jimmygirot | atGeist.com

Exercise and Prevention

Geist resident Marty Bessert resorted to a personal trainer, Jimmy Girot III at Geist Fitness, to help her lead a healthier lifestyle.

What if the best medicine of all isn’t manufactured and widely distributed but instead, is merely a structured exercise regimen? This is the case for Geist resident Marty Bessert, a surgical nurse who wants to give you a new “prescription”. Marty is a beloved training client of mine—together we discussed fitness, health, and the idea of exercise as medicine.

Jimmy: “What major factors were involved in your decision to live an active lifestyle and to begin an exercise regimen?”

Marty: “For me, it’s all about prevention—I am 61 years old and work long, physically taxing days so I wanted to strengthen my shoulders and improve my balance. After exercising in a large group setting, I quickly realized I needed a more individually-tailored program.”

Jimmy: “How frequently do you exercise now and what type of exercise?”

Marty: “I exercise regularly three days each week. I do resistance training, yoga, walking, and massage therapy.”

Jimmy: “What are some challenges you have encountered within your exercise regimen and how did you address them?”

Marty: “The most difficult challenge has been my limited motivation and energy due to the
nature of my job. I had to accept that it was fine for me to exercise only on days I didn’t work,
which is three days per week.”

Jimmy: “I know you are a surgical nurse and enjoy a lot of active hobbies—how do you feel
exercise has enhanced your life, both personally and professionally?”

Marty: “Well personally, I feel great! It really is addictive! I have broken both knee caps so professionally, my exercise regimen is all about preventing worksite injury. We focus a lot on balance and strength.”

Jimmy: “What advice would you give someone who may be hesitant to being exercising?”

Marty: “More than anything, personal trainers are not all about just losing weight. Don’t be afraid to try a new exercise program—it will improve your quality of life! I would suggest people around my age to speak with a qualified trainer and explore their options.”

The health and fitness industry is saturated with unrealistic, intimidating, and frankly erroneous notions. There are no secrets to personal health. Marty is an example of someone who has a realistic and sustainable approach to healthy living. In a society that demands the “quick fix” solution, I challenge you to explore other options and become empowered like this Geist resident.

Jimmy Girot III is a personal trainer at Geist Fitness.

Whether you made resolutions or not this New Year, now is the perfect time to review your progress so far in 2012. Facilitating the complexity of change in any arena can be difficult and frustrating, especially within your personal life. The ability to create positive, lasting change is valuable to many aspects of our lives, from personal health to organizational leadership. As a Personal Trainer at Geist Fitness, I receive daily questions about exercise modes and nutrition— The majority of my answers usually begin with, “It depends”. Realizing this, I began to think deeper about what this could mean and an overarching theme emerged; we must look at life through an unfiltered lens in order to reach our full potential. Here are 8 tips I have found helpful in creating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle:

1. Surround yourself with positive people

“You are, or will become, the average of the five people you associate with the most.” – Brian Carruthers, renowned Life Coach

How true is this? I think about who those five people may be for me and it makes perfect sense. Across the broad spectrum of your weekly interactions, from family to co-workers, think about how closely your actions and values align with these associations. If you want to be healthier, spend more time with people who value their health. If you want to be happier, spend more time with people who have positive attitudes.

2. Find patterns that work for YOU

“Paralysis by Analysis”- This is what I often cite when someone thinks too much about what or how they should do something instead of taking action. If you discover a time that will consistently allow you to exercise, then exercise at that time—don’t worry about your “endocrine response to exercise” during that time or any other over-analyzed method. There is no “end-all” way to exercise or eat. Although research supports that certain trends are correlated with results, everyone responds to stimuli differently.

3. Think “Big Picture”

Patience is crucial in creating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. For the general population, the concept of patience is two-fold. A person in the process of creating a healthier lifestyle may become frustrated when results don’t appear in the beginning, whereas a person maintaining a healthier lifestyle may encounter a plateau in their results. An effective way to address your doubts is to regularly remind yourself the reason you have chosen a healthy lifestyle. So your progress isn’t yet visible or has stalled— Quit your regimen and you will likely regress. Be patient and work for longevity.

4. Getting out of your comfort zone

This is something most people struggle with on a daily basis, myself included. While it sounds cliché, you really do “get what you put in.” If you want specific results, both the amount of work and type of work must reflect that. For example, I played football for twelve years and throughout college, where we basically ran “forty yards at a time” (a very slow forty yards in my case). I recently registered for a 12 mile race and know that I must build mileage by running longer distances. This is a realization I’m not thrilled about! If a person is to experience personal growth in any aspect of life, he or she must have an open mind.

5. Win the day

By focusing on small victories each day, we return to the concepts of patience and longevity. If a person gets just 1% better each day or each week, imagine how much that person will improve in a year. Choose to “win the day” and you will likely enjoy a less stressful daily life.

6. Have fun

Few people enjoy every second of exercise but most people enjoy the results. When possible, make your training regimen fun. Whether you are training with a group of friends or trying a new type of exercise, you are more likely to be consistent if it’s something enjoyable!

7. Be confident, be stubborn

These mindsets are the foundation of a successful lifestyle change. You are choosing to improve yourself, be confident. As my friends and family can attest to, I can be pretty stubborn at times. By channeling this seemingly negative attribute into a positive one, I have developed a regular training regimen. Tell yourself, “Nothing is going to interrupt my scheduled exercise today” and make it known to possible distractions.

8. Document goals and progress

Record your goals and place them somewhere you will see each day — let it serve as a daily reminder. Revisit your goals each month and evaluate your progress.

Becoming healthier in 2012 must be a lifestyle change. The process is just as much a psychological one as it is physical. Define your goals and relentlessly pursue them! I hope these 8 tips struck a chord with you and will help to facilitate the change you are seeking this New Year.

Exercise and Prevention

8 Tips to a Healthier 2012