Success Needs to be Trained

Success has many forms. For some success looks like a big bank account while another may see it as spending a Sunday with family and friends. Recently I was able to be a facilitator of 4 very different success stories. 1 person lost 60lbs, 1 person ran her first race, 1 raced an IronMan triathlon faster than she had before and another is now able to climb the stairs without holding the hand rail.

I see things in terms of how we live in the physical world, not as much about the financial world. If your fitness and wellness is not invested in then your financial investments will dwindle quickly. Just like your financial health, your physical health should be invested in and the earlier you begin the better off you will be.

On to the successes:
DH is a member of my studio in Cool Springs, TN. He was an athlete in college, works a very stressful job and had let himself get up to about 100 lbs overweight. He came up playing baseball at a time when training and fitness were only for the field and never mind whether you could walk when your college career was over. The results are some serious knee pains that limit his exercise capacity. His program needed modifications and he was not able to do many of the most effective weight loss exercises, like running sprints. Through consistency in his exercise program he has been able to drop 60 lbs. We are working on his diet for the last 40. His company is involved in a major merger with another large company so his stress level is still very high yet he makes exercise part of his daily schedule. DH feels like there is still more to lose but he has gained so much more by feeling more energetic.

Jes B has scoliosis, a surgically implanted rod in her back and 6 fused vertebrae. She also has about 30 years of doctors and relatives telling her that she should not run because it could hurt her back. Many times they would be right. I watch HOW she runs instead of just making sure "that" she runs. (A quality run is far better than just running large volume) I watched to see that she was running with her back in mind and using a safe run stride with short, soft steps. She had not run since before her surgery 30 years ago, when she was a child. She had stayed fit mainly focusing on yoga and Pilate's but even that had been sporadic in the last year. She wanted to run and so run she did. She completed a 6k run this weekend in a time of 43:29. Despite the warnings she did not break anything and actually finished pain free. She decided to run for herself, because she wanted to feel that freedom and accomplish what others said she could not. She possesses a champions heart.

When Esther came to me in late March she wanted to race her second IronMan (a 2.4 mi swim followed by a 112mi Bike then finished with a 26.2 mi run) in Wales in about 5 months. Normally I will not train anyone for IronMan who does not have at least 6 months to train for it. She had back pain that was preventing her from both running and biking. Although the swim can be the most daunting part of the race for some, it is only about 10% of the entire race. Now would be a good time to mention that Esther lives in Ethiopia and has some VERY tough training conditions- no lane lines in the pool, bad roads with people who yell things like "foreigner" and throw things and oddball lengths to run on the track as well as people who will just randomly pretend to run with you. I was able to Skype with her and her boyfriend, who is a trainer, to get her strong enough to bike and run. She was diligent in her efforts, I was the coach who kept her focused on her goal when she the training got difficult and she wanted to quit and she was able to enjoy her race on race day. She finished in a time of 12:37:05, 84 min faster than her last race. She learned how to focus and stay with it even when things got challenging. She trusted that her body could do what she wanted it to do on race day. She even had a good time doing it.

AA is business professional who has not made exercise a part of her life. She is 65 years old and noticed that she was too young to have such difficulty with climbing stairs. She is a business coach and has many clients who are pulling at her for time. She does not have much time to work out but makes 30min a week to see me and does 2 or 3 more workouts on her own. By staying dedicated to her own workout and seeing me she has improved her strength and feels better during the day. Her energy level is higher and her ability to work longer with more focus is greater. She looks forward to our meetings every week and incorporates more exercise than she used to.

Success comes in many shades. From beginner to seasoned athlete, from former college players to seniors who have never exercised we can all gain from being consistent in our fitness plan. Fitness is personal. Success is a muscle that can be made stronger and more fit. I use the gym to represent life success. The ability to overcome what limits you in the strength and fitness realm is not very unlike what is faced in business. You set your own goals and work daily to achieve them. Strive daily to be more fit, more lean and more healthy. Seek the stronger you, the faster you and the more healthy you. Your business and your body should both run lean, fast and strong.
Find your own success.
Just make fitness part of it.

Can 1 Day Change your Life?

On this day every year I remember. I remember that I was training at a gym on Wall St. I remember thinking the burned paper flying past the gym window before 9AM was from an employee that got fired. I remember hearing the second plane hit and that feeling of insecurity that we could be attacked in such an unconventional way. I remember thinking that nothing can prepare you for that eventuality. I remember feeling weak. I remember walking north on Church St with a clear view of the towers, both burning, streets in mayhem and humanity all around. I remember New Yorker's caring for other New Yorker's. Mets fans helping Yankee Fans, Jets helping Giants fans, Bo Sox fans helping Yankee fans.

I went to my first meditation/prayer service in New York that night. I wanted to understand. More than that I wanted to help others and myself feel strong. I still want to help others feel strong. I still want to help others to make this country strong, to make their family strong, to make their lives strong. I like the power of 3 for this. 2001 is 667x3, 12 years ago is a multiple of 3 and a 24 Day Challenge is 3 weeks and 3 days. That is a great amount of time to create a new habit and make major changes to your body, mind and spirit. Don't think 24 days can do any thing? Think about how much this day, Sept 11, 2001 changed the lives of millions.

On Oct 6, 2013 we will be launching a 24 Day Body Transformation Challenge here at TCA Wellness. You will be provided with an eating and activity guide. You do not need to be here on that day but it is beneficial. You do need to contact us regarding the details of the challenge. You will have support from others who are taking the challenge as well as the coaches and personal trainers at the studio. This 1 day changed my life forever, I am using that change to reach out to those who want to change theirs. Will you take the challenge?

Will you send an email or make a phone call that can put you on the road to a different future? 
Will you take control of your weight and your health?
Will you commit to 3 short weeks plus 3 days if you knew it would put you on a path to a healthy life?
Just leave us your email in the box above. Leave us a PM on FB or twitter. Take charge!  

Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend