Friday, May 21, 2010

"Pay" Yourself First

The number one reason why most people I talk to don't want to commit to an exercise program is that it requires too much time. Their days are already jam packed with activities, and by the time evening comes they are wiped out and barely have the energy to drag themselves up to bed let alone hit the weights or jump around and do cardio. 

When it comes to personal finances the concept of saving is facilitated by the notion of "paying yourself first". It means just what it says. Before you budget money towards anything else, the first thing we should do is to pay ourselves by opening up a a savings account and squirreling away funds before they get gobbled up by anything else.

But what about our time budgets? Time and money have a lot in commom. We can spend both time and money. Like wise we can also save both. We can also "budget" both. 

I am proposing we consider making a time budget and allocating 15 to 30 minutes per day towards our fitness account before we spend the time anywhere else. Do a little research, and DECIDE on a program that fits your style and goals. Then COMMIT to a time slot around which you will plan the other activities in your life. I see no reason why this approach should be any less successful with time than with our personal finances, and the benefits can be just as rewarding. 

Just like you get the satisfaction of seeing your bank account grow, you'll gain a greater sense of self esteem as your body benefits from the investment you are making. The control you now have will strengthen your determination to maintain your approach and probably become a reinforcement to other disciplines in your life. And, you may find that the where you once could hardly lift you legs to climb  the stairs at the end of the day you now are energized and go to bed expecting restful night's sleep knowing you'll wake up refreshed and able to tackle another day.

A few minutes a day saved for your personal exercise will become time well spent.

A minute saved is a lifetime of healthy living earned.

Start a fitness savings plan with the BeachBody community today, and get the gift of wellness free for opening up your fitness membership!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Common Touch

I remember many times as a student seeking advanced guidance with regard to a subject or lesson and approaching to the teacher afterward for help. He or she would do their best to offer a solution, but in many cases I was told either what I already knew or else what I didn't need to know instead of what I actually was interested in. Later on I'd be sitting with a classmate and discuss my dilemma, and within a few minutes we had figured out the answer and were on our way to other challenges.

The same scenario happens time and time again on our road to fitness and well being. The books, the lectures, the trainers all provide valuable information and are an essential resource as we build upon our knowledge base. Very often, however, their advanced position begs us "to keep up" rather than to stop and reassess where we are and cannot empathize with our current situation. 
We have fortunately an invaluable and immediate resource.The internet chat rooms and bulletin boards are common ground where we can interface with other individuals and share our similar goals and ideals, and in the event of a slip or question, we can get REAL time REAL world REAL people advice to keep our fitness chins up and moving in the right direction. "The Challenge starts Today" should be our daily motto!

Just as in school, there is no need to struggle alone and in silence for hours on end and wind up frustrated and exhausted. Share your day to day events. Post comments. Read what others like you have written and tap into the energy that is waiting absolutely free of charge for everyone regardless of your current fitness abilty. You'll be surprised and amazed at the effect this cameraderie will have on you, and you'll also realize how much you have to offer to your fellow fitness lovers.

Experts are to be respected, and we should always be prepared to learn form their achievements.

But let's not forget the value of the common touch. 

We all have it.

Share YOU today!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Roping Up, Beachbody Style!

I remember during my Girl Scout days a trip to a rock climbing gym. We were all eager to grab the hand holds and teased each other as to who'd be the first to reach the top and were buzzing as the instructor came to greet us and send us on our way up to the "Summit". Well, not exactly. First we had to be shown the fundamentals of rope safety, knot tying and proper rope management not to mention how to properly put on the harness. You can imagine the air leaving the happiness balloon as time dragged by...I don't even remember climbing the wall. I'm not sure who if anybody got to the top. What I do remember is the fact that anybody who wanted to climb that wall, or hill, or mountain in real life had to be proficient in all those skills but most especially in the skills of manning the rope which held your climbing buddy as he or she ascended. While some choose to climb alone the vast majority of attempts are made with at least two people linked together with safety rope to ensure that if one were to fall the other(s) might have a chance to self arrest and save that person and the entire team from further danger. 


There are many reasons for individuality in sports and fitness, and there are always a few exceptional people who can take on any challenge unassisted and prevail. But for the vast majority of us, a social network and support system greatly increases our chances for success. Working out with friends is a start, but actually belonging to an organized group of fitness "climbers" is so important to avoiding the crevasses that can end a fitness effort it cannot be overstated. You all become linked, tied together, and when one begins to falter the others rally and pull him or her up and with genuine camaraderie reassure that person they are doing fine and to keep pushing forward. Reaching the summit becomes almost secondary to just being part of the ascent. Just being part of the climbing effort.


As you begin your fitness program remember to check you equipment carefully. Desire is not enough. Find a community of like minded adventurers, hook onto their rope, and become a part their team.


We, your friends in the Beachbody fitness community eagerly want to welcome you to our team.


Climbing? I'm on belay.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Fitness Tipping Points

There are many milestones in life, both good and bad. Some are more common than others, especially when it comes to our health and fitness. Maybe you remember going off to college and putting on the "freshman fifteen"? Maybe you had a baby and wondered how you ever would recover from the extra weight you unexpectedly retained afterward? Or maybe you're a "Thirty-something" year old guy who realizes his metabolism isn't burning off the nachos, beer, and pizza like it use to? It doesn't matter. All of these cases have something in common: they are sobering reminders that something has changed combined with a fear that you've reached a point of no return... and perhaps it is too late.

Depending on your age you realize a few things. First, you know that it's really never too late, and second, you remember that usually, for many people, all of these milestones have been hit, solved, and hit again only to be solved again in a seemingly endless and frustrating case of history repeating itself. It's a vicious and discouraging cycle, and it's usually met with failed diets, garage sales of equipment, and expired gym memberships. 

Assuming you believe that it's never too late, then breaking the cycle is the next key challenge, and fortunately the solution is a simple one. Regardless of your fitness preference the key to a long lasting commitment is to partner with like minded people in a community of fitness believers and proponents who will encourage, support, and inspire you to make fitness a long term endeavor rather than a patch on a tipping point blowout. You'd even be surprised at how much your own experience and input adds to the community in ways you never thought possible. You never know what actions you do or words you say today might change someone's life tomorrow.

Before long you'll find the negative tipping points have been replaced by positive tippng points on the way to a stronger, more fit lifestyle admired by your firends and acquaintances who, because of your success story, may find a new outlook on their own fitness choices. To your surprise, YOU become an inspiration and a mentor to people you recognize as having had the same dilemmas you once thought unsolvable. 

No matter where you are along the path of life, prevention is the best cure, but forewarned is forarmed . If you can keep an open mind to the possibility that one day these tipping points could affect "me", then I encourage you to join the BeachBody Community of fitness lovers, log on to the WOWY gym, post your results good and bad, and become part of the solution to your and other member's problems. 

You'll gain a whole new perspective on fitness and turn tipping points into stepping stones.

Welcome to the team.

We've been expecting you!