Anyone can make a decision to do something, to make a change of one type or another. Resolutions as seen for a new year are common place…seeing them through is not. Why is this so often the case? In that getting in shape, losing weight and starting an exercise program are popular resolutions it has been our business to look closely at the subject.
First off the most simple reason we fail at keeping commitments is just how simple they are to make. If you don’t set an actual goal with a deadline and repercussions, if we don’t have an outside aspect to answer to then what keeps us on track? Personal resolve is fine but when the going gets tough it is a human trait (based firmly in intelligence) to find an easier way. When we are hungry we are driven to find food not avoid it. When we are tired we are encouraged to rest not to exercise.
The modern plight of fitness is just how against the grain of evolution getting/ staying in shape is.
The reason evolution is brought into the discussion is in direct relation to the issue of resolve. If you rely purely on ‘stick-to-itiveness’ you may find funny things happening with your fitness. You may find at some point you downgrade your expectations as you give in and give up during a diet. You may feel the dull emotional fizzle which comes with falling off your exercise program. In fact, most people can make short burst changes but then backslide and give up. Is it because we all lack resolve?
Over the years of working in the field, it becomes clear that it isn’t usually a lack of interest or desire which see’s people failing to get in shape/improve their fitness. It is a poor pairing of fitness needs and the life of the individual. Job and/or family duties seem to get in the way as it becomes awkward to blend a diet scheme or exercise program into the mix. People tend to feel that unless they make huge sweeping changes to their entire life, real fitness just won’t be possible to fit into daily living.
The standard answers from nutrition and exercise professionals centre around ‘how bad do you want it’ or ‘how bad do you need it’? This we have found may work from time to time but technically speaking it is a mistake. When you consider that exercise of any real quality is a significant stress as is dieting and restricting calories, then the old head down push through doesn’t always apply. Dieting is hard on you physically and mentally, likewise exercise beats you up, it isn’t all just fun and games. These things need to be treated with respect.
Modern life and modern technology has brought many wonderful things and the future can bring more. The fact is much of your physiology, as developed through eons of evolution, is basically antiquated. The ability to store fat and hold fat is astounding when analyzed in isolation however this skill is no longer required, in fact now it kills. As well, the body requires quite a bit of regular activity for many of the systems to function optimally yet modern living has smartly reduced the need for physical toil. We are now at odds with our own health and fitness and it is as much if not more a commitment to a thinking persons approach as it is a strong willed attack which will allow success.
Over time we will detail what this means from a fitness professional perspective. Using the contrast of willpower and brain power we hope to detail some of the more important developments in health and fitness science. In time we’d like to clarify much of the mythology and inappropriate elements that permeate the exercise and nutrition industry.
Ultimately we wish for all, the same yearly resolution we make for ourselves…to get to know ourselves better. This we think and feel is the key to health and wellness.
