What’s in a fitness specialists car?
I was driving around the other day and noticed something that I wouldn’t usually notice. It’s what the inside of my car looks like. I think more times than not we don’t notice things that are normal to us but aren’t normal to other people.
I often talk about what surrounds us, who surrounds us, the kind of influence people have on us or more so the kind of influence we let others have on us. In our environment what are constant reminders, or positive influences and what are not so positive. How do we prepare, if at all? Do we pack the night before, do we carry healthy foods and workout clothes with us. These are all things we should consider when we think about living a healthier lifestyle.
I know most people don’t think about health or weight loss as a healthy lifestyle, if that wasn’t the case weight loss supplements wouldn’t always be on top selling lists at most retail or online stores. I wanted to share this with you because it’s important not only for me to share that I practice what I preach but how easy we can make it on ourselves if we prepare a little, make an effort and surround ourselves with whatever it is we want.
Feeling a little proud for some reason or another I look to the right side of my car as I get in. I see a gym bag, I see a True Form jacket, a yoga mat on the floor, a medicine ball, a bag of resistance bands and an empty bottle of Kombucha. Let’s get into some details…
To clear things up, the medicine ball and bag of resistance bands are for my occupation I wouldn’t expect any person to carry props around with them unless of course you’re one of the few fitness extremists (and trust me there are these people out there) who carry around equipment all the time in case they find a cool spot driving by to exercise at.
The Kombucha, is a homemade brew of fermented non-dairy grains that I grow and harvest myself. I won’t get into too much detail but I can’t say enough about this health drink, you can flavor it however you like ie dried or fresh berries, you know exactly what’s in it meaning it wasn’t commercial made with all kinds of who knows what’s in it. It contains enzymes, probiotics, is raw, vegan and to top all that off, if I ever have any kind of discomfort in my stomach with digestion or what have you, kefir makes it go away like it was never there.
Moving on, my True Form labeled fitness jacket is something I’m still proud of although I’ve had it for quite some time. Proud more so because of what it represents than anything else. We often wear another company’s brand with knowing nothing about what the company stands for. To me to is advertising for them, you are representing another company when you wear their clothing. I often wear clothes that aren’t labeled with any brand name for this reason. Let’s take one of the bigger athletic companies for example; a company worth billions that has been accused of slave labor, mass production/distribution (the last couple there isn’t anything wrong with if the first one wasn’t there). They have the ability, resources, ect to cut some profit margins, and build North American factories, employing thousands of local citizens that can’t find work. Why don’t these large companies do this;
because they’re all about money, driving profit margins up and reducing production costs. And that’s all there is to is. So now, without knowing any better but not willing to do the research we advertise for a company or companies for that matter with little or no morals. I’m not saying I the clothes that I wear are a whole lot different, but I can tell you at some point the will (which is a long term dream of mine), I can also tell you I won’t be advertising on myself for an organization like that.
Whew, that was a long winded explanation, which could be a whole nother subject. What I was getting at is I’m proud to wear a brand name because of what it represents, what it’s about and because I helped build what it stands for.
So we’re left with what’s in the gym bag. I’d like to say always but that’s not entirely the case, so let’s say I almost always, carry a gym bag around with me because you never know when you can mix in a workout at the last moment. In the gym bag is a change of shoes, shorts, shirt, filtered water which I always carry with me, a skipping rope (because with this simple, easily stored and transportable, old skool prop, I can use it for a workout alone or to compliment any workout). And lastly trail mix which I usually also always take with because it’s perfect for a snack in between meals.
In previous segments or writings I talked about widening your scope of success. So let’s think about what we just went over here on living a healthy lifestyle. I’m always surrounded with health and fitness ‘props’ lets say, every time I sit in my car. Instead of thinking or saying I forgot my gym clothes or shoes which as we know is only an excuse, I always have an extra pair with me, even if I’m not planning to workout. Water, filtered especially has so many health benefits, one in particular is speeding up our metabolism so why not carry a bottle with you? Along with speeding up your metabolism comes food and nutrients, which is exactly where trail mix comes in because at times we forget or don’t have time to have a meal. If you’re always prepared you never have to get ready.
So there you have it, I hope me opening up my personal life as to how I stay prepared will be beneficial to help you live that healthy lifestyle you’re looking for. Remember to take small steps, be conscious of who and what you surround yourself with, do your best to be prepared and focus on the positives, the little things that keep moving you forward.
