"It always seems impossible until its done". Nelson Mandela
So, winter has finally hit Chicago in proper fashion this last week. Legit cold temps, mixed with some snow, although nothing significant, reminded us of what was inevitable - winter in Chicago means cold, nasty, whipping winds, snow and ice. All the makings for staying indoors. And trust me, I'm right there with you that think that. However, this winter I've noticed an unfortunate trend, at a time in which our society can not afford such actions, or lack of action in this case.
Normally, January spells boom time for health clubs and gyms all over the country; New Year's resolution makers packing the weight rooms, pouring sweat off treadmills, elbow to elbow in group classes. Over the last couple weeks though, I and my peers have noticed something rather different - emptiness. By this I mean, rows of aerobic machines sitting silent, a weight room that is deafening with silence, and the creeping sense that this isn't due to the nasty flu virus. This is something deeper, something, well scarier. Normally Jaunary and at least the first half of February shows a huge spike in health club attendance by its existing and new members; and in winters past, no matter how bad the weather was, folks still piled in, wearing layers of clothes, snow boots and all kinds of headwear. But they still made it in the gym. Now in our second consecutive fairly mild winter, I've noticed that this normally "busy" time at the club, its quite the opposite. And looking at the health club/gym industry in general, that seems to be the case across the board. So, what exactly is going on?
What I have seen, and this is just my take, are people becoming more accepting of being out of shape, overweight and generally unhealthy than ever before. Where before people would be more inclined to get out of the house and get in the gym on a cold day, the "its too cold to get in the car" excuse or the "I'll hit the gym tomorrow" excuse has morphed into a lifestyle of simply accepting a life filled with illness and disease. I know people can cite economic factors for not going to the gym, but how does that account for all the people who are members and simply aren't going? To me, that's people who are tired of not seeing results, and now using the "well, at my age I guess I just can't - fill in the blank - anymore" excuse. At a time when your age should matter less than ever, people continue to use it as a reason to not live life to the fullest. And by that I mean healthy and fit. Because being healthy and fit gives one the ability to do more than imagined.
Look, I'm not going to sit here and say I don't have days where I look at my bike, or my running shoes, or my training schedule and think "damn, the couch looks like the best place to be". Of course I do. But I know how it feels once I'm on the other side of my training. I ran outside today- long - in the freezing rain, with ice pellets hitting me everywhere. It sucked. I mean, no matter my pace, it still was less than optimal conditions for a long run. Still, I know the importance of that workout for my long term goals. So, I sucked it up and got my ass out the door. Now, am I suggesting that each of you do the same? Hell no. What I am saying is that complacency isn't something you should covet. One day can easily turn into one week, one month and then 1 year later you are wondering what the hell just happened to you.
The key to staying motivated to workout during the winter - constantly changing your workouts. Your 4 days a week at the same level on the treadmill is a tough pill to swallow when the weather is decent, so when its cold out, skipping a day becomes easy to justify. However, if you recognize the need to constantly vary what you are doing and when you are doing it, not only do you see fitness gains, you'll also have a renewed and more sustainable desire to train. Of course I promote the use of Crossfit to achieve this as it provides that constantly varied movement everyday. And there are several Crossfit sites that post workouts of the day for you to peruse and use. In our "everything at your fingertips" world, every movement, every exercise can be viewed via a media outlet, and the Crossfit mainsite provides more than ample explanation of everything as well. Not to mention, Crossfit Endurance for those of you endurance junkies out there.
It really comes down to this - how important is your health to you? Only you can answer that. My suggestion is that before you answer, really think about it. What are you willing to do, in terms of making lifestyle changes, to achieve better health? Remember this - if you can do it in the winter months, when it is hardest to get out the door, think about how much easier it will be once it gets decent outside. Don't allow yourself to become content with your health. A life filled with prescription meds cluttering your night stand isn't living. Its barely surviving. If you need someone to go with you, either grab a friend and go to the gym, or maybe talk to that person you constantly see doing the same thing as you at the gym, and find a gym buddy. Its been scientifically proven that if you have someone relying on you to go to the gym, you're less likely to skip. I still believe that you need to be your own inspiration, your own motivation, but yes, training with someone else is fun.
Realize too, that our actions affect the generations that come after us. Doesn't it scare the hell out of you to know that this most recent generation is the first in over 70 years to have a shorter life span than their parents? What does that say? That kids will mimic your actions. They can't drive to the grocery store and buy those Fruit Loops or Hostess cupcakes. That means parents are doing it. And whether they realize it or not, they are educating their kids on what they think is proper nutrition. What if these same parents continued to work out, and eat better? Studies show their kids will most likely do the same. This isn't rocket science guys. Common sense still wins out.
My point is that you have to stop finding every reason imaginable to not workout. I mean, its enough already. I can quote you stats all day - at least 1/3rd of men between the ages of 33-45 suffer from erectile dysfunction, and are quickly becoming the largest group in need of ED medication. At least 1/4 of women between the ages of 30-45 are experiencing pre, or in some cases, complete menopause. Folks, that's not normal. So, get your ass off the couch. Don't give me the Superbowl excuse either - that's right there with "my dog ate my homework". You are better than that. Show it.
Stay strong.
Guy
