NIFS Healthy Living Blog

It takes great commitment to set your mind on a goal and work toward it with gusto and perseverance! I love a particular quote that goes, “Everyone has the will to be a warrior, but only a warrior has the will to prepare.” The commitment it takes to train and not simply exercise is a virtue that we should all be striving for.

Your pursuit of fitness goals should be a part of your daily life and not simply once you step into the gym. That commitment and discipline it takes to make your fitness and training a priority is what will lead to the results you seek. Don't confuse motion with progress. Blindly going through the steps of a workout and not committing oneself fully to the philosophy and training method as well as “staying in the fight” with your team is motion, and not progress. You must work to train this commitment level every day!

Following are my “Prime Priorities” that I hope will help you be successful in your individual life journeys. I feel these are the top three aspects of “you” that will not only help guide your path, but help you traverse it successfully.

Prime Priority #1: Get and Keep Your Head Right

Mental toughness is a key aspect of training. This toughness should not be exclusive to fitness, but also in daily life. If this Prime is not met, you will find yourself in a defeating cycle that will eventually lead you back down the dark and unhealthy path.

• Awake each morning with a purpose and the notion that this day will be better than the last and work to make it as such.
• List the things that are most important to you and make them your top priorities.
• Surround yourself with likeminded people and remove those who are “toxic.” Create an inner circle of success, and not self-defeating individuals who only want to bring you back down to their level of unhappiness.
• Make time for you: at least 10 minutes a day with no distractions.
• Identify your “stressors” and fill your toolbox to help you be aware and combat them.
• Spend time, the most time, with those you love.
• Laugh out loud as much as possible!

Prime Priority #2: Nutrition

This aspect of your daily life is easily tied with the #1 Prime Priority. But if you don’t nail #1, the other two Primes will eventually let you down.

• Eat often, not a lot, mainly plants and animals (with thanks to author Michael Pollan).
• Protein feeds growth, and good fats are not the enemy.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Follow the 90/10 rule: 90 percent of the time you are adhering to the above; 10 percent of the time you are not. This 10 percent should be guilt free and part of a healthy, balanced life.

Prime Priority #3: Exercise

With perfect harmony between the top two Prime Priorities, this aspect of your life should be a breeze to balance, and the most fun!

• Keep it simple.
• Keep it intense.
• Lift heavy things.
• Have FUN.

Trust me, implement these Prime Priorities and you will immediately see a difference in how your day goes, and most importantly in how you view the world around you. If you concentrate on #1, the other two will follow!

Ready to make your health and fitness a priority? Start today by scheduling a fitness assessment with Tony!

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, NIFS Fitness Center Manager.

I had a great conversation with one of you Warriors
about the fact that challenges of “change” are not found only in the kitchen and in the gym. A huge challenge can come from your social circle, friends and family. It’s a common issue with recovering alcoholics, when their so-called friends liked them better when they were a drunk. The same dynamic can happen to someone who is trying to lose weight and be strong, fit, healthy and happy. Unfortunately, some people in your inner circle can be big players in sabotaging your success (cue the Beastie Boys).

Why Your Friends Might Not Want You to Be Healthy

There are many reasons why someone might take this stance and aid in your backslide into unhealthy behaviors. I think the biggest one is that they are not happy with themselves, and it hurts them to see someone improve, so they react negatively to your improvement. Maybe it’s a quick insult, or they minimize what you have accomplished simply to bring you back down to where they are and how they feel.  

My recommendations here are limited because there is just one: Build a better inner circle! Be involved with likeminded people and ditch those who are not. This may sound harsh, but consider it happy or unhappy, healthy or diseased, life or death.

The Drawbacks of Being Seen as a Fitness Expert

Another challenge of success is that now everybody considers you to be the expert, and all they wish to talk about is nutrition and exercise. Some people relish this. If that is you, fantastic. Inspire millions. For some, it is a battle everyday to stay focused and on track, and discussing it all the time could bring some pretty emotional stuff to the forefront that could result in some negative behavior.

I feel that, like everything else, this has to be in balance. It’s great that family and friends see you as someone who can help, but if your improvement plan is still in progress, you may not be in the place to offer advice and solutions over and over again without some backlash. If you are that person who has reached the point of feeling comfortable talking to others about your progress and the steps that got you there, you have to keep your focus on others in balance with the focus on yourself.

How to Deal with People Who Want Fitness Advice

My wife, a professional massage therapist, had a very good way to deter people from constantly talking about aches and pains. When someone would mention what the ailment was (after finding out that she was a therapist), she would simply say “I would see someone about that.” That was her way of balancing the conversation. Here are a few ways to help you balance your conversations:

• Say “Thank you for noticing all of my hard work. What have you done today to better yourself?”
• Change the subject.
• Remove yourself from a conversation that makes you uncomfortable.
• Be choosy about the events you attend.
• Have a support system in place.
• Journal.
• Give them my card (just kidding, but I do have extras).

Be safe out there and keep a lookout for the sabotage. It could be closer than you think.

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Health Fitness Instructor. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Stress is something we all deal with daily. It can come at you in many different forms and intensities, times of the day or year, and places. Stress can be positive or negative. But any way you shake it, it still is stress and it still affects the body.

When my wife had to undergo a major medical procedure, it was a huge stressor  I was sleep deprived, which resulted in even more stress. Cue the dominoes falling! Now that was a pretty substantial, but what about the smaller things that can lead to being “stressed out”?

The Weight of Stress

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half-empty or half-full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed―incapable of doing anything.”

The moral of this story: Remember to let go of your stresses and put the glass down!

Identify the Stressor

This concept hits home with me personally because I do tend to carry stress with me well after the stressor is gone. Think of a time when someone cut you off on the highway. Did you rage out? And if so, did you carry that throughout the morning or even the entire day? Who really “won” in that situation? The person who cut you off probably didn’t give it any more thought, whereas you are steamed and remain steamed. This more than likely resulted in a less than enjoyable day.

Through our mental-toughness training, we learn to deal with stress in different ways. I am not here today to give you a comprehensive list of strategies to fill your toolbox to overcome stress. We’ll save that for another time. What I would like to do is encourage you to identify the stressor immediately, and when you do, put the glass down so you can face your day like a Warrior, like a CHAMPION!

Are you having trouble sticking to your fitness goals or reaching the destination that you set for your New Year’s resolution? Or maybe you just want to change things up because you’ve hit a fitness plateau. If either of these is the case, I’ve found that joining a group really gets results. I highly recommend joining a group with likeminded and motivated people who are trying to reach the same or similar goals.

Why Group Training?

Group training coaches can take your specific goals and incorporate them into your group training time, so even though you are in a group, your training is modified to your individual needs. A skilled coach can change intensities, reps, weights, and numbers of sets for each individual in the group depending on their goals and fitness levels. Although to an outsider it may look as if everyone is doing the same thing, the training is geared toward what each individual needs and wants to accomplish.

Find the Group Training Option That Fits You

Some group training options to consider are BOSU training, fitness groups or classes, team and intramural sports, or club leagues. There are groups and classes for all age groups, skill and fitness levels, and sports, including group training at NIFS. Make it FUN! Find what you enjoy to ensure that you stay active and motivated. If you were involved in team sports during high school or college, consider getting involved again. Once you are back in the swing of things, it will feel like you never stopped.

The Benefits of Group Training

The benefits of group training are many. Here are a few of the most important ones:

• Motivation: Teaming up with likeminded people who share your goal of losing weight, gaining strength, increasing performance, or competing in a physical event will push you to be your best. In group training, your skilled coach can push you to your highest level, plus your teammates will cheer you on to do your best. You will find when training with others that you are two times more capable than you thought you were!
• Accountability: Letting one person down is difficult, but it’s even harder to blow off several people who are looking to see you. That’s the power of group. A group holds you accountable in a way a trainer or coach can’t. How would you like a group to call you and check on you? Many find their fitness group their community that encourages and looks out for them. When I work with a group, I stress the fact that everyone has your back and you have to have their back as well. With that notion it continues to go round and round in a cycle and everyone always has ample support.
• Camaraderie: If you are not laughing—or at least smiling—while you are training, you are definitely doing something wrong. Training time is about laughter, competition, having fun, and joking around. Training is not always serious. I’m sure you all have heard the saying, “If you enjoy what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” Same thing goes for training!
• Human contact: Are you one of the many people who sit behind a computer all day and see only one or two people on your way to and from work? You weren’t built for that! A group can be a great way to get reconnected. There is something about being physically present with other people that cell phones and computers can’t replace. We all need a slap on the back for a job well done and some encouraging words. I’ve even seen new friendships formed over fitness.
• Performance: Research has proven that performance skyrockets when you train in a group. Groups will make you work harder and push yourself further. Performance is closely associated with motivation and accountability.
• Science: A vast amount of research indicates that group training and exercise will lead you to more benefits than you expect. It’s not just about enjoying time with others; there is a physiological response to working in a group. Endorphins are like a runners’ high and provide a good feeling. Studies show that endorphin levels increase substantially when exercising in a group. No matter what type of exercise, the endorphin hormones increase.

Over a decade ago, Professor Kevin Spink and the University of Saskatchewan conducted studies that showed a correlation between an individual’s sense of group-ness and cohesion within an exercise class and that person’s punctuality, workout level, and attendance. The group setting adds accountability and motivation.

You might be dead tired from getting your butt kicked at work all day, but as soon as you put your workout gear on and show up for group, all of the tiredness disappears. Your motivation and energy levels go through the roof. It’s science, people! It’s not just your coach getting in your face that gets you ready to go. It is the group that pushes you forward.

Put the Power of a Group to Work for You!

I strongly encourage you to find a group that fits your needs and begin reaping the numerous benefits! For more information on Small Group Training or our HIT classes at NIFS contact me today!

Written by Tony Maloney, NIFS Fitness Center Manager and Personal Trainer. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.