Every action will have a reaction, we may not see it for years, but there will be one. That is why the choices we make every day are so important, even those we deem small. A prime example is food, many of us do not give a second thought to what we put into our body. It matters, we will see the obvious, which is weight gain, the part we do not see until we are in trouble is our health. Nothing will taste as good as healthy feels.
We close out another year and usher in a new decade. All of us tend to make resolutions on New Year’s day and yet how many of us follow through? We often give up within a month, why? Change is hard, leaving our comfort zone is not easy, does it mean we do not want to improve our lives? We all have dreams and aspirations, but are we willing to put in the work that it will take to reach them? If we want something bad enough, we will make the time, find the funds, be consistent and throw away the excuses.
We are all given gifts, they differ from person to person, it is what we do with them that counts. If we waste them or don’t use them for a good purpose, things never seem to fall into place. We all know what is good for us, we don’t need someone to take charge, nobody can do it better than we can for ourselves. Step up and take responsibility for our own lives.
When we are constantly racing towards a destination, what happens to the moments we are living right now? Fast does not always mean better, many times we are in such a hurry we fail to do the necessary work it takes to build a strong base. In life details matter.
What is one of the least expensive, easily portable pieces of fitness equipment available worldwide that you can own? A Jump Rope!
It is often overlooked. Most people think of using a machine when they think of warming up before getting their workout on. They jump on the treadmill for a mile, or hop on a stationary bike for ten minutes.
I prefer the jump rope. Nothing gets your blood flowing like some rope work.
The benefits may surprise you. They include engaging your upper and lower body, cardiovascular health, increased lung power, core and bone strength, lung power, speed, agility, coordination, cognitive ability and endurance.
The wear and tear on your body is minimal with a jump rope, and you can modify your jump to make it even less so. Skipping rope is not as hard on your joints as jogging is, and it can be done indoors and on softer surfaces to help reduce the impact on your joints.
Jumping rope is hard at first, so if you are one of those people who do not like doing activities that you do not excel at immediately or look great doing, then this is not for you.
At K-FIT we have a Rock Steady Boxer named Bob. Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease over 20 years ago. He joined our Rock Steady Boxing program to fight back against the disease over a year ago, right after we first opened the gym.
Bob came in on a walker. He watched as the other fighters all jumped rope to warm up at the beginning of class. Instead, we warmed Bob up with weights, or a ball or some other piece of equipment instead. Then one day Bob said it was his goal to jump rope.
He ditched his walker, and stood shakily on his feet on the gym mats. The first day he did this, he struggled to swing the rope from behind his body to the front. With practice, Bob managed to coordinate the swing. Then one day he was able to step over the rope after swinging it, without tripping, and the whole class erupted in celebration. Eventually, Bob, who was more determined than anyone I’ve ever seen, hopped over the rope. We all went wild. Then it was 5 hops in five minutes. Then 8 hops the next class.
Sure, he still got the rope caught, or tripped. Sometimes he fell. He had days that weren’t always moving forward, but that did not deter him from keeping on. Each class during the warm-up we counted his hops and we cheered him on.
Bob would wear himself out jumping rope at the beginning of class, and then he spent the rest of the class boxing from a seated position. But he was determined to reach his goal. The day came when Bob was able to jump rope thirty-eight times in five minutes, and many of these were consecutive hops.
If Bob can do it, you can too.
Were you aware that jumping rope may help with bone density and the fight against osteoporosis? When you compare it to jogging and other forms of cardiovascular forms of exercise, the jump rope stands above because it engages the entire body.
Jumping rope is whole body synchronization, something that is not possible with a machine. Learning to breathe, relax and jump is tough. It takes time, but without a doubt it has major benefits.
So yes it is hard, but never impossible.
Get a rope and start skipping yourself to a better you.
We are all guilty of telling our friends and family about the things we hope to do one day, and then doing nothing towards achieving those goals.
Inaction costs us our desires. Think about the inventions, art, music, literature and financial gains that are lost because we never take the necessary steps.
Could it be that we are all lazy? Or do we just derive enough pleasure from picturing our perfect scenario without having to do any of the work it will take to get there?
The problem with this is that one day we will begin to have feelings of regret and disappointment.
I see it all the time in the gym. People come in to get into shape. They know they need to do something and yet they just cannot persevere or push through mental/physical obstacles. Sometimes they blame it on “not having time,” which simply means it is not a priority. We all have time for the things that matter to us.
Then, a year passes, and inevitably they are worse off.
I have seen it in Jiu Jitsu so many times. People come in and want to learn, but they just are not willing to put the time into learning. I can tell you this observation I have made. Those that have become black belts in Jiu Jitsu that I have trained with are not the loud, weight-lifting braggart types. They are those that showed up day after day and put in the work and the time to learn.
I also observed it in my writing career. People often talked about their projects, took classes, seminars and did everything they could, except actually putting pen to paper day after day.
The problem comes from the inside. Each of us must ask ourselves if we are content maintaining our current life without making any changes. If the answer is no, then we must make changes.
Dreams, goals and destinations will never happen without first taking solid steps that will build the momentum to reach them. Each of us holds the power to change, no matter what our situation is at this moment. We cannot blame anyone else for our failure to accomplish our goals. The decision is up to us, we alone must take action.
Someone asked me the other day at the gym if I have changed the way I eat over time. I thought about it for a moment and then said to him, yes, I have. At different points in my life the knowledge I had at the time led me to believe that what I was consuming was the best for my body. As I learned more about my body and my diet, I adjusted and my diet changed.
That same idea applies to life. When we gain insight we respond with change. Before I was a Christian I chose to live my life in a hedonistic way. Once I became a Christian, I began to change. Instead of living for myself, I had surrendered my life to God. This brought about change in some profound and meaningful ways.
Now, my life is about doing what God created me to do, and has called me to do. I am determined to no longer be distracted by all the small things that really mean nothing in the scheme of eternity.
There are many things I wish I could do. I miss prospecting for gold in the desert. I would love to go train with UFC fighters in their fight camps. My life right now does not allow these things, and the reality is I do not need to do them. What I do need to do is take care of the body God has given me so that he can use me.
Living a healthy life is one of the ways I keep on the right track. If I am healthy, strong and full of energy it is much easier to make an impact on others. I have come to understand that everything I put into my body has an effect on the way I feel. It comes down to this for me: how bad is it really for my body? What will I miss if I give it up? Is it worth it?
Life is not about what we have or where we are. My location will not change my problems, or me, because I am the same person whether I am here or there.
We all have things we want to do, but putting our priorities above the things we are called to do could take us away from the path God has called us to. If our bodies break down because we don’t take care of them, we will spend our time being sick instead of useful.
Motivation, Inspiration and Change 