Column: Take 'time' out of equation

Wouldn’t you agree, “time” is a wonderful thing, when you have it on your side. Like when on vacation... there is absolutely nothing more relaxing than having your favorite beverage after a wonderful meal, with only thoughts of how you are going to enjoy the following day, which has no deadlines. In that situation you definitely have time on your side, and it it feels great!
Unfortunately, for most Americans, the stress of earning a living and raising a family seems to leave us with exactly the opposite feeling. We find ourselves most of the time, running like a chicken with our heads cut off, from one task to the next feeling like there are not enough hours in the day to take care of our responsibilities. This is common, very stressful, and is certainly not good for our health. Please trust me on this one…It has been my experience that as long as we live, the overwhelming urge to be busy and successful will never go away. We are always going to be busy, so it is up to each of us to make sure that we take care of our health along the way. I want to challenge you to offset the pressures of our busy lifestyle by staying pro-active and making time for rest, family, exercise, and proper nutritional intake. With planning, a positive attitude, and a little practice you will soon discover there is definitely enough hours in a day to take care of your responsibilities and your health. Please don’t put pressure on yourself by rushing results with “time” deadlines and the frustrations of not losing a certain amount of weight by a certain amount of time. Simply take “time” out of the equation, incorporate exercise, rest, and proper nutrition as a daily way of life and you are on your way progressively towards positive lifestyle changes.
Many exercise hopefuls improperly keep “time” in their fitness equation by looking ahead and seeing their exercise program as an exhausting six months or year of uncomfortable sweating that takes up more time than it is worth. My friends, if we look at it that way…sure it will not be an appealing thought and undoubtedly will lead to discouragement for even the most dedicated. I trully believe that if we remove something negative like ”time pressures”, we can decrease our chances of being discouraged, which is a major step in the right direction to keep our program moving forward.
My goal for you in this new year, is to challenge you to “view” every day as another opportunity for you to make improvements to your health programs. As the days go by, with a conscious effort, you can make time an ally, and work for you, rather than against you. Many have mastered the concept of taking “time” out of the equation and are now enjoying the benefits that come with practicing good health habits consistently over a long period of time, and you can too. I challenge you to make 2009 the year to focus on the joy of living, and not the fear of aging!
The only situation I encourage you to use “time” in the same sentence with your exercise program is when you are saying it is time to start and maintain forever, your own health and fitness regimen.
Happy New Year everyone, please go out and make it a great fitness day!