The 7 Habits of Highly Fit People #6 - Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!

1. Get started!
2. End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in! 

This concept as it relates to fitness, is best described when one looks at team sports.  A team can never expect to be the best unless all are growing in the same direction.  In Daniel James Brown’s – The Boys In The Boat – it was all rowing together in the same direction or what he referred to as getting into their ‘swing’.  Many people that are fit like to workout with others that have similar interests and are usually a very welcoming bunch to anyone just trying to get in shape.  Keep the energy positive around you and run, don’t walk from any negative people in your life that will compromise your goals.

Consider finding a workout buddy – someone who you can count on to help push you forward when you don’t feel like it and vice versa.  The research says that people will usually push themselves harder when they are working with another person.  I did a body building competition with my son a few years back when I turned 55 and he turned 22.  He was certainly a huge inspiration for me and without realizing it pushed me to work harder than I ever imagined possible and I am proud of the accomplishment.

You are never to old to learn and of course, to teach.  Again, I had to take direction from my son to get in the best shape I ever experienced in my life.  I adopted the attitude that when the student is ready to learn the teacher will appear – so be ready if that is your goal!

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.

The 7 Habits of Highly Fit People #5 - Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!

1. Get started!
2. End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in! 

A lot of us refuse to listen to what our bodies have to tell us.  The easiest examples are around alcohol and caffeine.  Many people I have talked to through the years told me that their bodies get really “sick” when they drink too much or consume too much coffee.  Instead of listening to the body signals, they ignore it and keep on going until they become dependent.  

Our bodies talk to us all the time about nutrition, exercise and rest.  It becomes a conscious effort whether we choose to listen or not.  For example, think about all the warning signals you get from exercise.  If you continue to push yourself after a strain, it could develop into a sprain or worse an internal tear. 

It’s important to change our attitude when our body is speaking to us.  Think of the metaphor of your automobile’s engine – there are gauges to help you know what is going on.  For example, oil pressure, temperature and fuel.  You have learned to read those gauges as warnings that you need to take action and your body is no different.  You use it hard and if you don’t bother with proper nutrition or rest, and it will stop running altogether.

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.

7 habits of highly fit people #4 - Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!

1. Get started!
2. End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in!

Fit people know the benefits of healthy nutritional choices, coupled with exercise and sleep.  There is so much research coming out on the effects of too little sleep or sleep that is constantly interrupted.  As hard as this might be to believe, some of the healthiest people are getting 7 -9 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily.  

The health benefits are remarkable in reducing stress levels, increasing energy and improving attitude. 

Finding the balance for exercise may prove to be a bit of a challenge for many people who spend long hours at the office.  No matter what the research says, people tend to disregard the findings that clearly state there is a slide of diminishing returns when one works past 40 hours.  The research claims you are not as productive after 40 hours as you were before.  Be that as it may, try to fit some extra walking in during your day.  

Learn to be creative, try a walking meeting instead of sitting for one or take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you have an office and can close the door, think of doing some pushups in between calls or you can even try the 7 Minutes workout – an App on your smart phone.  I have found a wearable device, such as Fitbit to be incredibly motivating.

Finally, refer to Habit 3 – Kitchen first, gym second to consider how to make healthier nutritional choices.

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.

7 Habits of Highly Fit People #3 - Kitchen First

1. Get started!
2. End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in!

Getting your body in shape starts in the kitchen.  As much as I don’t like to admit it – the saying holds true – you are what you eat!  So dump the processed sugars, reduce your caffeine intake, moderate the alcohol or just try starting to consume water as your only beverage.  I know it sounds harsh but you just might be surprised at how much different your food tastes.  Explore a bit on foods that you would enjoy and that are healthy for you.  Rubs and spices can enhance the flavor to something you could really enjoy. 

I think one of the biggest problems people can have with this habit is in regards to taste.  Many of us complain that eating healthy does not always taste good or delicious.  This is one area that pays off with huge dividends if we are willing to research a little and expand our network to possibly include a nutritionist and/or consult with a chef.  

Personally I have learned to substitute spinach for all my salads and incorporate fresh fruits in along with protein sources such as chicken.  There are many great Apps for the smartphone to help make good nutritional decisions.

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.

The 7 Habits of Highly Fit People #2 - End Goal

1. Get started!
2. End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in!

Besides the Zig Ziglar quote pictured here, I like Tony Robbins quote – 'setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible!’  I encourage you to get a vision of what you want to look like or feel like and then never lose sight of it.  Make a picture board of images that represent your goal as a daily reminder to you of your destination.  Don’t give up on yourself – people that are successful are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not! 

The END GOAL in mind is like following a recipe.  If you are good at guesstimating how much needs to go in then you can “wing it” and get the results without a tight structure.  However, if you are one of those people who are more successful in following a stricter path, then by all means follow the directions – set a weekly workout and nutrition schedule.  This is all a matter of preference and one way is not necessarily better than an other when it comes to the results that you are looking for and will be happy with.  

The 7 Habits of Highly Fit People

If becoming fit is your goal then look no further to learn how to just [as the Nike ads read] do it!  

Becoming fit takes a personal commitment that no one else can do for you.  You can’t get others to eat better for you or exercise or sleep for you – only you can do it for yourself.  As someone who has been more or less fit his entire life, I feel I am somewhat of a subject matter expert on what it takes to get and stay fit.  

First let me preface, I did not come from a family who valued fitness or had “good genes”, but what I did have was determination and a willingness to make smarter choices regarding my overall health.  

As I reflected on those choices, I became keenly aware of some habits that all fit people share.  Borrowing shamelessly from Stephen Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Fit People are:

1. Get started!
2.  End Goal – weight or waist size or body image?
3. Kitchen first, gym second!
4. Win-Win-Win by balancing nutrition, exercise and rest!
5. Listen to your body – don’t over fuel it or over work it!
6. Learn what others are doing and share what works for you – synergize!
7. Learn as much about nutrition and fitness as you are interested in!

 My goal over the next seven weeks is to give you a little more information about each and everyone of these habits and how they may work for you.  My disclaimer up front is that this is nothing I invented or created.  I just gathered all the information into one place that will help you think through and adopt an attitude of getting yourself fit.  Remember fit is like one of those words such as normal where the definition that can be most helpful is the way in which you define it.  

With all that said, let’s take a look at the first and Get Started! 

GET STARTED

One of the most difficult steps for people to take when they have decided to change to improve their health is the first step.  Taking that first step is one of the biggest obstacles many people face in starting almost anything.  

The first step is about believing you can or as Henry Ford said – “whether you think you can or cannot, you’re right!’  So don’t delay – start today – you’ll be glad you did!  A friend of mine recently reminded me that the toughest piece of equipment to operate in a gym is the front door!   What helped me open that door was not wanting to feel the way I did anymore.  Rather than it being a practical decision, it became an emotional one.

Think about your attitude – do you have the right one to help you GET STARTED?  Attitude is something you choose – no one gives it to you and no one takes it away from you.  So think about how you can choose the best attitude for you that supports the direction you want to take to get into feeling the best about yourself that you have ever experienced.

Once you GET STARTED and you will be glad you did, you might be surprised to see how quickly one good decision leads to another like the laws of attraction always talk about.  You will attract many other healthy habits into your lifestyle just by – you guessed it – GETting STARTED!

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.

Values in a Relationship

A client asked me recently to help him understand the value[s] of being in an intimate relationship with a woman and asked me to share my personal view.  I wished I had a tape recorder because he told me that what I said was extremely helpful for him to hear.  He then recapped very clearly and succinctly all the high points I had made.  I found his question very interesting in that I had never really thought about what my values were in my relationship but was willing to answer his request.  

I started by saying what I value most in my relationship with my fiancé was feeling secure and safe enough to be vulnerable with her.  I trust her unquestionably to be able to share my deepest, darkest fantasies and never worry that she is going to judge me.  I think I had more internal issues with being open than she had to accept what I shared.  

I value that we both feel confident, loved and not insecure that we can share openly our comments about other people that cross our paths and whom we find attractive, sexy and yes even stunning.  I value the trust between us and have no reservations in letting her handle our financial position.  

I value my fiancé’s awesome sense of adventure.  I know she is never pushing an “agenda’ to do what she wants to do but desires us to experience life together in ways that are fun and exciting for both of us.  We have an incredible way of snuggling together while we sleep that I truly value and miss when we are separated.  

Lastly, I value how I feel that no one else in my life has “my back” in every important manner more completely and unconditionally than her.  

It is not that we are without our differences but we find ways to be respectful and caring toward each other.  I taught myself a valuable lesson when I see her “pushing me” to get things done.  She is not being mean or nagging but always has my best interest in mind and wants me to be successful.  She works hard for me and I am not sure she knows how much I appreciate and love her for what she has done, and continues to do, for me.  My client thought she should have been there with us to hear what I had to say as he was touched by my words or as he said “how genuine I sounded when speaking about her”.  So…hopefully now she knows!

So take some time and think about it.  What are your values in your relationship and how do you express them to the one you love?

To connect with me personally, visit the contact page at SexHealthDoc.com.