Dear Hard Work…

I came across this motivational piece and just had to share it with you!  I hope some of the lines resonate with you and inspire you to work hard toward the best you that YOU CAN BE….

“Dear Hard work,

I used to dislike you. Not in my work life, but when it came to working out, eating right, and achieving a healthier, fitter body. When you called my name I ducked away from you. When I knew you were coming I used to hide from you. When you had others talk to me I used to make excuses to get away from you. Afraid of the pain, afraid of failing. Who are you to make me afraid of you? Reflection in the mirror, shadow behind me, I take one step and you’re still ahead of me. Sweat in my face, tears in my eyes. You tell no lies. You turn the poor to rich, F’s to A’s. Is there anything you can’t do?

Now look at me. You made me who I am today. Because of you I have this never giving up attitude.

Quitting? That’s not in my vocabulary. When they quit? I keep going. When they say I can’t, I show them I can. When I tell them of my dreams and they laugh? I laugh last.

I’m a dream chaser. That means I chase my own dreams and no one else. Only I can defeat me. It’s me against the work you put on me. There is no quitting. Quitting? I will not quit.

I came this far and I am not stopping now.

Oh hard work, my Dad was right about you; you do pay off. Because of that, I love you. I’m no longer hiding from you. I’m waiting for you. I need you.”

Mini Goals

Goals help us stay on track with our workouts and keep focused, but establishing a goal can be tricky. Sometimes we fall short and get stressed out because we were aiming too high.  The best solution is to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. This allows you to enjoy regular accomplishments and stay focused on the next step.

Establish a daily routine- organize your gear, know your workout, and stick to the same time of day so no matter what you get your workout in. In the last five minutes make sure to end on a high note and do something pleasant like stretching or cooling down with peaceful music you enjoy.

Every week get three workouts in as a minimum to maintain your fitness. Don’t focus on how long the sessions are;  just get moving. To improve your fitness be specific with the workouts- did you increase your weights by three or five pounds, or add a minute or two to build cardio endurance?

Every month hit a new target by extending the distance or length from the month before. You will feel empowered pushing past your endurance barrier. Have an event on the calendar to keep you motivated, like running a race. It is a great motivational tool and a way to meet new friends.

 

 

Your Stride on a Treadmill

Do you feel like your running form changes when you exercise indoors? That’s because your feet push off the surface when exercising outside and when on a treadmill you tend to pick up your feet and place them back down on the moving surface. Try to focus on pushing off the belt. You can also tense up because it alters your proprioception, or awareness of your body in space. Plus you have weather variables like wind to run against outdoors. To compensate for these factors, set the treadmill to 1.5-2.5 incline to promote good form of leaning forward at the ankles and landing more on your forefoot. Happy running!

The Science is Clear

When I was a young lad, sitting in a mango tree in Lake Worth, FL and listening to my Grandfather Dr William Esser ND DC I always thought there must not be real science to support the truth of lifestyle medicine.  I thought, if there was; how could anyone not believe and live what seemed so obvious.  I mean, gosh everyone who comes to the Ranch improves.  Not always 100% but no one came without some improvement in their symptoms.  Surely if science would just show that all this was for real then no one would do anything different.
So when I went on to medical school, I assumed that the studies, the evidence just wasn’t there.  But then I found out the truth.  The science was there.  The evidence was there, both large epidemiologic studies, prospective studies and on and on….ad nauseum……
I learned a hard truth to this day…..just because the evidence is nearly incontrovertible doesn’t mean people will change or live out there lives a certain way.  It doesn’t mean people will choose to do what is “right”   or what is “good” and health promoting for them.  No, unfortunately despite remarkable clarity in the vast majority of studies that whole food plant-based nutrition is an essential component of health, the overwhelming majority of academic societies, organized business and other organizations fail to promote it to the public.  As a result, much mis-information is promoted and the cycle of illness, decay, dysfunction and premature death continue.
But, there is hope.  There is a renaissance in this message and it is going on all around us.  There is a new and exciting energy for spreading the truth and the validity of this message.  Together we have the opportunity to take back our collective health and to hand on to the next generation a message of hope, of healing, of wellness, of empowerment.  You and I do not have to suffer such heavy burdens of sickness, and the most powerful forces leading to our best health are our feet, fingers and forks!