Get Started Now!

By Heather Calcote RD

"It's never too late to become what you might have been." - George Elliot

At the 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon a new world record was set. The 100-year-old runner, Fauja Singh, may have been one of the last competitors to cross the finish line, but he did run the complete 26.2 mile marathon distance and is now the oldest person ever to do so!

Singh, from London, England, was on the course for 8 hours 25 minutes and 16 seconds. He began competing in marathons at the age of 89 when, following the death of his wife, he started to run "more seriously". At the 2003 Toronto Marathon, he set a world record as the fastest finisher in the men's over-90 age group. He ran as a torchbearer in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and hopes to do so again in 2012 (London).

Mr. Singh trains by running 10 miles per day, and says "The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free." This is advice applicable to anyone, at any age!

The most fascinating part of this story may be that it seems as though Singh has never considered these tasks impossible, or unattainable. His age is of no question, yet he continues to live each day as though he has years to come. He is outwardly self-motivated, and unstoppable. In fact, he already signed up for his next challenge - the 2012 Edinburgh Marathon.

All of this is not to say that completing a marathon should be the next goal for everyone, nor does it have to be on every Bucket List. But this is the type of story that can be a much-needed reminder, a wake-up call or a kick to get started! It is a reminder that we're often capable of so much more than we think; an indicator that with planning, preparation, dedication and drive, any goal is attainable. Age, gender, perceived athletic ability or any kind of "busy" schedule shouldn't be stopping you from challenging yourself, doing something for yourself each day, and putting your best foot forward!

In the words of George Elliot, proven time and again by Fauja Singh, it is never too late. Get started now!

Sources:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15330421
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9050111/100yearold_marathon_runner_an_inspiration.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15370205http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049994/Fauja-Singh-100-smashes-world-record-oldest-marathon-runner.html

Race Season... a Mandate to MOVE!

In my profession I encounter people everyday struggling to find the motivation for making positive changes in life. As a nutritionist and personal trainer these positive changes typically involve healthy eating and regular exercise. It seems simple from an outsider’s perspective… such habits promote a healthy body weight, a fit physique, prolonged health and disease prevention. An apple a day and all that nonsense, right? Well if we all know it to be true, which we ALL do, why is it so tough to act on it? Why isn’t that enough motivation?

Let’s evaluate this for a minute. What’s your motivation to pick your kid up from sports practice? Or to be at that emergency meeting your boss called for 8:00 am tomorrow morning? The universal answer, of course, is the threat of immediate consequence. You can’t just leave your kid at the soccer field! But with healthy lifestyle habits like diet and exercise, the consequences come on much more gradually. Maybe it’s a few pounds of weight gain per year, or development of heart disease or diabetes 20 years from now. The human body is amazing at adapting to whatever habits you throw its way. That is, you get so accustomed to being out of shape and eating fast food everyday you don’t even realize how much better you could feel by making better choices.

Helping people to find and connect with their personal internal motivations, and then to act on them (maybe a consistent morning workout or simply skipping the weekly office birthday cake), is easily the most challenging part of my job! Staying motivated when the consequences of your actions sit miles down the road can be a truly daunting task, even for the most dedicated health nuts! So why not take a tip from all the things in your day that regularly push exercise to the bottom of the list? Why not create some more immediate motivation and consequence for your healthy lifestyle habits? We’ll call it a “mandate to move!”

Turns out this time of year presents one of the simplest and most universal motivators to exercise… race season! The fall season is primetime for all sorts of outdoor athletic races and events, from marathons, to breast cancer walks to small local events. Walking, running, cycling, mountain biking, triathlon… there is undoubtedly something for everyone. Sign yourself up for one today and figure out how to train for it tomorrow! Ask a family member or friend to join you and make it a team effort. It will get you off the couch and offer an opportunity for a significant sense of accomplishment. And accomplishment is often the greatest motivator of all!

Use the activity finder at www.Active.com or runningintheusa.com to find an event in your area.

Success! Take Responsibility and Wield Your Power

When working toward improving ourselves, few things are more important for success than assuming personal responsibility for our progress and results. When the going gets tough it is easy to look outside ourselves, to our surrounds, peers or life circumstances, for the causes of shortcomings and solutions to problems. While these external factors are often out of our control, internal factors such as thoughts, emotions and behaviors experienced in response to a situation are well within our realm of influence. Owning a position of personal responsibility for what we experience in life provides us with tremendous power to shape our successes.

Whether they are health related, professional, social or other, the outcomes we experience in life are built on the occurrence of a specific event combined with our response to that event. In other words, outcome is largely influenced by perception; not only composed of what actually occurs externally, but also how that occurrence is perceived and processed internally. This can be considered in the form of an equation:

E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)

While influence over an external event (E) will often be limited, we can always control how we respond or react (R) to the event. In turn, we can control the outcome.

For example, an individual has been working toward lowering blood pressure by exercising more, eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking less alcohol. Upon his next blood pressure measurement he sees that there has been no change. This unfortunate “event” in combination with a reaction of frustration, denial, anger and placing blame externally creates an outcome of perceived failure and reduced self-worth that will ultimately knock him off the track toward his goal. Alternatively he may respond to this event by recognizing all the good that has come of his efforts - increased energy, reduced weight, clearer cognition and improved familial relationships – creating a positive outcome of partial success that will further encourage him toward his ultimate goal. By taking responsibility for his experience he shapes his success in improving his health.

So next time you experience some turbulence in working toward your health goals, aim to shift your perspective and connect with a more considerate response to your situation. Recognize the positive that has come of the steps you have taken. Take responsibility, control your response, wield your power and shape your success!

Reference: Canfield, Jack. The Success Principles. Collins: New York. 2005.