Pillars of Health - Fitness diaries

How in the world are we going to make change if we're apathetic to the basic nature of our problems. I have yet to meat anyone in all my travels that I thought was morally bankrupt. I have met some very unconscious people but not a soul I have yet to meet that is intrinsically bad. So why is it so hard for people to make necessary changes in our social structure so that we can avert some of the most heinous acts that we unfurl upon ourselves as a species, ecosystem and therefore #planet. SUFFER NO MORE There are very few people I have met in my life that are OK with seeing something or someone suffering. Show people violent videos, graphic acts of cruelty and even the most staunch stomachs roil in disgust. Yet strangely we are OK with it being swept under the rug while we're standing on it. In the same way that our current waste-management hides our mass #consumerist folly. Or how we are all for #animalrights but still consume meat and dairy from the #industrialagricultur...

There are 2 types of Motivation described in textbooks as it relates to fitness and health. Extrinsic and Intrinsic. Extrinsic Motivation is the type of push that comes from outside of yourself.  This can come in the form of music, a workout partner, television ads, or personal training.  Extrinsic motivation can also be a reward once you've reached a goal. External motivation is the easiest to procure and is the first step to achieving your goals. Alas, Extrinsic motivation can also be available in the negative context as well, such as someone telling you something, (truthful or not) that makes you feel the need to exercise, lose weight etc.... In starting a program or getting yourself started, however this form of motivation is a good start as a general rule.  Personal Training is particularly good at this (No, not a sales pitch), for many reasons, primarily because you are paying for it...  what better reason to show up, and work hard when you have a...

Well little one, if you look back at your heritage and you head back a couple thousand years, exercise held a totally different meaning. Why? Well, if you didn't do it you were dead. Cuz something ate you and you had to pick/catch your food daily to survive. Interestingly not much has changed, just the way that death happens. Cardiovascular disease is the tiger lurking in the grass and diabetes the snake slowly strangling you. That perfect waistline is the tastiest apple at the top of the tree. So do you NEED to exercise? Yes. Get on it! If u enjoy living...

Shaken, and stirred from a complacent martini-life my boat now careens into the whirlpool of serenity. The water of my awareness washes me clean and bathes my center in this fountain of eternal understanding. I crave not knowledge, but wisdom through openness-to-experience. Widely embracing the moment releases an ocean of "energy" based both inside and outside of my senses. Its' great song sings to me and the ideas lap the shores of my mind and yet whispers truths in my ear once I listen-without-hearing. Thoughts suddenly become but momentary gulls with ruffled feathers paddling on this great expanse. Immerse. Release. Listen. Enjoy. ~Ben Newman Healthy, Happy, Whole, Healed.

 Stress is damaging to the body. It causes us to retain fat and makes us sick, and if not dealt with properly... disease. :( 1. Improve your cardiovascular. Its endurance, capacity and strength are incredibly important to multiple different facets of our life. Recreating is the best way to keep your cardio in check! This will keep the nervous system conditioned, makes you more agile, provides you better balance and allows you to have some fun! This also helps with the uptake of oxygen & nutrients and aids in the removal of waste. 2. Getting plenty of cardiovascular exercise helps maintain elasticity in the lungs and helps to reduce conditions like asthma. 3. Taking the time to get fresh air helps us relieve stress. It is also interesting to note that the air in our homes is anywhere between 5 and 100 times more polluted than the air outside. So, GET OUTSIDE! 4. Breathing deeply helps to relieve muscular tension by relaxing the nervous system, this, helps you to concentrate ...

Everyone in the fitness industry seems to have the perfect diet, the greatest piece of equipment and the most revolutionary diet pill and ab exercise to drop those unwanted pounds…. I say Bullshi*. Let me explain to you a couple things about how the body works and then we’ll talk body fat. Firstly, the body is designed with an immeasurable survival instinct. Its sole purpose is to keep you alive. This is why when you touch a hot stove it doesn’t wait for you to think about how hot it is and react… it simply pulls your hand away. This is why when you walk down a dark alley at night the hairs on your neck stand on end, and when something jumps out at you your “fight or flight” kicks in and you whoop someone or Ruuuuunnnn! It’s also why in times of stress your body RETAINS body fat to be used as energy in case you need those stores to prevent you from starving. The next thing to note is that the body deals with ALL stresses in a similar way. This is to say that being chased by a l...