Why do we stop working out?

Check out those love handles!

I have said it before and I will say it again… I am not a picture of health, nor am Isome physical specimen, like some friends of mine are.  I am just a guy who is willing to work hard to stay in shape, be an inspiration to my kids and others, and be fit enough to enjoy the things in life that I like to do.

Think about how your life goes… at a very young age it is all about you.  You focus on yourself and maybe others to some degree by making friends and supporting others as well.  Then you graduate from high school and college and start to gain some independence while trying to court your future spouse.  Then you find that perfect person and you spend the next 20 or so years focused on the relationship and raising kids(maybe).  That is where a lot of us falter.  There is a time frame while creating a family where we tend to lose focus on ourselves.  Not to be confused with being selfish, however we need to take care of ourselves if we ever expect others to do the same thing.  Jim Rohn quoted “I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.”  I love that.   Once we realize that we forgot to take care of ourselves, we are in our mid forties or fifties and Dr either fixed a heart attack or put us on some medication for heart disease.  What a great solution to my problem of not eating healthy and not working out…drugs.  NOT for me.

Why do so many of us rely on other people to take care of us?  That is a great question.  Why do so many of us feel like we deserve something we don’t have and probably have not earned yet?  Another great quote, “the definition of insanity is thinking you need something that you are currently living without.”  That is an interesting analogy.

I like to focus on health because without good health, the rest of life is pretty mediocre at best.  Certainly not as enjoyable as life should be.  Jenny and I  have a lot of friends who are far healthier and in better shape than we are, and I like that.  It gives me someone to look up to.  Some of the guys I know are several years older than me and they are in way better shape than I am and certainly more fit at their age than I will be 5 years from now.  I will still work at getting better though.

Since I tried the P90X workout, I have enjoyed working out so much that it is addictive.  I feel so good with my newly found strength in my core, shoulders, arms, and doing pull ups!  I love doing pull ups!  It is so much fun to share the workout routines with others too.  I have about 20 friends that are trying to work out using the P90x system.  There are a lot of choices out there to workout, you have to go with what you enjoy doing.  That is what will stick.   Some of the friends that I am connected with that are working out with P90X are struggling to stick with it and they were looking for some accountability partners.  Part of what I like about the program is that I can do it at home and while traveling.   So when someone asks for an accountability partner I am reluctant to give that up.  I quickly realized that they did not want a workout partner, just someone to meet with them weekly, mentor them, and hold them accountable to finish the 90 days!  I hope they realize that it is not just 90 days…Life style baby!  A lot of people stop after 30 days and struggle to get back on track.   They take a few weeks of and try to get back to working out and eating healthy again only to fall prey to the old lifestyle.  You must push through that phase.  It is the big test, the weeder course.  Push through the temptation to stop.  You have to experience the law of gestation and persistence to really reap the benefits of what you are doing.  90 days is the start, it is the second 90 days that is the icing onthe cake.  Stick with it and you will see.

So we started our own group here in Fargo, ND.  We meet every Monday over the lunch hour.  Everyone brings their own food if they want to eat.  We chat about our goals, our current status, obstacles and challenges, and nutrition.  Today we decided to include recipes and nutritional info for the whole family as we have kids and we want to raise them in a fit and healthy environment.  Let’s face it, adult obesity is out of control, and child obesity is about to get out of control if not already.  Diabetes expenses consume about 30% of healthcare costs today, where do you think that number will go?  UP!  Let’s get serious about helping each other get healthy!  It’s not that hard.

I am certain that there are people out there who are trying to workout more, eat healthier, etc and they keep falling back into old habits.  I do it too!  I challenge you to get with a group of people who are willing to change.  Who are willing to hold each other accountable to live the lifestyle you want to live for the rest of your life.  It is way more than just 90 days.  LIFE STYLE!  Notice the word LIFE!

To my friends that I admire and look up to for inspiration, thank you very much for all that you do and who you are.  We all have them in our lives, who are you motivated by?

Take a close look at who you are friends with.   Ask yourself…What do they have me doing?   What do they have me saying?  Where do they have me going?  What do they have you learning/reading?  What do they have me thinking?  Who do they have me becoming?  Then ask  yourself if that is ok?  Jim Rohn.

If you don’t like what you find by asking yourself those questions, then pick some new people to hang out with.

To your abundance in health and fitness,

Steve Aune

www.bodybyexercise.com

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