Fit For Life: How Bad do You Want It?

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Matt Espeut, GoLocalPDX Health +Lifestyle Contributor

I keep hearing how busy everyone is, and they aren't sure that they can fit working out into their schedule. Well, make it fit your schedule. Actually, make it be part of your schedule. It's very easy to miss workouts, but it's also easy to get them in when you make them part of your schedule.

Delegate a time - 3x per week - and make it work. Providence Fit Body Bootcamp, for instance, runs 9 sessions daily Mon-Fri from 5:25 am until 6:30 pm. So unless you are working 13 hours a day (some do, most don't), you have no excuse not to be in shape unless it's not that important to you.

At my facility, we have well over 100 people that pass through daily, getting it done. And guess what? Most have careers, kids, families, and dogs to take care of, and they still find a way to get to the gym, and take care of themselves.

If you are reading this, you might be a regular follower of my column for GoLocal, so you’re interested in some degree in how to get fit or healthy. Otherwise why would you be reading this? So if you read my column, and you are not fit, or aren't on a path to do so, why not?

Stop right there! Don't say it! Don’t tell me – and don’t tell yourself – that you don’t have the time. Don’t say working out isn’t for you. And don’t say you can’t afford it. Because you can and you need to work out, so I’m here today to shoot holes in every excuse you can come up with.

Time: The whole time thing. Yes, I know we’re all busy. Maybe you pick your kids up from school daily. Have you ever told them to take the bus – or even walk home – because you don’t have time to pick them up? Most likely you haven’t. Have you ever not provided the family dinner because you didn’t have time? Maybe it’s picking up take out, or making something quick when you have had a busy day, but you still fed everyone, and got it done.

Why is this? Because there are things we make a priority in life. We do them, they get done. Health and fitness should be no different. Unless you work an incredibly physical job, you need to move and exercise in a planned way. And that is reason enough to make it a priority, and make it part of your schedule. Random acts of exercise aren’t good enough. You need to be consistent, and embed it into your lifestyle. I see the results daily. The clients that live it, get better results than the ones that are not consistent. Every bit is positive, but when you want outstanding results, you need to devote the time, and be consistent.

I am not an exercise person, you say. Well, just what is that supposed to mean? Exercise is nothing more than movement. We do it at a higher intensity to overload the body, create resistance, and elevate the heart rate, but it’s still basic movements we normally perform every day. We need to increase the intensity to achieve results, and push ourselves out of our comfort zone, but the principle is to mimic daily life, so you will not only be fit, but also more productive. So unless you spend your life living it on a sofa, and don’t need to do anything or move at all, exercise IS for you.

I can’t afford it. I love this excuse. The first thing I say to that is: If you have cable TV, a smart phone, or a vehicle with tons of options, you can afford to join a gym. Cable TV allows you to sit around and do nothing for your body, but get lethargic. This is not a necessity in anyone’s life, but almost everyone spends a lot of time doing it. And not just a little time and money to get just the basics – news, weather, etc. All those premium stations cost a lot of money, so don’t say you can’t afford the gym when you have a premium bundle of senseless options. Smart phones cost a bunch too, but if you want one, I guarantee you will find a way to get one whether you can afford it or not.

So all the reasons like time, money, and the fact you don’t like to exercise, are just poor excuses that are going to keep you overweight and unhealthy. It’s all about the mindset. Because when you want something bad enough, human nature makes us find a way to go out and get it. So next time someone asks you why you aren’t in shape, just reply: Because I don’t care enough yet about myself to dedicate the time to make improvements in my life. Leave the other excuses on the shelf, and be honest with yourself.

My question to you is: How bad do you want it?

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitness consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of two fitness centers on the east coast. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android