What Motivates you?

      Fitness is a very fickle thing.  I say thing because most dont see it as a profession or a business or an industry.  They dont look at it as anything other than what they dredge through to just eat what they want and rationalize it.  That is not motivation, that is an excuse.  Being in fitness and athletics since i was young, it takes time to understand what health and fitness is. 

    Health is, by definition, is the state of being free from illness or injury.  This being as broad as it comes, needs to be refined when it comes to fitness.  Just being disease and injury free can be deceiving.  What health is to me is being able to do everyday tasks, performed efficiently, with little or no strain.  Picking up a box, changing a tire, standing from a seated position.  These are all functional movements that you will come across on a daily basis.  Your workouts should consist of multi joint movements with good form such as squats, push press, deadlifts, etc.  Weight doesn't matter as much as form does!  If you can do the every day movements more efficiently then you can consider yourself on the road to health.

     When it comes to motivation, it doesn't matter what it is as long as you have it.  If you want to eat better to perform better or just to lose weight and feel better, it always works better if the motivation is there.  My motivation may or may not be different than yours but it is there.  I was a chubby kid my whole life.  I grew up playing sports but was always made fun of for being overweight, or husky as my mom called it.  Like that made me feel better.  I had two choices in life.  Either continue on the eating path and continue to gain weight or make a change and eat better.  Now, my goal is to be an example of overcoming deficiency to be fit AND healthy.  You do not have to settle or compromise either.  What you have to do is know where you want to go and settle on a good plan to get there. 

      I have clients who are motivated to learn a lifestyle of eating because they want to be around for their kids when they get married.  Nothing chokes me up more than hearing stories of parents who have died way too young and left their kids in this world without their own guidance systems aka parents, due to health issues.  I know there are genetic defects out there but our society has put themselves into a bad place based on their eating.  Fast food, soda, processed foods......these things will add up and place such a demand on the heart, kidneys, and liver to process it, the saturated fats and high glycemic carbs, end up causing heart disease, liver and kidney failure, and all these things may be able to be prevented with healthy eating.

     I do not have kids and I am not married but my motivation to be an example spreads now to the future.  My biggest fear is leaving my future wife and kids without a father and husband to help guide them in this world.  Ive seen changes in my friends who have had children and I know i will be the same way.  No other more important reason than to do it for you and your family.  People rely on you whether you know it or not.  So, whats your motivation?