Every once in a while we all need to stand back and observe our own behavior, the different aspects of us that make us what we are. If you think you can, you can. That’s because our belief system acts as a framework for our behavior and how you behave and what you get is based on what you believe. This can be a really powerful tool that impacts our everyday lives. As in the area of our health and wellness, a matter of increasing concern in today’s environment.
Most of us today, have become aware of the need to include some element of fitness and exercise into our schedules. In most cases however, this is a forced, grudging inclusion on the recommendation of one’s doctor or the need, prompted by the image in the mirror, that nudges you to go about getting some exercise.
Why do we view any exercise or fitness program as a chore or a punishment? As a result, even before you embark on any such program you have set yourself up for, at the very least, boredom and drudgery or worse, failure. Movement and exercise can make you and your body feel terrific! Not only does exercise help boost your mood; it also stimulates your muscles, making you feel more alive and connected to your body.
Finding the right reasons to exercise is important. Unrealistic expectations or short-term goals will not result in long-term success. Wanting to lose weight for an event or deciding to exercise for a three month period is in itself a limiting goal. Simply trying a new physical activity for fun rather than to lose weight can be exhilarating. Shift the focus from the stress and expectations of weight-loss and seeing the much sought after results. Just reveling in the activity and thinking of it as time devoted to you, to de-stress and enjoy, can lead to more satisfying results. After all, if you are going to engage in regular physical activity and exercise, getting fitter and slimmer will be natural consequences of that program. What’s important is to find the right reasons for wanting to do it, to derive maximum benefits not just for the body but for the mind too. After all, who says you can’t have fun while working out?
Looking at the positives that result from adopting wellness and fitness oriented lifestyles makes it necessary for us to develop a way of thinking that will lead you to believe you can behave differently. Just because you may have failed in the past, doesn’t mean that it will happen again. If you really want to change your lifestyle or lose those extra kilos or run that marathon or be able to play your favorite sport again, know that if you truly believe that you can do it, then you will find a way to make it happen. Belief is the fuel of ambition.
Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this was the belief that running a mile under four minutes was humanly impossible. A feat tried innumerable times only to be met with failure. However, Roger Banister decided that this daunting physical barrier could be overcome. After he achieved this amazing record, people then believed that it was now possible and in 18 months, after the first record, 45 more runners were able to achieve the same.
The fact is if you always do what you have always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If you believe that you are going to be able to do it, then you pay attention and heed signals that reinforce that belief. If you believe that you are not going to be able to make it, then at the first sign of difficulty in achieving your objective you are ready to abandon and give up. Keep in mind that YOU deserve a healthy, happy and fit life and that belief will make it a reality.
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5 comments:
What a beautiful piece, Anjali! As you know, I always try to get my students to subscribe to this belief that if they think they can they can.
And I give them my example: When I first came to The Zone in 2001, I was a little sceptical about whether I had the mindset to see out a long-term gym membership. I had played squash and swum for many years in Dubai and I thought I'd never be able to get into the treadmill/rowing/cycling/weights routine.
But that first visit convinced me that The Zone was the place to help me reinvent my thought processes and I'm so glad I signed up for a year straightaway.
Over the years I realised how much I loved my early-morning Zone workout. Initially, I could not run more than five minutes at a stretch on the treadmill, but with steady encouragement from Sharat 'The Rock' Sareen, I was soon running 20 minutes at a stretch, and on one glorious day, with Sharat at my side, I did 2.5 miles in 20 minutes!
Unfortunately I moved house and because the commute became a problem, after six years, I was forced to say goodbye to The Zone. But Anjali and Sharat, with their focus on the right kind of training for the right kind of result, have given me such a healthy perspective on life that it made me understand why we all need to run for our lives.
There is a gym on the campus where I live now. I'm 49 and still running on the treadmill, and just last week I did 4.5 miles in 50 minutes of running at a stretch.
I thought I could, so I did.
Thank you, Anjali. Thank you, Sharat.
Thank you, The Zone.
Salud.
Ramesh Prabhu
Professor of Journalism
Commits
Bangalore
sharat and anju,good work,keep it up.open one branch in navi mumbai....
love Sherry
Thank you Ramesh for that encouraging post.
Yes, I remember how your initial sceptism regarding the gym was soon replaced with such enthusiasm and energy for your workouts and the progress you made was remarkable.
We still miss you on the gym floor but it's great to hear the runnings going as good as ever.
All the very best to you!
- Anjali
The Zone.... Whatever can describe the feeling of The Zone, well, Wellness Goodness and great Health! You guys are the best...may The Zone touch many more lives.
On my arduous ride to Bhutan, i thanked you both for being in my life, for the ride was that much more enjoyable as I never fell ill but more than that, I was not tired with all 17 days of riding :)
Thanks so much...
Sangeetha
Fellow Zonies: After ten years of chronic disc and back pain, I had to have surgery for a ruptured disc in 2005. I was 53 at the time. The surgeon and his team were amazed at my rapid recovery after the surgery - which was entirely due to my level of fitness, thanks to the Zone. I was back at the gym just three weeks after the operation, and able to carry my two granddaughters just months later. Fitness makes a difference guys - and it's not speed that matters, but consistency at whatever level is appropriate for you!
Srilatha Batliwala
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