Category: motivation

Here’s a thought on why you train. If you are lucky enough to get into your 60s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s or even a 100, then the first thing you think of is physical and brain decline, most people accept it but at the same time we never think of it right now.

I was walking my golden retriever the weekend and a thought came into my head. I was walking up small hill in the sand dunes, then down again and I had to steady myself, then on unsteady sand, and back on uneven ground in very windy and wet conditions etc.

When my dog is 12 months he will be pulling a lot more on the lead, that will UNBALANCE me and put me off my stride.

He will put my back under pressure, one side more than the other I’m guessing as he will jolt at times, especially when he sees a cat etc.

I will have to ACCELERATE quickly to keep up, then DECELERATE to stop quickly.

When you think of it, a fully grown big retriever will take a lot of physicality, balance, speed control, my tendons and ligaments will have to be used to stress for me to think of it as “no problem”.

We ALL get older, would that full grown dog be acceptable to walk for a 60, 70, 80 or 90 year old even?

The RESERVES we need to put in RIGHT NOW to keep us healthy, strong and athletic as we age are vast, and this is why we train as we do. Don’t accept that poor health and pain is simply “inevitable”.

Strength, balance, coordination, better movement, core strength, agility speed (acceleration/deceleration), boosting leg power and explosiveness, are all at the heart of what we do to mimic real life as well as help people reach athletic excellence performance in sports,

We all want to live longer, but living longer with a high quality of life as we age takes daily work, training the right way, eating right and laying the right foundations to hold off as long as possible any future declines.

That’s why we have members in their 80’s still improving and having that mindset to match. You CAN get better as you age, all it takes it simple daily strategies. 

I get motivated about stories of members when they overcome the “odds”. I hasten to add the “odds” are only someone else’s opinion of you, and they never take into account the lengths you are prepared to go to excel, and of course prove everyone wrong who wrote you off through your big relentless efforts.

I had one story about a member’s relative this week being consigned to a chair due to various health issues, and emotionally they had given up on life at that exact moment, and two years later they were dead.

I was talking to a member this morning who doubted how well he was doing, and offered a bleak assessment of himself.

I pointed out that he was now doing two valuable new exercises that he could not even do ten days ago, and that was a clear sign of progress he started to believe in himself a bit more.

What turned the belief system around too was when I told him about his late wife, when she was headteacher and she doubted whether she had the ability to do the job, I asked him how did you get rid of her doubt?

He told her that she always had the ability, some hadn’t and still did the headteacher’s role anyways, but his wife was talented, consciousness and a “people’s person” and would be fantastic in that role, which would eventually change so many pupils’ lives for the better over many, many years.

When we doubt ourselves, when we are at our lowest lows, all we need is a little encouragement and a reality check from people who can uplift us by stating facts that somehow we miss when it’s far easier to see the situation from the most negative point of view.

To keep going no matter what shows courage, grit and determination that’s a fact, but making sure we are always around people who will keep us going in our darkest moments is just as valuable.

If you aren’t putting the work in on a tuesday, then a big part of your mind has already switched off the process of getting what you really want in life.

You don’t “earn” the good stuff at the weekend unless you are prepared to toil on a day like this. 

If you can’t get “excited” about tuesday, or tuesday is “boring”, then ask yourself another question, maybe you are “boring” and you have your priorities all wrong. 

Time waits for NOBODY and you had better get your skates on and make the MOST of your life, never living in regret or crying “what could have been”. Life is lived now and not through the rear view mirror.

You were put on earth to do great things and serve others, and you won’t be able to do either unless your health is in good shape, because otherwise you won’t have enough energy to get off the settee.

You will have PLENTY of enabler’s in your life accepting an attitude of not exercising, not eating right and always talking negatively, but just have a look at their lives, their health, their attitude and what they do every day and their lack of action often tells a sorry tale of bad health, not great mental health and a daily life of pessimism and a feeling of hopelessness.

Opportunity EXISTS, you are equipped with ALL the tools you will ever need, just SHOW UP and let’s get great things done!!!

Your mindset will be a lot worse when you are injured and in pain, that’s why you MUST do everything you can to get out of it, whereas society tells us to “medicate” our way out of it, society also has a whole pharmaceutical industry allowing us to medicate ourselves out of it, and these drugs often end up in addiction (with massive side effects) which is happening in a very big way in North America right now and creeping up over here.

My own back injury was a version of hell but only for a few hours, my self-medicate approach of going through the tried and tested exercise was also very painful and eye-watering, but if I couldn’t have faith in it and it’s process, then nobody could! 

Because I’ve seen it help so many people, I know it works!

Pain free means the difference between life being a big struggle, you wanting to lay down and do nothing all the time and just rest and mentally be at your lowest ebb, OR living a life of actually LIVING, laughing and having a great crack with those around you, but you MUST tune your body daily to keep the threat of pain over-taking your body-that’s the deal.

FUN versus HELL-i grabbed the first one, I couldn’t face the second one long term (or even for a few hours).

This example shows that those who are in pain daily can be rock bottom mentally too, and it’s no joke.

I urge you to move more, to build up carefully and make your hips more flexible, which only helps your back, glutes and hamstrings too, to send pain OUT of your body and put your mind and body in an infinitely better place!!

Most people have two types of friends.

One group will push/encourage us to do a little better in life, look after ourselves, and when it comes to our health, try and encourage us to exercise, eat well and look after out wellbeing as a whole, after all “one life we have”, so they encourage you to live a long and high quality of life attempting plenty of enjoyable and fun things along the way, and without good health, that cannot happen.

Then there’s another group of friends, they encourage you “don’t be boring, have a drink most days”, ” Nothing wrong with a takeaway a couple of times a week”, “some ready meals are “actually good for you”, “dont waste your time exercising, you don’t want to overdo it”, and others “versions” of the truth, all in the name of ONE LIFE YOU HAVE, you may as well go for it.

Here’s a fact, I’ve never met someone becoming more “fun” by eating more fry ups or takeaways or drinking more alcohol, I’ve heard of it raising your blood pressure, raising your chances of diabetes and I’ve heard lots of stories of mood swings,anxiety, depressions and irritability in general.

Nothing wrong those things in moderation but the truth is you must exercise and move more most days, you must try and eat better to feel better and look after your health, all these things will only boost your mental health, and not send it into the gutter when you overdo the things you know are not good for you.

Whether it’s face to face, social media, wherever, you have choices of friends and you have choices on the advice they will constantly give you and which camp you eventually end up in. You know what’s going to be a big positive in your life and you know what when done in excess can send your life into a dark spiral.