For years now, as long as people have been asking my opinion on what to do to get into shape, I have always cautioned them on spending too much money, just to get started. Think about it. I’m sure you know of someone – or perhaps you’ve done it yourself – who had spent a bunch of money buying a pricey piece of exercise equipment, or a series of DVDs or maybe even a gym membership. They start out strong, getting their “moneys-worth” but soon that passion fades and they’re just left with a treadmill in their living room serving as a coat rack.

Just because you bought a shiny new toy doesn’t mean you are automatically going to stick to a fitness routine if you’ve never done it before. But regardless I see it over and over again. Trying to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle doesn’t cost a dime; it just takes you deciding you want to do something and then committing to it.

Although I’m sure there are countless examples of people succeeding while not breaking the bank, I want to tell you about two that I see almost everyday. And the interesting thing about these is that I don’t even know these two people. One of them I just happen to see when I am out for a run and the other, although I did finally speak to him for the first time last week, runs by my house.

For 7 months now, when I have been out for an early morning run, I have seen this one gentlemen running as well. At first I thought to myself, whoever he is, this ‘running thing’ probably won’t last. He just didn’t strike me as a runner. Boy was I wrong. Because almost everyday I was out, so was he. And who knows how many days he was running on the mornings I wasn’t. The reason I thought that this might just be a passing phase for him, something I readily admit now was wrong for me to do, was because of the way he was dressed. Every time I saw him, whether it was 30 degrees or 70, he wore the same thing. A long pair of pants – that in the dark look like jeans – a long-sleeved button down collard dress shirt and a one of those new “fashionable” baseball caps. But regardless, there he was, running a steady and strong pace each and every morning. I don’t even know how far he runs, but judging by the different parts of town I see him, he’s running a minimum of 6 miles. I also don’t know if he does anything else for exercise, but I do know that he didn’t go out and spend a bunch of money to get into shape. He just grabbed some clothes and went for a run.

The other example is a gentlemen who I have seen run – I should say sprint – past my house for years. Again, no matter the time of year or what the temperatures outside may be, there he is running, and running hard. I’ve always wanted to stop him to find out more about him, but as a runner, I wouldn’t want someone stopping me in the middle of a run. So just the other day, we happen to cross paths walking down the street and I jumped on the opportunity to introduce myself. Now I’m not going to mention his name, but I will tell you that he is 55 years old and in incredible shape. He told me he runs 4-5 days a week and runs anywhere between 3 and 5 miles at different speeds. But even his “slow” pace is fast compared to most runners. So I asked what else he does, because of what great shape he was in, and the only other exercise he does is use one of those “ab rollers” you see advertised on TV. If you Google it you’ll see it’s basically just a wheel with two handles that you hold as you roll out and back while on your knees. That’s it, nothing more. Now I never asked him how often he does the ab roller or for how long, and I’m sure it’s a lot, but what I do know is that one of those rollers is like $8 brand new, or you can find them littering garage sales for a buck or less.

So what, if anything, do these two gentlemen prove? Well in my humble opinion, what they represent is that you need to be “rich” in determination, instead of money. You need to have a new sense of self-worth instead of a new elliptical machine. You need to be concerned more about how to accomplish your goals then how you look at the gym. Be more mindful of what you are doing and not what you are wearing. Not exercising because you don’t have any of those material things is just another excuse. All you truly need is a desire, a pair of shoes and an open road.

And after reading this if you start muttering to yourself about not having a pair of shoes or not being interested in running, then you’ve sadly missed the point of this story. And if you are one of those people who buy all the “stuff” but don’t use it, give me a call. I’m in the market for some previously owned, barely used exercise equipment.

“Once the sun rises, it doesn’t go backward but instead follows its path in one direction. It may appear to stand still for a moment in time, or to move more slowly at some point or another, but really it is steadily moving forward on its path.”

I read that the other day and it made me think about the struggles we sometimes face when we are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. When we initially start our exercise and nutrition plan it still has that “shiny” new feeling, so we are excited to get started. But often times it’s not much longer before we begin to get bored or unmotivated. These are times when we feel that we are just going through the motions. And this feeling might even be stronger following a period were we may have reached some goals or achieved some breakthroughs.

During those times we feel discouraged, but it’s helpful to remember, like the quote above, we are like the sun. Once we have moved toward something we can never really go back. It may be that we are stuck because of some new adversity, but the hard work you have done cannot be undone.

Every move we make is meaningful, and even one that seems to take us backward is really just moving us past adversity so that we can continue moving forward. A good example of this is the story of the carrot, the egg and the coffee bean.

A young woman went to her mother complaining about her life and how things were so hard for her. Her mother took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and brought them to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans. After about twenty minutes she shut off the burners and turning to her daughter she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the daughter replied.

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity – boiling water – but each reacted differently. The carrot started strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to adversity, they softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile, but its outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after its adversity, its inside became hardened and stiff. The ground coffee beans were unique. After they sat in the pot they changed the water. “Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

This story points out that we all face adversity, but it’s our reactions to the situation that guides how it will affect us. If we continue to move forward, like the sun, we will reach our final destination. At times we may seem like we’re not moving as fast, or we may even have to move “around” something, but even that is a step toward our goal. And if you can mentally get past the idea that this healthy lifestyle journey is going to be fast or easy, or even fun all of the time, the better off you’ll be.

So whether you are thinking about beginning a healthy lifestyle, have just started, or have been doing it for years, just remember two things the next time you feel like you’re stuck. First, you didn’t get to your current state of wellness overnight. Depending on how old you are, you may be undoing years of unhealthy living filled with unhealthy choices. You took your time making the decision to get healthy, so you have to be patient in getting there. And secondly just remember the old saying, “if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”

P.S. everyone should be doing it.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” -Albert Schwitzer

I came across this quote as I was researching this article. You see I thought I was going to simply write about finding inspiration in our lives to help motivate us to begin living a healthier lifestyle by eating right and exercising. And I caught myself interchanging the words inspiration and motivation as if they were the same thing. But what I found out is that there is a distinction between inspiration and motivation, which although subtle, is important to recognize.

In considering the difference between them it‘s easy to see why inspiration is more compelling, powerful and long lasting. Motivation helps to induce, incite, or arouse someone else, particularly to impel some action or reaction from them. On the other hand, inspiration is an electrifying energy that encourages another person to be their best. It is an invitation for someone to become passionate and to add real value to their lives.

Since I began coaching individuals toward their fitness goals I often thought my job was to motivate them to begin living a healthy lifestyle. But that diminishes my role to simply getting people to “do things.” What I should hopefully be doing is inspiring you to help move you toward your potential. Even if you’re currently unsure of what your potential is. Someone who is inspirational should fill others with energy and passion.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out if you are being motivated or are truly inspired.

1. Do you focus on the outcome of your performance?
2. Do you find yourself comparing your performance to others?
3. Do you experience times when you are moving forward and other times when you stall out?
4. Does fear keep you from taking risks or trying new things?
5. Do you waste a lot of time feeling guilty?
6. Do you feel a strong sense of purpose and clarity?
7. Do you start the day with intent, eager and excited?
8. Do you enjoy the process, not getting caught up in end result?
9. Do you take the time to be reflective about your life path and who you are becoming?
10. Do you have ways to hold yourself accountable?

If you answer yes to some of the first 5 questions then you may be relying too much on motivation. However if you answer yes to some of the last 5 questions, you are truly inspired.

Hopefully you’ll find that although I may have mistakenly been using the words motivation and inspiration in the wrong context, I have been inspirational in my articles, and more importantly the way I personally live a healthy lifestyle.

It is said that someone who is inspirational “shows up.” They are present. It feels good to be around them. We feel accepted, appreciated, understood and important when we’re in the presence of an inspirational leader. They are self-aware. They know themselves and are comfortable in their own skin. Their inspiration in part comes from their honesty, and having learned from many challenges, setbacks and real experiences. They have come to a clear understanding of who they are and what they stand for and are not afraid to share that with others.

I honestly believe in an individual’s potential. When I coach others I often find myself knowing what that person can accomplish even before they do. And I sincerely enjoy watching others not only learn and become self sufficient but growing and appreciating what it is they can achieve.

I read, “The beauty of inspiration is that it transcends the next goal and encourages real engagement in life. Above all inspiration, once ignited, fuels itself and doesn’t rely on external sources to keep the fires burning.” For the most part I agree, however even if you get to the point where you continue to be inspired to live a healthy lifestyle, there will be times when a motivational force shows up and makes that fire burn even hotter.

I’m a strong advocate that no matter what it is you put your mind to, you can accomplish it. I know that can come off sounding like a greeting card or some over-rated motivational speaker, but I truly do believe that. If you can decide to do something and commit the effort, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. However if you constantly lie to yourself and believe everything is fine, not only will you fail in reaching your goals but chances are you’ll never even try.

I recently read an article that profiled a woman named Kristin who, at one point in her life, weighed 360 pounds. She then began a fitness program. Slow at first and more intense as she became more fit. She also began watching what she ate and stopped trying fad diets and started following a proper nutritional plan. Within a year she had lost 116 pounds and became an inspiration for others in her community. She was invited to speak to a group of women, all of who are in similar situations as Kristen was, to try and motivate them to follow in her footsteps, and that’s when she said the one thing that caught my attention. She said that if you had asked her at 360 pounds if she was healthy and active she would have said “yes.” Because she was not only content with lying to herself, she didn’t want to deal with the fact that she never could have believed she had the strength inside of her to lose the weight and regain her life back.

Sadly, a lot of people tell that same lie, both to themselves and anyone who may want to help. But like Kristin, when they commit to and put forth the effort and they finally get healthy they’ll be able to look back at their lives and realize the lie they were living. Here are the results from a survey conducted by The National Association for Sport and Physical Education compared to actual numbers compiled by The Center For Disease Control.

• When surveyed the majority of adults (59%) feel that they are getting enough physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However more than 60 percent of American adults are overweight, while almost one out of three is obese.

• 41% of those who don’t think they’re getting enough physical activity primarily say it’s because of their job and not having enough time. However on average, American adults watch 2.2 hours of television per day and are spending almost two hours a day using a personal computer for Internet browsing, chat rooms and games.

• And when asked about their health habits affecting their child’s health only about three in ten parents (28%) say they worry that their children are or might become overweight or obese. When in fact in the last 20 years, the proportion of overweight children between ages 6 and 19 has tripled, to nearly one of every three kids.

The Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health states that Americans become increasingly less active with each year of age, and inactivity and poor diet cause at least 300,000 deaths a year in the United States. This is more than by infectious disease, firearms, motor vehicles and illicit drug use, combined! Physical activity or more directly inactivity is a risk factor for many diseases including stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, various cancers, diabetes, depression, obesity and more.

These facts don’t lie. Should you?

I guess it’s easy to understand why we all make New Year’s resolutions. There’s just something exciting about the thought of “starting over” on the first day of a new year. Even though we can (and should) make positive changes in our life on any day throughout the year, people tend to hold off until January 1^st. However, this approach often times fails. Putting so much pressure on yourself by believing that you have to follow through with your resolutions this time or you’ll be a failure, and thinking that if you don’t do it now, you never will, often leads to disappointment. And if your resolutions deal with health and fitness, as they often do, letting another year go by without finally achieving your goals can have a much more serious effect than just disappointment.

Well if you have already called it quits, you’re not alone however you are in the minority. Statistics show that those who make New Year’s Resolutions, 25% of you will give up within the first week, and less than half of you will keep it up past July. But don’t give up completely on making (and even breaking) resolutions, because statistics also show that those who do make these resolutions are 10 times more likely to accomplish their goals over those who do not make resolutions. So to help you make and stick to your fitness goals this year I wanted to give you five important tips.

Be concrete- Instead of talking about things you’d like to do, talk about things that WILL happen. Use statements like “I’m going to have healthy family dinners together every evening.” Or “I will eat my fruits and vegetables each day.” Avoid talking about your resolutions using phrases that begin with statements such as “I’d like to…” or “Maybe I’ll…” Using concrete terms will help you commit to the idea. It’s a simple confidence building technique that will help you internalize your goals and achieve them.

Be Specific- Don’t just set a goal of exercising more, but try setting a specific goal such as exercising every Monday, Wednesday and Friday before work for an hour. If your resolution is a bigger goal that will take more time, such losing 40 pounds, you need to map out all of the smaller goals that you need to accomplish along the way. Give yourself a timeframe for each of the small goals, such as losing 2 or 3 pounds per week, required to meet the long-term goal.

Set realistic goals- One of the biggest mistakes most people make is setting themselves up for failure.  Achieving goals takes time and effort on your part. Things don’t happen just because you thought of it, without putting the effort into it or giving it the proper time. If you set unrealistic goals, you will quickly become discouraged and likely stop pursuing them at all.

Write them down- Writing your New Year’s resolutions down seems rudimentary, but experts agree that the rate of success is greater if you do. Writing them down is another form of commitment that starts the ball rolling to help you become successful. Post your list in a prominent location where you’re sure to see it, or make a few copies and post them around the house, at work or even in the car.

Tell everyone you know- This is probably my favorite idea, but one that takes the most courage. However to succeed you need courage. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not tell anyone of your goals. By telling people, you are setting yourself up for success. Each and every person you tell will hopefully be rooting for you and will probably check up on your progress. Whether your goal is to eat healthy, exercise regularly, or spend more time with loved ones, you will always be questioned on your progress and your friends and family will share in your success right along with you, creating another measure of accountability.

Bottom line is that in 2012 you can say goodbye to the person that didn’t take care of themselves, didn’t care about their health and wellness, or always quit and you can finally become the person that decides to get healthy, stay healthy and never quit. And even though you could have made this decision yesterday, or last week you now have the perfect opportunity to make one of the most important changes in your life at exactly the first second of the first minute of the first hour of the first day of the new year.

… well not exactly. I will work to make sure you do not suffer any intentional injuries during our workouts, however you must understand injuries do and will occur. But how you deal with them is important. I will take all of your aches and pains very seriously and we will deal with them as they come up, but you will learn that unfortunately things are going to hurt and you’re going to be sore. So we will push through the little ones, work around the more difficult ones and treat the big ones with care.

This will at times, be very difficult for you. But remember anything worthwhile is worth fighting for. But you need to be patient. You did not get in your current state overnight and you can’t expect to fix it overnight. However no matter how difficult it becomes you need to relax and remember there’s always a reason to smile. So find it and let’s get started!

There’s an old Chinese saying: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

In a nutshell, never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted.  Just because you may struggle early on that doesn’t mean it won’t work.  It just means that it might be difficult and you need to stick with it.  If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. When you’re ready to give up, you may be closer than you think.

Take things a day at a time but always move forward. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, no matter how small. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge results.

When you start a fitness program you need to get out of your comfort zone, especially if you’ve never done anything like this before. I will never ask my clients to do anything dangerous or unsafe and I will never expect them to do anything that I am not confident they can do. You may not believe you can do it, but I do and I need you to know that I have your best interest in mind. Not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone.  To get something you’ve never had, you have to be willing to do something you’ve never done.

The Biggest Loser TV show is real, just not really reality. If you watch and our encouraged by TV shows like The Biggest Loser, great, I know I am. Anywhere you can get inspiration is a good thing. However you have to remember that what you see edited down to fit between the commercials is real, but not really the whole truth. The contestants on that show do lose weight and change their lives for the better, but they also workout really hard. What appears to be 10 or 15 minutes is actually hours. Not to mention they are secluded on a ranch away from their families, jobs and any other distractions. And besides their almost daylong fitness sessions, they are provided meals from a staff of nutritionists, they have medical experts and physical therapists on hand 24/7 to help them through any issue they may have. So when you begin your personal journey to a healthier lifestyle I hope you expect great things and I hope you plan on working out really hard and eating really well, but I also hope you are realistic in the amount of time and effort it takes in reaching your goals.