Fitness still a priority for recession victims

For a great number of people, being laid off (or made redundant for my European friends) is once of the scariest things that could happen to them. The uncertainty of how the bills will be paid and the loss of identity that accompanies one’s career makes this life event one of the top five stressors anyone can endure.

It can also be the best thing to ever happen to you.

Think of your friends and colleagues that became victims of an economic slowdown. What do they do with all of this time? They spend time with their kids. They help their spouse around the house. They tackle all those projects that have been sitting in their ambition’s peripheral vision for months. And, they exercise more than ever.

A recent study shows that memberships at local health clubs are one of the last things that people cut back on when they are financially stressed. People that do not belong to a gym consider joining one. Even those newly liberated individuals who would never set foot in a wellness oriented facility invest more time running, doing yoga or home based activities.

Here are some things to think about if you find yourself with some with extra time on your hands to get fit:

1. You got laid off, not named to the U.S. Olympic team. Please do not go from your 50 hours per week of sedentary office life to trying to run 10 miles every day. This also applies to people who could run 10 miles day at one point of their life. Consult a trainer, start slow, and set a goal of improving 10 percent a week.
2. If you are going to make a change, make a CHANGE. You have a wonderful opportunity to remake your schedule, establish new priorities and make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes. So, don’t go half way. Review your exercise plan, diet, sleeping habits, alcohol intake, vices and addictions and your wellness goals. Do it all now since you will eventually be back into the daily grind.
3. Network with the sweaty. Every person you meet is a potential new route to your next career. OK, maybe not the crazy guy with two tone hair and the weightlifting belt in the free weights area, but you never know. There is a direct correlation between high exercise commitment and education level. There also is a correlation between educated level and successful, working people. Introduce yourself to that person you have seen at the gym every day for the past two years. Repeat often.
4. Make working out part of your job hunting routine. I think it helps people to exercise first and then go straight to a local coffee shop to do a couple of hours of research and contact potential employers. The workout charges you up and puts you in a frame of mind that has been pre-set for accomplishment.
5. Don’t hide in your fitness routine. Just because you have extra time does not mean you should meander around the club for three hours. You should emphasize discipline and intensity. If the workout that used to take you an hour now lasts 90 minutes, you are avoiding the work you need to be doing to take that next step in your career.
6. Have a slap down with your fridge. You are going to be home more than you are used to, and those snacks in the fridge are going to try and become your best friend. You don’t need friends like that, and they should not be hanging around your house. Take the time to get rid of foods that you know are bad for you and replace them with healthier choices.

Setbacks in a career happen to everyone. However, not everyone takes advantage of what you can do to make yourself healthier during a lull in your eventual rise to the top. What you do in the weeks that you have your life all to yourself can change your health for the rest of your life.

Getting weaker a sign your body is trying to help you. Fight it.

What? For many people, that just does not sound right at all. Your body should be constantly trying to better itself, prepare for the next challenge and accumulate life skills to make you an invincible being.

Sorry, your “body” does not read self-help books and attend Anthony Robbins seminars. In reality, your body is constantly shedding things it does not need. This is a self-defense mechanism that you can thank your hairier, less erect ancestors for bestowing upon you.

On the good side, this can be extra fat when you eat less and exercise more. Your cave dwelling relatives did not have Sam’s Club and meat freezers a million years ago, so their bodies would use fat stores to keep themselves going in times of not so plenty.

However, this can be a negative (for today’s alpha male/female) process, too. Consider the following:

1. Losing muscle. If you are not using it, voluntarily or involuntarily, it is a drain on your body. Why would your body keep muscle it does need? It burns more calories, makes you heavier and is completely useless absent regular movement. Hello atrophy.
2. Specific sports and fitness skills. Have you ever gone a couple of years without skiing and then try to hop back on that double diamond? I am sure the people in the ski lift enjoyed the show, but you were probably not so happy with the results. You lost the skills and muscle memory because your body no longer needed them. It focused its resources somewhere else. It comes back fast, but it goes away fast as well.
3. Joint stability. See both of the above items for a continuation of the basic premise. Joints that are not stressed lose their stability since the connective tissues start to atrophy. This leads to an increased risk of injury even though your body is actually being more efficient. However, if you are the one telling it you don’t need the support, you really can’t blame it.

So, you now know your body has a finicky, efficiency expert in charge. You must make sure that when that expert asks you, “Do you still need this?” that you can claim, and demonstrate, that you do.

View from the top

My good friend, Larry Bodine, is a brilliant business development coach and visionary on using the web to increase your exposure. He also happens to be a guy who constantly is looking for new challenges and experiences.

A few months ago, he asked me for some help on being able to do something basic: more  pull ups. We talked for a while, and I gave him some routines that I thought might help. A few weeks later, he let me know that his results improved dramatically. He also was filled with a sense of pride that he continued to improve week after week.

He recently sent me this note from his latest adventure (picture included):

I’ve been hiking a lot lately, and yesterday made it to the peak of Ventana Canyon.  It’s an 8-mile round trip, climbing up 1300 feet to the top, at 4240 feet.  At the end, the “trail” was a pile of rocks. I have a blister on my left foot, a sunburn, sore quadriceps, and a real sense of accomplishment.

Larry Bodine, Esq.
Apollo Business Development

Larry has a son out of college, a very busy consulting practice and is on the road constantly. However, he finds time for his next fitness challenge and accomplishment. Good for you, Larry.

Some people only have a two dimensional view of the world. They read about it in books or see pictures of it on the Internet. Larry has a 3D perspective of the world: he was there. And, the view is better from the top.

In this corner…

A number of women who are trying to balance career, family and some semblance of a normal life have a similar question for me: if I have to choose one thing to do to be healthier, what should it be?

Well, harkening back to my days as a consultant, I would say “it depends.” It depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what you consider to be success.

Woman’s Fitness magazine had an excellent article about how different methods, cardio or strength training, face off against each other. Here are the abbreviated results:

Getting rid of excess weight

Winner: Strength training. Cardio burns more per hour, but strength training keeps your metabolism elevated longer. In addition, each pound of muscle you add can burn up to 60 more calories per day whether you exercise or not.

Dealing with stress

Winner: Cardio. Think of runners high and the endorphins endurance activity produces.

Looking good naked (for lack of a better description)

Winner: Strength. You are permanently altering body shape. Enough said.

Injury prevention

Winner: Strength. Repetitive motions like running and cycling without strength training can lead to injury. Strength training helps the connective tissues deal with the pounding.

Living forever

Winner: Cardio. That heart muscle, and the systems connected to it, is pretty important.

Beating your personal best

Winner: It depends. Only you truly know what personal best you are trying to eclipse. Your training should be very specific to attaining that goal.