The last time you were on a plane, you probably heard a flight attendant give you the instructions about what to do in an emergency. If the plane loses cabin pressure and passengers need to use oxygen masks, what are you supposed to do first? Put on your own mask and then help others. Why is that? Because it is impossible to help others if you haven't taken care of yourself.
As a fitness professional, it is tough to listen to person after person tell me when I ask "How did you get out of shape?" tell me it was "when I got pregnant," "after the kids," "taking care of my sick parents," and "it's been years since I took care of me."
However, it should be obvious that you will not have the ability to assist others unless you have spent some time and energy helping yourself. I frequently ask people a couple of questions. These questions are, "In what ways are you investing in yourself?" and "In what ways are you investing in other people?" The point is, it is very difficult to invest is people if you have not also made it a priority to invest in yourself.
If you have children, you may think that you have to put your own health and goals on hold. Do you feel like you must take care of your children at the expense of taking care of you? This is not an uncommon thought, but you cannot give to someone else what you do not have.
There is a startling epidemic of childhood obesity in our country. One of the reasons for this is the fact that many parents are not taking care of themselves. They are practicing bad habits and are inadvertently teaching their children to also not take care of themselves. Do parents really want their children living unhealthy lives?
Sometimes we need to look hard in the mirror and take responsibility for where we are and what we are teaching. If you do nothing today but make the decision to start eating breakfast, get a 25- minute workout in and upgrade your life because you value it and believe your kids should see you at your best--well then we can rest our heads peacefully tonight.
As a fitness professional, it is tough to listen to person after person tell me when I ask "How did you get out of shape?" tell me it was "when I got pregnant," "after the kids," "taking care of my sick parents," and "it's been years since I took care of me."
However, it should be obvious that you will not have the ability to assist others unless you have spent some time and energy helping yourself. I frequently ask people a couple of questions. These questions are, "In what ways are you investing in yourself?" and "In what ways are you investing in other people?" The point is, it is very difficult to invest is people if you have not also made it a priority to invest in yourself.
If you have children, you may think that you have to put your own health and goals on hold. Do you feel like you must take care of your children at the expense of taking care of you? This is not an uncommon thought, but you cannot give to someone else what you do not have.
There is a startling epidemic of childhood obesity in our country. One of the reasons for this is the fact that many parents are not taking care of themselves. They are practicing bad habits and are inadvertently teaching their children to also not take care of themselves. Do parents really want their children living unhealthy lives?
Sometimes we need to look hard in the mirror and take responsibility for where we are and what we are teaching. If you do nothing today but make the decision to start eating breakfast, get a 25- minute workout in and upgrade your life because you value it and believe your kids should see you at your best--well then we can rest our heads peacefully tonight.
About the Author:
Are you neglecting your own health and fitness? Vito La Fata is a fitness expert who can help you with your fitness goals. Contact Fitness Evolution for more tips on personal fitness.
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