Fit For Life: Wasting Wishes on What Could Have Been?

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

The other day I uncovered my old high school football jersey. I chose #77 because I always loved the Oakland Raiders growing up, and my favorite player Lyle Alzado wore that number. He was a menacing force on the football field, and I wanted to be like him. As I held up the jersey and relived a few glorious moments on the gridiron, I thought to myself, “I wish I was a better player”. I wished I had trained harder, practiced harder, paid more attention to the coaches, and didn’t party as much in high school.

Then I stopped myself mid thought and realized a very important fact - wishing for your past to change is a wasted wish, because it will never come true, and I should be exerting my mental energy on something more productive. Like thinking of the future.

The past is gone

The past is gone and the future is formed by the actions you do today. You can’t change the past, nor can you predict or guarantee your future, but you can change your thoughts and actions TODAY. And that’s what I wanted to write this article about…making changes.

We are all doing something wrong in our lives. Not to the point of committing a crime, or hurting someone else, but things we can change to improve our current situation. You don’t need me to tell you this, because almost everyone reading this article (unless you live in denial) knows what they are doing wrong, so my question to you is…what are you going to do to fix it? Or are you even going to try?

Sleep with the moon. Rise with the sun.

Every time I have someone sitting across the table from me, whether it be for a sales consult, or a nutrition assessment, admits that they know something they are doing wrong, and it’s my job to help them find a solution. When I tell people they need 8 hours of sleep, the response is "I know, I just don’t do it." I stay up too late either working or watching TV. Then I try to convince them that sleep is one of the most important factors in health and wellbeing, and that late night TV isn’t a good sacrifice for their health. It’s all about the choices you make, and looking beyond immediate gratification and seeing the whole picture. When you get your 8 hours, you wake well rested, rejuvenated, and ready to have a more productive day. You help create hormonal balance by sticking to your circadian rhythm: sleep with the moon, and rise with the sun. You feel better, and are in a better mood. Now what’s more important? Getting to bed on time, or watching Jimmy Kimmel? And if it’s work you need to get done, you are better off going to bed early and setting your alarm clock a few minutes earlier, and accomplishing your tasks first thing in the morning, when you are fresh.

Another thing I call to people’s attention is that they don’t get enough exercise. "I know, but I haven’t had the time"! So my response is - we all have the same 24 hours in a day. If we spend 8 hours sleeping, and 10 hours working, that leaves us with 6 more. At Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, all our sessions are 30 minutes. That’s right, you get a muscle building, fat torching workout in 30 minutes, that will energize and invigorate you. In addition, it will get you in better physical condition, which creates a domino effect by building more self-esteem, self-confidence and also elevating your mood, by raising endorphin levels. Now, isn’t that something worth etching 30 minutes out of your day to do?

Recognize your problems; map the solutions.

We are all worth a better life. We work hard and stress ourselves out daily. I am no exception, but I keep looking for ways to improve, so I can coach you to do the same. The first step is self-awareness. You need to recognize that you are doing something wrong. Then you need to write a list of solutions. Then analyze the list, and decide which task you can handle yourself, and get help with the rest. Not motivated to work out? That’s what guys like me are here for. Call me, walk through my doors, and problem solved! Eating too much junk food? Keep a journal, and eliminate the things you know are harming your health and adding unwanted weight.

Realizing what you are doing wrong, and the positive effects of changing those habits should be incentive enough for you to want to make a change. Do it for yourself. Start by making one simple change at a time, and before you know it, you will be living a healthier and productive lifestyle. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Don’t wait to sit back and look at your past, and “wish” you would’ve done things differently - because you can right now by making changes - today. Remember. wishing the past would change, is a wasted wish.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

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MapMyRun

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Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

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Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

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Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

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Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

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Made for iPhone and Android