Flickr: hbp_pix

After a gazillion years of doing this health and fitness stuff, you end up hearing lots of reasons people never lose that weight they’ve been battling with for years.

The typical “I don’t have time or money excuses” are really, I think, excuses for excuses.

So I wanted to dig a little deeper into what might be holding you back.

3 Reasons You Haven’t Found Success

1. You don’t want to be a party pooper:  You’re out with your friends and everyone is ordering all the yummy stuff on the menu and buying rounds of cocktails. You on the other hand meekly whisper in your breathiest voice,

“I would like a small salad with grilled chicken, dressing on the side, and lemon with my water.”

*crickets*

What a freakin’ drag you are. Are you trying to make us all feel guilty or something? C’mon it’s the weekend!!

Ah, peer pressure. And we all thought it ended in high school. Or maybe you’re at dinner with the same people you went to high school with and that’s a whole other problem.

If you’re someone that often goes to restaurants on business or meets up with friends after work every weekend, this is your battleground. I’m here to tell you that you’ll never hit that goal doing your three or four days a week at the gym if you can’t win this.

Once you stand your ground a few times, they’ll get over it. In fact, you might find them inspired by your tenacity. And once they see your success they may be asking you for advice!

2. You’re the lone healthy person in the family: You’ve made a commitment to eating healthier but the rest of the family is not having it. They’re not giving up the ho-ho’s, soda, and greasy pizza. You feel a mutiny a-brewing so you continue to buy what they want and desperately attempt to not eat it as you cook and serve it.

If you can stick to an eating plan while under that kind of assault, you don’t need to read any further. In fact I would love to have you guest post and share your iron will secrets!

Maybe this is an opportunity to get the whole family involved. I found that when I involve the kids in creating meals they are much more cooperative. We have a rule in our house: no sweets till the weekend. We try to choose goodies that are made with high quality ingredients and not processed garbage. Better yet, make your own so you know exactly what’s in it!

3. You can’t say no: You’re running around taking kids to all the events, cleaning your house, cooking meals, helping with homework, volunteering at school, working your job, and taking care of the family budget; the idea of throwing in another to-do during the week is overwhelming. So of course you don’t want to ask for help so you can selfishly invest in your health! What kind of person does that?!

Excuse the snark but seriously, as an extreme supporter of women, this saddens me. I’ve experienced all these feelings of guilt  mentioned in “Exercising Your Need Muscle” and see it way too often in friends and family. Investing in your health — physical, mental, emotional, are actually the most self-less things you can do. That’s because when you are your healthiest you become an enormous influence on those around you, especially family members. By cooking healthier meals and modeling an active lifestyle, you are setting kids up for a healthier future and based on studies about health and school performance, setting them up for a greater chance of success.

My thoughts here are that we can have access to all the workouts and healthy eating plans in the world, but first we have to get past the emotional and circumstantial obstacles in front of us.

But what do you think? Do you find some of these issues impact your decisions and choices about being healthy?

Now that you have some ideas from my Healthy Traveler: 10 Do’s and Don’ts post that I hope will help you be happier and healthier on your travels, all you need is an exercise plan and you’re set.  So I asked fitness expert and one of my favorite workout-creating friends Suzanne Digre to design an awesome workout you can do anywhere in any size space with no equipment necessary!

From the desk of Suzanne…

Sometimes it seems like there’s no way to avoid feeling dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and bloated while traveling. Ironically, travel is usually when we usually need to be “on,” lively, and social. But who doesn’t feel tired and out of sorts while they’re traveling? People who exercise, that’s who!

Exercising during all this upheaval can “reset” your body and give you a more normalized, energized feeling of wellbeing. It will also help your digestion when you’re eating foods you’re not used to, help you sleep better, and put you in a better mood.

But as we know, hotel exercise rooms can range from deluxe spas to graveyards for outdated equipment. So it’s best to be prepared with bodyweight exercises you can do on the go. If you’re so inclined, you can pack a jump rope to integrate between sets or as a warm up and a resistance band to add extra challenge. Just grab a towel for the floor and a chair and you’re all set.

Do the following exercises for two to three sets, depending on your fitness level. Strive for 10-15 repetitions unless otherwise noted. To increase the difficulty, slow down your reps on the eccentric (lengthening phase), use a resistance band, or even wear a backpack! Just take care to use proper form.

Step 1. Warm up. No need to get overly creative here, just do something low impact for five minutes in which you are using your arms and legs and becoming breathless. Examples: reverse lunge to front kick (reach for opposite foot), jump rope, stair runs, air jabs or uppercuts with little hops or sidekicks (my favorite), or high knees.

Step 2. Let the hotel or guest room badassery begin.

• Forward-moving plank. Get in plank position on your elbows and toes at the short end of your towel. Alternate moving each elbow forward while also lifting your feet, as if walking on elbows and toes. When you reach the end of the towel, go backwards (a total of 30 seconds). Beginner: Hold the plank on your knees, not toes.
• Jump lunge -> Double hop -> Squat. Step back into a reverse lunge with your front knee bent to 90 degrees and your back knee bent towards the floor. Now push off with the front foot and jump so that the other foot is in front in lunge position. Bring both feet together to hop twice, then do a single squat. Beginner: Alternate legs in reverse lunge to squat (no hops or jumps).
• Russian twist. Sit on the floor with knees bent, your back straight and raised to 45 degrees. Straighten your arms in front of you with your hands locked together. Slowly rotate your upper body and arms to the right, then to the left. Beginner: Keep arms bent and close to your body as you rotate.
• Curtsy lunge -> Lateral lunge. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Take a big step with your right foot behind your left leg as if to curtsy, then move the right leg into a lateral lunge without putting your foot down. Your left leg will be straight and your right leg bent. Push off with your right heel back into a curtsy lunge with the same leg. Repeat on the other side.
• Elbow-to-hand plank. Get in plank position on your elbows and toes. Put your right hand on the floor and then your left, so that you’re resting on your hands and toes. Now lower back to your right elbow, then left elbow. That’s one rep. Beginner: Hold the plank position on your hands and toes for 30 seconds.
• Wall sits. Start with your back against a wall and your feet shoulder width apart, about two feet from the wall. Slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Adjust your feet so your knees are directly above your ankles (not toes). Hold this position for 20-60 seconds. Beginner: Only slide down to 45 degrees.
• Pushup. No bodyweight workout is complete without pushups. Start on your toes or knees, hands shoulder-width apart, and lower all the way to the floor with a straight body. Beginner: Put your hands on the wall or a table.
• Back extension. People are always surprised by how hard this bodyweight exercise is after a few reps. Lie face down with hands lightly cradling the head and elbows back. Lift your upper body off the floor a few inches, keeping your head and neck in alignment. For extra challenge, lift the feet off the ground keeping your legs straight. Hold for 2-4 counts and lower.
• Pike shoulder press. Get in plank position on your hands and toes, hands about shoulder width apart. Walk your feet towards you so that your booty is in the air, your knees only slightly bent or straight. Now bend your elbows (as you would for a pushup) and lower your head towards the floor, being careful not to round your back. Beginner: Bend your knees and move your feet closer to your hands.
• Dips. Sit on a step, chair, or bench with hands next to thighs. Move your feet out as far out in front of you as possible. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, slowly lower your body towards the floor, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and your body close to the bench. Once your elbows are bent to 90 degrees, push yourself back up to the starting position with your triceps. Beginner: Bend your legs. Harder: Put your feet on a bench or chair.

Step 3. Cool down. Stretching after a resistance workout promotes flexibility and range of motion.

Enjoy your travels without fatigue by integrating resistance training into your schedule. Add in a brisk walk, run, hike, or bike and it’s almost like home.

Suzanne is a NASM-certified Personal Trainer and the author of Workout Nirvana, a blog dedicated to educating and inspiring everyone interested in strength training, healthy eating, and having confidence both in and out of the weight room. She’s passionate about the benefits of “owning it” in the weight room and loves sharing how a little (or a lot) of muscle and swagga can change your life forever. Connect with Suzanne on Facebook  and Twitter. 

It is a fact that America is getting heavier by the day. According to statistics, 2 out of 3 Americans are currently overweight, and more than 1 out of 3 are obese. This mind-blogging rise in weight is clearly the byproduct of the proliferation of fast food restaurants across the country, coupled with our lack of exercising. Evidently, we love putting the blame on our busy schedules, and occasionally we find comfort in the belief that some of us have been biologically predisposed to be overweight.

Whether we like taking full blame for our poor health habits, or shifting the blame on other factors, one thing we would all agree on is that we don’t enjoy looking overweight or obese in our wedding pictures. As a result of this fear of weight gain, pre-marriage, we strive to maintain our weight within reasonable range prior to jumping the broom. Single men and women spare no expense in monitoring their weight, and keeping it appropriate for the “dating scene”. Though there is no pre-requisite weight that qualifies anyone for a relationship, over time the media has conditioned most of us to appreciate a thinner figure.

If you have been putting a leash on your weight, just for the single goal of getting married, it goes without saying that those restrained pounds could come back with a vengeance, post-marriage.

Weight and Marriage

It is easy for married couples to take their relationship for granted, and let go of the physical attributes that they once found attractive in each other. Compliments fade away as time goes by, and the weight gain begins to settle in. With the dating season over, the husband barely has any incentive to go to the gym, and the wife rightfully loses the drive to physically appeal to other guys.

Accumulating a significant amount of weight post-marriage can have a negative impact on your relationship. In fact, uncontrollable weight gain has been linked to a number of divorces. If you find yourself losing the fight against weight gain, you and your spouse should take action. The following are pointers that should help you get in the right direction.

Workout Dates

Set up a weekly workout date with each other at the park. If neither of you work on the weekend, a Saturday afternoon workout date would be an excellent substitute to a movie night. You can invite another couple friend to tag along as well, and make it a double date of jogging at the park. Even better, you can form teams and spend a sweaty afternoon at the beach playing volleyball, or on the tennis court. It is fun and removes the pressure of going to the gym and exercising alone.

Partner Workout

Similar to the workout date, you and your partner can motivate each other by exercising as workout partners. A partner workout is one that engages both of you at the same time, through an exercise routine that one does with the assistance of the other. A partner workout is a great workout routine for couples, because it bonds both of you, and sets up a positive competitive environment. Moreover, the partner workout holds each of you accountable. If your wife knows that your workout depends on her, she will clear her schedule to be there; and vice versa.

Find a home workout program that challenges both of enough, and motivate each other through each routine for the next several weeks. The more result you see, the higher your level of motivation will get. Soon enough, you will not be able to live without an exercise regimen (which quite frankly is a great problem to have)

Compliment Each Other

In the early innings of your relationship, you didn’t miss any opportunity to compliment each other.  But as the relationship runs its course, the frequency of the compliments wears off progressively. Compliments become even scarcer after several years of marriage. This should not be the case. Compliments are positive reinforcements. Use every occasion to have, to compliment your spouse, whether it is about her new hair style, or his chest size. You will be surprised by the chain of positive reactions such compliments can set into motion. A compliment about how fit your wife is, can motivate her to exercise even more, and maintain her frame. The same goes for a man. Find something you love about your husband, and give him a handful of compliments on it.

Portion Control

If you and your husband are in the habit of eating together, chances are you use the same size plates. Make sure you exert control over the size of your meal, and avoid eating as much as he is. Men typically require a larger amount of calories than women. As a rule of thumb, men consume on average about 12 times their body weight in calories, and women, 11 times. If you and your husband each weigh 140 pounds, he will need to consume about 1,680 calories to maintain his weight stable. You will need about 1,540 calories daily. You may eat in the same size plate as your husband, but make your portion smaller than his.

Final Considerations

Whatever your motivation for exercising, always keep in mind that fitness and healthy eating are paramount to a long and enjoyable life. More importantly, your kids will pick up after your health habits as they grow up. If you eat poorly and neglect your workout routines, your kids are likely to struggle with weight issues.

Kodjoworkout.com

About the author: Kodjo is a fitness enthusiast turned health blogger. When he is not tweeting or blogging about home workout, healthy eating, or dental implants (among other themes), he is likely eating healthy and working out at home. His wish is to contribute as much as possible, to the fight against obesity in America. He manages a healthy lifestyle blog at Kodjoworkout.com and has tens of thousands of loyal Twitter Followers @Kodjoworkout.

Flickr: rickharris

Frequent travelers face a different set of health challenges than most of us do.

For some, travel is on a weekly basis, so those challenges become somewhat a normal part of their lives.

The food selections (I use the word food loosely) on planes, in terminals, and at rest stops and roadside restaurants are most often highly processed, heavy on the sodium and sugar, trans-fat laden, and fiber poor.

Couple that with lots of sitting and you’ve got yourself an unhappy, unhealthy traveler.

With a couple of my own trips coming up, I thought about the challenges and what’s helped me during my travels.

Just a little effort means the difference between feeling and looking crappy and feeling energized and happy when you arrive at your destination.

Don’ts

1. Don’t eat the salted nuts and cookies they give you. I know they’re free but they’re loaded with sodium, sugar, and trans-fat. What little, if any, nutrition you get out of them isn’t worth it.

2. Don’t drink carbonated drinks. They contribute to bloating and gas. The gas part is why the rest of us on the plane don’t want you to have the carbonated beverages either.

3. Don’t drink lots of coffee while flying. Your body is already battling extremely low humidity on a plane and coffee will cause you to dehydrate quicker.

4. Don’t party on the plane. I imagine this might be an unpopular don’t, but the effects of alcohol are increased and generally one drink is equal to two or three on the ground.

5. Don’t eat carbs if you want to be alert. Carbs will make you drowsy and I personally retain water like a balloon when I eat carbs during travel.

Do’s

1. Do make sure you’ve had a full meal before you leave for the airport. I equate arriving at an airport hungry to shopping hungry. Bad idea! I also find eating well the day before really helpful. When I say eating well I mean nutritionally dense foods, like eggs, chicken, fish, colorful veggies, leafy greens, almonds, walnuts, blueberries, plain Greek yogurt, goods fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and pinto, lentils, black beans, and kidney beans. Go for complex carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, millet, oats, and buckwheat.

2. Do drink plenty of water. If there’s one thing out of this whole post that you choose to do, this is the one! Mild to moderate dehydration cause symptoms like headache, constipation, dry skin, and tiredness. I have found if I follow all the other rules but don’t follow this one, I feel like garbage.

3. Do eat light while traveling. If during your travel you have a layover long enough to grab a whole meal, go for a salad topped with grilled chicken or grilled fish. If you have just enough time to grab something quick, this is a good time to stock up on bottled water and unsalted nuts and some dried fruit.

4. Do flex your muscles. The more you move the better. An aisle seat makes it easier to take a trip to the lavatory.  While sitting, do movements such as flexing your calves; reaching above your head; bicep curls; flexing your triceps; tilting your head down, right then left; or flexing your core by expressing a silent ha! When you’re in the terminal, take the stairs instead of the escalator and walk around as much as possible.

5. Do stick with an exercise routine when you’re at your destination. That can mean exercises like pushups, wall sits, and burpees right in your hotel room. As long as you’re fitting in 30 minutes a day you’ll maintain your fitness enough till you return to your regular routine. But why wait till you get home if your stay is more the pleasure type? Check out Sneaking Healthy into Your Vacation for ways to healthy-up your getaway.

Everyone is different and responds to the effects of travel differently. These are my personal tips of what’s worked for me.

What are your personal travel tips that have helped you?

Even though I blog about healthy living and promote the lifestyle does not imply that I’m 100% on the mark all the time.

I’m far from perfect.

Just ask my husband, my kids, and my friends.

So when asked recently if I’ve ever struggled with emotional eating, that would be a definite

Hell to the yes!

I am after all, human.

I tend to NOT have an appetite when stressed or anxious or worried, but the times when I felt sad, unloved, or alone I felt hungry.

…For something…

Deep down I knew I was trying to feed a hunger; but it wasn’t hunger of the nutritional persuasion, but something much different.

But in the moment those “hunger pains” feel the same. You want something to make it feel better.

And this is where we have to stop the cycle.

Being human means we feel so much of our world. We experience tragedy and huge successes. We experience boredom, jealousy, envy, unworthiness, and self-importance. There’s so many emotions that come and go in a lifetime.

Trying to make ourselves “not feel” to control the binging, in my opinion, will never work.

It’s where we find satisfaction that’s the issue.

I can’t stop being human and I can’t stop what other people (and life, for that matter) throw my way.

I can change how I choose to deal with it, one emotion at a time.

Do you find yourself feeding something? Have you used food to “feel better”? Was there a particular emotion or event that set the cycle in motion?

How did you feel after you ate it?

**photo credit: hang_in_there

Over at the MizfitOnline blog, I was reading my pal Carla’s pithy post “What’s on Your Laundry Tag?.”

When I got to the end of the post she asked the question:

If you created a self-care laundry tag—what would it say?

I sat down with a pen and paper. I felt uncomfortable and awkward. As I tried to list a few things, I began to feel pretty self-centered.

But why?!!

And then my mind began to wander. . .

When I was growing up, the men sat in their favorite chair and we women of the house brought them their meals. When dinner was over, we cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen. When it was the holidays we did all the cooking and cleaning and decorating and shopping. We helped children with their homework and held crying babies. Men didn’t clean toilets or change diapers. The men watched the Superbowl while the women gabbed in the kitchen occasionally appearing only to fill up the chip bowl or to pick up beer bottles.

When it came to health and fitness our motivation for watching our weight was our husband’s thinking we were unattractive.

And women taking a trip with their friends? Well that wasn’t the kind of girl you married! She obviously wasn’t a good wife and mother. But it was perfectly acceptable for the men to go on a weekend fishing trip or spend a whole weekend on a golf course.

Funny thing was that if you lacked in cooking or cleaning skills, the murmers and disapproving looks didn’t come from the men but the women!

Maybe these things were cultural in our home, or maybe it was just a sign of the times.

I discovered I didn’t really know what I needed – or even wanted. At least not clearly enough to list them. I came up with some superficial things, but couldn’t immediately list my deeper emotional needs. I couldn’t get past feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

So here’s my question to you. If you’re a woman, do you feel good about making your needs known? Or do you feel uncomfortable about it? Why? If you’re a guy, what’s your perspective?

Think about it. No hurry.

I’ll be over here wrestling with my guilt and working on my list.

Jack Sh*t is starting to regret his tattoo "Born to Be an HTML-Raiser!"

Despite all my best efforts, you inexplicably did not improve your crappy life after I spent nearly ten minutes coming up with a detailed action plan for you. Well, you know what they say: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on you; fool me three times, shame on you, fool me four times… well, I think you get the picture.

My point? Please, please, PLEASE pay attention this time and strictly, blindly follow these life-improving pointers. I have my own stupid blog to write and my own crappy life to improve… I simply can’t keep coming over here and keep providing you the benefits of my wisdom (that is, unless Joyce lets me…)

1. Wear a jaunty hat and use fancy words such as “blandiloquent,” “pandiculation” and “jaunty”.

2. Always looking for your cordless phone? Simply tie a string on it and attach it to the base.

3. There is literally no limit to how many clothes you can jam into the washing machine, no matter what the repairman keeps saying.

4. When you’re stuck in gridlocked traffic, use that time to practice yelling obscenities at other motorists.

5. If there’s a co-worker who you simply can’t get along with, try to avoid controversial topics, such as politics, religion and the fact that you always come to work late and sneak out early.

6. One way to get more exercise while sitting on the sofa and watching TV is to get up and go exercise.

7. Sending just one extra payment to your lender just one month on the first year of your mortgage slices five months of payments on the mortgage. Now imagine paying 25 extra payments in one month. If I had a calculator, I’d add that up for you, but I’m guessing it’s substantial savings!

8. Two advantages to carpooling to work: (1) saves gas money and (2) gives you an audience to practice singing your favorite yodeling cowboy songs.

9. Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence, but not as far as your dad owning the company.

10. One way to tell if the light ahead is opportunity or an oncoming train is to look down at your feet. Are you standing on railroad tracks?

11. Keep an ongoing list of people who have wronged you and exact your revenge all at one time (preferably at a party where they’re all in attendance).

12. It’s important to get plenty of sleep, so try going to bed the night before.

13. Remember, when you “poison” someone, you make a “po” out of “I” and your “son”.

14. If you save just one penny per day, you can save almost $275 after 75 years.

15. Don’t be afraid to ask doctors questions, such as “Can I borrow $500?”

16. Nothing changes if nothing changes (whoa… I just blew my own mind)

17. If you’re working at a chocolate factory and the conveyor belt starts speeding up, for God’s sake, just notify your supervisor. We’ve been having trouble with that conveyor belt for months!

18. Try to convince yourself to have self-confidence, no matter how much of a loser you actually are.

19. Do like my dad Horace and drive all over town to see if you can find gas for a penny cheaper.

20. You can enhance cognitive and creative abilities by learning a foreign language or learning to play a musical instrument. You can double this effect by learning to play a foreign musical instrument.

 Jack Sh*t’s blog (Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit) has been called “a low-down diet-y shame” by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. When not blogging, Jack works as a Knife Thrower’s Assistant’s assistant, where he sharpens knives, sews sequins back on outfits when they get knocked off and stands in when the KTA is sick.

The top & shorts fit perfect! Love the quality & super comfy!

I have a special affection for the O’Neill brand. Years ago (ok, like 25 years) they were kind enough to supply me with all my wetsuits for windsurfing. I rarely wore any other brand. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have survived the frigid waters windsurfing looking up at the Golden Gate Bridge. They helped to make that an amazing experience.  I would have frozen my tropical behind off if it wasn’t for O’Neill and their high-quality wetsuits to keep me warm. I’m forever thankful for their generosity and amazing brand ninja skills back in the day. They were always friendly, helpful, and full of heart.

Fast forward to today and I’m happy to say I had the opportunity to proudly wear the O’Neill name again, now O’Neill 365 Activewear. I fell back in love with the same quality, color, and feel that has always been part of what made them awesome.

The top fit perfectly, was really soft and comfortable, and moved with me for my outdoor kettlebell session. No pulling or binding. It was cool in the morning so I paired the shorts with the capris till I warmed up. The shorts were lightweight and have a mesh brief inside with a little pocket for a small item like a key. Loved that! The Replay Wired Hoodie is awesome and was perfect for my evening walks with Viggo (pictured below).There’s also thumb holes in the cuff to keep your hands warm if needed and reflective safety detail. I loved the material and the wicking technology for keeping moisture away, and having the ear buds in the hood ties and media pockets made having my music with me no longer a hassle!

Having the chance to try some of their pieces made me long for spring and summer and made me excited about warmer weather, beach days, and more outdoor exercise!

Thanks to the hubby for taking the iPhone pics!

Thankful for a beautiful day!

Obviously Viggo was impressed with my new O'Neill Activewear.

What am I doing you ask? Why listening to music through my wired hoodie!

Hubby said to throw in a little back pose.

Here I am thanking my hubby for all his helpful instructions and constructive criticism.

So how about you? Do you have any brand love that spans the decades and you still use or wear today?

*** I’m an ActivewearUSA Advisory Counsel member and was kindly provided the O’Neill 365 Activewear to wear for the pictures in this here post!

Yep, that's me at about 20 years old. Pretty much clueless.

Many years ago when I was about twenty years old or so, I gave windsurfing lessons, along with a good friend, who has since passed away, on Kaanapali Beach on Maui.

We’d arrive bright and early in the morning, before a soul was on the beach. Throughout the day we’d give lessons and when there was no one scheduled, we’d hop on the boards and sail out to where the humpback whales were playing. We’d dive off the boards and try to listen for their songs.

You would think  I would have been the picture of health right?

Nope.

I spent everyday windsurfing, surfing, or skim boarding; but I was far from healthy. I really hadn’t grasped the idea of what healthy meant at that point.

AND I didn’t care.

I was active all day, so keeping weight off wasn’t really an effort. I never really thought about it because my lifestyle caused it. Really it was by accident. I’m not physically blessed with some sort of special genes or athletic ability. I just played all day and thought pints of Haagen Daaz were a good lunch choice.

Fast forward 25 plus years.

Even though those early years set my healthy path in motion, when I look back, I can see some of it was just dumb luck. Lucky enough to live on Maui. Lucky enough to hang out on a beach all day. Lucky enough to meet some of the pioneers in the new sport of windsurfing. Lucky enough to fall in love with it.

When Things Change, We Must Too.

At some point you can’t live on luck and wishes. When I go home to Maui each year, I spend the first 5 days adjusting to the long days of playing in the water and I sometimes wonder how I ever had the guts to sail or surf in the conditions I did. But when you’re doing it everyday you don’t really think about it. But as life changes, we have to continue to grow. We can’t live on endless days of  Haagen Daaz and 3 hours of sleep anymore. Our bodies start to to say “knock it off” by manifesting injuries, illness, anxiety, depression, and weight gain.

The longer I’m on the planet, the more I sense that worrying about aging is a waste of time and energy. We can’t stop time. But we can make the most of what we have. If we invest the time, energy, and money we would have used trying to look 20 again and instead direct it towards something positive that will have a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual return, we become more youthful on the inside. Our looks shouldn’t be our life accomplishment. A healthy physical body is nothing more than a vehicle we’ve been provided to accomplish great things.

Do you look at things differently than you did maybe weeks, months, or years ago? How have those changes affected your view on physical looks and their importance?

Alfonso Moretti of Angry Trainer Fitness

You know if you had asked me this question a few years ago, I would’ve lied – but I promise it wouldn’t have been intentional. For those of you who don’t know me, my roots are in weight lifting and amateur bodybuilding. The truth is that all those years I thought I was working out to be healthy, but honestly it was really just for the “look”. And I did look fit, but was I?

The honesty of the situation is that nearly no one exercises for health or to improve his or her functional fitness. What’s the main reason for starting a program or following a crazy diet? The answers are simple- reunions, weddings, get-togethers or just to fit in skinny jeans. Seriously, who reading this post started a program based on its cholesterol lowering effects, or because it would reduce your risk of injury throwing the trash out, or even just because you wanted to feel better? Ok, now how many of you started a program or follow certain workouts or diets because you want bigger arms, a rounder butt, slimmer legs or a flatter belly? I’m guessing there’s a lot more people raising their hands in the second group.

But have you ever thought about what exercise really is? Here’s a tip – it’s not designed to change how your body looks. Yes I know that’s how we approach it and what we’ve been taught to believe. What it is then? Again the answer is super simple. Exercise is a replacement for the natural activity we would be getting if we didn’t have supermarkets full of food and had to hunt and gather meals to eat. If we didn’t have homes to live in, we’d need to build shelter and upkeep it on a daily basis. And without modern transportation, we’d have to walk or run everywhere to get anything done. In essence we’d be calorie burning – fine tuned mechanical machines. We NEED to exercise because none of those things are necessary anymore, and as consequence our bodies get no routine maintenance. Well, unless you workout of course.

Now, with that said, I too like to workout to change how my body looks. I enjoy having a toned body and looking like I’m fit. But I’ve also changed my training to be sure that I am actually fit and healthy. So I use a variety of training protocols including use of kettlebells, weights, calisthenics, resistance bands, balance training, stability and core conditioning and everything in between. In fact I even go to the playground with my kids and use the monkey bars, slides, swings and everything else there. It’s a great functional workout. What good is looking fit if you can’t balance on one foot or have a cholesterol level of 300? Looking fit and wearing skinny jeans isn’t enough- you must be fit and healthy or it means nothing.

I always suggest people to choose big exercises and modalities that give more bang for the buck. When you train for health and fitness improvements, a better looking and feeling body is inevitable. But the reverse isn’t necessarily true. Sure biceps curls and butt lifts may make muscles appear to be fit, but in actuality they don’t do jack for your fitness or health. Do you see my point? I’d rather see you perform step-ups, one legged squats and modified pull-ups or Swiss ball roll outs to build real, functional strength and conditioning. This is a key point that most trainees miss out on, mostly due to the fact that they’ve never really thought about it. They don’t see exercises for what they really are, which are questions. Each exercise provides you with a unique answer as results, so the more questions you ask, the more results you’ll get. The fitter and more well – rounded you’ll be. Get it?

At its core, exercise is a stimulus that’s designed to force your body to change for better health and fitness. So next time you think about trying a new exercise, program or diet, ask yourself “ What am I asking of my body”. If your answer is better health, fitness and functionality, you’re good to go. If the answer is to get you looking good for a reunion in 10 weeks or beach ready for an upcoming vacation, you may want to re-evaluate your thought process and exercise selection. Remember, your body is miraculous and will oblige your requests if you nourish it properly and give it enough rest. But you need to ask it the right questions, understand?

 

Alfonso Moretti, aka The Angry Trainer is a 20-year personal trainer and owner of Angry Trainer Fitness, a website dedicated to spreading “Fitness Fact Not Fiction”.  He’ a regular contributor to Men’s Fitness and Discovery Fit & Health, is a Sears Fitness Advisory Board Member and proud FitFluential Ambassador. More recently, Shape Magazine online named one of his exercise videos a Top 10 on YouTube

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