Summer Training: Mind and Body

Summer is almost upon us. We just have to weather the spring showers. Then, it's summer time. Summer time brings a fresh new look on fitness with the sunny skies and outdoor activities to uptake. One thing every summer I like to do is set a fitness goal for that summer. Sometimes I want to increase my cardio by end of summer while other times I may want to tone my physique. It's time to take a fresh look at what we have around us. Enjoy nice summer hikes, swimming, biking, running, or boating.

Sometimes, it's hard for us to get a new routine going, but with discipline we can change bad habits into good habits developing a new routine. Let's get out of this continual funk that we feel around us these days by the doom and gloom of a recession by applying ourselves in a positive way. Make a change in your life. I promise you won't regret.

One great book I recommend that can help you develop this positive outlook to change is "Who moved my Cheese?". It helps you see how to change your way of thinking when it comes to...change. Yes, we all get stuck in the slump, but how do we get out of this slump if we continue to do the same routine over and over again with the same results. I think it's up to the individual to "realize" that one must change his/her way of thinkng in order to achieve their goal whether it is to lose a few pounds or to fit into their favorite swim wear.

Start Small

This is one of the crucial steps many of us miss. We decide to make a drastic change which ends up failing because we didn't change the small nuances of our old routine. Basically we miss a step. I think it's best to stick to the old adage, "we must crawl before we walk." I recommend making a suttle change such as drinking water with every meal or deciding to walk instead of taking the car. With small steps, we can evetually reach our goal.

Change is Gradual but Noticeable

Try not to think about the change you would like to see. Instead concentrate on the small steps that will eventually lead you to the realization of your change. This is much like Zen philosophy. Zen is the beginner's mind. It's about experienceing everything like it was your first time. It's in our human nature to over analyze our situation. We have such complicated minds which tends to lead us to regretting a past decision. We must not concern ourselves with the past decision, but the moments that our laid before us, we can change. Try to let go of over analyzing your goal. For example, instead of weighing yourself two times a day to check your goal of losing 20 lbs in three months, decide to drink water instead of a soda with your lunch. Eventually, you will weigh yourself in a month noticing you lost 5 to 10 lbs.

Change is gradual but noticeable. First, decide you must change in order to achieve a goal. Then, take small steps towards that change. Eventually, change will occur resulting in your goal being accomplished.

Greet change with an open mind or Beginner's Mind.

"Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."--Bruce Lee