Battles not the War

 

Steph our Spotlight Athlete of the Month
She has attended an average of 25 classes a month over the course of the last 5 months.

It's been 4-months since we finished our 6-week Wellness Challenge and as far as I can tell we have all struggled in some way shape or form keeping it going. This is one of the reasons I don't like the challenges, but I also realize that they at least give us a chance of making some sustainable changes and that perhaps without the Challenges, some of us may never have the motivation/courage/willpower to make any changes at all.  

Nearly everyone who completed the challenge felt better about themselves at the end than they did at the beginning of the challenge. So why do we go back to our old ways? Why not just have a "cheat", "treat", "short break" and get back on track to what was working? I wish I had an answer for this. But I think it is personal to each individual. What is it for you? 

From my outside and admittedly very limited perspective, it is a consistency issue that needs fixin'. Some of us get to the gym no problem, it's who we are. It is as normal in our daily life as going to work, or taking a shower. You have made it YOU. You exercise, no if, ands, or buts about it. To those I would ask, how is your nutrition? How can we gain consistency in this area? What is going to convince you enough to make the change? In my personal opinion, vanity isn't enough. It has to run deeper than the surface stuff. We don't need to completely revamp our food, but we all likely need some small changes to get the most effective results from our metabolism. Start small. Make one change in your nutrition that you KNOW is stifling your progress toward a healthier you. Is it alcohol, over-snacking, portion control, fried foods, unaware eating? Any and all of these will stall any progress you work for in the gym. You cannot out work poor nutrition, believe me I have tried. And as you age... shiiiiiiiiiiit, it will get harder and harder.  

To our friends who struggle to get to the gym or exercise 5 or 6 days a week... if your nutrition isn't on point your body will show it... our bodies need this movement to create a composition that will both burn the calories we consume AND build the muscle it needs to function at it's best both now and in the future. I've been in that place where we convince ourselves that we don't have time, we don't have energy, we're too sore, we're too tired, when quite the opposite it true. Exercise/training will improve all of these things for you. That's not to say you don't need a rest day (maybe 2, but that's questionable) but we don't need 3-4 rest days a week. If you aren't coming into the gym are you at least getting some form of training in? You should be. This is where it comes down to your life depending on it. The more active you are now, the longer you will be able to be active as you age. Maybe getting to the gym isn't going to happen 5-6 days a week for you, well make a plan to get SOMETHING in on those other 2-3 days you don't make it in. Is it a jog through your neighborhood, is it a yoga class, a session on a machine you have at home? Something.  

My mission/goal is to absolutely smash the notion that your body can't handle it all the exercise I am asking for. Your body needs it. It craves it. You are doing a disservice if you aren't moving it enough. The same thing goes for our nutrition. Your body craves good food, it craves discipline. It will feel better, it will move better, and it will reward you for your good choices. So this is my plea for you to start small. Something you need to improve. Let's crush that sh*t until it becomes a habit... this may take months, maybe even a year or more... but get hold of at least some portion of your wellness journey... don't overwhelm yourself with a total revamp. Just start somewhere. All of this works by winning little battles. Don't focus on the war. Dial in on the battle that is right in front of you.  

I am here for you if you want some guidance.  

LFG.