The Average of 5

"When I was about your age, my uncle taught me that at any given time, we are becoming the average of the five people with whom we are most closely associated.  Don't ever underestimate the importance of whom you choose to be with." -The One Minute Entrepreneur (p. 3)

I didn't have to very deep into that book to hear the most important thing I've learned all week.  Isn't this so true?  Not only did I read that a week ago but today I got an email from fitness guru, Todd Durkin, emphasizing the exact same thing:

•Associate with GREAT PEOPLE. Our life and business is built on relationships. We are a product of the books we read, the things we listen to, and the people we associate with. Seek out and find great coaches and mentors, like-minded leaders who are pursuing common goals and passionate about living a world-class life. One of my own coaches once said, “If you want to be a great athlete, train with great athletes; if you want to be a great coach, learn from great coaches; if you want to be a millionaire, hang out with millionaires; if you want to be spiritually strong, hang out with spiritually strong people; who you hang out with and who you learn from strongly influences the person you become.” What great wisdom!

Maybe this is a hard thing to do because it may force out some unhealthy relationships but in the end most likely for the best.  Seek out people you want to be like, because in the end we are like the people we associate ourselves with.  I can honestly say I'm drawn to people I want to be more like....now I just need to make sure they are my average of 5! 

it began with a parade

This weekend I helped out the gym I train out of by walking in the local parade.  Our goal was to create awareness about this new women's gym by handing out flyers good for a free week of classes along with a gym membership.  When I handed women the flyer I got mixed reactions. Some were very thankful and seemed genuinely interested as they had not heard about the place.  Some didn't seem to care and I felt like they were probably just annoyed by the flyer they would now need to dispose of.  Some responded with, "do I look like I need to workout?!?!"  It was said with a lot of attitude, annoyance and disgust.  And in comes my strong thoughts on this:

No matter who you are or what you look like I think everyone needs exercise.  This isn't based on a judgement of appearance.  It's based on the belief that I have about exercise being an important role in everyday life.  Our bodies were meant to be used.  Day to day modern American culture doesn't typically include a physically grueling experience.  We have to work at it.  That means we might belong to a gym, get a workout buddy, sign up for classes or hire a trainer.  I'm a trainer, I do this for a living and I sign up for classes, I have a workout buddy, and believe it or not I'm fixing to hire a trainer.  I just do what I have to do in order to workout and I've found that I'm not very good at working out by myself.  I used to be good at working out by myself but I'm not anymore because I've found it's so much more fun to go to a class or workout with someone else. 

And lastly on exercise, but not least, because I believe this is very important and widely overlooked. Exercise and feel the difference!  I think far too many of us go through life on auto-pilot and forget to enjoy a situation when it's not obvious to do so.  The primary reason I exercise is because I feel good while doing it.  I understand there may be a lot of people reading this that don't understand this concept.  There may be a ton of reasons as to why that is the case.  One possible explanation could be because we're typically resistant to exercise.  We put it to ourselves as a task we have to do versus one we get to do. Maybe your view has always been "no pain no gain" or maybe there's a negative connotation because of a past experience.  Either way I'm here to shake your view on this topic in that exercise is meant to be enjoyed.  It's an area of grey: it can (and should be) eased into, you don't have to break a sweat, you don't have to do any exact thing; just move.  The whole purpose is to move our bodies as a constant reminder that it can move.  If it doesn't move it forgets how.  Be thankful it can move. There are many bodies that cannot move.  If yours can move, practice moving it in a different way daily because we're never thankful for what we have until we don't have it anymore.

Special side-note: make any form of exercise a priority especially if you have trouble sleeping.  Chances are your brain is tired from working all day but your body is not because it hasn't worked nearly as hard as your brain.  I get this response most often when working with someone that has been on an exercise sabbatical, they tell me they slept the best they had in years because of the work we did that day.  There really isn't anything like a good nights sleep. 

Confused?

kickboxing, pilates, yoga, triathlons, marathons, 5K's, boot camps, dance classes, obstacle course races, muddy bike/run races, strength training, cardio classes, hot yoga, swimming, running, walking, biking, spin classes, crossfit, p90x, insanity, tracey anderson's metamorphosis, brazilian butt lift, kettle bell workouts, gym memberships, pole classes, acroyoga, hoolahoop classes, aerial silks, barre classes, circuit training

The list could go on and on and on.  There are so many options out there to keep us from getting bored.  It can get confusing though; which one is the best method?  Answer: any that look fun to you and have a beginner option.  There is one thing I've recently learned: it doesn't matter what you do but do many things.  Don't get stuck with your same, run or walk or strength routine.  The best advice I can give it mix it up!  Be adventurous and try out new things.  I'm about ready to order the Tracy Andersen metamorphosis (yes, I'm an infomercial junkie) and I want to try an aerial silks class in the near future along with getting my fill of yoga and pilates and of course I can't leave out that strength training.  Seems overwhelming doesn't it?!  Take it from the girl who wants to read 10 books at a time and be a full-time class tester all around the metro; slow down and pick one or two things that look interesting.  Do what I say (because I'm working diligently to follow my own advice too. You'll have a blast trying out new things and your body will get stronger in the process because it's working with foreign movements. 

Now I say all that to also say that I firmly believe that pilates is the foundation for movement.  Pilates is a core centered movement focused on always integrating the transversus abdominus (TVA).  Not only integrating the TVA but strengthening and becoming more aware of how to engage it all day long in order to prevent injury.  If you're going to the right classes with the right instructor this concept will be reinforced throughout the whole class.  So we have to be exploratory with our fitness but also smart in where we're at now and what our body can do at this moment.  Really effective exercise is safe exercise that remembers progression is mandatory.