In the book Mindfulness, Ellen Langer discusses the concept of of being process oriented. What does this mean? A process orientation...asks "How do I do it?" instead of "Can I do it?" and thus directs attention toward defining the steps that are necessary on the way. How does this apply to fitness? If you're reading this blog, then you are more than likely interested in fitness. Maybe that interest is because you want to be healthier, you're trying to lose weight, you have a fitness goal you're striving toward, you want to get off of blood pressure medicine, or some other reason. You might be at what is called a "contemplation stage" of your fitness journey. You're thinking about losing weight. Perhaps you've just joined a gym, even scheduled a session with a personal trainer. These are all fantastic first steps. But, there may be a lingering thought of "Can I do it?" - Can I lose the weight? Can I run that marathon? Can I get back down to a size 8? Why does this doubt … [Read more...]
How to Prepare for a Disaster
This past week has been a tough one for those of us living in the Carolinas with Hurricane Florence. Fortunately, here in Columbia we weren't impacted much at all. But others have suffered a lot more with floods and road closures that are still getting cleaned up. Even though we didn't have a heavy impact personally, it was a good reminder that a disaster can strike at anytime, and the best thing to do is to prepare BEFORE the disaster comes rather than when it's happened. That's why I'm devoting today's post to the need for disaster preparedness. There are two things you can do to prepare to survive a disaster today. First, you should prepare your body. One of my underlying principles of fitness is that regular exercise should prepare you for the Activities of Daily Life (ADL). To me, Activities of Daily life include the things you love to do. This means training for the sports you play, being fit enough to travel, being in good enough shape to run around and play with … [Read more...]
The Reason Why I Exercise
Sorry for not writing these last two weeks, but I took a much needed end of summer vacation with my wife. We went to Hickory Knob State Park for some swimming, canoeing, golf, and relaxation in the natural beauty around us. View this post on Instagram Swinging into September like... if you have a set back, laugh, move in, and try again. Don’t give up! A post shared by Philip Looney (@philiplooneyfit) on Aug 29, 2018 at 9:29am PDT On this vacation, I was reminded of one of the reasons why I exercise. I exercise so I can have the energy, strength, and endurance to do the things I want to do. Let me explain. The first night there, we camped out with a beautiful view over the lake. I walked down to the shore and decided to take a dip in the lake to cool off. As I was paddling around, I looked across the dock on the other side of the lake and thought to myself "I wonder if I can make it to the … [Read more...]
A Mindful Approach to Exercise
One of my friends who is a music education professor recommended the book Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer to me, and said it was one of the books he gave out most to others as a gift (and he kindly gave it to me as a gift shortly after telling me about it). The word "mindfulness" has become a popular buzz word in the fitness industry with the rise of mind/body exercises like Yoga and Pilates, and there are certainly proven health benefits to these types of mind/body exercises. But the book Mindfulness looks at physiological studies that show how we have a tendency to get locked into a mindset, and can make bad decisions without even thinking about it. We limit ourselves to what is possible, and as a result we become inhibited. This isn't the power of positive thinking per se, but changing the context of the way we think about the things we do and why we do them. It means active thinking. It means not setting a limit on what we can do because of our circumstances or perceived … [Read more...]
What Body Positive Means to Me
When I became a personal trainer, my fitness goals shifted. I had in my mind that I needed to get the ripped and chiseled abs that are so popular and shown off by other fitness trainers on social media and in magazines. About a week into the extreme dieting that it would take to get those ripped abs, I felt miserable, I had no energy, and was not enjoying my workouts. I realized that it just wasn't going to happen. Based on the response I got from this Instagram post, I know I'm not alone. This isn't a dig at other fitness professionals or others who have attained that physique. It's commendable, and can be very motivational. However, it's important to remember that everybody (or, every body) is different. Genetics, age, and other factors play a big part in our body composition. So if you're not careful, comparing yourself to someone else's fitness can be discouraging and in fact have a negative impact on your fitness progress. In this excellent article by Jeanne Bellezzo … [Read more...]