Second Act Fitness: Gravity is the Enemy.

So I've decided that Wednesdays are Fitness Day here at the Second Act.
I suppose I could give it some cutesie name like "Woohoo Workout Wednesdays!" 
But I'm not.
We're all grown ups here and let's be honest. Most of us work out because the alternative is sagging, bagging, bloating and feeling like crap. 
Nobody likes that. 
Gravity is the enemy.

That said, once fitness becomes a part of your life you discover that endorphins are as addictive as any other 'feel good' substance. Yes, including Oreos and wine.
On the days you don't work out you feel sluggish, restless and just "off". 

So how do you get to this state of endorphin bliss if the thought of going to the gym every day makes you want to hide under the covers and never come out?
That's easy.
Don't go to the gym.
I can hear the cries of "Blasphemer!" coming from my fitness addicted friends already.

 
The reality is, all you need to be fit is a good pair of shoes and a real desire to be fit. There's no magic at a gym, other than the fact that things are a bit more convenient there. I mean all that equipment in one place and all. 

 But I see really fit people doing things like flipping truck tires, running marathons and scaling cliff sides with nary a gym in sight. They do however, all have really good shoes.

Once you have the shoes, then really all it takes, as author Tony Robbins says, is the three S's 

 The right Strategy, Story and State.

Strategy - Well really, this is the easiest of the three. You don't need me to outline a strategy for you, there is certainly no shortage. You can easily open any magazine, turn on your TV, or go to one of the zillion websites devoted to getting you fit. (But since I love ya and for your convenience, I will link a few below) If you hate the idea of a gym, there are martial arts and kick boxing classes that meet outside, there are hiking clubs, you can get a bicycle, do yoga in your living room, dance in your kitchen, run around the block or walk the mall (where it's always 70 degrees and the people are nice!). Beach Body offers a plethora of programs to suit any style and fitness level right in your own home. You just press play. Quite frankly, all you need is to do something, anything, that makes you breathe hard and sweat for one hour a day. (Yes, sex counts too!) The most basic activity is also one of the most effective: Just walk as if you are late, for an hour a day. You can do that anywhere. Strategy? Check.

Story- Ah, this is where it gets a little trickier. Because we all have a story. The most common are "I don't have enough" stories. I don't have enough time, money, energy, I'm not healthy enough to exercise, whatever. The kicker is, those may be absolutely true facts. But the facts are less important that the story you tell yourself about those facts.
Story:"I've tried everything". Really? Everything? Is that really a true statement? When I question people on what they've tried what I usually find out is they've tried the same three things, that don't work, over and over. That is not trying everything. That's being stuck in your story. A new story you could tell yourself would be "I'm going to try one new thing a week until I find something that works for me."
Story: "I don't have time." We all have the same twenty four hours in a day. That's a fact. The new story you could tell yourself is "I'm going to set aside one, just one, of those hours to take care of this body, since it's the only one I get."
Story:"I don't have enough money." I think we've already clarified that all you really need is a pair of shoes. Pretty cost effective. Money isn't even a story. It's an excuse.

I would like to suggest to you that you state the facts, but then tell yourself a different story about those facts.

Here are some links that will illustrate what I'm talking about:

Walking to Heal Body and Soul

I Promise to be Fit by 50

Ernestine Started Fitness at 56, now at 75 is the World's Oldest Bodybuilder

These people told themselves a different story, an empowering story. And so can you. Enough said.

State- This is the most important "S".  You can't plan a successful strategy or tell yourself an empowering story if you are in a crappy emotional state. To quote Tony Robbins: "The psychological and emotional state we are in at any moment in time tends to shape our story. We all develop emotional patterns—moods—that filter how we look at our lives. The states we go into most often then become the most powerful filter of all. This filter determines whether or not we find the strategies necessary to succeed and whether or not we come up with a story that will empower us."  So how does one change a crappy state? In this case, it may seem like we need to put the cart before the horse. Because the fact is that motion creates emotion. For example: Did you ever say to yourself, "I really don't feel like working out today, I'm tired, I'm hungry, Can't I just sit down and eat a cookie?" (disempowering story) and then you say to yourself, "Ok, maybe I'll just walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes, just  so I don't have to feel guilty about the cookie." So you put on some upbeat music and trudge your tired, hungry self over to the treadmill. Amazingly, once the 15 minutes has passed, Lo and Behold, you do another 15, then another and you end up feeling fantastic. And the story you're now telling yourself is, "I'm fabulous. I bet I could eat TWO cookies now but I won't because I don't want to undo all my hard work."  Congratulations, you've changed your state.

 
 Only after your state and story are truly aligned with your desired outcomes can you identify the strategies and make the decisions that will lead you to success. One moment is all it takes: With a new state, a new story and a new strategy, life will never be the same again.

 

 
I would add two S's to Mr. Robbins', when talking specifically about fitness:

 Shoes - We've covered this, but let me reiterate. This is the only basic tool you need, so don't get stingy. Buy the best shoes you can afford for the activities that interest you. Cross-trainers are a good all purpose choice to start out.  Your knees and ankles will thank you.
 
Supplements- Let's face it - we're Second Actors, we're not kids anymore. The supplements that I take and that I am comfortable recommending are:

• A good multivitamin- this is essential for anyone of any age.
• Estroven - for those of you who, like me, are experiencing that special joy that is perimenopause and don't wish to go the hormone replacement route
• SeroVital-hgh - This is a series of amino acids that cause your pituitary gland to release your own natural human growth hormone at the levels it did when you were younger. It's really worked for me and has changed my life.

Please be responsible and consult your doctor before taking ANY supplement.
 
Here are the links I promised - All are free:

HasFit - Free online workouts
Yoga 
CrossFit Workout of the Day (WOD) 

 Now get out there and show those kids how we Second Actors roll!

Say "Yes".

NONNA SAYS: "YES!" 
(reposted from Feb 2012) 


It's all Connected

So my latest venture involves people who are working on their “second act”. This is not necessarily a chronological age thing; sometimes it’s an event, rather than a birthday, that makes people completely transform their lives. For women, a second act is sort of hard-wired, biologically, with the onset of menopause. Not that I know anything about that. I’m in that fun phase known as perimenopause. (Why does no one warn you about THAT particular sleigh ride to hell?) My body doesn’t even feel like mine most of the time.

That said – I am truly looking forward to menopause. Yay for menopause! Bring on the ‘pause! Close down the baby factory! I am done having the babies.

I have passed the baby-having responsibilities on to my son. He is now in charge of baby-making (at least until my daughter finishes law school). He’s rather good at it, I must say.

Exhibit A:

 Cue the “awwwwww”.

That’s my granddaughter, Marley. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened. She’s three now and she has opinions. I love that about her. She also has different reactions when she hears she’s coming to my house. “Nonna’s house? I like candy.” -or- “Nonna’s house? I want juice.”  Because she knows, beyond all doubt, that “Nonna says ‘yes’. All the time.”

Saying Yes

So in the hodge-podge soup stirring around in my brain, all these things have been steeping. Second act… no kids at home… “Nonna says yes.”…

And I realized that Marley is on to something.

Nonna does say ‘yes’.  Sometimes to the distress of those around her who are a bit more cautious.

And when I say “yes” to things, Providence moves.

Here are some things I’ve said “yes” to, in the last year or so, that may seem odd to some:

This is Nonna saying “yes” to a dolphin swim.

This is Nonna saying “yes” to a howler monkey in the Costa Rican rainforest. The photo is blurry because I took it while flying by on a zip-line, 100 feet up in the canopy. Yes.

This is Nonna saying “yes” to fronting a classic rock band in a local radio station’s contest. (We were in the top four, out of over 1000 bands)

This is Nonna saying “yes” to running around onstage in lingerie in a cabaret produced by a production company she is proud to have helped get off the ground. 

This is Nonna saying “yes” to running Warrior Dash last year with my friend Christine AKA “Team Sexy Old Broads”. I am fully going to do it again in June, this time with some 40-somethings and some 20-somethings AKA “Team Cougars and Cubs”. (Update- Did it!! Bettered my time!)

And this is Nonna saying “yes’ to not only falling in love, but receiving love, after being terrified of it for 17 years.  I finally got out of my own way. Go fig. 

Intention and Allowing

Here’s the best part, for those of you who are starting your “Second Act”, be it chronological or transformational: None of the adventures listed above cost me scads of money. I don’t have scads of money. I’m an artist for Pete’s sake.

I just said “yes”.

It’s about intending to do something (in my case, have adventures), then taking the smallest of steps in the direction of that intention and lastly being open to it showing up however it shows up. Because quite frankly, it never shows up the way you think it will, or even the way you would like. So you have to let go of the “how” and just keep your focus on the end result. See it. Make it as real in your inner vision as you can. And then release your attachment to outcome. Just surrender and allow it to show up however the Universe sends it to you. You’ll be astonished. I promise.

It really boils down to these steps:

1. See it.
2. Ask for it.
3. Act on it.
4. Get out of the way.
5. Say yes. All the time