IN a faultless existence, we find time and motivation to grind out an exercise and fitness program as part of having a balanced lifestyle where our bodies perform at their optimal state.
We all have 24 hours in a day to make things happen. How we fit the bits and pieces of our lives within the confines of these hours and find time for a fitness routine may be immensely challenging. We excuse ourselves saying we have no time, let alone the energy to undertake an exercise program. Time is something most of us wish we had more of. But hey, reality strikes and we realize that time is a fixed, inflexible constant we should make do with.
To many, a fitness and exercise program is perhaps not a priority. That is quite easy to understand. Balancing a career, family, meetings, time for friends and whatnot is a challenge in itself. But we often overlook the fact that exercise, should we find time for it, helps improve our quality of life down the road. We can perform daily tasks with ease, walk down a flight of stairs without clutching our chest as we gasp for air, run around with the kids, reduce the risk of several ailments, lose excess fat, and maybe even look better and land on the cover of a fitness magazine. OK, the last one was a stretch–let’s go with looking just a bit better.
Having once been overweight and unfit, I’ve done my homework; tried several diets, exercise programs, experimented with supplements, did research and applied this all on myself. Essentially, I’m your human lab rat. Within this space, I‘d like to share with you some of the things I learned about transformative fitness. As a modestly chubby kid, I only saw my abs in my mid 30s. Few things are more satisfying than looking at the mirror every day, and seeing that fat slowly melt away. And in its place, that initial tinge of muscle definition slowly creeps in, as it eventually takes over in all its ripped glory.
Beginning with a workout program back in my college days in the early 1990s that only consisted of bench pressing with rusty plates in a friend’s garage, I eventually found the perfect mix of weight training and cardio-vascular exercises that turned me into a reasonably fit individual. Needless to say, I’ve learned to eat sensibly without resorting to gustatory deprivation. Along the way, I’ve coached friends towards reaching their fitness and aesthetic goals. I find that the best ideas crop up when I’m running on the treadmill; these treadmill epiphanies as I would like to call them, support my conviction that exercise sharpens the mind and may positively complement our professional lives.
Through this column, with my rudimentary knowledge on the subject matter gained through close to 25 years of fitness research and experimentation, I hope to help readers come a step closer to reaching their ideal state of fitness.
Here are three simple tips that worked for me which will hopefully get you closer to your respective fitness destinations:
The first transformation starts in your head – Start with the end in mind. In your mind’s eye, see yourself in your ideal state. Walking on a powdery white sand beach, toned, fit and sun-kissed? Let that image fuel you when you are gasping for breath from cardio, or when restraint has left you, and inhaling that second donut is inevitable.
Begin with baby steps – Jumping into a hardcore program that your body is ill-equipped to handle right off the bat is a terrible idea. Asses your current state, and find the ideal intensity to get you going. If you are doing zero exercise and find yourself limited by time, start off with twenty slow paced jumping jacks upon waking up. This will get your heart pumping and give you a quick shot of energy. It will take no more than 30 seconds. For someone starting from scratch, that is a good a way as any to start things off. Work your way up to 30, 50, then 100 repetitions. Once you get into the groove of craving physical activity, move on to other exercise options that will satiate that craving.
You are better than your excuses – The best time to start isn’t tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or the day after that. Everything begins in the immediate present. Make that commitment to transform to a fitter, healthier version of yourself. Right now. Ditch the excuses and begin the grind. It won’t be easy, mind you. But it may just be worth the struggles you will eventually have to deal with.
Try to sneak a peek at this corner every Thursday from here on in. Let’s dispel myths, check out the latest exercise classes, talk workouts, fitness gear, diet and supplementation–anything that contributes to the sum of humanity’s knowledge on exercise and fitness is fair game.
Email me: greggyromualdez@yahoo.com. Follow me on Instagram: @greggyromualdez