The soul engages the body in its quest for the quintessential human experience. As such, it is important that we give the body the care and attention it needs. Good health includes nourishment and hydration, exercise and rest.
As a teenager I could devour 2 double cheeseburgers, fries and a chocolate shake every day and not gain an ounce of weight. Things change as we grow and develop. Our signature hairstyles, clothing and make-up for ladies can either make us look current and young or dated and old. Nowadays if I even smell cheeseburgers and fries I can feel my belt getting tight.
Like a lot of men, I kept buying the same size pants I always wore for as long as I possibly could. It's just that the waistband hit me lower and lower. I know you are all familiar with this look. It's the gut overhang. It fools men into believing their waistline hasn't changed. It is not attractive.
As my girth increased, my effectiveness at work decreased. My hard earned credentials lost their value. My rheumatoid arthritis was flaring up constantly. I developed a problem knee that an orthopedic surgeon told me would have to be replaced. My body was failing my soul's ambitions. I clearly had some decisions to make.
I had never been one for exercise. I was not athletic in school. In fact, I was such a non-athlete that when my high school phys. ed. coach announced guys lacking any athletic ability excel at volleyball, I was the first guy picked for the volleyball team. I joined a gym once, but that didn't work at all. I didn't know what I was doing. The trainers didn't see themselves as miracle workers. As a result, I was left with the most economical and best starter exercise of all...walking.
The first time I ventured out I walked 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back. I thought I would die! I tried it again the next day. Same result. I continued trying every weekend until I hit the tipping point. Suddenly, I was walking at a steady pace for an hour, for two hours. I amazed myself!
One Saturday, I stopped off at a men's clothing store to purchase a new pair of slacks. I automatically grabbed a pair of 38's and headed to the dressing room. Yes, I had graduated in size selection, but I was still "poured into them." I refused to go any higher as long as I could get them fastened. To my surprise on this particular day, the 38's fell down. When I picked them back up, I could see they were far too big for me. I traded them for size 34. They also fell down. I traded these for size 32. These were still a little big, but fine with a belt. I made my purchase and rushed out of the store. I wept my entire walk home.
I realized that with the extra pounds off, I was more engaged with my friends. I was capable of so much more that sitting in someone's living room to visit or watch movies. We were taking day trips to south and west Texas to hike and climb. We even went as far as Lawton, Oklahoma to hike and explore. Just outside of Austin I climbed up Enchanted Rock, a small granite mountain. Climbing up was easy, but with my fear of heights, getting down was quite an adventure!
Walking took the weight off and now the gym builds me back up. Lifting weights not only gives me muscle definition and strength, but it also alleviates most of my RA symptoms. By the way, I still have my own knees and they both work as they were designed to do.
At Gold's Gym I worked with a great trainer. He showed me proper techniques and posture. Just as important, he held me accountable. "Don't cheat yourself" was his mantra. I have also discovered Tom Venuto and Nick Nilsson. Both of these trainers have very helpful websites. I highly recommend them!
I have learned a lot about fitness and exercise by meeting good people and observing how they exercise. There is always something new to learn and to try. There is one guy at my gym who is the source of my greatest inspiration. He's about 5'4" and weighs maybe 115 lbs. He has a twisted leg and the opposite foot turns in. He also has one arm that doesn't hang quite right. I see him at Gold's all the time. Every time I train, he is there on the weight machines performing his workout routine to the best of his ability. He doesn't chat. He is totally focused on the job at hand and he gets it done! If you saw him on the street you would never guess he had just lifted weights. His body is certainly engaged with his soul. On a very real level, given his size and physical challenges, this guy is the quintessential weight-lifter. That makes him legendary in my book!
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