Ch 2 The Start of a Fitness Group
Assuming that a company believes in fitness for all of its members, it makes sense to implement as much as is possible. According to recent figures, 62% of the companies in the field do in fact have something fitness-wise in place. The amount varies from company to company. Some have their own club-like facilities with as many as 4000 square feet devoted to cardio-trainers, weight machines, showers saunas and the like. Others subsidize memberships at local health clubs. Still others have programs for those with eating or smoking disorders. A few have all of this and more. By-in-large, there is a significant degree of awareness that fitness is a good thing. But what is it good for?
To the person who works out, supplements and diets as a way of life, this question raises only a smile and a "Try it, and you'll see." But this is not helpful to a rather large number of people. These persons are still living under the old medical mandates of rest, relaxation, eat three meals a day, don't overdo at anything, and get enough sleep at night. In short, they are afraid of breaking out of the tried and true. To be sure, there is nothing wrong with this. It is now getting people to their nineties. But it is likely a greater emphasis on supplements, daily workouts and proper diet will have far more dramatic effects. For instance it just may make us look a lot better in our last years, largely because they will have enabled us to stay younger for longer. Those are results which can be appreciated by employer and employee alike. At least, that is the contention of this book.
Not many people work out daily, supplement regularly and eat properly. That is true.despite the last 80 years of promotion by the late Jack Lalanne, or the last 50 of Jane Fonda. And, that is even true with the numerous health club chains, the supplement stores and the wealth of information on the internet. All of these realities are just not enough to convince the vast majority of the country to : 1.)drop the sedentary habits; 2.) drop the anti-vitamin prejudices; and 3.) drop the unconscious selection of high fat fructose-laden food that still far too many call real food.
If there were more who did, there would be far fewer incidences of diabetes, heart disease, strokes and numerous other problems driving our country's health care numbers through the ceiling. (That is another basic contention of this book.) Even most doctors agree that best way to prevent these problems is to maintain a healthy weight. For a definition of what that means they have numerous charts and tables that most people are completely aware of. But how necessary they are anymore is questionable. Some people just look and feel better ten pounds more or less than the doctors' charts say. Therefore, it would seem only reasonable to look into the mirror and observe one's own degree of healthiness, or fitness level. One either looks fit or one does not. We ourselves are the best judge. In short the mirror is the best critic.
Of course, there are numerous schools of self-acceptance out there which attempt to convince people that they are OK the way they are. The problem is that this can be interpreted to mean forty pounds over the doctors tables, and having trouble making it up two flights of stairs. Did the self-acceptance people ever intend this ? Probably not. Rather they were more interested in taking a stand against obligatory model or magazine beauty. Clearly, not everyone can look like a fashion model or Olympic diver largely because they just don't have that type of bone structure and musculature. Therefore, one ought not to feel bad because they don't. Yet, everyone can look fit in their own way and that is something which should be reflected back in the mirror.
But why should anyone care? Clearly there must be some reason to get fit and stay that way which is good for everybody. Unfortunately not everyone thinks so. Largely this is because it is just plain hard to get into it without disrupting a responsible life. Change is hard on people, pure and simple. But it is also due to not really knowing what will work if given enough time and effort. Granted, some know what it felt like to be out for sports in high school with coaches to insist on all sorts of good and healthy habits. But not everyone has this in their back ground. Consequently, they do not know how it feels to live in this manner. A partial approximation is boot camp for the military, but this is a far shorter period than the standard four years of a high school education. And, that covers only a few more people, meaning that there are still far too many who don't have clue.
That's why only having corporate health clubs, wellness programs and the like is really not enough. It is, of course, better than nothing. It does send the message that a company is interested in the highest well-being of its members. But it does not really do enough to get them into a lifestyle change. That is because it leaves employees virtually on their own, which is good only in a few instances (such as the hard core Rocky-types.) Most people nowadays still need to be helped with what works and to have encouragement in making it happen. Perhaps all of that will be different fifty years from now, but given the relatively small number of successes after eighty years of Lalanne and fifty of Fonda, it is doubtful. Something more hands-on must be in place for that fantastic corporate 4000 square foot workout space to really start paying off.
Why was the super corporate health club put in place to begin with? One reason is that at least one decision-maker in the company knew that a more fit organization would be a more productive one. At least one higher-up just knew this to be the truth. Possibly they were high school or college athletes with high grade points and other honors. As a result, they didn't need a number of studies from reputable universities trying to prove something like over a twelve month period those who who were involved with a daily fitness lifestyle were clinically judged to be better able to complete reports, close sales, make better managerial decisions, stay more focused for greater numbers of hours during the day, etc. That was fortunate because there just are not that many of those types of studies.
Perhaps there will be studies like this in the next fifty years, as fitness becomes a more important part of the American life style, but right now there aren't all that many. Possibly the only thing we have are some wise executives who know that everything will be better with a higher level of fitness in their organization. If so, they can hold their heads high, being part of the ranks of the leaders of Sixth Century BC (Golden Age) Athens, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and a handful of others who have believed in fitness for more than the physical well-being of the country they governed and served. They all thought it paved the way for more effective citizenship and therefore it was good for everybody.
However, doing a better job is not the only reason that fitness makes good sense for business.Another is that time off for illness imply decreases as fitness levels are increased and general morale is boosted by having a healthy work force. That is true throughout the entire organization from top to bottom. Healthier people just need less time off to recover (if they even have to miss work in the first place), and they do an overall better a job. Further, they are more enjoyable to be around. By positively effecting others, that in itself brings in more money. Every body does better at what they do, the company saves money and everybody is more cheerful.
To make this possible, the company should have an onsite corporate fitness director--one who actually does affect the highest well-being of the work force. This is someone who not only is available for advice encouragement and insight, but reaches out to make it known not only that there is a better way, but that the company is trying to make it an overall reality. In other words, together everyone achieves more. Making that happen requires yet another important aspect.
A large part of the director's responsibility is to facilitate a community spirit. This is crucial. There must be a shared world view, a community. This is essential for everyone. It entails a sharing of experiences, new ideas, frustrations, accomplishments. It also entails making people aware of where we're all coming from and where we are going (or can go)--each as a distinct individuals. Being a part of a community like this not only dignifies fitness, but keeps people from feeling like a health nuts, a term so casually used that those being called one don't realize they are being insulted. In other words, doing the right thing must become the new normality of healthiness, most easily referred to as fitness.
What is the best way to get this all started?
Getting all of this off the ground could probably be best done via a corporate email with the longevity script below, after which a voluntary teleconference could be attempted. That should be enough to generate a half percent corporate interest, which can be followed up with the formation of a core fitness group. The expectation is that with considerable resultant effective dialogue, along with observable fitness results, this group will grow steadily throughout the year.
What may strike the reader as odd is that the focus of he talk is on longevity, when everything heretofore has been about productivity. But this should not be alarming. The tacit assumption of most American corporations and of the people in them is that someone younger, more enthusiastic, optimistic and the like is most often the best person for the job, or, in the worst case scenario, for their job. As Westerners, we have more faith in youth than Easterners, such as the Chinese, who believe more in age. Whichever may be best ultimately and philosophically, fitness de-ages. That means, it causes people to look, act, and therefore produce in ways that are most often found in the supposed ideal new person just starting out. That is why it is valuable to the corporation as a whole and to each of its individual members.
_____________________________________
A Talk for a Charlotte, NC based corporation
______________________________________
My name is Mark Clemens. As a few of you know I am from MN But what none of you know is how bewildered I am that I could have waited for all this time to move here. NC is great-- people wise and climate wise.
What I am all about is fitness. I have been at it for 49 years, not wanting to go to high school as a fat kid. I was state champion powerlifter in 1978 and I am currently able to do far more at 63 than when I was out for the swim team in high school. Furthermore, I have three check-ups a year and all have continued to be good.
I have a BA in the History of Religious Lit and an M.Div from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. What I am trying to say is that I do not have a PhD from any university which might be concerned with fitness as it relates to aging. But, then again, it doesn't appear that that's being offered anywhere as of yet. Therefore, what I have to say is anecdotal, but may be considered cutting edge. ( Nevertheless, there may a few studies from Tufts, some work from Cambridge, all of the work of the late Jack Lalanne, a few good women's fitness publications and 190 articles on my website.)
I am an author. I write fitness articles, which, each week, get accepted all over the country. Further, I have published a 190 pp book called "Think and Grow Fit"(I_Universe/Amazon, B& N, summary included in handouts) It covers the basics for North Americans (Brits, canadians and Aussies too) interested in longer, more fulfilling, fun-based lives. Access to it can be found on my website called "ForeverFitness" and my blog "The Fountain of Youth."
My first book "Think and Grow Fit" is based on 40 plus years of experience with fitness and approximately 10 years of thinking about it. It promotes a lifestyle of diet, supplementation and exercise while also saying that the standard American lifestyle is making people unfit--which means aging long before we have to. In other words, what most of us are currently doing is slowing us down, making us fat, and robbing us of the energy which is needed for being optimistic, enthusiastic or simply being"with it." Those are the very factors which people commonly associate with "getting older." They may also have something to do with the latest scourge--Alzheimers.
We live in a world of : 1.) commercials which glorify leisure activities; 2.) pharmaceutics for everything; 3.) fast food,; 4.)MDs who do not believe in supplements; 5.) long commutes for sedentary but demanding jobs; 6.) grocery store food that is loaded with sugar and fat; 7.) the belief that frequent treats are not only OK but actually necessary; 8.) the feeling that being out for a sport like when you were in high school is only for people who are currently in high school. All of these things are dragging us down; yet all are considered to be part of what most of us call "normal."
People need to break away from this if they want to look, feel and act younger for longer, and stay healthier for the long haul. Recent studies show that the single most important factor in increasing lifespan is reduced calorie consumption. Even MDs agree that keeping weight at the appropriate levels is the single most important factor in staying clear of diabetes, heart disease, strokes and possibly Alzheimers. But the media and most MDs actively promote rest and relaxation as the supposed cure all for everything. Furthermore, MDs think that supplements are not necessary if you're eating you three square meals a day from the four food groups; and, they tend to associate the word "diet" only with the need to lose weight. All of that might be Ok, but it's not "as good as you can get."
What's better is a fitness lifestyle based on supplements, daily workouts and an low-fat/ low-sugar diet. That is what Jack Lalanne spent 80 years promoting. That's what I do. In my judgment, it should be what you hear from your MD and it may be what you are hearing from some who are very much younger. But, for the most part, that type of thinking is not commonplace as it tends to suggest that "normal people" become "health nuts." This means becoming unusual--something which in itself is problematic. But, "being unusual" is not the only trouble. It is also that a lot of industries would be affected if everyone turned into a "health nut." The fast food places from McDonalds to Kentucky Fried chicken would go out of business. The snack food industry would go under. So too would the soft-drink industry along with everything that you can microwave, including pizza with pepperoni. Wheat products would be replaced by those which were gluten-free. And, last but not least, the red meat industry would suffer right alongside the dairy industry. To put it mildly, Bloom would become drastically different place than it is today, assuming it stayed around.
Besides the food we eat, we've all gotten accustomed to thinking that because we work hard all week, we deserve a break on the weekends (and of course every evening after too long of a day.) That means TV every night with golf on Satrurday at best, but more than likely, just kicking back at the beach. And, as if that's not enough, we've been brain washed into believing that we all already get enough from a balanced diet, meaning that excess vitamins do nothing other than just get eliminated from the system. In other words, they are a waste of money. That's what is commonly preached by MDs, who think that the only pills of real value are the new pharmaceutics for real problems. Pills to make problems never occur in the first place are for people like Peter Pan.
Of course, I do not believe in any of that. I believe in diet, supplements and exercise. That means :1.) choosing wisely from Bloom, like really reading the labels; 2.) using the supplements you need (there is an excellent book written by MD and his RN wife to help with this); and never missing your daily workout, whatever it happens to be (anything from 3 laps around the block after dinner to a mile swim every morning before breakfast.)
Most people know intellectually that this will work but still stay with the "tried and true." Why? I think because it sounds like no fun and because it might be too rigorous for people past a certain age. Then too there is always the concern that it might not work for me as a person, possibly for some genetic reason. All I can say is that those things become less problematic with time (6 months to a year.) Lalanne did it for 80 years, I've done it for 49, and the internet has a few examples of people who have been at it for at least 10 years. Maybe you yourselves have been following some of the newer thinking, or you know of someone who has.
There is nothing wrong with the American lifestyle--the way that most of us live. Its just that this is not as "good as it can get," In other words, the quality of life can be better if only there is a switch to a fitness lifestyle. That's because it--the standard American lifestyle- (not the mere passage of birthdays) makes us age right on schedule. The fitness lifestyle turns back the clock and enables us to keep it there for...well we don't really know how long. Lalanee was still doing 2 hour heavy weight workouts at 96. Furthermore, if you get into it, your MD will start wondering what you are doing because you not only look so healthy, but all of your tests will prove that you really are. At least that's how my three check-ups a year go. And, that can be the same for you within six months, whether you start at 40 or 65.
In case you are interested in actually starting a fitness lifestyle, or augmenting one that you are currently into, I have included what I do everyday of the week. (See handouts.) Granted its taken years to work up to that, but it is just part of how I live : its "No Big Deal." Emotionally its no different than brushing my teeth. A variation of that--something you can routinely do is what I would help you get together if you are interested in "following suit." If any of you are interested in getting in on any of this, or more thoroughly going through everything in the handouts, I will gladly host a group with lesson plans, articles and the like. But the most important feature of it will be that there will also be others like you trying to break away from the alleged American "good life"--something which will be nearly impossible on your own. Being part of a group, sharing experiences to say nothing of some brand new article that you got off the net can make things actually work.
So... let me know if there's an interest. Thanks for listening.
For further thought on the importance of being part of a fitness group order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."
To the person who works out, supplements and diets as a way of life, this question raises only a smile and a "Try it, and you'll see." But this is not helpful to a rather large number of people. These persons are still living under the old medical mandates of rest, relaxation, eat three meals a day, don't overdo at anything, and get enough sleep at night. In short, they are afraid of breaking out of the tried and true. To be sure, there is nothing wrong with this. It is now getting people to their nineties. But it is likely a greater emphasis on supplements, daily workouts and proper diet will have far more dramatic effects. For instance it just may make us look a lot better in our last years, largely because they will have enabled us to stay younger for longer. Those are results which can be appreciated by employer and employee alike. At least, that is the contention of this book.
Not many people work out daily, supplement regularly and eat properly. That is true.despite the last 80 years of promotion by the late Jack Lalanne, or the last 50 of Jane Fonda. And, that is even true with the numerous health club chains, the supplement stores and the wealth of information on the internet. All of these realities are just not enough to convince the vast majority of the country to : 1.)drop the sedentary habits; 2.) drop the anti-vitamin prejudices; and 3.) drop the unconscious selection of high fat fructose-laden food that still far too many call real food.
If there were more who did, there would be far fewer incidences of diabetes, heart disease, strokes and numerous other problems driving our country's health care numbers through the ceiling. (That is another basic contention of this book.) Even most doctors agree that best way to prevent these problems is to maintain a healthy weight. For a definition of what that means they have numerous charts and tables that most people are completely aware of. But how necessary they are anymore is questionable. Some people just look and feel better ten pounds more or less than the doctors' charts say. Therefore, it would seem only reasonable to look into the mirror and observe one's own degree of healthiness, or fitness level. One either looks fit or one does not. We ourselves are the best judge. In short the mirror is the best critic.
Of course, there are numerous schools of self-acceptance out there which attempt to convince people that they are OK the way they are. The problem is that this can be interpreted to mean forty pounds over the doctors tables, and having trouble making it up two flights of stairs. Did the self-acceptance people ever intend this ? Probably not. Rather they were more interested in taking a stand against obligatory model or magazine beauty. Clearly, not everyone can look like a fashion model or Olympic diver largely because they just don't have that type of bone structure and musculature. Therefore, one ought not to feel bad because they don't. Yet, everyone can look fit in their own way and that is something which should be reflected back in the mirror.
But why should anyone care? Clearly there must be some reason to get fit and stay that way which is good for everybody. Unfortunately not everyone thinks so. Largely this is because it is just plain hard to get into it without disrupting a responsible life. Change is hard on people, pure and simple. But it is also due to not really knowing what will work if given enough time and effort. Granted, some know what it felt like to be out for sports in high school with coaches to insist on all sorts of good and healthy habits. But not everyone has this in their back ground. Consequently, they do not know how it feels to live in this manner. A partial approximation is boot camp for the military, but this is a far shorter period than the standard four years of a high school education. And, that covers only a few more people, meaning that there are still far too many who don't have clue.
That's why only having corporate health clubs, wellness programs and the like is really not enough. It is, of course, better than nothing. It does send the message that a company is interested in the highest well-being of its members. But it does not really do enough to get them into a lifestyle change. That is because it leaves employees virtually on their own, which is good only in a few instances (such as the hard core Rocky-types.) Most people nowadays still need to be helped with what works and to have encouragement in making it happen. Perhaps all of that will be different fifty years from now, but given the relatively small number of successes after eighty years of Lalanne and fifty of Fonda, it is doubtful. Something more hands-on must be in place for that fantastic corporate 4000 square foot workout space to really start paying off.
Why was the super corporate health club put in place to begin with? One reason is that at least one decision-maker in the company knew that a more fit organization would be a more productive one. At least one higher-up just knew this to be the truth. Possibly they were high school or college athletes with high grade points and other honors. As a result, they didn't need a number of studies from reputable universities trying to prove something like over a twelve month period those who who were involved with a daily fitness lifestyle were clinically judged to be better able to complete reports, close sales, make better managerial decisions, stay more focused for greater numbers of hours during the day, etc. That was fortunate because there just are not that many of those types of studies.
Perhaps there will be studies like this in the next fifty years, as fitness becomes a more important part of the American life style, but right now there aren't all that many. Possibly the only thing we have are some wise executives who know that everything will be better with a higher level of fitness in their organization. If so, they can hold their heads high, being part of the ranks of the leaders of Sixth Century BC (Golden Age) Athens, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and a handful of others who have believed in fitness for more than the physical well-being of the country they governed and served. They all thought it paved the way for more effective citizenship and therefore it was good for everybody.
However, doing a better job is not the only reason that fitness makes good sense for business.Another is that time off for illness imply decreases as fitness levels are increased and general morale is boosted by having a healthy work force. That is true throughout the entire organization from top to bottom. Healthier people just need less time off to recover (if they even have to miss work in the first place), and they do an overall better a job. Further, they are more enjoyable to be around. By positively effecting others, that in itself brings in more money. Every body does better at what they do, the company saves money and everybody is more cheerful.
To make this possible, the company should have an onsite corporate fitness director--one who actually does affect the highest well-being of the work force. This is someone who not only is available for advice encouragement and insight, but reaches out to make it known not only that there is a better way, but that the company is trying to make it an overall reality. In other words, together everyone achieves more. Making that happen requires yet another important aspect.
A large part of the director's responsibility is to facilitate a community spirit. This is crucial. There must be a shared world view, a community. This is essential for everyone. It entails a sharing of experiences, new ideas, frustrations, accomplishments. It also entails making people aware of where we're all coming from and where we are going (or can go)--each as a distinct individuals. Being a part of a community like this not only dignifies fitness, but keeps people from feeling like a health nuts, a term so casually used that those being called one don't realize they are being insulted. In other words, doing the right thing must become the new normality of healthiness, most easily referred to as fitness.
What is the best way to get this all started?
Getting all of this off the ground could probably be best done via a corporate email with the longevity script below, after which a voluntary teleconference could be attempted. That should be enough to generate a half percent corporate interest, which can be followed up with the formation of a core fitness group. The expectation is that with considerable resultant effective dialogue, along with observable fitness results, this group will grow steadily throughout the year.
What may strike the reader as odd is that the focus of he talk is on longevity, when everything heretofore has been about productivity. But this should not be alarming. The tacit assumption of most American corporations and of the people in them is that someone younger, more enthusiastic, optimistic and the like is most often the best person for the job, or, in the worst case scenario, for their job. As Westerners, we have more faith in youth than Easterners, such as the Chinese, who believe more in age. Whichever may be best ultimately and philosophically, fitness de-ages. That means, it causes people to look, act, and therefore produce in ways that are most often found in the supposed ideal new person just starting out. That is why it is valuable to the corporation as a whole and to each of its individual members.
_____________________________________
A Talk for a Charlotte, NC based corporation
______________________________________
My name is Mark Clemens. As a few of you know I am from MN But what none of you know is how bewildered I am that I could have waited for all this time to move here. NC is great-- people wise and climate wise.
What I am all about is fitness. I have been at it for 49 years, not wanting to go to high school as a fat kid. I was state champion powerlifter in 1978 and I am currently able to do far more at 63 than when I was out for the swim team in high school. Furthermore, I have three check-ups a year and all have continued to be good.
I have a BA in the History of Religious Lit and an M.Div from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. What I am trying to say is that I do not have a PhD from any university which might be concerned with fitness as it relates to aging. But, then again, it doesn't appear that that's being offered anywhere as of yet. Therefore, what I have to say is anecdotal, but may be considered cutting edge. ( Nevertheless, there may a few studies from Tufts, some work from Cambridge, all of the work of the late Jack Lalanne, a few good women's fitness publications and 190 articles on my website.)
I am an author. I write fitness articles, which, each week, get accepted all over the country. Further, I have published a 190 pp book called "Think and Grow Fit"(I_Universe/Amazon, B& N, summary included in handouts) It covers the basics for North Americans (Brits, canadians and Aussies too) interested in longer, more fulfilling, fun-based lives. Access to it can be found on my website called "ForeverFitness" and my blog "The Fountain of Youth."
My first book "Think and Grow Fit" is based on 40 plus years of experience with fitness and approximately 10 years of thinking about it. It promotes a lifestyle of diet, supplementation and exercise while also saying that the standard American lifestyle is making people unfit--which means aging long before we have to. In other words, what most of us are currently doing is slowing us down, making us fat, and robbing us of the energy which is needed for being optimistic, enthusiastic or simply being"with it." Those are the very factors which people commonly associate with "getting older." They may also have something to do with the latest scourge--Alzheimers.
We live in a world of : 1.) commercials which glorify leisure activities; 2.) pharmaceutics for everything; 3.) fast food,; 4.)MDs who do not believe in supplements; 5.) long commutes for sedentary but demanding jobs; 6.) grocery store food that is loaded with sugar and fat; 7.) the belief that frequent treats are not only OK but actually necessary; 8.) the feeling that being out for a sport like when you were in high school is only for people who are currently in high school. All of these things are dragging us down; yet all are considered to be part of what most of us call "normal."
People need to break away from this if they want to look, feel and act younger for longer, and stay healthier for the long haul. Recent studies show that the single most important factor in increasing lifespan is reduced calorie consumption. Even MDs agree that keeping weight at the appropriate levels is the single most important factor in staying clear of diabetes, heart disease, strokes and possibly Alzheimers. But the media and most MDs actively promote rest and relaxation as the supposed cure all for everything. Furthermore, MDs think that supplements are not necessary if you're eating you three square meals a day from the four food groups; and, they tend to associate the word "diet" only with the need to lose weight. All of that might be Ok, but it's not "as good as you can get."
What's better is a fitness lifestyle based on supplements, daily workouts and an low-fat/ low-sugar diet. That is what Jack Lalanne spent 80 years promoting. That's what I do. In my judgment, it should be what you hear from your MD and it may be what you are hearing from some who are very much younger. But, for the most part, that type of thinking is not commonplace as it tends to suggest that "normal people" become "health nuts." This means becoming unusual--something which in itself is problematic. But, "being unusual" is not the only trouble. It is also that a lot of industries would be affected if everyone turned into a "health nut." The fast food places from McDonalds to Kentucky Fried chicken would go out of business. The snack food industry would go under. So too would the soft-drink industry along with everything that you can microwave, including pizza with pepperoni. Wheat products would be replaced by those which were gluten-free. And, last but not least, the red meat industry would suffer right alongside the dairy industry. To put it mildly, Bloom would become drastically different place than it is today, assuming it stayed around.
Besides the food we eat, we've all gotten accustomed to thinking that because we work hard all week, we deserve a break on the weekends (and of course every evening after too long of a day.) That means TV every night with golf on Satrurday at best, but more than likely, just kicking back at the beach. And, as if that's not enough, we've been brain washed into believing that we all already get enough from a balanced diet, meaning that excess vitamins do nothing other than just get eliminated from the system. In other words, they are a waste of money. That's what is commonly preached by MDs, who think that the only pills of real value are the new pharmaceutics for real problems. Pills to make problems never occur in the first place are for people like Peter Pan.
Of course, I do not believe in any of that. I believe in diet, supplements and exercise. That means :1.) choosing wisely from Bloom, like really reading the labels; 2.) using the supplements you need (there is an excellent book written by MD and his RN wife to help with this); and never missing your daily workout, whatever it happens to be (anything from 3 laps around the block after dinner to a mile swim every morning before breakfast.)
Most people know intellectually that this will work but still stay with the "tried and true." Why? I think because it sounds like no fun and because it might be too rigorous for people past a certain age. Then too there is always the concern that it might not work for me as a person, possibly for some genetic reason. All I can say is that those things become less problematic with time (6 months to a year.) Lalanne did it for 80 years, I've done it for 49, and the internet has a few examples of people who have been at it for at least 10 years. Maybe you yourselves have been following some of the newer thinking, or you know of someone who has.
There is nothing wrong with the American lifestyle--the way that most of us live. Its just that this is not as "good as it can get," In other words, the quality of life can be better if only there is a switch to a fitness lifestyle. That's because it--the standard American lifestyle- (not the mere passage of birthdays) makes us age right on schedule. The fitness lifestyle turns back the clock and enables us to keep it there for...well we don't really know how long. Lalanee was still doing 2 hour heavy weight workouts at 96. Furthermore, if you get into it, your MD will start wondering what you are doing because you not only look so healthy, but all of your tests will prove that you really are. At least that's how my three check-ups a year go. And, that can be the same for you within six months, whether you start at 40 or 65.
In case you are interested in actually starting a fitness lifestyle, or augmenting one that you are currently into, I have included what I do everyday of the week. (See handouts.) Granted its taken years to work up to that, but it is just part of how I live : its "No Big Deal." Emotionally its no different than brushing my teeth. A variation of that--something you can routinely do is what I would help you get together if you are interested in "following suit." If any of you are interested in getting in on any of this, or more thoroughly going through everything in the handouts, I will gladly host a group with lesson plans, articles and the like. But the most important feature of it will be that there will also be others like you trying to break away from the alleged American "good life"--something which will be nearly impossible on your own. Being part of a group, sharing experiences to say nothing of some brand new article that you got off the net can make things actually work.
So... let me know if there's an interest. Thanks for listening.
For further thought on the importance of being part of a fitness group order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."
Posted by mark clemens at 11/23/2011 8:56 AM 
Categories: diet, de-aging, Foreverfitness, anti-aging.weightloss, hard work, motivation, beginning routines, Better with age, Battle of the bulge, Lose weight, fitness, persistence, begining training, Think and Grow Fit, baby boomer, weightloss, workout, Fountain of Youth, supplements
Tags: markclemens sylvesterstallone janefonda jacklalanne daratorres
Categories: diet, de-aging, Foreverfitness, anti-aging.weightloss, hard work, motivation, beginning routines, Better with age, Battle of the bulge, Lose weight, fitness, persistence, begining training, Think and Grow Fit, baby boomer, weightloss, workout, Fountain of Youth, supplements
Tags: markclemens sylvesterstallone janefonda jacklalanne daratorres
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