Chapter 3: Overcoming Excuses: A Path to Fitness and Personal Development

Have you ever wondered why we make excuses for not hitting the gym or taking that yoga class?

This episode uncovers how our mental state and personal development directly influence our physical health.

We discuss the critical connection between our mind and body, explain how mindfulness and personal development can help us overcome the hurdles that keep us from starting a fitness program, and share tips for staying motivated and finding support in fitness-based communities.

Health and fitness often take a back seat in our hectic lives.

But did you know that major corporations are investing in wellness programs because they've realized the immense impact of employee health on their bottom line?

We dive into the criticality of prioritizing our health amidst chaotic schedules and discuss how to adapt to our circumstances and let go of what's holding us back. Finally, we offer a step-by-step guide to creating a sustainable fitness plan that aligns with your lifestyle and energy levels.

So, are you ready to kick those excuses to the curb and take control of your health? Tune in and join us on this journey to a healthier you!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Chapter 3 Eliminate your why Nots. Most people have had the experience of starting a new fitness plan only to abandon it completely or revert back to their old habits. Name one person who hasn't made working out part of their New Year's resolutions at some point in their lives. We often start with tons of enthusiasm, launching head-on into a brutal workout routine. Perhaps we've tried to cram as much exercise into our downtime as we possibly can, or suddenly begun moving at a pace that's, frankly, well beyond us. Too often the end result is that we crumble as soon as we start, feeling even slightly overwhelmed. It's actually quite possible to become overwhelmed at the very thought of starting an exercise, even before you take the first step. To go from feeling that you don't have the energy to start moving even a little to hitting the gym or working with a personal trainer is a massive shift.

Speaker 1: 0:54

Lacking follow through on a decision to get fit, whether we've started and stopped or never started at all, usually boils down to a matter of time, fear, energy or motivation. Who hasn't thought I'm too exhausted after my commute to work out? Or, once I've put the kids into bed, I'm beat, or I can't work out because I can't afford a gym membership Heck. In my line of work. I've heard it all, including the excuse of I'll go to the gym when I'm in a little bit better shape. Spoiler alert fit people aren't they? They work at it. If you use that as your primary excuse, you're never going to be fit. How about this classical line I spend all my time driving my kids to their sports and extracurriculars. It really leaves me with no time left to exercise. The message you're giving your children is that you're at a shape because of them, and the underlying message is that physical activity is something you have to give up when you become an adult or a parent.

Speaker 1: 1:58

Some people are intimidated, even scared, by the thought of a fitness program, and they simply don't know where to start. They don't know how much time they need to put into it, so they feel unable to create a plan. Others are recovering from an injury, such as a convict, in which case remaining in an active might seem like a way to avoid pain or re-injury. The fact is, all of these excuses are exactly. They are crutches and they stand in the way of our lives. We can choose to allow excuses to prevent us from looking after ourselves. We can use every out at our disposal, or we can choose to change our mindset. So kick away those crutches. So just how do you kick those metaphorical crutches to the side and stamp happily on your own two feet? How do you remove your own perceived barriers and flow into that moment when you just know what needs to be done and you're ready to do it?

Speaker 1: 2:53

For some people, the best first step toward becoming active is one that may seem paradoxically inactive Meditation. I often recommend that my clients ease into the whole life fitness power 30 by starting with just 15 minutes of mindfulness and 15 minutes of personal development. There will be more in later chapters on how to spend them. This advice may come as a surprise, but I have found that dialing into your mind and spirit is a great place to start, because it offers a solid root to understanding the body's purpose as the vehicle that takes you through life. Taking this type of holistic approach looking at the mind as well as the body really helps you to connect with your why. This prompts a mental shift into taking responsibility and acting decisively. Instead of making excuses, it's important that you avoid pointing the finger or offloading your excuses inside of yourself.

Speaker 1: 3:50

Own. We're all empowered to make our own decisions and tuning into your internal world can make this truth real for you. Meditation can help you to gain a clearer perspective and to call yourself out when you cast blame for your own self-sabotaging choices. If you're living on fast food because you swear you don't have time to prepare fresh whole food meals, you're validated your decision to remain unhealthy. Stand on this path. Reinforce the sense that health and fitness are not really your responsibility and that you are powerless when you tell yourself these lies.

Speaker 1: 4:25

The bottom line is that you are choosing a why not instead of a why. You're wasting your energy on the negative instead of on the positive. And if you're not making choices that stem from your why in life, then ask yourself who are you making these choices for? Whose dreams are you supporting? What results are you working toward when life goes sideways and you physically can't make it to the gym? That doesn't mean you can't work out or move your body with purpose Heck. No, you are your own best piece of fitness agreement. Not only is your body free to use, but it's nearly always available to you. Even if you're dealing with an injury, you can modify your movement so you can still work out as long as you have a body and you have the ability to move. You can exercise, as emerald says.

Speaker 1: 5:15

But the no willpower excuse one of my favorites. I hear a lot of people complain that they have no willpower. They tell me I want to work out but I always give up because I'm just too weak. Will I Counter this excuse by telling people to find something that they enjoyed doing and then really feed their connection to that activity. You have to start by identifying your desires. Not every exercise will be right for you, but keep trying different things to see what you do like. Think of it this way you never have to find the willpower to indulge in something that you love, such as getting a massage or laughing with friends. Of course, working out takes more effort than getting a massage, especially at the beginning, when you haven't yet made it a habit.

Speaker 1: 5:57

One way to help with motivation is to find someone to work out with, to be accountable to. Joining a fitness-based community is a great way to source allies who can support. We motivate each other and celebrate our personal victories together. The idea is to hold one another to a certain standard and ensure that you follow through to reach a goal. What if every single person you know is overweight and complacent and nobody wants to work out with you. Well, no problem. Through social media, I can connect you with some fantastic online communities where there are both private and public fitness groups. Not only can we see what the others are doing, we can also encourage and support each other. Members post recipes, inspirational video and audio clubs, share struggles, console and uplift one another and act as sources of accountability, which we all need from time to. It's all the name in the name of motivational fun. There are also some engaging online tools, such as my fitness pal, calm, and activity trackers such as Fitbits, to help you Gauge your progress against your health and fitness goals.

Speaker 1: 7:05

Here's another one for you the no space excuse. I Don't care, okay, how small your home is, it's big enough for you to work it. All you really need Is a space the side, say, a baton, a yoga mat or even a doormat. You essentially want to create a little space for squats, push ups, jogging on the spot, air skips. I'll get into these another excited later. If you're a person who spends a lot of time on the road, I challenge you to never see this as disruption for your fitness routine. Most hotel rooms have a chair and a table which you can use to create a mini circuit for a 15 minute workout. You can even use the space between the wall and the bed.

Speaker 1: 7:46

If you're a regular traveler, you probably know your itinerary in advance, that is, you don't likely just wake up in the morning, remember? Oh, I got ahead to San Fran today. So take a little time to plan your health needs and set yourself up to make good choices while you travel. This means carrying extra water air travel causes loads of dehydration and pack some healthy snacks, such as nuts and dried fruit. Remember that dehydration can be confused with hunger, so we often reach for the wrong foods when we're groggy after a flight. Above all, try to resist the lure of aimless channel surfing on the bed in your hotel room. Try to get out for a quick run in your host city and instead you know 15 minutes is all you need. Really, that's that's it. You can do this. So don't give me the idea that you're in the space right Now.

Speaker 1: 8:37

This next excuse is again, when I've heard more times than I can count, the everybody else comes first excuse. Now realize a lot of us try to make ourselves be martyrs. You know, we'll do everything for everybody else before we'll do anything for ourselves and, unfortunately, when this compromises our health, there's no getting back. You know, like no one's a hero in this situation. And you're not the hero, especially because I know you have a passion to help. But if you're not healthy, it's going to be really hard for you to sustain that passion.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Too many of us simply don't prioritize our own health and fitness when everybody around us seems to need something from us. Putting our needs on the table can feel selfish. We may even feel guilty for doing something just for ourselves. Well, I'll be the first one to let you know that it's okay to look after you. In fact, you'll be better able to serve others by serving yourself first, when you understand and appreciate that it puts your health into a different context that is, neglecting your own. Health affects everybody you care about, and on a good way. You owe it to yourself to be healthy, but you also owe it to those who are closest to you, and they should understand that when we're not busy attending to our family's needs, we're often at the back and call of our employers. Perhaps you're a person who thinks I can't take time for myself because my career demands so much of me. It's true that getting the right work-life balance can be tricky, but short-changing ourselves where our health is concerned never pays off. Poor health can take a terrible toll on your job performance and your career. Here's excuse for you. Maybe you heard this one Overworked and overfed and realizes this isn't maybe an excuse, but it definitely ties into lifestyle.

Speaker 1: 10:31

The workhouse has changed since the 1960s. Granted Back then, nearly 50% of private sector this is non-government jobs such as construction, freight, logistics, retail required at least moderate intensity physical activity. Currently, less than 20% of jobs demand this level of activity. The average work week is now longer too. Full-time employees work an average of 47 hours per week, or seven hours more per week than the standard 40-hour work week. That translates to approximately 14 extra days of work per year at jobs that are largely inactive. Additionally, employees now burn 100 fewer calories per work day than they did in the 1960s. A recent study which compared workers in the 1960s to 1962 with workers of 2003 to 2006 found that, on average, employees are 17 pounds heavier than the average employee of the 1960s. To add insult to injury, the past 50 years has seen the daily caloric intake increase by about 400 calories, so this is a 20% increase over the average that was 1970, back in the 60s, which is the 2100 calories. The bottom line is we're moving less and we're burning fewer calories, but we're eating more, and we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic on our hands.

Speaker 1: 11:51

Surprisingly, the number one health issue in the workforce today isn't necessarily inactivity or obesity, it's actually stress. As you can imagine, inactivity and stress, coupled with longer working hours, has a massive impact on society. In fact, it's believed that lost productivity due to chronic pain is to about $11.6 to $12.8 billion per year. And hello, this one really gets to me, given my class. In the US, overweight or obese workers who have other chronic health problems miss about 450 million more days of work per year than healthy coworkers, costing more than $105 per year in lost productivity. Whoa, I can't emphasize this enough. Overwork and inactivity are just services to your career and your employer. Is it any wonder that many corporations are investing millions of dollars into corporate wellness programs? They have learned that employee wellness affects the bond line both in hard costs and productivity. Good health means a happier, more satisfied workforce, which translate into increased productivity.

Speaker 1: 13:01

I've shared some more and, trust me, there's a lot of the ones too. However, letting go of your why nots Years ago, I sustained an injury to my back during the competition. My L4, l5 vertebrae suffered a micro-terror which caused a disc to protrude and pinch it. It was one of the most excruciating injuries I've ever experienced. Up to that point, I had only experienced mild pain from throwing my back at or overdoing it at the gym, but this injury gave me a whole new perspective on injury involving nerves and other soft tissues. I would not wish to experience like this anywhere.

Speaker 1: 13:39

I went through a period of self-doubt and formed a number of excuses about why I couldn't train anymore. It hurt, I can't move right, I can't do what I've done before, so why bother? These were just a few of the mantras I was repeating to myself during those first few weeks. After it really hurt, I had a really hard time accepting that I would have to change the way I moved my body. I was quite rooted in how I trained, so the idea of modification didn't fit. This went on for nearly a month. I felt lethargic, heavy and was putting myself down at every opportunity. I was drowning in my poor me monologue. Thankfully, my wife Christy being the feisty gen, she is called me out on my self-pity. She told me to get up and move, to stop feeling sorry for myself and to start adapting to my situation. She's a wise one.

Speaker 1: 14:30

Adaptation is important, and accepting the need for adaptation is arguably even more important. It's challenging to overcome old habits that are entrenched, but I did exactly what Christy said and I started doing what I could. When I exercised, I focused on more isolated movements, nothing explosive or dynamic. I worked on re-stabilizing my core and the erector muscles that surround my spine. It was a slow process, but over time I got stronger. I was training again and feeling great for it. This experience taught me a lot about myself, but even more about how to coach my clients.

Speaker 1: 15:05

When I began working with new clients, I always asked them what do you need to release in order to do what you want to do? Let me say that again what do you need to release in order to do what you want to do? This helps people to explore what's holding them back from becoming more fit and realize that you can apply this question in any area of your life. It doesn't have to just be about fitness. Literally Leverage this question and replace it in any situation what do you need to release in order to do what you want to do. I meet most of the responses I get with a schmuck, because many new clients say that they are prepared to cut back on TV, eat less garbage and wake up 30 minutes earlier to get their whole life, fitness, power 30 done before work. This is commitment to a choice that must be put into action every single day. So of course I then ask are you sure Because if there's any doubt, then the client may not have really identified the underlying why that will motivate them to fully commit to their decision to change. Once you've completely realized your why and own it, it will be far easier to let go of your excuses, because you simply can't kid yourself anymore. When you fully commit yourself to a goal for example, wanting to be healthy enough to travel at 65, then it's easy to ditch any blocks that are standing your way.

Speaker 1: 16:34

Make Expectations Sustainable Results. I've seen too many people struggle to adopt a sustainable plan because they have unreasonable expectations of what they think is required of them. They think they need to obsessively commit to fitness and hook up to highly ambitious programs. Nothing can be further from the truth. The fact is, we all have busy lives. Only professional athletes can work hours of cardio, strength training and conditioning into their everyday routine because it's their job to do so. You do not have to reinvent your lifestyle in order to accommodate a new fitness program, because that simply isn't sustainable.

Speaker 1: 17:13

For example, I remember my good friend John. He was excited about his newly purchased DVD fitness program. He was committed to making it work for him and was sure he could adopt into it the everyday routine. John was married. He works 50 hours a week and has children, along with coaching commitments. John was struggling to maintain his relationship as the only time they saw each other was on weekends and evenings after the kids went to bed. But he was sure that he could fit in an extra 6 to 8 hours a week to the fitness program. And you know what happened the DVDs were shelved after day 4 and haven't seen the light of day since. Be far better for someone like John to take a step back and look at their actual lifestyle stance and evaluate where there's time to work in some more health and fitness. In other words, it is much easier to make more sense to find a fitness program that fits our lifestyle than to overhaul our lifestyle to fit a fitness program.

Speaker 1: 18:12

If you want to be diligent and follow through on your fitness goals, it's crucial to start off with a sustainable plan. Personally, early morning workouts are what work for me best. 5.38 is my time. I developed the habit of getting going early because when I was teaching classes and personal training sessions, I tried to stick with that routine as soon as possible and as often as possible. But I understand that 5.30 am is not a fit for everybody. Throughout the day, we all have our peaks and our valleys. From an energy standpoint, that is so you'll need to figure out what makes sense for you. Find something that you can fit into your team. Walk to the park, either by yourself or with your family or friend. Walk your kids to school or pick them. Just start making little decisions to get moving.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Remember that you will not suddenly have more hours than a day. Your life will have exactly the same amount of time as it did before. But now your health has become a priority and you're doing what you need to do to improve it. Everybody can do that. Essentially, given the boots you're why nots? It means showing up in your life to an injury. The simple act of removing your obstacles in support of your health works, a mental muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. You'll find that eventually it will become second nature to you to remove the obstacles and excuses in other areas of your life too. Now, while the excuses in this chapter are most common ones I have come across in my career, there are an infinite number of others. We all have challenges and mental crutches, but with courage and dedication you can move through them. So are you with me?