If you’re like me, the quest to be in shape, manage weight
and overall well-being, at times, feels overwhelming. And, as
if the quest to be fit isn’t hard enough, there’s
often other obstacles to overcome: health issues, time management,
mustering up courage or energy. Even if you’ve been exercising
for a long time, there’s always new barriers to be broken.
So, how to put all of this into perspective?...
According to Tom Turner, executive liaison for the Spina Bifida
Association that’s exactly it: Perspective. And also, according
to him, there’s no mountain too high to climb. Tom would
know. Paralyzed from the waist down since birth he’s now
33 and trains about three times a week. In fact, he tells me,
he just couldn’t get along without exercise.
So in my quest for the last word on overcoming barriers in fitness,
Tom sat down with me and together we came up with 3 basic principles
that will help break-down fears and intimidations in reaching
fitness goals. (After all, if he can exercise on a regular basis,
shouldn’t that be encouragement enough for anyone to give
it a shot?)
Principle #1 Move into the Fear.
“Train you mind to believe no mountain is too high or any
goal is too difficult to attain,” Tom tells me. Basically,
it’s all about meeting your fears and facing them head-on.
In this principle, aim to recognize your fears, acknowledge them
and then move through them. Ask yourself what is it that makes
you uncomfortable? Have you let yourself get out of shape and
are afraid you’ll never get back? Do you have an injury
that’s caused you to be afraid of your body?
If you can visualize creatively, then you can put your fears
in check. See your self as you’d like to be. Remember: your
body loves you and has the potential to heal itself to perfection.
Your only job is to trust it and listen.
Q: What is your body saying to you?
Principle #2 Trust Your Intuition.
It is important when overcoming obstacles and learning to break
through barriers that you begin to listen to the still small voice
of your body. In most cases, we all want the comfort of having
someone telling us what we can and cannot do. However, our highest
truth lies within us. This is not to say that the good opinion
of others is not important, but ultimately the decision making
comes from within.
When facing a challenge or an obstacle look to how you feel.
What are your instincts telling you? Often it is simply your instinct
that will move you into a new mindset and raise your consciousness.
“I wasn’t about to let the wheelchair stand in my
way,” Tom tells me. In fact, he says he had to merely change
his perspective about it. He says he first had to learn about
what his restrictions were then, create a boundary for himself.
“We all have boundaries,” he tells me. "Regardless
if a person can walk or not, obstacles are as unique as people
themselves. Therefore, it’s first best to know your boundaries."
