Treat Every'body' With Respect

In life, there is only one thing we are given that we cannot repurchase or replace. There is only one tangible thing we have that will be with us day in and day out that will be affected for better or for worse by each and every decision that we make. This one thing is a simple four-letter word that we need to learn to take care of as there is no going back if we take it for granted or neglect it. It is called our “body”.


Ponder how strange it actually is that we are given a life and soul to occupy a body in which we have no say over. We have no control over our physical attributes or abilities and we are born to spend eternity within the parameters of the identity we are born with. What exactly is it then that holds so many of us back from caring for and nurturing the body we have? What is it that holds us back?


Being a professional trainer, I am exposed to an array of different walls holding people back from attaining great health and vitality and my entire line of work depends upon what I am able to offer in regards to changing these perceptions and helping to navigate around the problem areas in other people’s lives to help make health a priority. One of the things we take for granted is that our health should not have a price-tag attached to it. Understandably so, and with the economy the way it is, some things might be tougher than others to either afford or follow through with depending on your financial and time situation. But there are a few things that just don’t add up in my own mind that I think a lot of people can relate to. I have met people (both in and out of the gym) who spend a ridiculous amount of money to buy a huge, fancy house or car, then come to me and say that a gym membership or good, quality food is ‘too expensive’ and they aren’t able to afford such investments on a consistent basis. Or people who pay a plastic surgeon thousands of dollars to fix what wasn’t broken to begin with on their body and then months down the road still end up gaining weight anyways because there was no physical maintenance afterwards. Or the person who doesn’t have time for exercise, yet they spend hours each week in front of the TV watching or playing video games. In all these examples, just a portion of the time and money invested into these endeavors could be spent revitalizing and tending to your body’s brain and physical well being.


These days, it seems to me that everyone is incredibly dependant on doctors and medications to the point of taking anything to cure a symptom or disease without even doing the research on what they are taking to begin with. What many people don’t realize is that eating healthy and exercising can actually cure most ailments without the need for medication. Medications aren’t meant to heal, but rather to conceal temporarily. That’s why if one stops taking a medication, the problem exposes itself once again. And not only that, but most medications cause more side-effects than the person had previously with whatever they were diagnosed with to begin with. Treating a symptom is not the same as discovering the underlying problem to the disease itself. The only people who truly benefit off medications are the industries that distribute them. Our bodies simply weren’t designed to consume and process chemically engineered products, whatever they may be. Our bodies were meant to move and eat quality food. They are meant to explore and see the world and our surroundings. They are meant to be enhanced through physical activity and learning new things.


Lets take one example of a common ailment that is especially prevalent in the world at this time: Depression. Many people have experienced amazing benefits from taking anti-depression medication, yet they get faced with a double-edged sword in becoming reliant on it. If they were to have their solution in a bottle taken from them, they would immediately fall back into their old state of mind. Is this ideal or does it sound a bit strange in a science-fiction type of way? I mean, think about it. Modern medicine is able to temporarily mask the symptoms of depression, but the person taking the medication is completely dependant on pills to get them through the day. The underlying problem is still intact and screaming for help beneath the surface. Fact: Did you know that when you workout, your body releases serotonin and dopamine, the same endorphins (or ‘feel good’ hormones) that are released when we are happy or elated? The SAME hormones depression medications fool our bodies into creating more of. Not to mention that the benefits of exercise are something that we, ourselves, can take credit for, which automatically gives us a feeling of accomplishment and therefore, once again, creates those feel-good hormones. It’s a cycle that enhances our well-being in the most efficient way possible. By training and doing with your body what it was naturally meant to do, you are providing it with a natural ‘remedy’ and it can very well cause your hormone levels to balance out naturally. Imagine feeling better about yourself and your life by simply taking a little time out each day to move around and prepare healthy meals. It is so important for us to take credit for any advancements and accomplishments we make in life, whether it’s something mental or physical. Doing something to better ourselves creates instant self-gratification and more self-confidence than allowing another person, thing or medication to do the job for us. Foster your body and want to make these small changes. We are allotted one body in a lifetime to take full advantage of. By being in control of our lives and emotions, we are allowing ourselves to take credit for the changes occurring within our bodies and in our life situations. This is ultimately a desired state of being for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest without any internal or external intervention. Who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of being in control of oneself?


As far as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, ect… (and the list goes on and on!), the same rules apply. Although medications can veil symptoms, they can by no means treat the underlying problem which will still be there when all is said and done. The only way to take a step in the right direction is to supplement medications with healthy lifestyle habits that you can incorporate into your life day in and day out. Don’t use the excuse, or let those around you use the excuse, that because they are on cholesterol medication they can therefore eat whatever they desire or not move around to increase their cardiovascular (aka: heart) system because the medication will ‘fix’ it for them. Folks, this is not how life works and there is no magic pill. There is just a lifelong dedication to making healthy choices for the one and only body you will ever possess. It is not a simple overnight process; rather it is a lifestyle choice that needs to be cultivated throughout life each and every day. It is a choice one makes to better oneself by committing to better health and better lifestyle habits that will span forever and will allow your body to work proficiently throughout life.


As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay current on educating our clients and those around us as to what the benefits are of training and eating well entail. We are here to help others create healthy habits that can last lifetimes. Frequently, by just incorporating healthy eating and exercise into a daily routine, many, many people are able to actually reverse symptoms of any disease or ailment they may have and eventually get off taking medications completely. This is because they are now treating their body with respect and giving it the nourishment and activity it needs. I could go on for days about the wonderful effects training and good eating have on the body, but those are plenty more stories for plenty more weeks to come.


One of the things we are promoting with Connect To Fitness is the opportunity for people inside and outside of the health and fitness industry to get involved in the many volunteer opportunities available to us both in Vegas and in surrounding areas such as the magnificent Boulder City. We have already established partnerships with many different organizations around town, including the American Cancer Society, that will help us to support and get the word out on fantastic causes that support issues we can all benefit from. As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay on top of our game and be supportive of the causes that will not only benefit us, but will benefit our clients and those close to us as well. Aren’t we in business to promote healthy lifestyles and in supporting actual research behind the diseases plaguing the world today? We want to reach out and encourage you to join hands with us during these events and to take part in supporting the issues that scourge our world today. Let us continue to help others live the best life possible in the bodies that were given to us and increase our own knowledge on the causes and diseases by attending these events. We can all spare a little time on a good cause and we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from being a proud supporter of a cause you feel strongly about. Here at Connect To Fitness, we are very open to suggestions on any upcoming events in the near or far future and we are always taking your invitations to participate together with you. Our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator, Heather Doane, is diligently working and progressing by leaps and bounds in seeking out volunteer opportunities for CTF to become involved in. She has developed great connections for those of you who are looking to become part of the volunteer community and you can feel free to get in touch with her to present your ideas or inquiries. If you have any events or know of anyone who has a great cause to support, please don’t hesitate to write or get in touch with us. We will gladly set up a meeting to sit down and discuss how we can be of assistance in these events. If you happen to have any ideas or are interested in becoming active in your volunteer community, please feel free to get in touch anytime via Facebook or email us at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com. Here at CTF, we are always open to novel ideas and innovative ways to become engaged even moreso with our community. Let Connect To Fitness be your one-stop-shop for volunteer and community events.


We have but one chance, one opportunity in life to live the finest lives we can and we owe it to ourselves to care for the one body we are given to live this life in. Life is short enough as it is and we owe it to ourselves to live it to the utmost of our abilities. If we don’t take the time to care for and nurture ourselves, who will?


In health and until next week, Faithful Reader,


"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.” –Joan Welsh