important because it’s the basic position for your activities – from sitting in a chair to running or playing a sport. Also, other back and abdominal activities build off of the neutral spine. One way to become aware of the natural curve in your lower back is to do a pelvic tilt. The pelvic tilt exaggerates a backward motion, so that when you release into the neutral spine, you feel the difference. To feel what this is like: Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your arms by your sides. Tilt your pelvis back so that you feel your lower back press to the floor. Exhale as you do this and feel the natural curve in the lower back slightly flatten. Try to draw your belly button to your spine. As you inhale, release that backward tilt of the pelvis. This is a small motion. Avoid arching your back or sticking out your belly on the return. By releasing the backward tilt and not arching, you can achieve the neutral spine position. If you have back problems, or
this activity has given you problems in the past, check
with your doctor about whether it’s OK for you to do this without
supervision.
A friend is ill and I’m
following her progress through postings by her husband on
CarePages.com. CarePages is an interactive site that lets the
patient and his/her family post updates and allows friends who’ve
been invited to the site to send their greetings. It saves wear and
tear on both parties. The family doesn’t have to make and receive
phone calls when they are tired, and the friends don’t have to
wonder how things are going. The site offers tips on what to
say and how to say it. The tone of the postings is uniformly upbeat,
as you’d expect. I’m interested in the postings. Sometimes I wonder
whether we’re trying to cheer up our friend or allay our own fears.
The postings are no place for the hard questions, questions like,
“Are you angry?” “Do you want to cry?” “What do you do when you get
sad?” “What do you think when you wake up in the middle of
night?” But having had a few
heart-to-hearts with this incredibly bright woman, I’m wondering how
she’d answer those questions. I’m not being pessimistic about a
person probably being told that her life depends on her ability to
stay positive. These are realistic questions born of the situation.
In my experience dealing with serious illness (my own and that of my
late father), these express honest emotion. The uncertainty of
illness is frightening. Having no control over your life is
terrifying. Also in my experience, these are the things that no one
wants to bring up. They are afraid of seeming negative or triggering
a response they don’t want to or can’t deal
with. It is beautiful beyond words
that my friend has so many people sending her their strength. I
count myself among them. My wish for the well-wishers is that their
prayers for their friend – and for themselves – are answered in a
way that also gives them strength. You may remember the
President’s Physical Fitness Test from when you were a kid. Often
one day in gym (sorry, physical education instructors, it was called
gym back then) was set aside to see how many pushups, sit-ups and
chin-ups we could do, and how fast we could walk or run. It was a
nightmare for many and may have contributed to many kids not liking
gym. Now there’s an adult version.
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness has developed a way for
people older than 18 to gauge their fitness. The test (is that word
making you feel anxious?) consists of aerobic fitness, flexibility,
muscular strength and endurance and body composition. The test comes
with instructions, which make it clear that if you haven’t been
active at all, don’t do this test. The instructions also recommend
working with a partner. I wonder if something like this
preaches to the converted. Perhaps only those people who think
they’re in some sort of shape will even try these activities.
Perhaps others, who’ve been thinking about exercise, will give it a
shot. The fitness industry and health
professionals are desperately trying to reach sedentary Americans,
those who think that being active is too much work. So far, we
haven’t come up with a magic formula. If people take this fitness
test and feel discouraged, I fear it may remind them of high school
gym class and turn them off exercise again.
Activity needs to be fun. It
has to be something you enjoy, or you have to believe in the
results, because -- let’s be honest – it does require effort. A good
program, one that fits your goals and your lifestyle, will be worth
the work. In the meantime, let me know if
you take the test and how you do. If you have questions about
starting or continuing an exercise program, contact me for an
appointment. Here’s the link to the
President’s Challenge Adult Fitness Test. http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/adultFitnesstestLanding.aspx Posted May 17, 2008 People who make their living
being fit may not always understand what it’s like to struggle to
eat healthier or be more active. Sometimes I’m guilty as charged.
Today, however, I got it. I helped a friend do some
painting. Normally when we get together it’s for dinner after work
and we enjoy Jamaican beef patties and we split a Red Stripe beer.
But 8 a.m. on a Saturday seemed early for both. “Hey, how about some
doughnuts,” I suggested. “I haven’t had a doughnut in years,” my
friend said. So I stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way
over. We sat in her dining room,
drinking green tea and munching on a glazed doughnut (her) and
coffee cake muffin (me). We finished, did some work, took a break
and had another round. This time, she went for a corn muffin and I
ate a chocolate glazed doughnut. Midway through the doughnut, the
light went on. I said I understood why people like this. First, four
muffins and three doughnuts cost just over six bucks. That had to be
thousands of calories for just a few dollars. Second, the stuff
tasted good. Real good. So good that if I’d bought another chocolate
doughnut, I would have eaten it. Here’s where I get back on my
high horse. The day before, I had walked to and from work, about six
miles total. On Saturday morning, we made many trips up and down
stairs and up and down ladders while we painted. Later Saturday, I
took another long walk. So a muffin and a doughnut did me no harm,
and as a treat, probably did me some good. I get why people eat a
lot of doughnuts. People who visit glass houses shouldn’t throw
crullers. I would just
say that if you’re going to enjoy a morning of doughnuts, have a
great time. But do something later in the day that’s good for more
than your tastebuds. Posted May 10, 2008
Sometimes it seems our behavior
has a mind of its own. We know what we want and know
what we have to do to achieve our goal. But darned if we don’t reach
that goal. We follow the path of our good intentions, but we know
where that leads us. Why we do what we do is a topic
that psychologists have studied for decades. I’m not a psychologist
and don’t pretend to be one. But I do listen to what people say and
then watch how they act. I hear people say they want to exercise as
they push the button on the elevator. I listen as they say they want
to lose weight and then watch them go to the vending machine. I have
to wonder why we throw roadblocks into our own paths. I’ve done it
myself. Maybe it’s fear. Not fear that we can’t do what we set to
achieve. But fear that we will accomplish our goal. Then what? Who
will we be and how we will adjust to that new
person? Posted May 3, 2008
The other day I read about a
woman who had lost about 20 pounds, and she wanted to lose about 20
more. She is seeing a dietitian to change her eating plan. But this
woman said she liked her morning routine of coffee and bagel at the
drive-thru. She has lost weight, so she
knows what she can and she knows what she has to do. Now it comes
down to the hard choice. Which does she want more, going to the
drive-thru every morning or to lose more weight? She needs to
recognize what keeps her in the same pattern and how she can change
her behavior. How many of us find ourselves
in the same situation? We say we want to achieve a fitness goal. We
probably know what to do to reach it. But we don’t reach it. We may
not even try. Before we examine the proportion of carbs, protein and
fat in our diets, we need to examine our ratio of awareness to
habit. We need to think about what we are doing and why and take
ourselves off cruise control.
Deciding to exercise is just
that – a decision. We make hundreds of decisions a day. We put
thought into some of our choices. Others are reflexive. Some things
we decide to do because they’re easy. Other things we decided to
avoid because we think they will be
difficult. For many of us, one of those
things we avoid is physical activity. I gave a talk the other night,
and several people in the audience said that they don’t exercise
because they don’t have the time. Even when they have a treadmill in
the house or a full workout room, they say there’s no time. How much
time would it take, I asked? They weren’t sure. But twice in the
course of the talk, we did 5-10 minutes of activity and folks never
left their chairs. We think we have to change
clothes, go someplace special and then take a shower when we’re done
in order for us to have exercised. In the time it takes us to come
up with barriers to getting more activity, we could have stretched
or gotten up from the chair and walked down a hallway at work or
puttered with the weights at home. Our barriers are real.
Sometimes they’re as imposing as a moat around the castle or a
fortress wall. But drawbridges turn a moat into a puddle and
battering rams take down walls. So when we decide not to do
something, there’s more going on than just barriers.
If you wish to comment or would like information about a program to suit your style, contact FitRight In at (585) 355-5484 |
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