Author: Ian Hart

I did a poll on Facebook asking what people would like me to write about in my next Lowcountry Weekly article and got a few glib responses asking me to write about The Cost of Joining the EarthFIT Personal Training Facility. Initially I believed the topic wouldn’t add much value to readers – which is my goal in writing these articles. But then I thought maybe I could write an article that relates to the question and put the question back in the consumers’ court.

I love being surrounded by and listening to motivating and inspiring people. Recently, I was listening to Tony Alessandra, acclaimed motivational speaker, and I came across a stimulating piece that inspired this article.   Tony reminds us that we live so we can experience the pleasures and the goodness that life has to offer. If we didn’t, then what would be the point of living, right? What would be the point of going through any pain and overcoming any obstacle if pleasure wasn’t on the other side? It’s because the hardships and how we deal with them show what our real character is made of. It is our faith that makes it worthwhile to endure such discomfort, with the belief that we will be rewarded in some form or another.

Success in fitness is no different from any other success or achievement in life. It must be achieved in the same way.   There are certain principles that must be in place for success to be achieved; if a solid foundation does not exist, then it will be a never-ending battle of fad diets, nouveau fitness regimens and dangerous cleanses.

Last month I did an interview on Mid-morning Live, speaking about exercise and knee pain, and I made a comment that created some controversy. It wasn’t my intention to create controversy; I was attempting to drive a point home and just speaking the truth, but some people didn’t like it. The comment was:   “Walking Is NOT Exercise.”

There are two emotions that are diametrically opposed and from which all other emotions and actions are derived. You can literally trace every other emotion back to one or the other. One makes all things possible, and the other can prevent growth and even destroy lives. One makes living joyous and the other can keep you mentally enslaved.

No matter the topic we’re discussing, when it comes to fitness, there is so much misinformation on the market that everyone is confused about how to get to where they want to be. The seven laws that I uncover below are not about what exercise to do or how to eat, but the mindset, which is more important than actually executing the science behind fat loss, muscle toning or whichever goal you are trying to achieve. 1) Know your dream: Know what your goal is and write it down. Include specifics – you must know exactly what you want or else you will get lost along the way. It has been proven that once you write your goals down and visualize them you automatically increase your chances of achieving them. One caveat is that you must first believe it is possible. So set achievable, realistic goals.

There is a reason for every action we take in life, especially when it comes to fitness. It’s not always easy to find the motivation to train. People are driven by external factors, internal factors, or a mixture of both. What is your motivation? Whatever your reason, it is helping to empower you to become a healthier and better person. If you don’t have a reason I assure you that you can find one by doing a little introspection, or by reading these top 7 reasons to fit in your fitness:

  Your Freedom is being stripped away, right out from under your nose. It’s so gradual that you don’t even notice it. Little by little… •     Your energy is declining •     Your blood pressure is rising •     Your cholesterol is on its way up

Back pain is an issue that almost every American will suffer from in their lifetime. Many experts predict that with today’s increased lack of activity and sedentary lifestyles, the problem will only get worse and worse. If you have ever found yourself sitting with nagging back pain, thinking that the pain is never going to go away, then you know what I’m talking about. If you ever have the fear that you will be bedridden, missing days of work, or the possibility of surgery has crossed your mind, then you are not alone. The statistics related to back pain are unbelievable. Here are just a few: