fitness tip

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Don't Age Without a Fight

old age
 

Fitness should be an important part of your daily life no matter what your age. But what happens when the aging body starts to interfere with your workouts, hobbies, and daily routine? As of late, one of my clients (who is in his early 80s) has experienced a loss of strength. Daily activities that he once did with ease, are now proving to be quite the challenge. He is finding that simple tasks now take more work, moderate tasks are now intense and intense tasks are impossible. 

While aging is inevitable, that doesn’t mean we should go down without a fight. Instead of surrendering to Father Time, I recommend you channel your inner toddler and fight back. Scream, kick, and throw a tantrum if you have to. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself in good health. 

What’s the best way to fight back? 

Strength training. Though lifting weights won’t stop us from aging or heal all of our ailments, it will do wonders for your mobility. Preserving the muscle is essential for maintaining strength in old age. If you lose your strength, your world will get very small, very quickly. 

*image by Flickr

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Compete With Yourself

kids running
 

Being the youngest of five kids, growing up in the quintessential blue-collar family, and spending a lot of time on construction sites with my dad and siblings taught me a lot about the importance of working hard and being competitive.

As the youngest sibling, I was always trying to keep up with my older siblings. I would try to carry more lumber than they did or race them around job sites. Everything became a contest for us. Even when I lost (I lost a lot), I never gave up. Losing just made me want to try harder. 

Being competitive has served me well over the years (even though it may have driven my family, friends and teammates nuts at times.) While you may not have a competitive bone in your body, I do encourage you to compete with yourself every day. Push yourself to be a little healthier, stronger, faster, and happier!

It doesn’t matter whether you are 16 or 86, every morning you have an opportunity to make your life better than it was the day before. If you only worked out for 20 minutes the day before, push for 30 today. If you only ate 2 servings of veggies yesterday, push for 3 today. The only person standing in your way from becoming a fitter, healthier you, is you. 

*image by Shanti Knapp

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Mindset Over Matter

The Right Mindset
 

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

How many times a day do you let the people in your life <co-workers, family members, social media followers, your inner voice> dictate how you feel? If the answer is “too damn many”, please keep reading. 

Having the RIGHT MINDSET is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Too damn many of us usually let our surrounding environment dictate how we feel, when in reality we should always be the ones in control. The RIGHT MINDSET is your best defense against the obstacles that life will inevitably throw your way.

So what does it mean to have the RIGHT MINDSET?

  • Remaining optimistic
  • Maintaining a positive attitude
  • Staying in control of your emotions
  • Being proactive (rather than reactive) 

Learning to control your thoughts, emotions, and actions at all times puts you in a position of power. Becoming less occupied with the opinions of others will leave you more time to focus on actually reaching your goals. The naysayers (there will always be naysayers) will no longer have any say in your level of success.

OK I’m ready, but how do I get the RIGHT MINDSET? 

Just like everything else in life you want to be great at, this behavior will not be mastered in a day. Instead, it requires lots of patience and even more practice. That being said, I do have one tip for you on how to get started: become aware of your own thought process. If you feel yourself going down the negative rabbit hole—pull yourself back into the position of power. Pay attention to the triggers that tend to lead you astray and then tell them to go away. Remember that YOU are the one in the driver’s seat. Don’t be afraid to grab that wheel and steer yourself back into the position of power. If you can learn to control the six inches between your ears, the rest of your life will get a hell of a lot easier, I guarantee it.

Have a great week :)

*image by Unsplash.com

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!