Confessions of an Ex Exercise Moron
I am currently 44 years young, and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life. But, it hasn’t always been like this for me! I used to be a miserable blob, existing on unhealthy foods and a complete ignorance of how the human body is designed to move and function. At the age of 30 my son was born and my pants size was a whopping 36. At the age of 36 a friend challenged me to “get in shape”. I’m thankful for this challenge because it was the beginning of my journey toward wellness. But, I knew nothing of how to properly exercise to create body and muscle balance.
Did I drop some weight? Yes!
Did I look leaner? Yes!
Did I feel better about myself? Yes!
Was I still a mess? YESSSSS!!
I was “DYSFUNCTIONALLY FIT”!!
My body was out of balance and certain muscles were overused and strong and other muscles were underused and weak. I was an injury or a series of injuries waiting to happen! My thinking and my approach was flawed.
Here are some of the misnomers and frankly some of my moronic thinking concerning my own fitness, health and wellness:
- Stretching is for sissies! WRONG!!! After rigorous activity your fascia has been lengthened along with your muscles and if your fascia and muscles are not stretched constriction occurs. Assisted stretching increases mobility, range of motion and flexibility which enhances performance! Little did I know how much of an exercise moron I was.
- All I have to do is cardio work to be strong and fit. WRONG!! Our bodies fight for homeostasis (balance). Ridiculous amounts of cardio (running, biking, swimming) allowed me to possess great endurance but it also got me something else: a WEAK core!! Cardio is good for weight loss and endurance but we also need to incorporate a strength/resistance regiment. Without it we are certain to have muscle imbalances and muscle weakness. I was an exercise moron!!
- I can eat whatever I want. What an idiot!!! Desert after dinner? “Sure, I’ll have two.” Fast food? “Why not!?!” Was I burning a lot of calories? YES!! Was the unhealthy choices affecting me externally? No! But, my performance, muscle tone, mood was being adversely affected. Sound choices when it comes to our nutrition is a critical component in our overall health and wellness. I currently follow a nutrition lifestyle of real food. I stay clear of genetically modified food like substances and eat REAL food! Boy, was I a moron!
- Four or Five hours of sleep is enough. WRONG!!!! Good quality sleep is absolutely critical to the body’s ability to recover and regenerate. REM sleep is where the renewal at the cellular level occurs. We need sleep!! To think that I could operate with minimal sleep and be fit and well was moronic on my part!
Taking all the knowledge and experience I have acquired in the holistic health and wellness field into account I now live as an ex exercise moron. I stretch, balance out cardio and strength training, I make sound nutrition choices and I sleep consistently (same bed time and same awake time).
Are you a moron? If the mirror shows a health and wellness moron what are you going to do about it? Let the team at GR8LIFECEO get you moving in the right direction! www.gr8lifeceo.com