Olympic Inspiration

Are you feeling inspired by the Olympics? I am. The years of training, the focus on one goal, the clarity of their dreams, that is inspiring. Lately everyone I have spoken to has been inspired to feel great about themselves, to be fit and healthy, and after watching the Olympians they want to start now.

But, how do you translate that inspiration into personal success? It is not easy, when there are so many demands on our time and so many ways we can sabotage our own success. After talking to many people this week about their health and fitness aspirations. I have heard the same thing, "how do I fit my goals into my life?" Especially with a family and a career? How do I fit my goals into my day. It seems to overwhelming and unattainable.

I can tell you it is not. I have helped many busy, successful men and women change their health, get fit and attain amazing personal goals and here are my top 5 suggestions to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

1. Be consistent. Want to lose weight, run a 10 KM or decrease your blood pressure? Small changes will lead to big results if you do a little everyday. Break it down into manageable chunks and take one step everyday in the right direction. Olympic athletes train for over 10 years just to be able to train for the Olympics.

2. Do it for yourself. Trying to make a change, even a positive one, for someone else never works out. There will be times when you don't want to go out in the rain to go for a run and doing it for someone else makes it less likely you are going to push yourself out the door.

3. Get some support. It is more fun to work together for a common goal. Even better having a buddy means you have someone to share your best and worst days. It is even more likely you will succeed when you have a friend to share in your success.

4. Have a plan. I have seen too many injuries, unfulfilled goals and disappointments from people who jumped on all the latest fads and trends only to find themselves as unfit, overweight and as unhealthy as when they started. Having a road map to your goal is a great way to see your improvements, stay motivated and be successful for life.

5. Have fun. This is the most important one of all. If you are not having any fun you won't be consistent or want to continue once you have achieved your goals. Try lots of activities, take some lessons, but remember to have fun. If you aren't having fun it isn't worth all the effort.

I would love to hear your health and fitness challenges and success stories. Let me know if you have been successful or have been trying to find the motivation to stay on track. What works when you are feeling unmotivated to stick to your plan? Looking forward to hearing about your  Olympic inspiration.

Shayla

Olympic Sized Tip

We in Vancouver are welcoming the world to compete, cheer, and if you are Dick Pound add to your list of "all the stupid things I have said about athletes". I wasn't going to talk about the Olympics because I love the athletes, I love the competition, I love the discipline and focus it takes to compete at the Olympics. But, unfortunately the Olympics are about many things I don't love and none of them are about sports. But, I digress, I wasn't going to talk about the Olympics, until our fellow Canadian was quoted as saying " Canadian athletes that don't make the podium are just tourists". Oh brother, that is embarrassing. For the record Dick, it is more embarrassing than coming in fourth or tourist class.

Well Dick Pound is a little like the distant cousin that you hope doesn't show up for your party and proceed to embarrass the family. How about we make a pact, no more dissing the athletes, no matter what. Even if they have monster egos which funnily enough when athletes are really good they are also usually unassuming and encouraging. So that leaves me to believe that Dick has a case of "I was never really good enough to be the best, only good enough to be a tourist (his word not mine). Dick has won many Commonwealth medals, but he only placed 6th in his Olympic event and 4th with his relay team.
Apparently he has been trying to make up for it ever since.

When I coach adults and encourage them to try something new, their greatest fear is looking foolish or being the worst/last/most pathetic (also their words not mine). What I have found is that if you talk to really talented athletes what they say to "newbies" to their sport is AWESOME. They appreciate you putting it on the line, maybe getting that little extra courage to perhaps look foolish or uncomfortable. What they really want is for you to enjoy their sport as much as they do. They risk it all, give up a lot, and sacrifice daily because there is something they love about it. The Olympic ideal is to be your best, strive for greatness and hopefully be able to put it all together on that one day.

So here is my Olympic tip of the day, take one aspect of your life and add a dash of Olympic sized dedication to making it better. If we all had a fraction of the discipline and focus it takes to be an Olympic athlete we would all be better for it.

New Years Resolutions

It is now the middle of January and how many of your resolutions have you given up on? Or maybe you didn't make any because you don't want to be disappointed? You don't see results or you just can't seem to get started. You have a picture of your ideal self, but as time goes by it is harder and harder to get motivated to change.

There is one BIG, HUGE problem with making New Year's resolutions, the resolution may be perfect for you. But, you are only focusing on the outcome. How to get to the goal is critical for success and resolutions only focus on the outcome. How many goals, resolutions, commitments to exercise, eat right, quit drinking, stop shopping, whatever, do you make only to see your commitment fade away with the harsh light of day? If you're like me (and like a lot of people I know) willpower is not your problem. Willpower is not even the issue. Sure having a flat stomach is potentially motivating, but more than another piece of cake or glass of wine? No, it is not your willpower. It is the way you and me set ourselves up to fail.

We think it is all or nothing, but it is not. It is a process, baby steps. Have you ever watched a child learn to walk? When they first try to move they hold on to stuff, couches, pant legs, dogs, whatever is close. And they fall down, a lot of falling down. What do parents do when they watch this process? They cheer! YAY - you took a step and you fell down, good for you, try it again. That is the process of learning a new skill. Not unlike learning to eat better, drink less, exercise more. YAY - you did it, you made it through one meal, one day, one hour at the gym - good for you.

That is not what we say to ourselves when we are trying to change a habit. We say stuff like; "I failed, I am always going to be fat, I don't have what it takes". There is a lot of negative feedback. And even more disheartening is we start believing all that self - talk. Want to stop the cycle once and for all? 

For the next 21 days focus on one action that you can do to get you to your most important goal. Maybe you want to be healthier, have more energy and lose a few pounds? Your action step could be to eat a healthy breakfast everyday. Or to drink at least 6 glasses of water a day. Or plan your meals in advance. It could be to walk at least part of the way to work, or to walk at lunchtime.

The action step is up to you. Pick one that you want to do. One that is a small stepping stone on your way to your bigger goal. Try it for the next 21 days. I know you can do it. Then try it again.
Make this year different. Don't make a resolution, pick an action and stick to it for 3 weeks. Before long you will see a difference.

Two Weeks to Christmas

We are completely in the holiday season, maybe not the spirit, but definitely the season. And I hear the same worries every December. There is too much food, there are too many events, there are too many expectations. This is all true. And what is even more likely - the same will happen next year - if you don't take some small steps now to reclaim the holiday spirit!

Yes, there is too much food everywhere, at the office, at the parties, probably some of it has sneaked through your doors and is in your own home. However, just because it is there does not mean you have to eat it! Stop eating it. Stop right now. Put down the box of crackers and don't open that cheese, stop eating those little cookies or squares, just stop. Cold Turkey so to speak. No nuts, no squares, no crackers. Repeat it like a mantra, You are not saving starving children anywhere. If you want to save starving people donate to your local food bank, give your goodies to the homeless, do something, do anything just stop eating it yourself.

Okay, you are over committed and feeling the pressure to make an appearance at all these functions. Go. Participate. Mingle. Leave. The people who make an impression are the ones who arrive, greet everyone with enthusiasm and leave early. Be one of those people. Everyone will love you and you will love yourself for not staying too long and eating everything available. Make an impression by being unique.

Okay, this is the big one, expectations. Yours and everyone else. Christmas is loaded with expectations, guilt, marketing and more guilt. Choose to not participate. By this I don't mean canceling Christmas although I have tried this a few times. What I mean is don't participate in the expectations. State what you are doing for Christmas; what you are planning to do and what you would like to do. Also state what you are not planning to do - buy presents for everyone, bake home made treats, decorate every inch of your home - and then this is critical, don't feel guilty. Just be okay with what Christmas means to you. Everyone appreciates and respects when you set boundaries. They wish they could be more like you.

Finally, what does this mean to your fitness? Everything. You are more likely to get a few workouts in when you set some personal boundaries, you are more likely to stick to your nutrition plan and most importantly you are going to reinforce to yourself that you really are a healthy, fit and fabulous human being. And that is the best present anyone can receive. Merry Christmas.

Have a fantastic holiday season!

Shayla

August and now what

Summer is coming to an end. You can smell fall, cool mornings, crunchy, brown leaves, blackberries. This time of year motivates me. It is perfect training weather, I am usually pretty fit by now and ready to race, set goals, get better.

With fewer clients demanding less of my time in August I get to practice my religion. This year feels different, I feel fit and disappointed. Ready, but not motivated. I think I need a race.

I haven't done a real race for a couple of years. Nothing like putting your toe on the line to lose those extra pounds, do those interval workouts, get up and get out before the day gets out of control.

I have been spending too much of my time at a computer, eating, drinking, planning, whatever, too much time and not enough progress. Time to commit, time to turn the screws.

You may have spent the summer on a deck, at the lake, away from your routine, feeling happy but not satisfied, relaxed but not rested.  Thinking about what could be.

September is the real new year. We have been trained by all those formative years in school to plan for progress in September. To take the next step and be pushed to succeed starting in September. Even decades after school has ended, September is the month that pushes my clients into thinking about what could be, what can I do now, how can I get better?

If you like so many of the people I talk to everyday want to get the most out of your life I recommend two things.
First - commit to your health and wellbeing.
Second - go to this website and start charting your positivity ratio. You will be amazed and you will see the results. http://www.positivityratio/single.php

If you truly want to see results, lose those last 10 pounds, shave those seconds off your marathon time or be a healthier, happier human, try this. What have you got to lose?

Lessons from the tour.

Everyone who knows me, knows this I love the Tour de France. I love it because I love cycling, I love the thought and preparation that goes into the each team, I love how each team needs to be a cohesive, strong unit or they will suffer for 3 weeks with no reward.

Currently, the tour is in the Pyrenees, the riders are looking for yellow and the fans want action. What team are you cheering for? Or is it a rider? A sprinter, GC, King of the Mountains? Who is your favourite? Are you looking for something great from Lance? Do you want "the boss" to win #8? Are you hoping for an upset? Or do you think Alberto has got this in the bag?

Regardless of your pick the reality of the tour is this - you need a team. You need a cohesive team - a team with one goal. Yesterday Alberto Contador, as talented as he is, as capable as he is to win #2, proved he is human. I always thought this is why people didn't like Lance, wanted him to be caught cheating or doping -they didn't believe he really is honest, works for the team and expects the same. Lance didn't win 7 tours because he is an amazing cyclist. He won 7 tours because he built an amazing team, a team with one goal, committed to that one goal and a team director who had absolute belief in that goal.

Lance is a great athlete and the reason he is a great athlete is because he thinks about his goals, understands the sacrifices that must be made and what is expected from him to see results. These include not having everyone like you, having a singular purpose, not settling for anything else.

Alberto proved he is human and a little intimidated by Lance by attacking his team while they were working together for the good of the team. You have probably experienced this at work, the team is working toward a goal and suddenly someone on the team does something out of the blue, takes credit for a team idea. What is going on?


Why is it so hard to commit to a goal, work toward it and celebrate the success of every team member? Time will tell if Alberto has damaged his relationship with the rest of the team. We know that Lance has earned the respect of the peloton and his team. His team has experience and fitness, these guys know that this is a three week sufferfest - one that can't be won alone.

The reason I love the tour is because I love the tactics, the incredible fitness level of the cyclists, the tactics and planning of the tour managers, the changing rules and the route that requires a new plan every year. I want the best rider to win, the best team to take control, I don't want one silly move by an insecure team mate to put the whole plan in jeopardy.

I love the tour because if a team prepares and executes their plan the results are amazing. If the tour (or Lance) can inspire one person to commit to their vision with the same focus that would result in great things that would be worth three weeks in France on a bike.

Spring is coming

Spring arrives this week although it is unusually cold and snowy in Vancouver the birds are chirping and spring is in the air. I can tell Spring is almost here by the unusual workouts I have been witnessing at the gym. Weird and wacky activities that have been brought to us by fitness magazines and experts... the type that prey on our body image insecurities and promise quick weight loss and tighter abs.

I have witnessed dangerous and downright deadly workout routines that leave me feeling distressed and dismayed. Occasionally, they even leave me questioning my choice of profession. While I understand that most people don't realize that their exercise practices may be dangerous. I also realize that most people don't understand enough about fitness to realize that they are being mislead by some "experts". These questionable exercise practices promoted by magazines, celebrities and so called fitness professionals should have some accountability, but we know now that the financial industry is not accountable, neither is government so why would we think anyone else would be accountable? It would be nice to think that if you are paying for expert advice you would get legitimate advice, but often that is not what happens. So how can you protect yourself and your health?

Ask for the following BASIC requirements of your fitness professional.
1. Certifications: Minimal requirement in BC - BCRPA. Best International Certifications - NSCA, ACSM.
2. Experience: Who is their clientele and how long have they been working with this group.
3. Insurance. A fitness professional can only get insurance if they are certified.
4. References. Do they have clients willing to provide testimonials.
5. Clients. Do they have long time clients? Are these clients you can relate to? Do their clients refer them to others?
6. Are they role models? Not only should they promote health and fitness they should promote lifelong health and fitness not the latest fad, supplement or gadget.
7. Can they explain why you are doing a particular exercise? Is it safe? Do they encourage you to exercise without them?
8. Do they assess your current fitness and health status before you begin an exercise program?
9. Does trainer assess your short term and long term goals and can they explain how you are working toward your goals.
10. Does your trainer explain how you should expect to feel after your workouts? Can they explain what you can expect as you progress? Do they progress through exercises slowly and safely?

These are minimal expectations. These are non- negotiable and should be easily addressed by any fitness professional.

There are many educated, professional, certified fitness professionals. People who care about your health and fitness. Individuals who believe in promoting safe exercises to the benefit of their clients. Health professionals that take pride in your success.
If your trainer offers unrealistic expectations, impossible workout routines and unsafe practices. It is time to find a new trainer. Don't take chances with your health and fitness. Demand the best and ask for qualifications. I have seen a lot of fitness fads come and go, but the fundamentals of fitness never change and never go out of style.