5 REASONS TO BE STRONG

As we break the blogging ice and figure out where our journey together is going to take us, I’d like to begin by discussing why physical strength is so necessary to a thriving life.

Being weak is dangerous and soft. Why settle for weakness? This is a topic I could write a book about so to limit it to a blog post is tough but if I can open just one person’s mind to this idea that will be a win.

BEING STRONG RESISTS DISEASE

At the most basic level we can understand why strength is needed for a good life. The number one killer in the United States is still heart disease believe it or not. Then cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, and metabolic disease are closely behind. Nursing homes are filled with people who disease has weakened and ravaged. I understand firsthand what it is to go through a surgery and be restarting from a weakened state. (More on that in future posts). Let’s even pretend for a moment that strength training doesn’t have any benefits at preventing disease (even though it does). If you are strong going into a crisis, and stay as strong as humanly possible through the crisis, you will come out the other side not so weakened and ravaged. You will heal better and rebuild better, possibly even stronger than before.

Now I’m not saying strength training bulletproofs you from disease. Shit happens, it’s part of life. But you can set yourself up better by being strong. Here’s some benefits most of you may not realize about strength training and resisting disease:

• Strength/not being weak. Duh.
• Weight management
• Improved cognition
• Better stamina
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Pain management
• Injury prevention
• Reduces chronic disease markers
• Improves mood (aka reduces anxiety and depression)
• So much more, seriously google it.

BEING STRONG KEEPS YOU DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

What do you love doing with your free time? Maybe playing with your kids or grandkids. Perhaps socializing with friends.

For my 74 year old client, Bob, a few years ago it was riding his motorcycle and shooting his guns. He thought he may never be able to enjoy those activities again after falling on ice and tearing some muscles in his rotator cuff. Additionally, he had been having some trouble with his hip seizing up on the motorcycle for some time. When he came to me and told me these things skeptical of training being a viable solution for him I said, “Bob. I want you to be able to do what you love for the rest of your life.” And with that, our training began. Four years later he’s still riding his motorcycle and shooting his guns with zero difficulty. 

BEING STRONG IS FUN

I have never seen someone start a fitness journey with a weight loss goal, hit that goal and then continue a fit and healthy lifestyle. No one enjoys fitness for the sake of weight loss. It’s punishing. Yet I have seen many people continue a fit and healthy lifestyle because they enjoy watching themselves get stronger-even if their initial goal was weight loss. While it can be a great motivator in the beginning, being dissatisfied with your body and the reflection in the mirror is not a very good long term strategy to sticking to a path of wellness.

Once some of us start to realize the strength we are capable of it becomes a driving force that keeps us coming back for more.

A friend of mine began her fitness journey with the goal of weight loss and eventually fell in love with her amazing strength she was building. The things she has accomplished since have been nothing short of astonishing. She has deadlifted over 200 pounds, she has pulled a Toyota Tundra, and she has survived the first season of Unbeatable Mind with Tony Sentmanat. Unbeatable Mind is a ruthless reality show on WPSN that takes the human body to the point of failure so that the only thing that will pull one through is the mind-if they have a tough mind that’s made of the right stuff.

BEING STRONG OPENS NEW DOORS

One of my clients was a photographer. As she trained with me she realized her photography was improving because she could get shots she was never able to get before. Previously she had been physically unable to get into some of the positions required for those harder to get shots. 

BEING STRONG BUILDS POSITIVE CHARACTER TRAITS

It takes dedication to be strong. There are days you don’t feel like getting out of bed and lifting some heavy weight. On those days, motivation is cheap and pathetic. The only thing that will get you through that moment is discipline and will. These are the most important muscles you will build. They fuel perseverance and grit. This is the stuff you need for building mental toughness and resilience. We will be studying these things in great detail in future posts.

I’m looking forward to this blogging journey with you and I hope you are as well.