Entries Tagged 'Overcoming fears' ↓

I finally got my hands on a copy of Psycho-Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz the other day. I’ve been recommended this book by friends, business colleagues, and at least three authors I’ve read have recommended Maltz’s work. You could easily label the book an “Epic” or “Magnum Opus”… untold thousands of people from all walks of life, and from any profession you can name seem to have used Psycho-Cybernetics to their great benefit.

Psycho-Cybernetics is also widely hailed as the book that seeded the self-help movement. Before its release, self help was seen as something to be done in private, something embarrassing to be engaged in. Self-help’s massive popular following today can be directly traced back to Maltz’s work.

Now… I’m only a third of my way through the book, but I was inspired enough to post now, and promise you that I’ll have a review up shortly on how I think the book can be applied to weight loss.

But just briefly on that… so you know what kind of book this is… Psycho-Cybernetics revolves around shaping your own self image, so that rather than struggling to lose weight, pay down debt, or be more confident in social situations, you create a better self image of yourself so that all these things become natural, and easy for you.

A more instructive review soon, I promise!

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t want to go to the gym, I hate looking at myself in all the mirrors” or, “I hate the gym and all the losers checking themselves out in the mirror.” I have, plenty of times. Both of these can certainly be valid concerns, and are without doubt held by a lot of people. You may feel uncomfortable looking in the mirror at the gym, or perhaps you’re a little overweight & it makes you feel self conscious. Fair enough. I can let that slide as we’re all human and by nature we avoid things that make us uncomfortable.

However, what I won’t let slide is the gym’s that are popping up promoting the fact they’re mirror free. I believe this shows two things… One- The owner’s know how to listen to people’s fears. No worries, that’s ok. But more importantly, it shows a lack of care, expertise, and a lack of brains. A lack of care because mirrors are not there for huge muscle bound guys and girls to show off and act like clowns or indulge their ego. And a lack of expertise because they should be well aware of that fact.

What are mirrors there for then? Despite your hatred of gym mirrors, they are useful, and they should be required pieces of equipment because it increases gym safety by allowing gym-goers to practice better form. Not to mention bodybuilders are actually sports people too. Mirrors are required to perfect poses they use in competition, and despite their professionalism body builders also need mirrors to perfect their form and remain uninjured.

There’s no troubles if your gym contains machines only… the machine will dictate what form you use, but if your gym has free weights (as good gyms do), you need mirrors where you can monitor your form, and reduce your risk of injury.

To get over your fear of mirrors, I can suggest a few things:

• Just face it. Fear has been called “False Evidence Appearing Real”. Get out in front of that mirror, amongst the big guys (if there are any), and just get on with it. Facing your fear is the best and perhaps only way to conquer it. You might even find out that they’re not all a bunch of idiot meat heads after all (but some inevitably will be- welcome to humanity).
• Go gym shopping for a few months. Most gyms will offer you a week or two of free membership so you can try it out before committing. Use this to your advantage and find a gym that isn’t full of massive steroid pumping guys and make it your home. The only problem with this idea is that “meat heads” as we stereotypically call them, seek out well equipped gyms, therefore we can pretty accurately assume something is wrong with the gym if there’s no “meat heads” in sight.
• You may be able to avoid the meat head and bicep ogling population by choosing different times of day. Experiment.
• If you’re a female, and you’re more concerned about being the only gal amongst a bunch of testosterone jacked guys with no other eye candy in sight, join a female only gym, or hunt for a gym with a female gym-going population. They do exist. Or see option 1. Face your fear.
• The last & worst option is- don’t work out at a gym with mirrors. Just do like everyone else does and do steady state cardio for an hour, and then wonder why your weight fluctuates so much and you don’t permanently keep it off. See what I’m ranting about, here.

I hope you enjoyed today’s soap box. And I hope you find it useful. Remember, while I like to say everything you do should be based in having a bit of fun, avoiding the mirror may sabotage you in more ways than one.

The perfect body and fantastic health could be yours if only you knew how not to start an exercise program. Think about how many times you’ve started an exercise program only to stop shortly after. People start exercise programs every day, but can you stick with it?

If you want to beat off members of the opposite sex like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s baby will have to, a few key principles will stop you bailing out like an overweight skydiver, keen to plummet to earth to devour a box of sweet, tasty donuts.

If you want to fail, make the following mistakes:

• Always exercise alone
• Keep your weight loss goals a big secret
• Follow every starvation diet plan you read about
• Stay away from fresh fruit and vegetables, they give you gas anyway. And we’d rather never get gas than be skinny, right?
• Run run for hours on the treadmill alongside all the skinny 18 year old girls who’s metabolisms haven’t caught up with them yet (guys, maybe forget this point).
• Choose an exercise plan, and
  • change that plan every week to something completely different (you can’t track your progress)
  • don’t tweak the plan sufficiently to keep you interested
• Choose an exercise plan that you have no interest in; for me, thats the “treadmill only” plan
• Choose an exercise plan written by a body building magazine, even though you’re a total beginner
• Choose an exercise plan that you can’t have fun with. I.e. you love exercising with your dog, but you choose to workout in a commercial gym- and your dog isn’t for your blindness
• Start a new program and give it 1000% You’ll get injured, and then you’ll gain weight. Why did you start this exercise program in the first place…?
• Start a new program and be scared to try new things, and don’t give it your best shot. Just read my 1000% percent comment again though, please?
• Do exactly what you did last time you started, and then gave up on, an exercise program. Learn from your mistakes, okay?
• Start exercising without even considering seeing your doctor. From www.fitness.gov:

If you’re under 35 and in good health, you don’t need to see a doctor before beginning an exercise program. But if you are over 35 and have been inactive for several years, you should consult your physician.

• Plan, and plan, and plan, and then research… and research some more, and then forget you need to start some day. Its called the, “Ready, aim, aim, aim… aim… now your old and fat” approach. Summon the courage to start, then build upon your experience. This plan is called the “Ready, Fire, Aim” approach. It’s my favorite. Again, remember my doctor point, above.
• Take crazy full on weight loss products that do terrible things to your body. Forget stuff that’s good for you and helps you look good- you know; like fish oil, green tea, and multivitamins. Unless you’re a painter at heart, I’d stay away from drugs that stop your body absorbing fat. You get the picture.
• Never record or measure anything. Just because “some guy your friend knows” is ripped (read low body fat) from going to the gym twice a week, or as I alluded to earlier, just because the 18 year old skinny girls at the gym are only ever on the treadmill, doesn’t mean those methods are the best for you. Make meaningful long term efforts and record your progress.
• Don’t make yourself accountable by using social networking sites like my friend at “The Fit Blog” suggests. Failing to keep up with your promises to those new friends is a great motivator.
• Forget the latest weight loss craze of using video games to lose weight. Think of it this way: it’s a bit like getting into a car crash in that you don’t really see it coming, and then BAM! You’re losing weight and enjoying yourself. Plenty of people around the world are losing weight (or at least slowing the speed of weight gain) accidentally every time they play games. Why not use that? Fun while you exercise is key for motivation.
• Never think of starting a new sport, or getting back into the old sports you played in school, you’d suck now and make a total fool of yourself. Wrong. Look for social sport listings in the paper, or in local take-aways and laundromats everywhere- there’s sports available for all skill levels.

Don’t let that little voice in your head make up excuses, start a new exercise program today, and follow my advice. I think you’ll do great.

Enjoy.

Are you passionate about anything which involves you breaking a sweat? Have you got a sport you’ve been into for years and couldn’t imagine giving it up? If not, don’t worry, just realize that finding a sport you’re passionate about can be the key on your way to having fun and losing weight. Problem is; some of you might not be entirely motivated thinking about playing a game of soccer, or throwing a ball through a hoop.

I’m here to tell you there’s a different kind of sport which will not only supply fun in abundance while you’re doing it, but also motivate you in your exercise programs when you’re not doing it. You’ve seen it all over t.v. and likely seen videos on YouTube of people injuring themselves nastily while doing it. Extreme sports can be a great way to get back into exercise, and you don’t have to be featured on YouTube’s nastiest hits to get a lot out of it, and you don’t have to be a fitness god to get started.

Here’s a quick list of extreme sports you can safely get into, break a good sweat, but still get a kick out of:

1. Rock climbing- Visit your local indoor climbing gym to get down the basics and get the feel for climbing sheer rock faces. The level of challenge here is extremely variable, and accommodates you, your kids and probably your 60 year old mum & dad should they not have any major injuries. If you like rock climbing, you can buy some fairly cheap gear on the internet, or through the climbing gym you attend. Depending on your inclinations, you can stay inside on the wall and find insurmountable challenges that take you years to accomplish, or take it into the ‘real world’ with bouldering (a challenging mini rock climbing exercise without need for ropes), or get onto some massive rock faces in some beautiful places around the world. Ever thought of taking a holiday to Colorado to climb a 500m high rock face in the summer? That’d make good water cooler talk for when you get back to work, don’t you think? Get motivation: here.
2. Downhill biking/Mountain biking- Fungredients to start with: You, one mountain bike, one dirt track… add friends for extra fun factor. Mountain biking is one of those sports where you really do set your own challenge factor. Start on a local reserve’s dirt tracks, build up your balance, fitness and dexterity on the bike, and go from there. You’ll get some great scenery, a great work out, and the ability to work towards the crazy and dangerous end goal of conquering a brutal downhill run where small mistakes will probably cost you numerous broken bones. You don’t have to go anywhere near that level of course, but some of us like a little danger to make us feel alive outside the cubicle at work. Try downhill911 for trail locations, or your local bike shop. Get motivation: here.
3. Parkour- The new craze sweeping the world, also known as “free running”, is one you want to have a go at with a good group of friends, in your favorite urban or outdoors location. Parkour is described by its creator David Belle as, “Getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency situation. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, that will help you gain the most ground on someone/something as if escaping from it, or chasing toward it.” Start small and develop the core disciplines of balance, and proper landing techniques so that you don’t hurt yourself on landing. A few quick idea’s to get you started are:
   1. Vault over low objects, such as park benches
   2. Walk over difficult to balance surfaces (again keep it low so you can jump off safely)
   3. Swing from sturdy low branches
   4. Swing around sturdy light poles and other steel beams in an elegant fashion.

   Combine all of this into a basic jogging regimen and you have the beginnings of a parkour routine. Check out any number of parkour groups on the internet and see if you can locate anyone willing to teach you nearby. Get motivation: here.

4. Surfing- Truly one of the most enjoyable sports you can ever engage in. Challenge yourself, have fun and get that surfer’s body look at the same time… while it might take you numerous trips to be able to stand up on a surfboard and ride a proper wave, the euphoria that accompanies this feeling is famous with the sport of surfing. Check out the classic (if not now totally cliche) Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves if you want to get a taste of the sport. But better yet, go out and hire a long board, a wet suit, and get out there yourself. You won’t regret it, I promise! Get motivation: here.
5. Skiing and snowboarding are another pair of sports which can give you a great buzz and a workout at the same time. Get out for a day skiing and develop some great leg muscles and have fun at the same time. I need not mention the beauty of the snowfields around the world, and that working out with a mission to get yourself in snow shape for your next holiday is about the best motivation you can get. Granted, this one is a bit pricey for those on a budget to get into, but if you’re lucky enough to live nearby an indoor ski slope, thank your lucky stars and get out and try it. Get motivation: here.
6. Lastly on today’s list is paint balling. Paint balling for exercise you say? Indeed I tell you! Another great sport to invite a big group of mates along to, paint ball is one of those sports where you get a fantastic all over workout from short sprints, squats into cover, kneeling to aim, and not to mention the rush of nailing a friend with a well placed shot. Those of you with a competitive streak will especially appreciate the workouts paint ball can deliver. Legs, arms, and most of your upper body will cop a hammering over the course of a few hours of the game. Get motivation: here (language warning!).

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times now, if you find a sport, or extreme sport that you’re passionate about, there is nothing better than using your passion to fuel your workouts. You can even checkout popular magazines for these sports and find a great deal of motivation from ogling pictures of the top performers in these sports.

Have fun!