Move Your X
After almost three decades behind a desk in corporate America, I woke up one morning and didn't recognize that old fart in the mirror. Where in the heck did all those chins come from anyway??? I was over 50 (considerably), overweight (considerably), overworked, and COMPLETELY over feeling like crap all the time. Through the years, I had found myself more and more exhausted, defeated, and medicated. Taking a literal handful of medications daily for hypertension, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, depression, asthma, low this, high that, plus I had a whole host of related metabolic issues, including pretty obvious insulin resistance.
That day, it hit me like a ton of bricks; somewhere in the future, on some random date on some random calendar page, there is a big red X with my name next to it. That's the day I will cross life's final finish line. Each of us has one of those red-letter dates, and we are cruising headlong toward them at warp factor 5. It also hit me that there is hope; that big red X isn't in permanent marker. It's in colored pencil at best! WE CAN MOVE IT! And BAM, “Move your X” was conceived! Well, in my head, at least.
Although the details might have been sketchy at the time, I realized that through proper exercise and nutrition, you and I have the potential to push our Xs well into the future. Come on now, no jokes about pushing them in front of a train; I said X, not ex! ;-). In fact, current research suggests that we can push that X into the future by 10 years or more. According to some studies, a LOT more. "But," I thought, "I just don't have the time to exercise and eat right. I drive 3 hours a day work full time and try to have something resembling a life..." But then, regardless of whatever excuses I could make, I had a chilling thought: "If I don't have half an hour a day to exercise, do I have 24 hours a day to be dead"
With this new perspective, I realized that it was time to get really serious, really fast, and fall back on something I knew. As an old Army paratrooper, I definitely knew a thing or twelve about PT (Physical Training - Army speak for fitness). So, I got my butt in gear, started moving, exercising, and trying to eat better. Along the way, I made a TON of mistakes! What works for a 20-something paratrooper might not be the best battle plan for a fat old fart pushing 60... But one thing I got absolutely right was when I admitted that I didn't know how much I didn't know and did a ton of research on training programs. Having been a coach years before, and, being a science geek at heart, only a comprehensive, science-heavy program, would do, so I found one based upon actual sports science and became a Certified Elite Trainer, Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, and Running Coach, The knowledge I gained along the way gave me those AH-HA moments that I needed to train myself and ultimately, to help others. Within a year, I had lost over 50 pounds of fat and found myself training for a half-marathon. This fitness stuff actually works! Whodathunkit?
Oh yeah! Remember all those maladies I mentioned earlier? Today, aside from the hypothyroidism, which only God has the power to reverse, I no longer need medications. My high blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, and other previously medicated conditions are a thing of the past. Most importantly, I'm actually living again! I feel better and have more energy than I've had in the last 25 years. Now, I look forward to getting out and doing all the things that I once made excuses to get out of.
I want to share something impactful with you; Dr. A. T. Still, the founder of modern Osteopathic Medicine said; "To find health should be the object of the practitioner. Anyone can find disease!" Now obviously I'm no doctor, but I think this principle should apply to fitness trainers and practitioners as well. It should apply to any of us who are trying to find our own health and fitness. Showing up for ourselves might be just what the doctor ordered.
It won't be easy, and it won't be overnight. Very few things that matter are. But I promise you this, (in addition to unlimited fist bumps):
It WILL absolutely,100% be worth it.
I WILL be there every step of the way.
If I can do it, YOU can do it.
So let's get started today and move those darn Xs together.