‘Tis the season to strive for a better you. Share your light, love thy neighbour’s shortbread and enjoy all that the holidays and this festive time of year have to offer.
Then, when it is time to put away the nog, chip dip, and Turtles and decide on some New Year’s resolutions, please stop being insane about weight loss.
Unrealistic expectations amplified through popular media cause folks to give up smart habits that should make up a healthy life regardless of what a weight scale tells you. Things like better sleep, managing stress, eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, cutting back on highly processed foods, and including movement and exercise in your life are the foundation upon which to build a healthier life. There are no magic pills or quick fixes that even come close to what all of the above do to improve your health.
Let’s start here for 2019. Measuring your success or failure doesn’t hinge on the demon weight scale. Especially if you have embraced the concept of resistance exercise. I have seen people change their body composition substantially. Their pants fit better, they feel and move better, they are stronger, more resilient, their functional capacity has increased but yet are upset that they have not lost weight and lose motivation to continue because of it. Please don’t use weight loss as your only measure of success!
Speaking of success, ’tis also the season to be inspired.
We just celebrated the graduation of our third group of Alberta Cancer Exercise participants who completed 12 weeks of exercise training with some of them still in various stages of treatment. They pushed through the fatigue, nausea, and fear and inspired each other to attend, try new things and ultimately improve their health. Alongside these new grads is our maintenance group, past grads who are continuing in their commitment to better health by attending twice a week as well. Invariably all these participants left the exercise sessions feeling better than when they arrived, they met some challenges and crushed a few goals but all are connected on a similar journey from survivor to thriver. Truly an inspiring bunch.
Speaking of inspiring, local athlete Sarah Mickey went to a world para-track meet in Italy in October where she captured a gold medal in discus. Sarah was an active teenager until a few years ago when lyme disease caused paralysis to her legs and continues to challenge her auto-immune system. Through many peaks and valleys she struggles through training to compete at an international level.
I helped train this other young fellow when he was but a teenager with cerebral palsy. Trenton had already undergone more major surgeries than he had fingers by that time. Close to 20 years later he is ripping off more chin-ups than I can and making his way to the gym 2-3 times a week every week.
For those folks who are lacking motivation to get to the gym because they are too tired, sore, or are intimidated because they think they aren’t up to it… take off your blinders, come and get inspired.
‘Tis also the season to reflect on friends passed. Two of our brave ACE team have left us; here’s to Terry Miller and Bill Chapman, both of whom shared that ACE helped them immensely reconnect to life even as it was waning. Rest in peace as well to brother Patrick Anderson, The Golden Elbow.
Ed Stiles BPE Certified Exercise Physiologist is a member of the Alberta Sport Development Centre’s performance enhancement team and is the fitness coordinator at the Family Leisure Centre. He can be reached via email at asdc@mhc.ab.ca or ed1sti@medicinehat.ca. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours, count your blessings, and enjoy the days we are given.
