Confessions of a Personal Trainer: Just turned 34, best health in my life!

I really wish I had some drastic before and after photo and some Mike Chang 6 Pack Shortcut style advice.  That is not me. But this is me.

A tale of two photos. The first photo is of me at around 21 years of age. That is me, with a cigarette! An entire picture of beer?!?!? About to eat chicken wings? 

Second photo 33, after a half marathon, non-smoker, seldom drink, vegetarian?!?  What a difference 12 years makes.  I got a bit retrospective this month.  I just turned 34 and feeling a bit down about all the things I wanted to accomplish, but trying to focus on what I have accomplished.  What is my secret 13 years of slow incremental progress with plenty of setbacks…. Yeah!

I know. This does not sound like a lot of fun. Being as health conscious as I am is a fairly new development.  I was not born a personal trainer, nor did I start with fitness in high school. In fact, I skipped gym as much as possible. I ate vegetables by accident mostly and enjoyed a sedentary lifestyle. As I got older, did not get healthier at first. I was addicted to stress, my work/life balance was a mess and I was really losing a grip. I slowly started using exercise as a way to manage stress. With support from my wife, I finally was able to start focusing on my health.  Cutting out the unhealthy parts of my life and replacing them with healthy positive activities.

So, just like my recent accomplishment of running a half-marathon, I did not take a shortcut. Not a sprint, but a journey of one step at a time.

-Don’t chase fads: they lead to disappointment.

-Do it for yourself: this is your work and your benefit.

-Don’t beat yourself up for setbacks: Be compassionate to everyone, especially you.

-Most rewarding work is from the neck up.

-Find support where you can.

-Don’t look back: Like the song, you know. Learn from the past, but do not live there.

The last bit of wisdom I have after my 34^th birthday is from Henry David Thoreau

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”

So I hope the enthusiasm I bring to my clients will keep me young!

I don’t have time for your bulls#*t, or finding time to workout, or motivation part duex.

always good to keep a dumbbell next to the sink when you are doing the dishes.

I don’t know anyone who is not busy; some are just way busier than others.  Here are some tips I use to squeeze in activity.

1. Time that you rest between sets can be filled.  I workout at home sometimes because I don’t have time to go to the gym.  So, the 60-90 seconds I rest between sets, I will put a load of laundry in the machine, gather the recycling, add to the grocery list, or wash a dish or two.  I have some small tasks that I can do between sets, so by the time I am done with my weight training; I have also done some small chores.  I kinda run around the apartment and make my wife nuts though….

1. Sometimes I like to just watch TV or read to chill out.  But, taking a lesson from my ballet friends, you can stretch while you are doing this.  I remember seeing dancers doing homework or even having a quick bite to eat in the splits.  The idea is, if you are ever being just still, might as well stretch.  So I have a couple of stretches I know I can do wile watching a movie or reading.  This has the added benefit of relaxing you too, so watching a little TV in the alligator pose before you go to bed is nice. 

Relaxing, stretching and reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Do you like to watch sports?  I feel guilty watching athletes in their prime competing while sitting on my butt.  So how about doing some squats or curls, or getting on the treadmill during the game?

1. If you need to think about something, think about it during a set.  So before you send off that e-mail, do 15 curls and think about it.  You will collect your thoughts, and if you are emotionally charged about the e-mail, you might calm down a bit and send something more measured. 

1. Don’t wait.  RUN!  My wife gets a shower, and then I have to wait for more hot water before I can get a shower and do the dishes…. Time to run around the block.  Then I will really need that shower!

Easier said than done I know, but over the years, I have squeezed in a handful of workouts this way.  Even if you can’t get your full workout in, anything is better than giving up and doing nothing.

A little quad stretch and some star trek

Shoes!

Recently, a young and successful friend of mine commented that she may need new shoes but lamented the expense and the amount of research necessary.  A salesperson at a store quickly told her as he ran to help another customer, “you can’t use runners for training and trainers for running.”  So now she needs two pairs of shoes?!?! Coincidentally one of my clients was commenting on shoes and I also have deemed my pair purchased in the summer as almost dead.  So it inspired me to do a bit of research, and recap some of the things I have found.

1-First, the best thing I ever did was visit Advanced Mobility Orthopaedics.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Advanced-Mobility-Ortho-Ltd
http://www.advancedmobilityortho.com/
I cannot say enough good things about this.  My foot had some structural issues that have always made running and walking painful, but having it my entire life, I just stopped noticing it.  After getting some inserts for my shoes, I do 10k no problem.  If you have tried running and your feet hurt at all… might be a good idea to get an assessment.

2- How many freakin shoes do you want me to buy?  Well, a turn out there is reasoning behind buying different types of athletic shoes.  There are trainers, walking shoes, running shoes and sport specific shoes.  At up to $200 bucks a pop, buy a handful and you wont be able to pay me for personal training!  Well we don’t want that to happen!  So just buy what you need.

Bottom line:
Shoes called “Trainers,” flexible mutli-purpose shoes you can use for various activities.  Compromise for buying multiple sport specific shoes.  If you are not a performance athlete, just want to go for walks, mess around on a court for a little bit, maybe take a zumba class.

Running shoes.  Can’t I just by trainers?  Well if you are going to be running a good deal, for more than 15 min and running outside, you should get a pair of runners too.  The big difference, cushioning and impact reduction.  Running creates a lot of impact and if you want to prevent injury (strike that YOU WANT TO PREVENT INJURY), get a decent pair of running shoes.

Also, on the bright side, if you have a pair of trainers and a pair of runners, they will both last longer if you use them for the specific tasks.

3- Just because the soles are good, does not mean the shoe is still good.  In fact, the sole is the last thing to go.  Don’t hang on to a shoe because the bottom part looks good.  Inside is what counts.

4-Your shoe size changes.  I always thought your shoe sized stayed the same when you became an adult but it is not true.  I used to be an 11 and now I am a 12 (I don’t have to buy skis at least).  I guess I have heard that some women like to cram their foot into a small shoe for some reason… I don’t get that, as I guy, I never even thought about a woman’s shoe size.  So get over it, get your foot measured and by a freaking shoe that fits.  Also, shop for your shoes at the end of the day when your foot swells from the day.

5-Not rich?  What to buy?  Shop for type of shoe not brand.  You can get a decent cheap shoe.  If you had to choose between a cheap comfortable new shoe and wearing your old warn out ones until you can afford expensive ones, just get some new shoes.  The old ones are more likely to injure you.  You should not have to “break in” athletic shoes.  Also, don’t get sucked in by the hype.  The most expensive shoes are mostly there to make the mid-priced shoes look cheaper.

Links on the bottom are helpful in making your decisions.  If you don’t have time to look at any of them, just look at the consumer reports article.  Last page has the best quick tips.


Lots more to talk about I am sure, this is just my humble opinion.  Public discussion and feedback welcome.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/athletic-shoes/buying-guide.htm

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/shoes/choosing-a-shoe-the-very-basics/481.html


http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/beforeyoubuy/a/aabyb_shoes.htm

shoes falling out of my closet.