By Michael Krueger
As you might know from my previous writing, I am no fan of new year’s resolutions. That said, this isn’t a bad time to look back at the previous year and make some plans about the year to come.
Changes…
There are some people in this world who look forward to and embrace change; then there are the rest of us. Even change we know is for the better meets resistance at every turn. Habits both good and bad have staying power, but bad habits seem to have the endurance of an Ethiopian marathon runner.
Conventional wisdom says that you replace a bad habit with a good habit. There are studies that say it takes 30 days to break a bad habit and another 90 days to replace it with a good habit, which leaves an awful lot of time for your plans to go sideways. My personal experience is a bit different. I have found that it is easier to inject a good habit into my life if I don’t worrying about having it replace a bad habit. If you can maintain a new good habit, it often kills off a competing bad habit over time. For instance, a poor diet might be improved once a solid exercise habit has been instituted. You may start to equate better nutrition with improved exercise performance and that helps the change to occur. This doesn’t always happen, but even if it doesn’t, you are still ahead of the game compared to where you were when you didn’t exercise.
We tend to be a punitive society, and TV shows like “The Biggest Loser” reinforce the idea that there can be only one winner and it isn’t going to be you. The truth of the matter is that if you can get even a small healthful habit to take hold, you are a winner. Simply going for a walk after dinner, when before you camped out in front of the television all night, is a win. Eating a vegetable with most every meal when before they never even made into your kitchen–that’s a win, too. Particularly in the beginning, beyond a mild discipline, it is important to be gentle with yourself. Change isn’t easy.
Low-Hanging Fruit
When you decide that it is time for some positive changes in your life, go for something easy first. Just keep in mind that “easy” is a relative term; all change can be difficult. For an experiment, try changing your morning routine. Something as simple as switching the radio station you listen to or watching “Good Morning America” instead of “Today” can make your whole day feel out of sync.
If you typically eat a doughnut and coffee for breakfast, try adding an apple or an orange, but keep the doughnut and coffee. It will feel odd at first, but eventually it becomes a habit. Then you might try switching out the doughnut for a muffin (it won’t be a big change; most muffins are just cupcakes with a good PR agent). Soon you may find yourself eating an oat bran muffin rather than double chocolate chip, then next you make a switch to brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal and then on to regular oatmeal. Soon you’ve rehabbed your entire breakfast almost painlessly.
至于锻炼,首先不是too much of a hardship like parking your car at the far end of the lot or a block or two away from your final destination. I have a friend who once wore a pedometer and was shocked to find out that he walked fewer than 1,000 steps on most days. By parking farther from his office, he doubled his steps, and then he built from there. Now he actually takes 6,000 steps some days. It certainly isn’t optimal, but it is far better than he was doing before.
If you are already exercising, you might choose one exercise to focus on. Perhaps you always wanted to be able to do 100 pushups or 20 chins. It can be a real motivator to pursue a performance goal. It doesn’t take much effort to change your workout focus a bit, but beware: It is still change and will feel different for awhile. You’ve got to accept that your exercise experiment needs to run a course of at least eight weeks before you decide if it is effective and worth continuing or if it, too, needs changing.
Not So Easy
As firefighters, you know how important it is to constantly hone your firefighting skills. You are also aware how important it is to improve your fitness level. As you age, you need to eat and work out smarter as well. By the way, as for “aging,” I mean you are no longer in high school with a coach telling you what to do and eating Mom’s home cooking. I have done enough fitness assessments on “young” people to know that youth isn’t on your side for very long if you don’t do your share regarding diet and exercise.
As for exercise, no longer will an unstructured hour in the gym cut it. If you haven’t lifted weights since high school, don’t just begin where you think you left off. Get proper instruction and a safe productive program suited to your abilities and your current needs. A pickup game of hoops done in the name of exercise isn’t such a good idea, either. Competitive sports without proper prior preparation are a major cause of injury and lost work hours among firefighters. You need to ensure that you are able to safely participate in the activity or sport of your choice, and don’t forget that firefighting is your primary “sport” of choice. Get back in the gym and work toward the goal of optimal overall fitness. That way, in a few months you may be ready to play some serious games, move some impressive iron, and train to be the best firefighter you can be.
No matter how you chose to maintain or improve your fitness, remember that consistency over the long haul is what will really make the difference. Jumping feet first into a haphazard routine will do more harm than good. Short term you might injure yourself, and long-term repeated failure at exercise either from injury or quitting in frustration makes it less likely that you will ever maintain a productive program at any time during your life.
It might take a while to form a solid exercise habit, but it’s worth the investment in time, energy, and resources. Understand and accept that there will in all likelihood be setbacks. Your body will react to exercise in its own unique way. Stay the course, and eventually you will find your formula for success.
Days, months, years … the rest of your life
When it comes to fitness, if you don’t enjoy the trip, the destination isn’t going to be worth the struggle. It is easier on the quest for health and fitness if you have a plan so you know where you are going and how you are going to get there. It also helps if those around you are traveling in the same direction. Encourage friends and family to take up the quest as well. You may all take slightly different routes, but the final destination of improved health and fitness is the same.
One day at a time is an old saying that may sound trite, but has some validity. Even if you are impatient and want it all NOW, life still proceeds at the same pace. Accept it, embrace it, and start moving forward. Life can be short or long, but if you use your body and your mind wisely, you will make the most of every day that you have. Happy New Year!
Michael Krueger is an NSCA-certified personal trainer. He got his start in fitness training while serving in the United States Coast Guard. He works with firefighters and others in and around Madison, Wisconsin. He is available to fire departments, civic organizations, and athletic teams for training, consulting, and speaking engagements. He has published numerous articles on fitness, health, and the mind-body connection and was a featured speaker at the IAFC’s FRI 2009 Health Day in Dallas, Texas. E-mail him atMKPTLLC@gmail.com.
