In the last chapter we talked a lot about the people who are adverse to fitness. They make up a hypothetical fifteen percent of a company.
These adverse people are the way they are for numerous reasons--some which go back to childhood, some which are much more contemporary. In this chapter, we need to look that the remaining eighty five percent, focusing on the lion's share who are open to becoming more into fitness than they currently are.
On the whole, the greater portion of the eighty-five percent (not the few who are always in training for marathons and the like) know what to do, but find it difficult, if not impossible, to do it. The difference between these folks and those who are adverse to doing anything is that the larger number would be into fitness if only they could find a way. Finding a way is what this book is all about, largely because it is now more important than ever. Why?
Here are some statistics from the Surgeon General and Journal of
American Medical Association that are meant to alarm you and get moving,
hopefully:
They report, "that poor diet and physical inactivity could soon
overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S."
Obesity is now recognized alongside heart disease, cancer, AIDS and drug
abuse as among the nation's most expensive public health problems. Over
132 billion dollars will be spent this year on treating afflictions
related to obesity.
http://www.military.com/beginning a fitness lifestyle change
Hopefully, that's enough to get some of the open-minded others moving if they happen to still be sitting. Hopefully, it's enough to keep all of the new people into a fitness lifestyle. What does this really mean?
A fitness lifestyle has to do with the following : 1.) proper diet; 2.) supplementation; and 3.) daily workouts. Only doing one of the three won't get you looking good for the beach by summer. Doing two of three is not good enough either. But doing all three will most probably (if you use your head, and start from not too far in the hole) get you into shape for the beach this coming summer, assuming you start in November. Granted, all of that is purely hypothetical, not taking into consideration the possible, but highly unlikely, interference of bad genes. But it should be an acceptable starting point for those who are open-minded about fitness.
If that is acceptable, why do so many believe that it is?
It is tempting to say that many people "just know" that diet, exercise and supplements are a good thing. It is as if they were born that way, predisposed to believing the truth about fitness. That is, they feel they have always known that taking proper care of themselves would in fact make anyone, or nearly anyone, as vital, as healthy as one could be, and as youthful as one could remain (a concern which emerges around forty.) This is felt even by those raised in homes where everyone ate the wrong foods, never worked out and thought supplements were a waste of money.
The people on the greater portion of the bell curve believe this, thinking it is little more than obvious or self-evident. Perhaps this is true, but modern day thinking demands plausible reasons. So, how did so many get so open minded?
1.)Some have had parents who lived fitness lifestyles. This is not a very significant portion of America but there may be a few. Either mom or dad, in a very few instances both, were into fitness, always working out, always eating right, always supplementing. And, the results were dramatic. Even the other kids who would come over could see it. Mom and/or dad looked great, were fun to be with, and came across as doing well at what they did. Fitness-wise, they were great parents by example.
2.)Others have had brothers or sisters who were good at athletics. They were an inspiration to a younger sibling, sometimes even an older one. Seeing a brother or sister win a trophy or even just a letter can have been a significant motivator. The adult-advantage here is that this person knows first hand what it took to win--what kinds of things were done or not done, making the demands of a fitness lifestyle thoroughly understandable.
Of course, there supposedly were instances of star athletes who could eat whatever they want, only occasionally go to practice, never use supplements, and still do well. These were referred to as "natural athletes." But the number of these individuals, who never never had to make any of the necessary sacrifices, were extremely minimal. And, perhaps, all of the stories about them should now be skeptically questioned in stead of taken at face value.
3.) Still others had at least one good coach back in high school. The temptation here is to include the teachers of the phy ed classes, which were part of America's post war fitness program, but these never had the same impact as a favorite coach of a favorite sport. Unfortunately, being out for sports was mostly a guy-thing, with a much smaller number of the girls being relegated to the cheerleader squad. But some had the advantage of being part of Junior Miss competitions where there was a swim suit competition. Looking good for that required dedication to diet, proper nutrients and exercise. Everyone knew this. But for the most part, the girls were on their own. Perhaps they had mothers who "just knew" what to advise or had Jane Fonda as a heroine.
The best coaches made sure that the guys got strong and recommended supplements to endure the intense training. That happened even as far back as the sixties, when weight lifting was not as popular and when there were relatively few and vitamin shops But they were not alone. There were also a few very influential people such as Jack Lalanne, Bob Hoffman, and Bob Richards who made it their national mission to push fitness as the only way to go. They reinforced everything that the high school coaches said.
4.)The point is that virtually everyone, whether actually out for a sport or not, was exposed to a high school sports lifestyle. There was the glory of homecoming, and regular sporting matches and games. Granted, some refused to ever be part of them, but everyone knew that being out for sports meant living in certain type of way, which was admirable For the smokers,drug users and those into graffiti this meant being a square, but the norm of what was good and right still prevailed. Consequently, when we all became adults, there was never any question of what they would have to do to be in shape. "All" we had to do was to pay the price.
We knew what we had to do back then, and what we have to to do now to make things work.. Whether we had actually done it or not before is almost immaterial. It is the knowledge of the right which is most important. That is why in today's day and age so much of the prevalent thinking about fitness makes sense. It is really nothing new. It's been around for as long as we all can remember and some of us have had some great experiences with it, some probably wishing that it was never given it up.
But we were expected to out grow it. That is the problem. Going from high school to college meant going from good grades, extra-curricular activities and SAT tests to even more serious events in preparation for real adult living. All of that took more time and energy, making college sports only for marginal scholars--ones who could only pray to be recruited by a major team. In other words, the really serious students were expected to outgrow the team memberships and the fun aura of high school youthfulness. That was the mature thing to do.
Again, the main reason we now know what to do, so it seems, is that virtually all of us had an exposure to a fitness lifestyle for an extremely significant four year portion of our lives. As a result, we have a more than vague idea of what to do to be in shape, and, in many cases, what we have to do to win. We have either done it all before or we know of people who have. So, why is it that there are still so many of us who are not doing the right things?
If fitness is good, why are there so many who are still not into it?
1) Time is a major factor. With long commutes and demanding jobs, there is little time left over after the day for much other than relaxing at home, probably being parents. Thinking about getting up two hours early, the best practice for reaping the full benefits of a fitness lifestyle, means going to bed earlier, thereby missing out on family and personal recreational activities. Those are the standard sacrifices which most of us are afraid to make. While it can be argued that quality time with the family at the health club is superior to time spent at home in front of the TV, this is not yet an accepted way of spending time off during the work week.
2.) MDs are not pro-fitness. Saying this may raise eyebrows, but doctors do not have enough hours in the day either. They must make early morning hospital rounds, see patients during the afternoon and perform operations, which do not always keep their schedules on course. They are overworked the same as business people, and, therefore, do not have the needed time to workout regularly. Therefore, when they advise exercise it is generally only to lose weight for the avoidance of diabetes or heart trouble. Once out of the danger zone, their patients often feel they can go back to their old ways.
If there were more doctors working out, living a complete fitness lifestyle, there would be more people following suit. Doctors have incredible social power in this country. Many people want to be as respected, as wealthy, and presumably as healthy. But it is questionable how anyone living an intensely demanding eighty hour work week with no workouts, and no supplements can really maintain a healthy edge. Granted, MDs do well at what they do. But perhaps this says more about good diet than anything else. After all, MDs, for the most part, practice what they preach, which keeps them going and keeps them from becoming obese or sick. Therefore, we should all take note. But how many MDs do we really want to look like?
The point here is that the doctors' respected lifestyle is one that does not have sufficient room for fitness. Consequently, few of us are positively influenced relative to fitness by those who are so powerful in our society. From the standpoint of preventative health care this is extremely unfortunate.
3.)Food is important not only for energy and bodily repair, but also for social reasons. Few, if any of us, eat alone. Not only are table manners important, but so is the food we eat. No one can eat hard boiled eggs when everyone else at the table is eating burgers and fries. It is just not cool. Technically, one can do anything, but not without paying a social price. Eating the wrong foods, meaning those unlike the ones that other people are eating, creates social unrest. That results in ostracism, or at least getting laughed at.
Few of us have friends who are into the healthiest possible eating, meaning gluten-free, glucose-free, low-fat foods. Consequently, when we are with others, we are stuck with the socially acceptable foods and drinks--what makes up the standard American diet. That has got to change. When it does, in the next five years, perhaps, today's normal people will be laughed at for still wasting their money on the gut bombs and Mountain Dew.
4.) Pain is a big factor. Some of us just have knee problems, back aches, stiff necks and the like. Therefore, the mere thought of working out is painful. Of course, one of the contentions in all of these chapters is that exercise makes minor aches and pains go away. Those are the types of things that our parents complain about and are most often associated with old age. Fitness turns back the clock, making those things disappear. Some of us know this intuitively, but still do nothing about it because we think we are too old.
Nevertheless, if we're baby boomers, we secretly would still like to look like our favorite movie stars, who are staying better and better looking through their senior years. Surely none of them have joint pains, morning back aches and neck tension, or so we believe. If only we had their money! But are their good looks and great health just due to that? After all, don't they all workout regularly, eat right and take supplements?
5.)But it still is true that some people have more serious troubles than just the lack of flexibility which seems to creep in after forty. Some even have fibromyalgia, which has no known cure, or knee problems, which theoretically demand surgery. Why is it that some get afflicted with these while others do not? Rest and relaxation are allegedly the best treatment as seemingly every MD says. But might not a fitness lifestyle, started very slowly, do a better job over time? When will there ever be any studies on this? When we have the courage to try, presumably. Hopefully that's sometime soon.
6.) Then too there are just are some of us who have bad habits. Everybody has them-- friendlies and enemies alike. Its just that the friendlies know that they they're doing something wrong and should change. The enemies refuse to talk about this, or demand acceptance for what they say cannot be changed. Consequently, there is hope only for the former group; and that is true even if they have a rather pesky habit, which can be very difficult to kick. This may be anything from "social smoking" to a couple of buds (every night) after a long day, or regular snack routine of pop tarts. But are these so bad, really?
The problem here is that many of us believe these "minor" indiscretions are not only not harmful, but in fact beneficial, within the context of long commutes and a demanding job. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's just that taking it easy on ourselves is supposedly the way to be. Too, the assumption is that our MD is probably like this (after hours, unwinding only,) so why not us? Same may go for our favorite newscasters--another group of idols for the hardworking adult.
5.) Finally, there are the ones who were encouraged only to be good at their school work, and, of course, did only that, preferring a spot on the debate team to one on the football team. Granted, they may have been exposed to the more athletic types or the cheerleaders and junior misses, but for the most part they missed out on ever being out for high school athletics. Today they may see this as an error, which make them open to fitness. The only thing that's a little problematic for them is that now they're afraid of it.
What these people need is basic coaching-- being shown how to use the machines, being helped to find an optimal pace on the stationary bike, etc. They already know fitness is good and right, but they just don't know the specifics of how it works for them. Therefore, they respond beautifully to personal trainer-type coaching, requiring only three months or less to start seeing significant changes. It's just that they will have anxiety attacks over doing what is experienced by them as brand new. All that's necessary is to help them find their groove.
Wrapping it up
So much for the the friendlies. They all have a pretty good idea of what to do, but have some very grown up, very understandable, reasons for not doing them. In other words, they have good reasons for not doing good things. The encouraging thing is that they would get into fitness if only they could figure out how. For them, group discussions with others going through the same problems work the best. Knowing that others are hung up in the same way catalyzes thought of how to resolve the difficulties. Same goes for reading fitness articles, perusing helpful tips, and sharing them with others.
The big opportunity for the present is that what made sense for the high school athlete makes sense for the adult today. Granted, that was not as true twenty years ago, but fitness has recently become more viable due to so much positive press on the internet. Too, some very new, under thirty-five physicians, are far more supportive of it than are their over thirty-five counterparts. Thus, if younger people are open to giving up their dollar burgers and starting with an early concern for their health, the country's spiraling poor health may begin correcting itself in the next ten years.
But this does not address the here and now. For that to happen, there must be a continued positive spin on fitness in the workplace with ongoing interaction between all persons. That will, little by little, facilitate a complete change from today's' mediocre American OK-ness to excellent fitness living. There is no better way to insure a healthy future for the country than by driving up the fitness levels of each and every person in a company. That can and will happen as each and every employee to say nothing of upper management begins to embrace a fitness lifestyle as their new and far superior mode of normality.
For further thought on getting into a fitness lifestyle order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."
It
happens — you over-indulged over the holidays, missed a few workouts
and now you feel like you've fallen off the weight-loss wagon. It's
tempting to mentally slap yourself around, right? (Or head for the
fridge.) Before you start, I want to remind you of something: Being hard
on yourself is so 2009 — that's the Old You.
