Fit for Life – Yes, You Can!

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Matt Espeut, GoLocalProv Health +Lifestyle Contributor

 

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I was at a networking event last week that one of my clients was putting on, and I was talking to an individual that seemed to have no interest in taking care of herself, and I was describing some of my programs and fitness challenges that I run at my facility, and every response from her contained some sort of sarcastic negative remark. Of course I was more and more irritated as she spoke. I was explaining how I give cash rewards for the person that does the most pushups, and she asked if I also give prizes for the least amount, because that would be the contest she would enter. I then said no, but if you can’t do too many in the beginning, you could still win money, because I give prizes for to the person that improves the most and has the biggest increase in the number they can do. I told her that everyone in my program improves with these challenges, and she kept joking about how she would be the one that did the least. I kept insisting that everyone improves, and she kept telling me how hopeless she was, followed by laughter (and bites of a piece of pizza, as she had a comical attitude about her admitted terrible diet). 

After 3 minutes of trying to convince her that if she wanted to, she could be fit and healthy, I moved on and started talking to another business professional that kept rubbing his gut, and asking if there was any hope for a guy that loved beer and ribs. Needless to say, I didn’t stay at that event too long. Approx 18 minutes later I was on my way home. I understand that health and fitness doesn’t appeal to everyone, nor does hard work, sacrifice and discipline, but if self improvement isn’t something you care about, then why do people try to make a mockery of it? 

Why is it that sometimes people that care about themselves, workout regularly, and eat healthy foods, get treated like outcasts? Look around and take note of what our population looks like. 37% are obese, so that leaves 63% not considered obese, but out of that percentage, how many are actually in GOOD shape? Maybe 10%? When you look at the distribution of wealth in this country, and notice that only a small percentage of people are truly wealthy, do you make fun of them, and joke about how hard they worked to get to their position in life? Why would anyone criticize someone for doing something positive for themselves? Am I a pain because I choose not to eat GMOs and ask wait staff in a restaurant what is in my food or where the food comes from, or how it is prepared? 

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What have we become? Heck, there are even gym chains that encourage this, by giving pizza, bagels, and candy to their clients.  Are we just accepting that it’s a normal existence to follow the masses, and destroy ourselves day by day, and chastise the ones who are fighting the resistance, and actually care about themselves? This bothers me because I take what I do very seriously. I know how good it feels to wake up every day and know that I am on top of my game, and every day I am going to improve some aspect of my life in some way. 

How do you see yourself?

When you wake up and look at an overweight individual in the mirror, it is difficult for you to have a strong sense of self respect.  If you don’t care about yourself, or are proud of yourself, then you aren’t going to care about other things in your life as you should - like your career, or anything else around you. Maybe that’s why people attempt to bring down others that are their opposites. This is why I do what I do for a living, because I want to change as many lives as I can. I feel that once you start to care about yourself, your whole demeanor changes, and you become a more positive person, and it starts to rub off on others. 

It is a nice feeling when I finish a session, and everyone gives each other a high five and says great job. Positivity is contagious, and you need to surround yourself with like minded people in order to succeed at anything you do. I heard a story at a business seminar about a guy walking the beach, and he stumbles upon a fisherman with a bucket of crabs. As he observes the crabs in the bucket, he notices one trying to escape. He informs the fisherman that one is getting away, and the guy just tells him to sit and watch what happens. As the crab is about to get to the rim of the bucket, other crabs reach up and pull him back in. This seems to be the way humans react to others that are doing something better and more positive then they are. They just reach up and try to pull others back to their level. 

We’ve got this – together.

This is why I am creating a community of positive people that are trying to get their health and fitness together and are serious about doing it. I never allow negative energy to exist in my place, and I even reprimand someone for saying “I can’t”. The term I make them use is “this is tough for me, but I will try harder until I get better at it”. This holds true with everything in life from business, to fitness. You have a better chance of becoming successful when you surround yourself with positive like minded people. Have you ever noticed that negative people find a problem for every solution? If you want success in any part of your life, you need to turn your back on the crabs, and keep moving forward and working hard to achieve your goals. If it is health and fitness you want, give me a call, and we can do this together. 

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Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

 

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