As far as health and fitness goes, I am definitely older and wiser. As far as health and fitness goes, I have come a long way. The question arises, though. Is it ever acceptable to dwell on the past?
Yes, it most certainly is acceptable.
We must look into our own past and remember the reason we decided to make a change. What caused you to stop and say to yourself, “I need to lose weight!” or “My arms would look better with 1 to 2 more inches of muscle on them!”?
Every single person that you see in the weight-room or Cardio Theater with a glazed look on their face has forgotten their reason. They must be reminded. WE must be reminded! With every single weight-training workout or cardio session, we are striving to overcome that past turmoil that caused us to incorporate Fitness into our lives on a more regular basis.
There is not always an epiphany or sudden realization that we need to change something. Sometimes, it is an ever-increasing awareness that something is amiss. Then, one day, it dawns on us: NOW is the best time to make a change.
“That belt has felt snug for the LAST TIME!”
“Those stairs have drained our energy for the LAST TIME!”
“Those Christmas decoration boxes have felt heavy for the LAST TIME!”
Remember, when you last uttered those words? Has it been so long that now weight-training and cardio are just chores that can be done another time, like mowing the yard and cleaning out your closet?
We need to dwell on the past. We need to re-introduce ourselves to the reasons we started on this path in the first place. Pull out those pants that accentuated the 5 to 7 pounds of bodyf at that WAS around your midsection. Go back to that staircase at your place of employment that had you gasping and fighting for air BEFORE you ran those 2 half-marathons and 1 full marathon. Take out that sweater that you always wore whenever you felt “too fat” or “too big” to wear a thinner and tighter shirt.
Remember where you have been. It will remind you how far you have come...
