{"id":23629,"date":"2021-11-11T09:02:12","date_gmt":"2021-11-11T17:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/?p=23629"},"modified":"2021-11-10T08:25:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T16:25:02","slug":"case-fitness-healthy-aging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/case-fitness-healthy-aging\/","title":{"rendered":"The Case for Fitness & Healthy Aging"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"An important principle that has emerged throughout my writing on “healthy aging<\/a>” has been the issue of fitness and the role being fit plays in preventing illness and injury, yielding a fulfilling and vibrant life \u2013 a \u201clife well lived\u201d. The point of healthy aging is to be in a position as we grow older \u201cto do what we want when we want without getting hurt\u201d. I have always believed that my level of fitness would yield positive results as I got older emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually \u2013 and so far I have been proven right in my own life. The \u201cfitness lifestyle\u201d is a consciousness issue just as healthy aging is as well. I make choices everyday that are designed to enhance my ability to live the way I choose. This always includes high intensity, focused training which will (hopefully) prepare me for the challenging years ahead.<\/p>\n

Speaking, traveling, teaching, program design, consulting, writing and other activities that I wish to do in my future will require focus, high energy, inspiration, imagination, and physical stamina and endurance. The ability to train the way I am now will translate into the future actions that will yield the result I envision for audiences in the years ahead. Planning for a future that requires me to be prepared to do my work at a high level will also demand that I be as fit as I can be in order to give me the strength to help as many people as I possibly can \u2013 while I can. This is my mission \u2013 and my purpose.<\/p>\n

This article is about something I think about EVERY day. Each of my actions, decisions, and thoughts are applied to the outcome that I seek with every step I take in becoming stronger, faster, quicker, more powerful, balanced, imaginative, flexible and skilled. My purpose is to be able to PERFORM at a high level even as I approach my 70\u2019s and this is the point of my plan \u2013 and these articles in this series. How fit are you today for the future you envision for yourself? Does your vision inspire you to reach beyond your grasp? Does it \u201cpull you forward\u201d so that you will take the actions necessary to enable and empower you for the journey ahead? Only you can answer this question! Do it now!<\/p>\n

Power, speed, quickness, strength, endurance, balance & flexibility:\u00a0 the \u201ccore\u201d of healthy aging and growing old \u2013 not old.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I think of training in terms of performance and so much of fitness today is \u201cgimmicks\u201d \u2013 programs designed for the \u201cfew\u201d in America who are NOT the obese, overweight, poorly trained, seniors, and youth. The \u201cfatting\u201d of America does NOT include practical programming on TV, the internet \u2013 or anywhere for that matter \u2013 that appeals to the average, untrained individual struggling just to live a \u2018moderately\u2019 happy life. I see this huge \u201chole\u201d in our society everyday when I go out into the world where the \u201cconnection\u201d between being fit and \u201cregular\u201d people is NEVER being made. To most of the world, fitness \u2013 or becoming fit \u2013 means acquiring a gym membership with all the \u201chassles\u201d that implies and THAT isn\u2019t healthy or inspiring at ALL!<\/p>\n

I worked in the Nautilus and Bally\u2019s systems as a trainer for over ten years and I never once saw the effort being truly made to help people \u201crealistically\u201d ACHIEVE anything. The world outside the gym is a giant \u201cblank\u201d for over two thirds of the population. The only thing I see that is visible today is elementary lifestyle \u201cadvice\u201d on Dr. Oz and other related sophomoric network shows that really change nothing. The other major factor in the sales \u201cpitch\u201d to America on fitness comes in the form of \u201cinfomercials\u201d that literally \u201csucker\u201d people into buying USELESS stuff that will never really help them \u2013 EVER! The latest gimmick is the \u201cabdominal belt\u201d that will \u2018melt\u201d fat away with just 10 minutes a day! This is just the latest in the same old scam \u2013 \u201csell them anything and make a buck in the process!\u201d What a disgrace and a shame that we have resorted to \u201chucksterism\u201d in this country in order to sell the virtues of being fit! Jack Lalanne\u2019s legacy has almost been completely forgotten today and I want to make sure I play my role in carrying the work he started so long ago forward with me. At least he TAUGHT simple exercises to people of all ages in the 50\u2019s and 60\u2019s with passion AND led them every step of the way during his shows. Those days are long gone!<\/p>\n

When we think of helping people to become fit and healthy, we must always remember to train ourselves FIRST so that we can inspire others to do the same. I will not TELL anyone anything because for each of us our understanding and perspectives are different \u2013 just as each of us is different. I will always side with \u201cbeing the example of the change I wish to see in the world\u201d \u2013 the theme of my first article in this series. How do I retain my skill level with the \u201cseven keys\u201d of fitness highlighted above? I maintain them \u2013 and will elevate myself to higher levels of performance in the future \u2013 through my weekly weight training program, running 40 to 50 miles a week, stretching, and meditation. This dedication to fitness will hopefully allow me to do what I want, when I want, without injury and live with joy the active future of service I am envisioning for myself. I believe that with each passing day we are ALL falling \u2018behind the fitness curve\u2019 in life \u2013 whether we are training or not \u2013 and it is imperative that we translate our passion for being fit to others through our example. If we CAN\u2019T DO IT, WE SHOULDN\u2019T BE TEACHING IT!<\/p>\n

\"\"Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n

My primary commitment to myself each day is to NEVER GIVE UP. If I am not sick or injured, I am training \u2013 training for my life to come and the role I have chosen for myself as \u201can agent of change in the world\u201d. Each of us MUST decide what it is WE STAND FOR so that others can be inspired by our example. Jack LaLanne taught me through his example \u2013 as John Wooden did \u2013 that it is WHO WE ARE on the inside that will be the \u2018key\u2019 to inspiring and encouraging others to reach beyond their current grasp and strive for more than they ever dreamed possible. I am convinced every day by what I see in the world that what we have to offer the \u2018many\u2019 is desperately needed now more than ever. If we do not take up this challenge, who will? When will the REAL change come? It will only come when we change ourselves (on the inside \u2013 healthy aging is an inside job, remember?) and that is the greatest challenge that we will ALL face in life. It is worth fighting for this principle every day of our lives. Will you take it upon yourself TODAY and join me in this \u201cjourney of change\u201d \u2013 and touch millions of lives in the process? I hope your answer is a resounding YES!<\/p>\n

Article reprinted with permission from Nicholas Prukop.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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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 \u201cHealthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit<\/a>\u201d 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 \u2013 happy, healthy and fit \u2013 and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An important principle that has emerged throughout my writing on “healthy aging” has been the issue of fitness and the role being fit plays in preventing illness and injury, yielding a fulfilling and vibrant life \u2013 a \u201clife well lived\u201d. The point of healthy aging is to be in a position as we grow older \u201cto do what we want when we want without getting hurt\u201d. I have always believed that my level of fitness would yield positive results as I got older emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually \u2013 and so far I have been proven right in my own life. The \u201cfitness lifestyle\u201d is a consciousness issue just as healthy aging is as well. I make choices everyday that are designed to enhance my ability to live the way I choose. This always includes high intensity, focused training which will (hopefully) prepare me for the challenging years ahead. Speaking, traveling, teaching, program design, consulting, writing and other activities that I wish to do in my future will require focus, high energy, inspiration, imagination, and physical stamina and endurance. The ability to train the way I am now will translate into the future actions that will yield the result I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":23630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,134,198,193],"class_list":["post-23629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-mfn","tag-exercise","tag-fitness","tag-fitness-professionals","tag-healthy-aging"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30982,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23629\/revisions\/30982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}