Are you getting all this?
I’ve learned some things about your body along my path of work and wellness. I thought you should know the too, since it’s your body we’re talking about.
1) The hardest battle you will ever fight will be in your mind and in your spirit.
Do you want it bad enough? Are you willing to work? Can you focus? Do you even care? Are you afraid?
2) You should do (really do) physical therapy and get several opinions before you have an orthopedic surgery.
Most people give up on therapy too quick and then don’t get more than one opinion before having surgery. Often, surgery doesn’t help.
3) You aren’t accustomed to being hungry and that’s one reason you can’t lose weight.
Fasting for short periods of time can train your willpower. Of course, I fast occasionally for spiritual reasons, but just learning to say “no” when your body wants something is a virtuous and useful skill to have for many reasons.
4) You don’t know how your body works.
I take for granted how much I know about how the body’s joints, muscles, physiology, and mechanics work, so I get unfairly frustrated at how out of touch most people are with their own bodies. Learn to pay attention to your body and adjust the way you live, work out, eat, etc.
Do you feel better when you don’t eat breakfast, or do? Do you hate running because it hurts your knees? Does your back hurt and if so why? What are you doing to cause yourself to feel or perform or look the way you do? Do you like to take naps? Ask hard questions and then get answers.
Take some time and study. Find out how your body works.
5) You are probably not in proper alignment due to poor posture, muscle and joint imbalances, tight muscles, and / or bad habits.
Poor posture plays a big role in pain and performance. As do tight muscles, muscular imbalances, and bad habits. A spine, or core, in improper alignment can cause all sorts of movement problems down the “chain”- the rest of the body.
6) You can change your body and you don’t have to be perfect.
I know you think you can’t change your body, but you can. I’ve seen it over and over and over and over again. *Warning though: One downside to a constant bombardment of ads, TV shows, celebrities, and movies is the acquired belief that everyone should look perfect. You may never be a supermodel but who cares? You don’t need to be. You don’t need to be perfect but you can change.
7) The reason you aren’t happy and you hate doing things that you know are good for you is because you’re lazy. I love you, but you are. I know this because I am too, sometimes.
God has given us what we have to work with. We should deal with the world joyfully because this is the world as it is and as it’s been made. When we hate what we have, what’s right in front of us, or what we need to do, it’s a form of laziness. It’s a refusal to see things right in front of us, a refusal to act, and accept responsibility. We are lazy when we deny reality. Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you aren’t lazy. Some of the busiest times in my life have also been when I’ve been the laziest.
Not being lazy means being busy, but only busy doing what needs to be done.
8) You will hurt at some point, but pain can be managed.
There are many ways to deal with pain: change what you’re doing, exercise endorphins kill pain, certain types of self-massage, supplements, certain types of natural anti-inflammatories such as fish oil, ginger, turmeric (I take all 3 of these every day), music, aromatherapy (no, seriously), meditation, biodfeedback, and so on.
9) You need to take a day off.
No I mean a day off from EVERYTHING. Just once a week. You need to rest.
10) Luck and genetics play a role in what you can do.
I will never be good at basketball, golf, trumpet playing, being politically correct, or gymnastics. But I’m a pretty good runner, a good writer, and I’m not bad at volleyball or tennis. And I’m very strong. I will probably have high blood pressure (my Dad has it). Luck and genetics play a role in what is possible.
Keep these things in mind along your path to health and fitness, since now you know them too.
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