How would your finances hold up if you had to stop working for 5 months? Most people would struggle, yet that’s exactly what I had to do. Here’s why…
I overlooked an essential ingredient to success – health. A combination of long hours, poor diet, a specific vitamin deficiency, middle age and my liver all conspired to leave me without the energy to work more than an hour or two per day.
This state of affairs continued for a bank-account depleting five full months!
It wasn’t much fun, and it took my Gastroenterologist over 3 months to get to the heart of the matter. Like other people too stupid to look after themselves, I ended up having a certain type of conversation with my Gastroenterologist that went something like this…
- You’re overweight even though you don’t look it. Your body hides it well
- There is fat you can’t see surrounding your liver and this sometimes stops if from functioning correctly
- If things continue you’re likely to develop serious health issues later in life
- You need to make some changes. In particular…
- Avoid sugar and sugary drinks – including fruit juice
- Eat less fruit (but not no fruit) and more veges
- Avoid anything the body easily turns to sugar such as white flour and alcoholic beverages
- Start exercising regularly
- Take a vitamin D supplement every day
I want to be clear about this – I have a deficiency that shows up in blood tests. This has nothing to do with the current (incorrect) woo-belief that everybody should take a vitamin D supplement (they shouldn’t). Neither do I believe the assertion that the RDA for vitamin D wildly understates the actual amount needed per day (it doesn’t) - Get out into the sunshine for 15 minutes whenever it’s sunny (i.e. to make as much of my own vitamin D as I can)
It’s quite a challenge to run a business when you can’t work more than a few hours a day. The idea that I could add regular exercise to my daily routine just seemed impossible to me because I got tired sitting at a computer for a couple of hours!
Fortunately I met two brilliant personal trainers at just the right time. The first is Rob Brennan of Fitness Universal. Rob did 5 things that were crucial for someone in my position (i.e. overweight, ill and middle aged)…
- He had me work out at my level of fitness so I didn’t overdo things. I’m the sort of person who gets too keen and ends up injuring themselves – rendering further exercise impossible (i.e. undoes all that good work)
- He made the workouts a lot more fun than they normally are. A personal trainer has many ways to make an exercise session more fun
- He got me motivated to get fit. And I don’t just mean overall. When I’m on my 15th rep of a kettlebell exercise Rob provides a much needed burst of motivation to complete the final 5. And it’s those final 5 that deliver the most benefit
- He focussed on my technique. This ensures the right muscles are exercised and helps to prevent injury
- He put me on a diet that avoided foods my Gastroenterologist told me to avoid, and provides the energy necessary to train 3 days a week
I can’t speak highly enough of personal training in general, and Rob specifically. If you need to exercise and can get to West Hampstead (London UK), get in touch with Rob.
Rob just happens to be a keen Rugby Union fan, so he’s in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup. Leading up to his 6 week departure he referred me to another brilliant personal trainer – Ilaria Petrucci in Wembley.
Ilaria is likewise an excellent motivator and has an encyclopedic knowledge of fitness training. For example, when my wrist was too sore to perform a particular exercise Ilaria instantly switched to another that gets the same result but avoids placing stress on the wrist. When it comes to exercise, Ilaria is a walking talking Wikipedia!
As you can tell, I’m now a big fan of personal trainers. I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of exercise, which muscles they work on and so on. Neither can I monitor my own form during an exercise and correct poor technique. A good personal trainer can and will.
Even better – your personal trainer will customise each and every workout. Your session is designed specifically for your needs at that time.
Each session takes into account niggling injuries you might have, and aims to advance your current level of fitness in spite of the day-to-day circumstances. A personal trainer gets you through the ‘I don’t wannas’ that might otherwise scupper a workout if left to one’s own devices.
As a result of Rob and Ilaria’s dedication over the last 3 months I look thinner, more toned and have more energy than I’ve had in years. I don’t believe I’d be where I am right now without their input.
If you woke up this morning and found yourself overweight, middle aged and lacking in energy – go get yourself a personal trainer.
EDIT: See the comments below for handy tips on choosing a personal trainer and how to pay for sessions if you’re strapped for cash.