On My Mind

Health has been on my mind more and more lately.

longer work hours
less sleep,
the faster pace of life
the wanting of immediate results

I’ve been taking notice more and more when I’m out that the daily grind is taking a toll on us. Our health, as a population, is getting worse and things aren’t going to turn around anytime soon. Stress, deadlines, the sheer craziness of life does not come without consequences. People are wearing down and aging faster then ever.

My #1 Concern

My focus, my drive, and my concern is health. Not just mine, but for my family, clients, and friends. I realize how fragile we all are and I’m reminded of it everywhere I look. One fall, one diagnosis, one accident away from life being never being the same.

Bulletproof we are not. Our health supercedes everything. My college coach Al Carius would always say, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” At 21 I didn’t fully understanding what he meant by this nor did I really care. 20 years later I now completely understand this message and care a lot.

I lost my sister 5 years ago next month to cancer, I’ve had multiple clients, friends, and other family members have to deal with serious health issues. Many of these issues could have been avoided if they had only made the investment in their health. Investment - putting time in, effort, money, and sacrifice into achieving a result.

That same effort that you put into your job, buying your house, and taking trips, needs to be made towards your health.

Keep Father Time At Bay

Aging is inevitable. But how you choose to age is entirely up to you. You can succumb to it, but as I’ve written before Father Time does not take kindly to being inactive, idle or the desk-bound lifestyles. In fact, Father Time is no different than the animal kingdom, he preys on the weak first. Life can be brutally hard on those who choose to ignore a commitment to their health.

Pick up some weights, jog around the block, ride your bike through the neighborhood, add some greenery on your dinner plate, or get your co-workers to walk at lunch. These should be daily habits that you practice. Now practice stringing together days, weeks, months, and years of taking care of the single greatest thing you own, your body.

Call me if you'd like help taking care of your health 310.251.7420

Image credit: Ismael Nieto

When it comes to making decisions about your health, fitness, energy, or emotions, you are probably a creature of habit. Whether or not this is a bad thing depends solely on you.

Are you someone that starts out with the best intentions but then somehow ends up back at square one (aka unfit and unhappy)? Or are you someone that is motivated to continuously try and better yourself, be more efficient, and/or feel comfortable in your own skin?

Regardless of your answer, if you want to make healthy habits stick, you'll need to be patient.

How long does it take for healthy habits to stick?

I don't usually see healthy habits start to stick with my clients until around the 90 day mark. Whether you want to build strength, improve cardio, build confidence, or gain mental toughness--it will most likely take you 3 months.

What happens at the three month mark?

Motor patterns are mastered, strength gains are made, and mental fortitude has been built. The body and mind now crave the workout. You have made a positive habit that will result in the desired change. If you are patient, consistent, kind to yourself, and you do the work--you'll succeed at creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Life And Aging