So, we're at a point mentally where we want to do something about our bodies.
But there's one problem. The guy in the newspaper never said how we should go about doing whatever that "something" is.
How do we get started? What's the first thing we do? We're motivated - we think. We don't know how long it's going to take, but we're hoping we're ready to put in the time.
What now? Is it hiring a trainer? Joining a gym? Buying all kinds of fitness gear and equipment? What about workout videos? What about that book the guy wrote about eight minutes to a better body? Maybe we should just read that.
Folks, forget all that crap. Don't worry about videos, trainers, gyms or anything else until we've taken a long hard look in our mental mirror and have gained a lucid understanding of what we want to do with our bodies.
If we don't have an idea of what we want to do, how do we expect to be able to convey that to somebody else? The answer is, we won't convey anything but confusion, and we'll end up with some convoluted program that's not right for us.
Now, how do we go about finding the answer to what we want to do with our bodies?
This part will take some time. It'll take some soul searching. Some of us may not like a few of the places our searching will take us, but that's part of the trek some of us must take to make a change.
LEARNING ABOUT US
I've always been a very cerebral trainer. "Train the brain, and the body will follow." My clients have heard that numerous times. In that respect, using our brains is the first step to getting started.
Here are a few ways to use the brain.
-Write the word "FITNESS" or "HEALTH" at the top of the first page of a new notebook. With that single word as the guide, we should start writing about what that word means to us.
I hate to mention the following for fear of us not thinking of our unique meanings. But some of us will write about issues such as lowering our cholesterol or blood pressure. Others will channel a moment in our lives where we accomplished a stellar goal. Some of us will think about how we felt after a special compliment.
Spend 30 minutes writing about that word - more if the words are flowing well. Somewhere in that writing, we might find what we want.
-We could spend some time visualizing our perfect selves. Many of the country's best athletes use visualization techniques to improve their abilities. Why shouldn't we?
So, let's take some time, sit back, close our eyes and look at that perfect us. What is that perfect person like, and why? What is that person doing to be so perfect?
Next week, we'll talk about what to do after we've found out what we want to do.
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(Bryant has two National Strength and Conditioning Association certifications. Contact him at milo.bryant@gazette.com or read his blog at milobryant.blogspot.com.)
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(c) 2008, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.