OK, not really. I did play varsity basketball and soccer for the Spackenkill Spartans but that was a long time ago and that still doesn’t make me a Spartan. I am however, someone that struggles to maintain my motivation to be as healthy as I possibly can. Growing up I was an athlete, not only did I play varsity sports, but I was constantly playing pickup sports in my yard, at the park, or at the Y with my friends. It was easy to maintain an active lifestyle, eat whatever I wanted to, and stay in shape. Most of us have figured out that all changes as you grow older.
For me it was first college, then the career, then the spouse and then the kids. Each one of these steps in life changes your lifestyle in a way that you don’t expect. In my case the changes were all positive, except I started to have less time to “play” and stay active. It becomes so easy to skip a workout because you have to stay late at the office, or pick the kids up from daycare/school. So how do we get motivated and stay active? For many it is making the commitment and joining a facility like the YMCA but that doesn’t work for everyone. For others, it is joining a group; the support you can get from the members of a group can be amazing. (The stories I have heard from some of our members experiences in our small group personal training program are remarkable.)
For me the motivation to be active and healthy is my kids. As a parent it is my responsibility to model a healthy lifestyle for them and additionally I would like to be around to see them grow up and have children of their own. The challenge for me is this; how do I do this on a daily basis?
I have found that if I appeal to my competitive nature, it is easier for me to stay engaged in an active lifestyle. I have been using the FitLinxx system here at the Y for the last two years, it allows me to track my progress but also measure myself against others, including my boss. A few years ago I entered into a bet with a couple of friends to see who could become the “fittest”. We trained for 6 months and then took a fitness test, and while I didn’t win, I did lose 20 lbs. in the process.
This year my plan is to compete in the Spartan Race on June 4th in Tuxedo Park, NY. The race is described as a muddy 3+ mile event with 10 or more obstacles. Now that I have registered and the training has started, I am going to see if I can get some of the staff here at the Y to join me in the mud. Sounds like fun and maybe I will become a Spartan after all.
Follow me on twitter at RyeYCOO
If you want to join me, you can get more info on the Spartan Race at http://spartanrace.com/
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