I'm actually pretty stoked about having a few of my Personal Training clients go through the process of answering a series of questions based on three main areas of their lives. In particular Physical Activity (which, if they are already a client, I'm thoroughly well-versed in), Nutrition (which again, if they're a client I'm very well-versed in)
and Holistic Health, which I talk about a little, especially if a client seems to need it. Holistic is definitely a buzzword that has attained quite a bit of popularity in recent years. I used to think it was some kind of strange, new-age, hippy word used by people who talked about their auras and chakras while consulting Miss Cleo's psychic hotline and analyzing the shade of their mood rings. But no. Holistic health is so, SO important because it is the sum of all your parts (as a whole. wHolistic. Get it? ;)) - it recognizes that ALL aspects of your needs - psychological, physical and social, should be acknowledged and that they all work together to create your internal dialogue. It's about what you think and believe and how it affects you. The Mind, Body and Soul are all connected. But you know that already, right?
During a counselling session with an NWS, the questionnaire asks specific questions related to those three subjects and has a person rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 4 - 1 being Needs Improvement, 2 = Fair, 3= Great and 4= Excellent. Personally I would have added 0 = Sucks, but they never consulted me when developing the format. Oh and trust me, I bet I'd have a few of those goose eggs in my own self-assessment, not gonna pretend I wouldn't. In reviewing the results and tallying the score, the counsellor is able to get better idea of how a person views themselves as well as to delve a bit further into what exactly their strengths and weaknesses are and what areas of their lives should be addressed, in order to feel happier, really. Then you discuss the results, consider some ways in which you can make and track changes(writing them on a calendar, keeping a food journal etc) and set a few simple goals that will get you on the right track. This helps if you have accountability issues or if you like to be...ahem, particularly vague about where you're going wrong, instead swearing up and down that you are eating clean and behaving like a saint meanwhile you order and consume large pizzas at 11pm and your ''water bottle'' in the gym is an empty 26er of tequila. You know who you are.
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Congratulations on your latest certification and for the continuation of your great blog! Thought I'd share an interesting newscast with you from the great Dr.Art Hister. He's the cute doc (in a Woody Allen kinda way) who gave advice on working out this morning on Global. THought you might enjoy it and wondering what your thoughts are regarding his advice. You can watch this episode at: http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/index.html?releasePID=mIVuznX1kqNqMfE1QX3wixAtVTUAPV_O
ReplyDeleteContinued success Bobelly!
Well, Dr. Hister is a cutie, hee hee. I have to say I agree with him. Pain is something that is not only unpleasant to endure, but it is also a symptom that something is wrong. Yeah, sure, I've heard (and even once believed) things like "Pain is just weakness leaving the body", but come on, realistically, it's your body telling you "Hey, wake up. Look at me. This is not fine. I'm not feeling right." You can mask that all you want, but you're quite likely doing irreversable damage. One of my favorite sayings and I use it in my blog is "You better listen to your body when it whispers, cause you'll damn sure hear it when it screams." It's your warning sign.
ReplyDeleteNow, beyond that, we have to look at the word "pain" and its various levels. We all have different tolerances, and I work with people every day who tell me they are in "pain", but really it's muscle fatigue, or an ache, or cramp or whatever. I always ask "Is it a good pain or a bad pain?" Good pain is momentary, and will bring you benefits. Masking bad pain by using anti-inflammatories is simply ignoring serious issues and setting yourself up for future problems by allowing minor concerns to become major burdens.
Finally, I want to say that as we age, working out gets harder and it's more challenging to achieve results. But I'm in this for the long haul, and so should you (and everyone else) be. Try shorter but super intense sprints instead of your long runs that make your knees or hips ache, and exercises such as plyometrics, as well as multi-joint super sets. The "more bang for your buck" workouts. You need to mix it up to confuse your body, without harming it. Running extensively can (not always, but in some people) whittle away at that cartilage in your joints, leaving you with issues in the future, and for what?
I've always admired the hell out of anyone who does marathons, triathalons and any endurance event that is incredibily taxing on your body. I've also always known that that is not for me. My body is just not made for it. I want a high-quality of life, to be able to garden and bike and paint my apartment when I'm 80. I don't need the glory. So yes, Paul. For me, No Pain Good.