Can I ask you an honest question?
Have you ever struggled to STAY in shape? No need to guilt or shame yourself, it’s just an honest question.
If we are real with ourselves it becomes readily apparent that the majority of people find consistent fitness a very challenging task indeed.
Today I want to share what I feel is an entirely different perspective as to why you might be struggling and what you might do about it.
To make things very simple I want you to think about your health and fitness in terms of superhero’s…
Yes you heard that right. I am going to describe 4 super hero’s that need to be present in your life if you are wanting to stay CONSISTENTLY HEALTHY AND FIT.
Before I dive in please know that these super hero’s represent balance in your life. They are the proverbial and literal Yin and Yang of your life.
Western culture like to focus more on the YANG aspect which is a masculine and creative energy that gets things done.
That’s a good thing right?
Yes, but it needs to be balanced by the more feminine energy of Yin regardless of your gender.
Now if you are saying “this sounds like a bunch of woo woo BS”, please hang with me as I describe the super hero’s and I promise that it will be worth it in the end.
Super Hero #1: Super YOU!
This super hero is all about your HAPPINESS FACTOR! It accounts for the following:
-If you feel like you have direction and purpose in your life
-How HAPPY you feel on a day-to-day basis regardless of external circumstances or even if life “goes wrong”
-Your ability to be content yet be striving for something greater in your life
If this “superhero” has fallen in your life with the proverbial kryptonite that life can throw you will feel sad, anxious, lethargic, hopeless and even depressed. Make no mistake about it…this super hero is as much of your health and wellness and any of the other super hero’s that I will mention here shortly.
It also happens to be the most neglected.
It’s neglected because we live in a society that say’s “put yourself last”, as though that is a noble thing. In reality if you are not taking care of your personal needs FIRST your health will suffer and your quality of life will drain out faster than a canoe that just got blasted by a canon ball.
What makes you happy? Why are you hear on this planet? Is your career in life with your greater calling in life and does it make you happy and offer fulfillment? If that answer to these and similar questions is no then it is time to put the YOU back into Super You!
Super Hero #2: Movement Man/Woman
This super hero represents the following in your life:
-The movement of your body (formal and non-formal exercise and movment)
-The movement of your mind
-The movement of your physiology (hormones, neurotransmitters, blood, lymph fluid, etc)
This is what the vast majority of us think about when it comes to being “fit”, but in reality is only part of the whole picture.
A few things to consider with this super hero in your life:
#1: Are you getting enough mental and physical movement in your life
#2: Are you getting too much movement?
#3: Am I allowing enough recovery in my life between bouts of mental and physical movement?
Super Hero #3: Dirt Man/Woman
This super hero refers to what you put in your mouth…yup…your nutrition. It represents the following in your life:
-Processed vs. unprocessed foods (real food comes from plants and animals that live in the dirt, water, air, etc)
-Organic vs conventional foods (eat organic if it is an option for you)
-What you drink
Those that struggle with this super hero are typically those that are addicted to processed foods, sugar, and alcohol (to one degree or another). It’s kind of a no-brainer and along with movement man/woman we typically just think that health and fitness is encapsulated within these two superheros.
But as we have already seen with Super You, that could not be further from the truth. To drive this point home even further please let me introduce the last super hero…
Super Hero #4: Captain Quiet
Behind Super You, this super hero very frequently get’s it’s ass kicked by our 21st Century lifestyle and is very much neglected in our culture.
Captain quiet represents:
-Adequate sleep…deep restful sleep that is obtained on a regular basis and in a regular pattern night in and night out.
-A spiritual practice. This can mean different things to different people but generally a spiritual practice is something that brings you into communion with your higher power and keeps you present in the current moment.
-Getting adequate rest throughout the day by taking mini breaks from work when needed
-Getting enough entertainment and fun in your life
-Resting from intense exercise
I cannot over-emphasize just how neglected this super hero is for most people. I have certainly been guilty of neglecting it myself and I still struggle at times. I personally feel like this is the X-factor for most people that face plateaus with their health and fitness.
Can’t lose weight despite paying attention to your nutrition and exercise? Captain quiet is likely getting abused and therefore affecting your Super You. Always have nagging aches and pains? Same thing…
The simple fact of the matter is this…
If you are not at least trying to balance out these area’s of your life it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to have real and lasting health and fitness because they ALL WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE HEALTH AND FITNESS!
My Challenge to You….
Take an honest look at your life and then measure it against what you just learned here. What superhero(s) are strong in your life? Which ones could use some work? Be honest and introspective when asking these questions. Below is a graph that might help summarize the 4 super hero’s:
I hope you now have a better perspective as to why your health and fitness may be struggling. Please keep me in the loop as you embark on your journey to balance your life in a way that will serve your health and fitness needs.
Please COMMENT here! I would love to hear what you are thinking about this….
Life is Good!
Griff