Don't fall into resignation, fall into action.
"THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE STARTS IN THE MIND"
Today I am sharing an experience... an anecdote. Something that happened to me a few days ago, but that has also happened before, many times.
(A few days ago) As I enjoyed my exquisite workout in the outdoors of the community where I live (a golf resort) I was approached by an older gentleman in a golf cart who asked me something. The conversation went something like this:
"What are you practicing for, young man?", He asked as he saw me doing squats with a heavy medicine ball." I am practicing for life," I said. "I am getting strong, and flexible, and mobile, so I can enjoy life better. So I can pick up my daughter and play with her. So I can carry the groceries whenever I go to the market". (Yes, I said that. And that is why I train.) He laughed and said, "Well I am glad that you can do it. Let me tell you, I see you exercising there every day and I wish I could do it too. But I am old."
"With all due respect, sir," I replied. "Anyone at any age can exercise. How old are you?". "I'm somewhere in the 70s", he answered. "I am a physical educator and a fitness trainer." "Do you want to know much people, older than you, I have helped exercise?", I asked. Then, without letting him answer I kept going, "90. I have helped people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s to stand up from a chair, to walk again, to be able to open a door when they've had a stroke or to come back from joint replacements. It's never too late to exercise."
He asked me if they all do the same exercises I was doing at the moment, to which I said, "No. Everybody is different in that sense. What works for me may not work for you. But that is why I have studied so much, to figure out what you need as an individual, which in essence is the same as everybody else. Do you know? Walk better, better posture, diminish or eliminate pain, have energy, be mobile and flexible enough while at the same time have control of your body. However, the approach is different for each individual case". "Well I don't know, I think I am too old for that.", he said. "Maybe I will consider exercising some day. Have a great day". And he left.
As he drove away and I went back to my exercises. I could not help to think about what he said, "I am old." As in, because he is chronologically older, there is no more chance for him to exercise, to move better, to get healthier. As if exercising was only for those of younger age. And that is a huge problem I have been witnessing in my 15 years as a physical educator (and that is predominant in America)..., the constant promotion of resignation once you hit a certain age, when it should be the other way around. Since when being older became synonym with impotence?
Unfortunately, this also applies to many other factors than just age. "Oh, I can't do that because that is for men only." "Oh I can't do that because I am fat," or "Oh I can't do that because my back hurts". I believe, that people fall into resignation due to lack of knowledge on how and what to prioritize when it comes to exercising, and that is caused by the constant bombardment of miseducation that society is viciously spreading.
I am talking about the lack of physical education programs for everybody (not just for students), and the constant advertisement of products and programs that only showcase young, athletic, shredded, or big butt people. The continuous (negative) message that the only way to get healthy is to do what they say, telling you that, if you don't do what they ask you to do, you are doomed. Unfortunately, even trainers fall into that mentality. But, what about what you can do? What about all of the options out there?
First of all, you have to get rid of the mentality that because you have some physical limitations or because you are a certain age, it means that you can not do anything. As stated before, "THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE STARTS IN THE MIND."Go to www.quantumfithealth.com for more information on how to start healthy changes.