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"Good Karate takes Balance Danielson!" Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel in the old movie the Karate Kid. There is a lot of truth to that simple statement. Life tilted to one side or the other is very stressful and causes all kinds of side affects.
I love it when Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel, "You do karate yes, or you do karate no, you do karate guess so...you get squished like grape!" I have found in my own personal life that when I do things half-way they don't work out so well. They get squished like grape! Getting balance takes effort and determination.
The Laws of 8 and the octagon idea came from lots of study, research and writing out my own focus lists. I discovered common principles that many successful people monitor regularly. I kept trying to find an easy method to juggle it all using the K.I.S.S. method. Keep it Simple and focused! I love it when during Daniel's training, Mr. Miyagi constantly tells Daniel, "Look in eyes Danielson, always look in eyes!" In other words, stay focused!!!
So, let's not confuse "Stagnant" with "Focus". Stagnant are people who use the words, "That's just how I am, so deal with it!" That is so final. It's like dropping anchor right where you stand. But we are creatures of change. We change for the better or the worse. Even if we do nothing, we change the natural progression of living. Change is a choice, if we want to change we can and if not we'll find plenty of excuses not to. What we focus on, says a great deal about the character of the person. The habits and priorities we set are the outward expression of our life. Change for the sake of change is like a puppy chasing it's tail, but taking the steps to progress, will always produce changes automatically. The next time someone tells you they can't change who they are, ask them if they intend to progress in life. If they answer no, just smile. If they say yes, ask them what they would like to change and how they plan to do it. In other words, what's their focus?
Then encourage them and hold them accountable to their words. See what happens. As a a trainer, the excuses are endless and all of them sound good. But I have never ever had anyone thank me for letting them stay a slouch or for joining their pity party. Everyone is responsible for their own decisions and to keep themselves focused. Something to consider, you can't have focus if you 1) don't know where you're going, 2) write a plan how you'll get there and 3) set a goal (time/date) to get there. Stay flexible because life has ways of throwing curve balls at us, but the outcome is really what matters. Who you are and what you're made of is tested when things are tough, not when all is great and going your way.
Let me know what keeps you "Balanced and Focused" in your fitness lifestyle. |
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SEDENTARY & OBESITY Disease or Excuses. . . Judge for yourself!
Comfort has become a priority in most of our lives. However, that comfort can become the deadliest habit in our homes. Sedentary disease is the most comfortable killer in America and throughout the world. (1) According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), there are approximately 2 Million deaths per year attributed to physical inactivity. A lifestyle of inactivity can easily be among the Top 10 causes of death and disability.
While a fitness lifestyle plays a strong role in longevity, agility strength and endurance, the exact opposite can be expected from sedentary disease. The early stages can be experienced as fatigue, increased weight and poor dietary habits which typically lead to obesity. More advanced stages result in increased doctor visits and medical expenses. Sedentary disease can go unnoticed under the symptoms of chronic illness (1b) and increase all causes of mortality.
Sedentary disease is considered a (2) death syndrome SeDS. It is subtle and eventually leads to the suffering of cardiovascular disease affecting other critical functions. This causes other complications such as Type-2 diabetes, which is a condition known to be almost preventable with physical activity.
A symptom of poor conditioning appears as becoming easily winded and later develops into respiratory disease. The most physically apparent condition is seen in the progressive stages of obesity by an increase in weight and requirement of larger clothing.
SeDS is not always measured in excess weight; it can be present in people who are underweight and or extremely weak. Good examples of sedentary weakness are seniors who sit all day accelerating muscular atrophy or an adult that can’t load a 40lb water bottle on a water machine.
Unlike many diseases, sedentary is preventable by simply increasing physical activity. If you’re sitting as you read this article, you may be putting your health at risk as you might have “sitting disease” as described by Lisa Fields (3). Make a conscience effort to be more active and sit less. Humans are meant to move (James Levine MD). It is always good to get a physical and find a good fitness professional to help set a personal program and monitor progress. Food and nutrition are fuel for the body or sludge to clog arteries. Learning the benefits and dangers of foods, quantity, quality and consumption is crucial for optimizing physical activity. Conclusion: So much has been done to fund the research of so many diseases to find cures. Isn’t it ironic that a deadly disease that is preventable does not seem to be a priority in the preservation of life? It is imperative to raise awareness and increase public education and public programs beyond “Play 60”.
For many people, playing for 60 minutes every day is a big improvement, but it can’t compete with big screens, comfy couches, video games, sports and on demand movies. The typical furniture for the man cave and lady lounge does not include a spin cycle or treadmill that is actually used several times a week. Consistent public awareness and the increase of fitness professionals will make a big impact in promoting, supporting and serving the public to make fitness a lifestyle and saving millions of lives.
The final word is yours. Have people spun out of control to develop a condition that affects generations we now call a disease or has laziness, complacency and hundreds of excuses driven millions to chronic illnesses, high cost medical care and premature death? How is this preventable for you personally and what do you think it will take to change this critical social problem?
References Do You Have Sitting Disease by Lisa Fields Reviewed November 22, 2012 by Dr. Kimball Johnson, MD http://.www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/do-you-have-sitting- disease
Sedentary Death Syndrome Lee SJ, Booth FW. http://www.pubmed.gov US National Institute of Health PMID: 15317985 [PubMed – index for MEDLINE]
World Health Organization (News Release 4 April 2002) Physical Inactivity a leading cause of disease and disability, warns WHO Can J Appl Physiol. 2004 Aug 29(4):447-60;discussion 444-6.
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BIG shirts are for FAT guys
Don't get all mad just, read the story!
Been There At one time in my life, I wore yellow polo shirts and t-shirts and if I tucked in the shirt, I'd look like a lemon! I learned to hide my gut well in public but it was there, hiding. I bought the right shirts to cover up my shape...(round is a shape)! I'm pretty hard against obesity because I let it start to choke my life away. I let it take control and dominate my life. I've had the experience of being the fat unhealthy guy. So I think I have the right to express my opinion and say, that big shirts are for fat guys! And guys that wear baggy clothes are so funny looking, someone needs to teach them how to dress properly. They've got to stop hiding their obesity under a bad boy illusion. Wear what fits
you. I get it, as you’re losing weight by embracing a fitness lifestyle
you will change styles and how your clothes fit several times along the way. But, what
ever happened to fitted shirts and pants? It is my opinion that the
baggy, oversize shirts and pants that designers have shoved in our clothing
stores enable the obesity that plagues our country. I believe this because for
years I was one of them. I wore shirts to hide my fat gut while my pants had
buttons that were fixing to shoot out like bullets because I refused to wear saggy clothes and look like a large meatball.
What about our women. Some designers sell them fashion ideas that are not for everyone. For example, low hip jeans that reshapes their body and gives them two…two hips! You know what I’m talking about, Muffin top! What happened to figure 8’s and what is the muffin made of? Some pierce their belly button, wear a cropped shirts and show off that they’re so unfit they couldn't do 10 sit-ups to save their life! How hot is that? How about the fashion ideas that enables them to hide and kill their self-esteem under huge clothing? One client I trained would wear huge dresses to hide. During the initial interview she told me she wanted to lose the weight she gained after having a baby. Her baby was now 17 years old! She had been wearing hideous clothes she hated for about 17 years! Why do designers throw our beautiful women gangsta, baggy clothes or curtains with bows?
What’s Going On? Talking about hideous, why do we men accept “fashion” that gets shoved in our face? I’m talking about shorts that look like dresses (shorts/skirts) and pants below the underwear? I totally understand why women like country artists, they dress and fit in their clothes. Men wear pants that fit them. Ladies, if you are attracted to the guy wearing over-sized pants below the underwear, there is no fitness program in the world that will fix your problem.
Ladies, I want to challenge you to be honest with your male
friends and loved ones and tell them to wear clothes that fit. Please, find the
guts to tell them that the clothes they wear, don’t fit! Pull up your pants! Get a belt! Dress
them if you must! They either forgot what they were taught as kids or the problem was there before them and someone didn't teach them. When you're fit, you are proud of what you've earned and it's ok to show it tastefully. But there is a difference between showing what you've earned and a show off! Guys, what is the problem with properly wearing clothes that fit?
I was teaching a class one day and I was wearing professional fitting shirt and shorts. Some young guys in the back were giggling and looking at me. I asked them what was so funny and one of them had the courage to tell me I looked stupid wearing those shorts! The group of guys were cracking up but the rest of the class was so surprised at his comment. So, I called him up to the front of the class and had him stand next to me. There he was with his huge jean shorts, a baggy shirt and a baseball cap. Everyone is staring, wondering what I was going to do. So I asked him, “How much money do you have in your wallet?” Of course, he only had a few dollars. I asked him where he worked and how long he had held a job. He didn't have a job and they never last more than a few weeks. So I take a wad of cash out of my pocket, I had over $300 dollars in my money clip. I said to the class, “Look closely, know the difference, employed, unemployed, employed, unemployed, wealthy, broke, wealthy, broke! You chose!” the class roared in laughter. I have hired and fired hundreds of people in business and I would not hire that guy if he came to apply looking like that and he’d be gone if he ever showed up to work looking like that! It didn't end there. I spent the next two months teaching them to arrive looking professionally, how to fill applications and conducted mock interviews.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for fashion but are designers making
a silent statement? Are they setting a social economic standard separating the average person
from the upper class? It's like living on the decks of Titanic with the "Them and Us" standards.
Don’t take my word for it, walk into a high end store and look closely at the clothes. There is more than just a price tag difference. Think about it, if you can afford a gym membership, a personal trainer and the active lifestyle to go with it, you will dress differently than the guy who eats away his paycheck and buys clothes that fit his very limited budget. Search the web, go to any department store add. Type in their search bar "big over-sized shirts for men" and all the models are wearing fitted shirts. Not one overweight baggy looking gangsta guy in any website!
Ever wonder what designers say in their team meetings when they describe their target market and their marketing strategy? They pay big bucks for demographic and psycho-graphic studies (who and what they buy). They design to make big profits! I guarantee they wouldn't wear the crap they pump to the general public. Yet, the public eats it up! What if designers stopped making huge clothing? What if they
made Small to Plus sizes that fit well regardless of size and shape? Do you think it would
encourage people toward better eating habits and become more health focused? Do you think it would help reduce the obesity issue in our country? I welcome your thoughts and opinions to change obesity in the lives of those we love.
I still think, big shirts are for fat guys, period! |
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TOOLS FOR YOUR SUCCESS LAWS OF 8 5 FITNESS PILLARS 7 PHASES to OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE 5 TRAINING LEVELS 
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