Two Requirements for a Fit and Healthy Life

9 Aug

Two Requirements for a Fit and Healthy Life

Alaine, one of the original PEAK Strength & Nutrition clients, is a model for what is required to be fit and healthy.

It's been 2.5 years since Alaine joined PEAK, and I have enjoyed it immensely. I'll assume if she is still with me, she enjoys it too.

There are a few things that make this story about Alaine's fitness more impressive. Firstly, she's 56. An age that most people aren't doing a great deal of fitness, let alone hitting the gym and lifting heavy weights.

Not only this, Alaine runs her own business, has three children, one of which is a teenage boy, and a new Grandchild.

If that's not a recipe for not maintaining a consistent fitness program, I don't know what is.

This story gets even better however...

Recently Alaine moved house. If you've moved house, you know that no matter how you do it, it's a stressful process and generally takes longer than you think it will.

That's why when I got a message from Alaine, saying she was tired from a weekend of moving and cleaning, I wasn't surprised.

Yet, that following Monday morning at 6am, this 56 year old lady, who runs a business, has three children, one of which is a teenage boy, a new Grandchild and just finished moving her house, was the only person to show up for training.

And did I mention Alaine recently pulled a 100kg deadlift? It's not record, but it's not too bad either!

How can someone be so consistent with their training despite all this?

Well Aline know's training is about looking good. She also knows it's about feeling good, learning discipline, mental health, become physically and mentally strong, and becoming a role model and leader.

There are two key reasons I see why Alaine can be so consistent...

1. She started training early.

Alaine has been doing some form of exercise/fitness/whatever you want to call it, for years before she started with PEAK. This is important, because if we've trained consistently when we're younger, it's so much easier to take one day or week off and come back as good, if not better, than before the break. See fitness adds up. Doing it inconsistently doesn't help, but it's better than nothing. But being consistent when we're young makes such a massive difference when we're old.

The best time to start is in your 20's. The next best time is right now.

1. She's disciplined.

Discipline is everything in your fitness. If I only trained when I felt like it, I would have trained 50% less than I have in my life. I expect Alaine and others are similar. In fact, more often than not I'm not particularly keen to train. I still do it though. Discipline is about doing the things we don't overly want to do in order to get a benefit long term. It's about a little sacrifice now for long term success.

People can't get their head around this. Everyone wants instant satisfaction, as if life is all about pleasure. The problem is, do something of pleasure enough times and you need it in a greater value. Just ask drug addicts.

Starting your fitness journey now is relatively simple, but not easy. Being disciplined to continue with it is simple but not easy. But if you want to be able to manage life, while staying full of energy and healthy, then be like Alaine.

Start now, be disciplined.