How do you want to be old? This question was on my mind as I entered my 70’s in August 2016. We never think it will happen to us, but inevitably we all age. Prevention in all its aspects is part of the answer and the remainder is in the choices we make and the habits we develop over a lifetime.
My biggest concern as a personal trainer was always the safety of my clients – both physically and medically. Over the years a common theme emerged with each new client relationship that I developed and that was how unprepared people were to really engage in a significant training program and what skills and knowledge they would be required to develop for success. Physicians were often unprepared to advise their patients on what to do, how to proceed, or what limitations and issues needed to be acknowledged by their patients before engaging a trainer to help them “get to the next level”.
My experience has taught me that the key to living a happy, healthy and fit life is to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate our own individual and unique value. This thought occurred to me again in late January when I was interviewed by Kate Delaney for her nationally syndicated radio program on public access radio. She focused on my writing – specifically my book “Healthy Aging & You” – and asked me to discuss the principles and ideas that I considered important “to growing older and not old”. This idea of becoming “more” as we age is one that enlivens and inspires me each day to become the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Through my interview I recognized – finally – that I have learned to “value myself” and this has led me to want to share with you what that means in terms of healthy aging as I now understand it.
The first and most important point I want to make is that we must DECIDE to value ourselves and then allow a learning process to unfold that enables and inspires us to DEFINE what that means for ourselves. For mean the value I have decided for myself is the value that comes with becoming passionate about fitness as age. I value my health above all things including family, money and time because through being healthy I get the opportunity to make my own unique contribution to life – and help as many people as I can while I am still here.
My contribution is the value I create by being committed to my PURPOSE which as I state on my website (healthyhappyfit.com) is to “change one thing in one person’s life today”. As I spoke to Kate and answered her questions, I realized I am absolutely CLEAR on what it is I am here to do and WHY I am doing it. My mission is to make a difference in the lives of people of all ages so that they too can access the benefits of a “life well lived”. Each person on the planet has been endowed with unique gifts and through the sharing of those gifts CAN create a life of meaning and fulfillment if they are committed to their vision and purpose.
Creating the best life we can from this perspective of sharing our “natural gifts” and living from our own unique vision that embodies our “best example” of ourselves is the “true” way to health, peace and joy. As I spoke to Kate, I realized at 71 that I had arrived at a place of honesty within myself that I had never known before. I was truly “being myself” as I had always envisioned from my earliest days as a boy on Maui who loved his friends, swimming and playing. She commented on my passion and love for my message and said that among the thousands of people she had interviewed I was in her “top 5” all time. That made my heart jump! I KNEW my value lay in my gift of expression and that I was now a legitimate “advocate” for the principles of healthy aging as I had described them in “Healthy Aging & You” just before my 60th birthday.
Creating a life of meaning and value takes time. It is something we “grow into” as we experience the life we are living and cannot be rushed or “manufactured”. It has to be real and created from “within” by the words we use daily (self talk), the thoughts we entertain, the beliefs we hold that inspire us, the choices we make, and finally, the actions we take in support of our daily goals. Where the “rubber meets the road” for me is the training that I do daily – mentally, physically, and spiritually to enhance my vision and purpose. I am inspiring people every day in my fitness programming at the gym where I train because many know me as “the old guy” running and lifting his way to fitness goals that I don’t believe exist anywhere in the country at this time.
For me being the best “example of the change I wish to see in the world” is embodied in my workouts and meditation and daily prayer work. I believe in the “inner journey” of life and not to rely on others to define me. This is MY job. Since that day in June of 1985 when I first heard a speaker say in a presentation to a national speaker’s association audience that “if we don’t know what we stand for, we will fall for anything”. I have made it my personal mission to LEARN what I stand for in life. This understanding and “knowing” came through my interview with Kate and I am hopeful and grateful every day as a result of this insight.
Doing is the final piece to the puzzle of “valuing oneself”. We have to act and create in order to live a life of meaning and contribution. I understand my future is limited and that I will never know how much time I have left in which to share my message BUT I DO KNOW I can act TODAY and that is enough. My workouts are developed from my passion for fitness and my work is derived from this basic “impulse” I have to train and be stronger and faster as I age. Today I am running 6 mile training runs at high intensity and lifting weights and stretching to insure I can PERFORM at the highest levels for my audiences in the future. This is MY REASON FOR BEING now and it suits me.
I can see me “doing” my work for years to come because I valued not only myself over the years but my life as well. This knowledge was always within me and through my spiritual journey I learned how to measure and understand it as a part of my daily life. I am “practicing” the principles of healthy aging every day in my choosing and activities so that my presentations continue to be authentically “real” and meaningful to those I contact in the future. It is in the DOING that we become “fully realized human beings” and my guess is that we ALL want to leave behind something unique that only we could create! This idea makes sense doesn’t it? Get busy “doing” today what you CAN to become the best version of yourself that you can be but remember to “think” first about WHY you are doing what you are doing and remain “connected” to your inner self – the only “true guide” you will ever need.
I have shared three key ideas with you that you can use today to improve your chances of living a life you have always dreamed of experiencing. MY hope is that like me this year through my interview with Kate Delaney, you will want to discover your “true value” and DECIDE to live your life in accordance with that value. Your goals need to include every aspect of your being mentally, spiritually and physically because all three of these principles are required if we are to find our true value in becoming the best version of ourselves.
How and when you decide to act on this challenge is entirely up to you. You create and embody what you choose to BE and this includes the words we use daily, the thoughts we entertain, the beliefs that we hold, the choices we make everyday and finally, the actions we decide to take in support of our purpose. My hope for you is that you find yourself getting excited and becoming as passionate as I feel right now because I know time WILL run out for me too and I DO NOT want to leave this life with any regret – or guilt – over “what could have been” if only I had acted! Travel well.
Originally printed on HealthyNewAge.com. Reprinted with permission from Nicholas Prukop.
Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.
If you need help in designing a fitness plan, you can contact Nicholas Prukop via email at runningnick@sbcglobal.net or read his inspiring book Healthy Aging & YOU.
Understanding how to read a food label, determining appropriate portion sizes, making healthy food choices, calorie consumption vs. burning, fats, carbohydrates, protein, micro and macro nutrients, calorie dense vs. nutritionally dense foods, water and staying hydrated, hidden calories and so much more. These are just SOME of the challenges being faced by people of all ages today – and it’s getting WORSE with each passing day! With these topics I have just scratched the surface of what it means to survive in our toxic world – and ultimately thrive. These and many other issues have contributed to our society’s obesity crisis and as a result, the onset of multiple chronic diseases as a consequence of our inattention to the basic nutritional requirements for healthy living.
It is appalling to me that in only the span of half of my life, we are seeing the manifestation of this inattention to healthy eating taking many forms such as the onset of type II diabetes in children starting at under the age of 13! This trend – if not corrected or addressed NOW – WILL destroy scores of families if we don’t find solutions for these BASIC pressing issues now. This article is designed for all of us – me as a review – and for those of you who don’t know – an opportunity to “catch up” and maybe make different choices in not only your own lives – but those you love as well!
We associate healthy eating with weight loss and diet programs – everything else is eating for fun. We take care of our emotional and spiritual wounds through food. Families gather to eat at Thanksgiving but in the interim we “eat out”, rarely seeing that special time with family again as our days spiral on one to another. Our lifestyle has become toxic through overeating, unhealthy choices, and massive quantities – all in the desire to “forget” or calm ourselves from the stresses of the day. We are immersed in technology and tied to an unforgiving master who demands more from us than many of us can afford to give. The idea of reading a label, or noticing calorie counts before we eat something seems impossible – so we go for the easy “fix” and just say “I’ll get back to making an effort tomorrow”. It is always going to be tomorrow until tomorrow finally doesn’t come.
I see this problem as a “three pronged” issue or challenge:
1. People are woefully unprepared to deal with the enormous impact of marketing and media and the power they hold over our lives
2. The complexity of foods and their confusing claims about their value is taking our ability to choose rationally away from us
3. The food industry has basically “kidnapped” healthy eating by making it easy to select every possible harmful form of nutrition (packaged, processed foods, fast food, massive portions and so much more).
The basics of healthy eating have become such a “mystery” to most Americans so that every talk show imaginable schedules healthy eating segments and how to lose weight for good regularly! When I was a boy on Maui I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bananas and we NEVER went out to eat. All our meals were at home with the family sharing in the effort.
Calories count and there is no difference between them – they just “are”. Burning calories is what we do to stay alive so eating pretty much is a given. Learning about portion control and balanced intake of nutrient dense/calorie deficient foods is not rocket science. It requires a desire to improve your choices by providing our bodies with the fuel they need to survive and thrive – nothing more, nothing less. We need to get back to “eating to live, NOT living to eat”. The calories now proclaimed on menus throughout America should be a wakeup call to Americans of all ages. Should our food be fried or baked? Should it have sauce or no sauce? Should we eat everything we are served or save some for later? What is the source of the primary calories – saturated fat or carbohydrate? Are we getting enough protein in our diet and is it from healthy sources? These and other questions need to be addressed and I will do my part to help answer them. I am not allowed by my professional code of conduct to provide specific advice on what and how much someone should consume – that is for a licensed professional to determine, but I am allowed to talk about nutrition and the role it plays in leading a healthy and happy life. That is part of my job and I take it very seriously!
Today I saw a lady at McDonald’s who was eating their terrific side salad but had also ordered the large order of fries – a common staple at McDonalds (what was she thinking – that the one would “cancel” out the other? or was she NOT thinking but going for the joy the fries bought? I don’t know but it happens all the time!). People don’t go to this place for the salads – they go for the fries! McDonald’s is REALLY good at selling those fries and one cannot blame them for wanting to make a profit after all, can they? The idea that one could order a meal that includes the burger and fries and NOT notice it contains over 1200 calories is “mind blowing” to me. I would have to run 8 miles to burn those off at just under 55 minutes of hard running! We need to “connect the dots” as I do every day when I choose and IF I choose the pizza I am absolutely sure I can run that pizza off tomorrow. Every choice has consequences and every day we will live with those consequences until our bodies say “NO MORE”. That day of reckoning is not far off and if today’s children don’t get to live longer than their parents then we will all be to blame to some degree, won’t we?
When you look at food think of it as fuel to keep you alive and ask yourself: Does it have water as a primary part of its makeup? Is it fried, boiled or baked? Is it good for me? Will it promote my general health and preserve my immune system? Will I enjoy it and possibly eat it again? Can I find a way to eat more or less of this food? If it has lots of chemicals associated with its manufacture will that eventually harm me? Am I being proactive in my food choices and not reactive to the inevitable emotional swings in my mood that occur throughout my day? Do I eat for reasons other than because I am hungry? Am I compulsive when it comes to eating alone and do I overeat for reasons beyond my knowledge and control? These and other questions are a part of the dialogue on healthy eating and MUST be addressed if we are to slow the death spiral being brought on by the obesity crisis – and its cousin the “sitting of America”.
I see the massive need for ongoing education and communication at ALL levels of society and from all aspects of life that touch the American family. These include the schools, government, the weight loss community, the food manufacturer’s, the restaurant community (including McDonald’s of course who IS actually “trying” to make healthy choices available to its customers although not fully succeeding because of those “damn” fries), supermarkets, the community at large, non profits, spiritual centers and so many more. It will take “that village” referred to earlier to solve the problems we are facing but they MUST be addressed if we are to save lives in the future. I will discuss basic food issues in future articles and identify some of the ways in which we can all participate as part of the solution. If we each just help one person improve something in their nutritional lives TODAY we end up helping “the many” too – and I think that is well worth the effort! Don’t you?
Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.
Our minds work like a computer. It receives information and data from the world as we go through life interpreting for us life’s experiences forming our value and belief systems. Our self image evolves from this process.
I think of training, not working out. Working out is simply doing something without any identifiable purpose in mind. I believe training must be accompanied by commitment and a deep desire to accomplish something specific that is meaningful to you and worthy of sacrifice. In establishing a fitness program that will work for you and ultimately be successful you need to carefully consider many variables and understand their importance to your eventual outcome. This article will highlight some of my thoughts on this process/subject and hopefully illuminate for you the path forward so that you might enjoy a long and happy – and fit life.
Setting goals is probably the most important aspect of designing a program since it gives focus and direction to the reasons behind the activities that you ultimately select – and that will work for you. First remember a key idea: If what you choose to do is not fun you will not find your time well spent or get the results you desire. The way to think about setting proper goals is to not to think of “cosmetic fixes” but instead to try to imagine yourself doing the things in your life that would bring you joy, pleasure, a sense of accomplishment, and the happy memories that we carry into our future.
An example in my own life is the wonderful time I had in Japan on four different occasions visiting my daughter Lisa. I took many journeys while there and enjoyed all of them immensely because I was free to explore and spend time among the temples of Kyoto and other historic and wonderful places. I walked for hours without ever getting tired because I am so fit from years of running. Every trip while there was an incredible experience, filled with wonder and beauty. Going forward I hope to have many more adventures and create many wonderful memories I can share with my grandson and Lisa too.
Take your time when evaluating what it is you want to achieve and consider carefully what you want to do to accomplish your goals – and make them performance based. Losing weight is never a sustainable goal because there is no real payoff at the end and one never reaches a happy outcome simply from losing weight. I was taught a simple yet effective method for setting goals and it is called the RAMS method: Reasonable, achievable, measurable, and specific. My goal of running a 6 minute mile on my 80th birthday is already an accomplished fact since I can do it now. If I am alive and well on that birthday I plan on doing that mile!
Consider this a four step process:
Consider this your “core activity” since it is the one that will consume more of your time. Options include running (my love), walking (the most common option), cycling (indoors and outdoors), swimming, cross country skiing (high calories burning among the options – includes running), and many endurance activities tied to sports related training. There are many ways to train your heart but the most important fact is that to train it effectively you must do something to it over time, at higher intensities that allow your heart to work at higher levels than normal. Establishing those levels will take professional input so do ask for the proper assistance from a qualified professional.
There are target heart rates, stroke volumes, cardiac output, breathing, monitoring fatigue, getting proper rest and recovery and much more to consider. I will cover this and other subjects more directly in later articles. Suffice it to say that if you don’t enjoy your chosen activity you won’t keep doing it. Quitting is quite common in the world and I don’t believe quitting ever solved anything! The most common question fitness professionals get is: Which exercise is the best one? My answer is always the same: The one that you will do! Approximately two thirds of your time should be dedicated to training your heart – it is the organ that will ultimately carry you to your future!
Resistance training builds lean muscle mass and creates a higher resting metabolic rate (the rate at which the body burns calories at rest). As we age we lose muscle mass at the rate of 2-5 pounds per decade after 20. If you want a body that works efficiently, feels strong, helps you accomplish the tasks of life, and supports your skeletal system and organs without getting injured or sick getting strong is a must. Lean muscle mass is directly tied to burning sugar and eliminating the threat posed by diabetes.
Resistance training strengthens the connective tissue (ligaments, tendons), protects the joints and creates symmetry between the inner and outer processes of the body. If you want to become lean – create a resistance training program (again professional help is recommended) that supports what you want to do in life. For me – weight training is primarily designed to keep me running for years to come. I focus all my energy twice a week building all my major muscle groups and monitor my results in writing (I do this for my running sessions as well). After the age of forty I recommend an increased volume of resistance training because loss of lean muscle mass accelerates as a result of the aging process.
Flexibility protects the joints from damage by balancing the loads place upon them and is a key to aging well. Older people tend to get stiff and bent as they age and weakness in the legs is a constant reminder that falling is a major cause of death among the elderly. Breaking a hip in a fall can be something the older individual does not recover from and could have been avoided with a proper stretching and balance program.
With my older clients I always dedicated at least 20-30 percent of their sessions to balance and flexibility work to insure that they were comfortable just moving. I monitored their gait, posture, balance and other variables for possible negative outcomes. Changing behaviors and attitudes as we age is challenging. I find this true in my own case as I face my own challenges going forward but as one of my favorite teachers said years ago: “Change is the only constant in the natural order” and its corollary: “The mind of man is unlimited in its potential and responds to the specific demands made upon it”. I try to remember that there is always a way to change – we just have to be flexible in our thinking and our behavior to make the necessary changes that could ultimately save our lives.
I always try to remember that the gift I have been given to train for all these decades can be taken away in an instant so I always approach my own training each day with an attitude of deep gratitude and never forget to say thank each day for these gifts. I am grateful every day and never try to forget that an open mind and open heart will get me through almost anything in life. Everything that happens to me is an opportunity for me to learn something new about myself. I will always be a student – I will never know everything and this thought frees me to explore my potential every time I set my sights on new goals and dreams – like this one writing for you.
Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your body. Changing variables one at a time will allow you the chance to see how your body – and mind – responds to the stimuli you are providing it by your training activities. The FITT formula is something to keep in mind. The letters stand for frequency – how often you do something, intensity – how hard you do something, time – the amount of time you schedule for training activity, and type – the mode or vehicle you select to train. I believe change comes most effectively in “baby steps”. Never ask your body to do more than it can for it will grow as fast as it can, plateau, and then grow some more.
Rest and recovery are crucial to this process – allow time for your body to heal and rest. Overtraining is just as bad – or worse – than undertraining. Go slowly toward goals as your patience will be rewarded with renewed energy, stamina, and happiness in the results you are seeing from your efforts. Reward yourself as you reach new levels and never forget to be grateful for everything and anything that you accomplish. This “consciousness” will serve you well over the years to come!
I won’t speak here on this subject in detail since it is way too complicated for our purposes at this time. Suffice it to say “you are what you eat, you are what you think, you are what you believe, you are what you do and you are your expectations.” What you think about, comes about (Walt Disney – one of my favorite creative geniuses), what you see is what you get and so much more. Eating well yields a truly flexible, strong and happy body. I will say this: Eat a salad, drink water and take a walk”. Eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and beans and healthy protein – and drink lots of water. More on this later. Please remember that everything you eat creates – or destroys – your future health.
Be aware of your life as it is today. DO see your doctor for an evaluation for your readiness to train and engage in prolonged physical activity. Ask yourself the tough questions that only you can answer. Be considerate and forgiving of yourself so that you can move forward without guilt or recrimination. Become flexible in mind and body. Start now – don’t wait – because tomorrow is never guaranteed and life is very fragile. Take each step and listen attentively – both inside and outside – to those who want to assist you along the way. Take everything with a “grain of salt” because there are no absolutes when it comes to your own needs, wants, and dreams. Change is constantly influencing the events and circumstances of our lives so no one truly “knows” what is best for you – only you can determine this. Be smart and critical in your thinking and question what you don’t understand. I learn something new every day and I am certainly not ashamed to share with you that I consider myself a “student of running” even though I have been running for 52 years! Travel well!
Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.
Fear can do many things to us and they are almost never positive in their outcome. Being dominated by our fears is no way to live – especially when it comes to our efforts to become healthy and fit. I have sabotaged many goals and choices over the years because of my fears. Most of the time I have never been clear on just what “it” was I was afraid of but somehow fear took hold of me and I did not step boldly into a successful outcome.
I believe we are inherently capable of being great and doing great things but we can – and do – sabotage our greater “yet to be” by letting our fears control our behavior – and our choices. This is no way to live! In this article I would like to highlight of the 4 keys to overcoming our fears and become bold and tied to our successes – not our failures!
VISUALIZATION
I find that when we have a clear picture in mind when setting our goals we can more easily identify with a successful outcome because we can “out-picture” not only a positive process – but a successful conclusion as well. Fear is often described as “false evidence appearing real” and it is this “reality” that our minds and hearts can be “tricked” into giving up before we can experience a result that we desire. I have felt the power of visualization when it came to many aspects of my life – especially when it concerned my running – and weightlifting – program.
Prior to beginning my training sessions I spend time in my mind “picturing” myself doing what it is I want to accomplish during that session. If I want to run a specific time I put myself in this “mental place” by running at a particular pace at a specific speed. I attach my feelings of joy to this picture and visualize me smiling and happy enjoying the process of running free and without fear. It is in my mind that I create success and I do this before I take any action in the “real world”. How long you choose to visualize your own session is up to you.
It is a discipline well worth creating and employing every time you start to address your health and fitness needs. The feeling in conjunction with the “picture” is crucial for a successful outcome. Remember to give yourself a break and start slowly. I tend to spend 10-15 minutes in support of my visual “cues” so that the session goes as smoothly as I envisioned it. Walt Disney is one of my idols when it comes to visualization (and imagination of course) because he did not see orange groves in Anaheim – he saw Disneyland! Look how that turned out!
IMAGINATION
It is said that the true measure of intelligence is not intellect but imagination. Steve Jobs imagined a world connected by phone and in his mind he set in motion the development of the “smart phone” and he changed the world as we know it. He passed away from cancer but before he died he had the opportunity to see his vision come to life. Walt Disney died in 1966 before many of his most creative ideas were born but he did live long enough to know that his vision of a family oriented adventure and experience would eventually be fully realized. The company that bears his name is still creating in the manner he began some 80 years ago!
I believe in the power of the imagination to aid us in all manner of accomplishment in life. I imagine myself speaking and teaching all over the world as an advocate of the principles of healthy aging and living a life of purpose – on purpose – every day. I know at 70 my time is not unlimited but I do have faith in the principle “that the mind of man is unlimited in its potential – and DOES respond to specific demands made upon it”. This principle works every time we use IF we also BELIEVE not only in ourselves – but our potential to accomplish great things as well.
What is it that you want to accomplish and can this be the key to your success in developing and maintaining an active and complete fitness program? I believe the main reason we need to engage in an active and ongoing fitness program is because we are each here to accomplish something unique that only we can accomplish. I see me speaking and excited about my message because I am filled with the energy of excellent health and also because I am strong mentally and physically as a result of my successful training program. You too can do this! Just believe and do it!
AFFIRMATION
What we say – and think – we become. Never allow yourself to use “defeatist” language that signifies you are NOT capable of achieving whatever it is you have set out to do. Words have power – choose yours wisely. NEVER say what you DON’T want in your life – always affirm what you DO want in your life! If you want to increase your strength affirm: “I am strong and powerful – and grateful for every muscle in my body”. Here is another affirmation:”I am dynamic, energized, open and receptive right here and now and act in support of this instruction”.
Always place your affirmation in the present tense and never allow for anything but a positive outcome. Give yourself credit for being who you ARE and always look forward to becoming your BEST version of yourself. I say everyday: “I powerful, successful and excited to be who I am today and I KNOW I am becoming more of what I want to be with each thought I think and every action I take.
Affirmations give us the opportunity to “re-program” our subconscious minds by replacing outworn beliefs about ourselves with new and powerful thoughts and ideas that help us create the new person we want to become – mentally, physically, and spiritually. NEVER allow your words to create what you DON”T want in your life – always use them to help you become who you want to BE!
ACTIONS – BEHAVIOR
“Actions speak louder than words”. If you want someone to know you value them – even love them – it through your actions and NOT your words that the truth will eventually come out. When it comes to fitness and developing your program – actions are everything! You can’t burn calories or create muscle without taking action – you MUST move first! Everyday I KNOW I will be training because my mind and body EXPECT to do this for my health and well being. I am always aware of the idea that tomorrow is NEVER guaranteed and that TODAY is all I have so I never want to waste even one day of training.
Being FIT is a habit with me that I cultivated over decades of my life. I act in support of my fitness goals every day because I never wanted to grow old – just older. It is not the number of years we are alive that matters – it is the life in our years that counts the most. I work on speed, power, strength, balance, endurance, flexibility and strength because I want my body to be able to hold up for whatever years I have left in my life. I also want to be able to accomplish my mission by contributing my message and voice to life before it ends. I need a fit body to serve as an example of what is possible through hard work and dedication to my purpose.
Take time to reflect on your journey to date and ask yourself one simple question: “Have I come close to reaching my potential or am I letting fear sabotage my ability to create a life of meaning and purpose?” Take time to answer this question and address the needs you need to fulfill physically, mentally and spiritually in order to set in motion your journey to success – and fulfillment. Life is always lived from the “inner to the outer” – not the other way around. We can never access our “greater good” by FOLLOWING others. We CAN serve as examples of what is possible but each of us must find our own path to pursue and this path is not mine – it is YOURS.
Love your uniqueness and praise your gifts and never allow yourself to stay in negative thinking. “Get over yourself” and remember we are here to accomplish something great for others. We are here to SERVE and we cannot do our part if we are weak and scared. I can say I am 70 but I am 30 in my mind – and in body and spirit as well – because I have trained without failure. I started running in 1964 at Syracuse University as a freshman and am in my 53rd year – and counting, Over that time I have accumulated over 60,000 miles and am going to run as long as I can maintain my current level of fitness. When it comes to being fit I will ALWAYS want to serve as an example of what is possible because it is all that matters to me! It should also matter to you too!
Originally printed on HealthyNewAge.com. Reprinted with permission from Nicholas Prukop.
Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.
I took my first yoga class in more than a decade today and it wasn’t pretty. I was stiff, ungainly and awkward and had to literally fight the desire to stop! I found out my instincts were right about my body – it IS strong and fast but when it comes to balance and flexibility – and mind-body awareness – I am way behind the “8 ball”.
Being proactive beats reacting every time. With our nation’s level of fitness deteriorating with each passing year, I thought it important to highlight these 10 keys. I am evaluating what it is that I may want to change in my own world and by sharing these thoughts with you hopefully move you to such a review as well.
As a nation we are not being proactive when it comes to our health and as a result we are over medicating ourselves and creating other significant health related problems as a result. Being on drugs is not an effective way to maintain our health – making healthy choices instead is a far better strategy for preventing illness and disease in the long run.
Being “real” with yourself starts with an honest evaluation of where you ARE in your physical and mental – and emotional life. Dumping old behaviors – and attitudes – that are no longer serving you is a place to start. Another step we can take is to get moving – doing whatever you can to positively move in the direction of what I call “your highest good”. We all have something we are here to do in life so get going and don’t waste a single day. Writing these articles is part of what I am to do so I am writing them!
By way of reminder – we are meant to be active beings – not sitting beings. Find out what it is you enjoy doing and get moving. Your body will thank you every day you do this. I know how I feel after I run and lift weights and it is in one word — happy.
We are all stressed at some point during our day so why don’t we start working on strategies for dealing with the stresses – and stressors – in our lives BEFORE they happen. Being proactive in stress management means knowing we are going to have to deal with stress in our lives so why don’t we practice before the event or stress occurs? I have passed on some of my strategies in prior articles: Meditation, prayer, visualization work, focused breathing, running, quiet reflection, etc. These and other techniques are readily available and can be learned through classes and other forums.
Getting excited about life fuels our imagination and creativity. The more I think about my potential to make a difference in the world the more excited I become about each day of my life. The same experience can happen to you if you are open and receptive to what your subconscious is trying to tell you. The world of technology is taking away our ability to “go into the silence” and discover what life has in store for us. The “noise” we face every day is keeping us from hearing anything that could be of help to us in planning for it is we may want to do – and accomplish. Take a moment and ask yourself “am I living up to my full potential and if not what can I do about it?”
Purpose driven people are happy people and they are self-actualized – meaning they don’t need someone to tell them what to do, think, feel, say, or do. They approach life from a position of “real power” and at the same time are able to acknowledge the uniqueness of each one of us. I got an email today from a reader telling me I would go to hell if I didn’t believe what he did and my response is – “it’s a free country and we get to live our lives the way we choose”. I am empowered and energized by this thought. I am free – as are you – to live a purpose driven life or stay on the path you are on. We are ALWAYS “at choice” so CHOOSE YOURSELF TODAY!
This key is important in today’s world. “Friends” are NOT on the internet – they are in our REAL lives. Be aware that we need each other. Make it a point to be kind to others – smile, acknowledge them when you can, call people by their names and look them in the eyes when you speak to them. People are what make life worth living – not the cyber world of “fake” experiences and relationships.
My daughter is going through a difficult time in her life right now. She is facing challenges that are most uncommon and have her living “on edge” every day. She has a 7 year old son who needs her and a career in business to re-establish and beyond. I spoke with her last night and told her “I am here for you – whatever you need”. As a father I sometimes feel helpless because she is a grown woman but she is still my daughter and I love her. It is my job now to just be her father and love her – tough as that may be for me. Take this step in your own life in the coming year and see what happens – you might surprise yourself at how your family responds to you.
Time has a way of marching on and to the degree that you acknowledge the passage of time you begin to appreciate what you have been given – and have in life. I am grateful everyday for my passion for training and running because I know it can be taken from me at any time. I live in the present when I am running or lifting weights and it is a practice I hope to continue until the end. I am serious about my fitness program because it gives me the energy and strength to do my work – teaching, speaking and writing on matters of healthy aging, fitness and exercise. Are your energy levels low? Get moving!
This is perhaps the best thing we could do to prepare for the year ahead. Get to know yourself and start appreciating the magnificence that is you. Getting to know your self is a lifelong pursuit. The journey never ends. I have learned during the course of my 66 years that I DID NOT appreciate myself at all – I had to learn the hard way through difficult and painful experiences that until I could love myself – and appreciate what it is I am here to do – that no one would ever appreciate – or love – me either. I spend time (each day) thinking about my life – and my contribution to life itself – and ask myself “is there more that I can learn or do today?” You should do this too – it will help immeasurably improve the quality of your life now and in the years ahead.
Why not take the time between now and the end of the year to see what you might want to work on in the year ahead and see how you can live more fully and completely. Can you make a more expansive contribution to your own life and the lives of others as well? Of course you can! Isn’t this what the fitness lifestyle enables us to do in the first place? So get moving, be willing, be open, and appreciate who you ARE right now because you have only scratched the surface of your potential!
Reprinted with permission from Nicholas Prukop.
Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach and fitness professional with over 25 years of experience. His passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii, where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.