Week 7 - Pain!!!

Well .... I'm back. I'm trying really hard to make sure this is a weekly blog. However, last weekend I attended a Toastmasters conference where there was a whole bunch of really inspiring people who left me really pumped by the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, I was too tired to focus on writing an article for my blog.

This leads me to my main goal in life: To become inspired by others and then go out, in turn, and inspire others with whom I have contact (if I misused the use of "whom" here, please write to let me know. I'm trying to sound more erudite than I really am. I'm actually quite a down-to-earth guy.)

When I write my blog, it is usually far too late at night and I need to keep pumped. As I write this, I'm playing a selection from my iTunes library playing called "Chains of Love" by Erasure. A great song for power walkers and runners alike.

By responding back, it tells me two things: 1) That you actually read my blog and 2) That you think I actually have something well worth saying. My intent in this blog is to inspire people to greatness, because I feel really blessed!!!

The subject of my ramble today is PAIN!!!

PAIN is something we all experience at some point in our lives, and if you have never felt physical pain in your life, you're probably not human! I face pain of some kind every day, but it is in various degrees.

For me, traditionally I feel the effects of arthritis in my lower back or legs twice a year - in the spring and in the fall months. It is usually much worse in spring. About ten years I used to have pain in my knees that would last weeks! I lost a lot of sleep and then had trouble concentrating on my work during the day.

Then the pain went away in my knees. Now, for the first time this year during the spring, I began feeling it in my lower back at the base of my spine. I just got back from a walk to Tim Horton's for a coffee and the night air can make the pain even worse.

Let the truth be told, I live with pain everyday, but when I compare myself to others living with challenges, I'm indeed blessed.

Now enough of my pitiful story of pain .... I want to share with you how I'm rising above the pain. Below is my quick list of how I do it:

1) Develop a high threshold for pain - keep it in perspective
2) Keep moving!! Join a fitness club and keep walking
3) Think like an athlete - tell people you are "training" not "exercising"
4) Enjoy your successes
5) Belief in a higher power - I'm sure you're waiting for this

In a previous blog I mentioned some methods for relieving some pain such as massage therapy and chiropractic. Again, I have found some great success in massage therapy. However, the above four items have helped me to manage PAIN and keep it in check before I have eventually have to book an appointment with my RMT.

Keep Pain in Perspective
My pain maybe worse than that of the guy walking next to me, but my pain may not be as bad as that of the guy walking on the other side of me. I just can't find the time to dwell on it. I once read about a girl who, like me was born with spina bifida. She wrote proudly about how she wrote a document that explained her disability in detail and the pain she experienced every day. When she visited different doctors, instead of having to verbally explain her dilemma over and over, she would just hand this document to them and let them read it. Honestly, I understand, totally.

Now I don't know what you think, but I have to honestly say that I don't have time for these types of people. Not only do I not have the time to write such a document, but doing so only makes me focus too much on me. I really want to help others and thereby transfer the focus away from my situation. What also helps me is that fact that, in terms of research, not much is known about how about someone in their 40's should live with spina bifida. I'm glad I don't know. I may act that way.

Keep Moving
Even the staff at my local fitness club are getting tired of seeing me. They kid me when they say, "Oh, you again?!" I make fitness fun! My trusty iPod is sometimes my best friend. When you keep moving and do anything to keep moving, you can actually alleviate pain. It's true! Some people believe that walking only makes arthritis worse. Actually, the opposite is true.

Think Like an Athlete
When you tell yourself you are training to gain more muscle or to lose weight, it puts a whole new spin on your efforts. When you think like an "exerciser," the process seems so finite, but when you think like an "athlete" and sit consistent goals, the process takes on a longer term and you begin to settle into it and relax more.

Enjoy Your Successes

• Some pain after your workout can mean that you put your muscles under an appropriate amount of tension to allow you to know that you exercised appropriately. Enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant, but don't go overboard with the portion sizes.
• When the pain is too much, whether it be from an injury or just from muscle tension, step back and give yourself a much needed break. Enjoy the break.

Belief in a Higher Power

Now for my final reason why I have the strength overcome pain. It is one that I have a hard time articulating and one that I don't tell everyone: My belief in a higher power.

I wouldn't call myself a "religious" person. I attend church services weekly and I try to put into practice every day my Christian life, but I'm not perfect. I don't even read the Bible every day. I'm just one of the guys! The difference, is that about 20 years ago I began doing everything for the glory of God. Jeff Brown 1 didn't realize how blessed he was. He was not realizing his potential and lacked confidence in himself. Jeff Brown 2 began to look beyond himself to others who needed guidance. JB2 realized that he had the gift to write and tell his story to inspire others who are less fortunate. To that, I'm eternally grateful.

Having that belief in God has helped me to overcome adversity, look beyond myself, and look more closely at my values. Pain is only temporary.

Week 6 - Goal Setting

I have taken a two month break from writing this blog. The break, however, was not intended. The Gym Rat hit a brick wall and began wallowing in apathy over his fitness goals. The Gym Rat became discouraged but never gave up. He kept on track, but he just stopped writing. After all, who would ever read my silly little blog.

The truth is, I didn't take the time to carefully construct my fitness goal. As you may notice in my right side bar, I want to lose 30 lbs by the end of July. So far, I have only lost 3 lbs. It appears that I have done a great job of maintaining my weight.

In thinking back when I began this blog, I probably didn't think carefully about my fitness goal.
When you set your goal, whether it be to lose weight or lose a few notches on the ol' belt or do 100 consecutive push ups, you must first take a step back and determine your "fitness mission."

Determining your fitness mission can be answered by asking yourself the question, "Why do I want to lose weight?, or why do I want to lose a few notches on my belt?, etc.

Once you've clearly stated why you want to reach a goal (your objective) then the process of reaching the goal becomes more clear. You will then have a purpose.

In my case, my mission is to be able to remain mobile while into my middle to senior years. I'm motivated by images of others around me. When I was at a movie theatre recently, I saw a very over-weight man sitting in a wheelchair. I didn't really know the circumstances of how he became overweight. I can't judge him on this; however, I do know I didn't want to look like this when I reached his age. I want to remain mobile and vibrant as long as possible. I even find myself moving away from friends who were negative-minded and didn't live a healthy lifestyle. If you associate too much with them, you will become much like them if you don't watch it!

With my fitness mission being to remain mobile as long as I can in life, I need to revise my goal. How do I intend to remain mobile? I will remain mobile by going to the gym 3-4 times a week and walking about one hour over each weekend. This will be my fitness goal.

Forget my weight loss goal! There is a lot here that is not within my control. I was not obese when I began writing my blog. I probably only need to lose another 20 lbs to be satisfied. When I put on muscle when I workout, my weight will tend to go up, but that's OK. It is better than gaining fat.

Set up your fitness goals to allow you to succeed, not fail, although they must be challenging. With a demanding job and other committments, sometimes it is challenging enough to workout 4 days a week. This is my goal: To work out consistently week to week and to stay active.

You will never see staying glued to the TV. I will strive to associate myself with others who enjoy staying active.

To recap:
Step 1: Write your fitness mission - What do you want to achieve and why?
Step 2: Write your fitness goal(s) - How will you achieve your mission?
Step 3: Review your mission and goals to ensure that they are achievable.

Make sure your goals are SMART
I'm interested in hearing about your own fitness mission and goals. Let's learn from and inspire each other!