Thanking My High School Track Coach

This is a blog I wrote a while back, but I really think the message is important.

Anyone who knew me in high school is thinking, "You didn't run track in high school?!?!" Well, I was on the track team for two weeks. I was looking for something new to do and I decided to join track. I told the track coach and he told me when practices were. I went to every practice for two weeks. The coach was never there. Sometimes one of the other track kids would have a note of things to do, a sort of work out that was written in what was to me at the time some secret track code. There wasn't much running going on.

Having not had one session of coaching, a track meet was coming up. I had no idea what I was doing, so I went to the track coach after a class and told him I was quitting track.

He laughed.

Then he asked me why, I told him there was a track meet coming up and I was not ready for it.
He said, "Well whose fault is that?" I walked away, he laughed a little more. If I had been as bold then as I am now I'd have said something back.

I didn't even consider running again for twenty years after that. When I did, it turned out I was kind of good at it.

So I'd like to thank my high school track coach for some important lessons.

Always be there for others.
When you are the one in charge of something, be involved.
Never laugh at a kid.

Why I Wore My Shirt in the Pool

It is in our nature to hold on to what we believe. Studies have shown that once we are emotionally invested in an idea, then we become resistant to arguments against it. When this happens, no matter if new facts are presented, no matter if circumstances change we will hold on to that belief. Often, in the face of overwhelming evidence against the belief, we will just start holding on even harder.

This is why I used to always wear a t-shirt swimming. In the pool, in the lake, it didn't matter, I wore a t-shirt when I swam.

I'm sure it had something to do with this:

When I graduated high school I was 5'7" tall and weighed 120 pounds. In my mind, the idea that I had become invested in, I was a scrawny little wimp. I was pale skinned, weak, and frail. 

Negative body image affects boys too.

Even when it was no longer true, I maintained that idea in my head for years. Even now, I feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off to swim. To this day, I get embarrassed when I come out of the water shirtless.

What the advertisements try to tell us is that if we can change our bodies, become more muscular, or thinner, or more tanned, or more toned, we will like ourselves, and others will too. For me, and I am willing to bet for  a lot of other people too, changing the way my body looked did very little to change the way I perceived myself. 

I'm still uncomfortable in shorts.

For me, fitness is not about trying to make my body acceptable as defined by others, it is not about trying to fix the way I look. For me fitness is about enjoying life to the fullest. 

I want to live longer. I want to always be able to put the 50 pound bag of dog food in the cart. I want to be able to run after my dog if he manages to get off his leash. I want to be able to play soccer in the backyard with my daughter. I want to be able to keep up with her when she wants to go for a bike ride. I want to be able to give her a piggy back ride even when she's all grown up and comes home to visit. 

I don't emphasize the idea of exercising to fit into an outfit, or into a mold that someone else set up as ideal. If goals like those get you exercising, I will be glad to help you fit into those pants, but my real goal, my ulterior motive, is to get you healthy and strong so you can minimize illnesses and injuries and maximize your time enjoying life.

If you want some fitness training or advice, let me know, I'll be happy to help.

Steven O'Nan 

stevenonan.trainerize.com

https://www.facebook.com/StevenONanPersonalTrainer?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark

www.gettonedfitness.com

Ways to Overcome Fitness Intimidation

OK, if you are new to the whole idea of fitness, if you have been sedentary and need to be less so, if you know it is time to make some changes, I'm talking to you.

I'm not going to tell you to train for a 5K race. 

Or a marathon, or a triathlon. While many people have success stories about getting fit by committing to big goals, these things are not necessary.

I'm not trying to sell you a fitness program.

I'm in mission mode today, not career mode. 

I'm not going to tell you the "one weird trick to lose belly fat fast!"

I'm going to keep it simple today. 

I'm not asking or telling you to completely overhaul your lifestyle, I'm just sharing some easy things you can do that if you work them into your life can increase your health and happiness. Of course you should always discuss changes to your fitness routines with a doctor first, but these things are simple.

1. Walk your dog.

You need it, your dog needs it, take your dog for a walk. Go out the door, walk for 5 minutes, turn around and come back. Don't have a dog? Go to the humane society and volunteer to walk dogs there.

2. Find a fun way to get moving.

Do you like to take pictures? Go for a walk seeking out photo opportunities. Do you like to write? Go for a walk to find inspiring scenes to put on the page. Like video games? Get one that requires your body as the controller. 

Whatever it is that you like to do. Find a way to make movement part of it.

3. Take up something new.

Try a new something to get you moving. Pick up some new fitness routine that you think you will enjoy, if you don't enjoy quit doing it and find something else. It can be anything from tennis, to Nintendo Wii sports to golf.

4. Take up something old.

Find an activity you enjoyed before and start doing it again. It can be anything from tennis, to. . .

The main thing is, to overcome a sedentary lifestyle, find something you like. You don't have to become a marathoner or an ironman triathlete, or Iron Man for that matter. All you have to do is start moving. Get up and do more, make it fun, make it a habitual part of your life. Once it is in your routine, if you want more, do more.

If you want help getting fit, contact me.

onansm@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/StevenONanPersonalTrainer

stevenonan.trainerize.com

Supplements and Hitting the Wall