Baby steps to fitness

In the latest edition of Business Week, the cover proclaims, "Eureka, We Failed!" I could cover a few recent failures with that one proclamation but I will try to focus on one. My fitness program; I've failed to begin.

If you read my blog regularly, you already know that I had every intention of starting a new and improved fitness program that was supposed to be 12 weeks long and include diet, exercise, martial arts and 8% body fat. When I made that announcement, I had no idea what other plans life had for me. My business life has taken on a new shape and form with the loss of a key revenue source and the addition of an even greater one. I've eliminated other business diversions that will allow me to focus on the one that matter, SoKy.net.

Yes, life has been incredibly temperamental of late and therein lies my "excuse." I have been nosed to my keyboard for nearly 16 hours a day for the last two weeks straight working on a huge dataset and SQL database insert program. I may write on that later but I'm staying focused right?

With all that's been going on, I've done exactly 40 sit ups one day since I announced my fitness program. Oh, I've wanted to go running, even drove my truck on my new route. I've wanted to go to the gym even walk outside a look at it. I've wanted to go to the martial arts studio and start my Kung Fu /Tai Chi training and even talk to Sam on the phone. But I have not done it.

I guess that's not a "failure" to accomplish... it's a failure to begin! There's a huge difference I think.

I had a grand plan to do all these great things for my fitness and my spirit even so far as starting the design of a "Zen Garden" of sorts. A place to practice my Tai Chi, Yoga and meditate. I never even re-read Body For Life as intended because I was too "busy" with other life's pressures.

Well folks... what do I do? Just give up? I don't think so.

I may start this new program a little slower. It worked last time I got in shape... it worked really good. I started jogging a little and told myself that I would not sign a membership agreement at a gym until I jogged at least 3 days a week for six weeks... small achievable goals or land marks on the way.

So... I'm not going to restyle my entire life all at once! I'm going to start a little slower... baby steps. One mile at a time on my new running route... one visit to the gym... one lesson at the studio... one step at a time.

Funny thing about baby steps, once a baby takes their first step they have an urge for more. They walk all over the place. Sure, they fall over and over again, but they get back up and keep walking. Ever notice how fast a baby goes from walking to running? Well, that's my point I guess, I will take the first baby step on my run to health.

So there you have it... kind of an Independence Day resolution (a day early). I resolve to take some time for myself, read a little, run a little, play a little and start enjoying life a little more.

Oh... funny story. Carrie and I were on the deck just enjoying ourselves and our discussion turned to diet and exercise. She said, "I like to eat some 'junk' and I like the way we live." I explained that while becoming healthy is a lifestyle change, that doesn't mean we have to change everything. I explained that I want to eat more healthy food, get in better shape, be stronger, faster and more lethal so the "bad" things I do to my body are offset by the good things. Becoming healthy doesn't mean I have to give up my fried food, red meat or other unhealthy things, it means that improving my health will help my body deal with those gut bombs I throw at it once in a while.

No, I don't think the road to health leads to some kind of Tibetan monk diet and Iron Man fitness, it leads to a nice place of balance where your body is better equipped to handle a normal lifestyle and one that can handle our social life as well as the bowl of ice cream at 10:30 PM.

Unlike many new fitness programs where the goal is to "loose weight to look better." The goal of my program is to become even stronger, more flexible, more 'graceful' or at least less clumsy. I don't necessarily want to loose 1 pound, but I do want to exchange the nearly 40 pounds of fat hanging on my frame to muscle. In order to do that I'll have to lift more weight, run more miles and yes, eat more food. I would not be surprised if I gain weight on this program... getting to 250 lbs is not a bad thing if I can keep the body fat to between 8 and 12%. (Currently, 225lbs and 25% (??) body fat.)

Yes, I intend to journal this road to fitness! Once the membership element is complete on my personal website at DavidFrancis.org, I'll post some goals and make entries as to the progress. It's going to be my way of holding myself accountable to the hundreds of people who apparently are interested in what I'm doing. I will post starting weights, fitness levels, lessons learned and weekly progress photographs. I'll also be posting articles about my Kung Fu and Tai Chi training, new weapons learned, new techniques mastered and my "sash" levels. Nutrition, supplements and other info may be another section.

So... watch for it! I think I'll call it, "this old man can kick your butt." Nah... too macho. How about, the Zen of Fitness? I like that. But no matter what I call it, I won't call it, "this old man was too lazy to start his program and failed without even beginning." That I assure you.

tags: fitness weight training nutrition martial arts tai chi kung fu personal goals