Trigger Happy

How Anchoring Can Help you Achieve Anything.

Have you ever watched the movie Jaws? Do you remember the feeling you got every time you heard the rhythm of orchestra music just before the shark would appear? The producers planted it early in the movie, and every time that music began, you just knew that the shark was about to appear somewhere, scaring the daylights out of you. I was a child when I first watched the Hollywood epic, and vividly remember my heartbeat increasing as the music did. Unbeknownst to me, the director and producers of the film had put the image of the shark and the sound of the rhythmic heartbeat together on purpose. That purpose was to create the feeling of foreboding amongst the audience, and it did a fantastic job doing so. What the film did, was create a neurological link between what I was watching (the shark), what I was hearing (the music) and the way I felt. This link, or “trigger” as some would call it, is but one of many examples of neurological links that surround us every day.

Think about seeing a red light while driving. You know from learning and experience that this visual external input automatically causes you to take your foot off the gas pedal, and apply it to the break. Similarly, hearing a siren signals your mind that an emergency vehicle is coming through, and that you are to pull over to the side of the road. How about the way a certain blanket feels? Does it bring back fond memories of past times? Smells are potent too, ranging from memories of past loves with types of perfume to the smell of…ugh…tuna (for some of us anyway). Personally, having a bad experience with gin does not allow me to smell or taste the alcohol again.

What each of these experiences do, and there are literally millions of triggers that surround you every day, is bring back a certain internal representation (IR) that you have of a past experience, whether it be positive or negative. These IR’s have a direct effect on your current emotional state (happy, sad, motivated, stressed etc.) which in turn have a direct effect on the physiology that you take on and vice versa. We have all seen public speakers or singers get up on stage at some point of our lives. At least once, you may have seen them freeze up. A picture enters their mind, their muscles tense and before you know it, they are heading off stage in total embarrassment. Being bored at work may create a similar chain reaction for you. Boredom may cause you to slump in your chair (thinking about being bored or tired à de-motivated state à slump in chair). The combination and synergy of your IR, state and physiology at any given moment works instantaneously to produce a behaviour that you then act out.

These triggers work within us every day on an unconscious level. We have been conditioned to respond to them much like that of Pavlov’s dog to the sound of the bell ringing, (food was on the way). The amount of neurological links that we have in our heads is quite the intimidating number, and goes to show just how powerful the connection between our mind and body truly is. Fitness professionals across the board constantly refer to the mind/body/spirit connection. But how many of them actually work with their clients on the mind aspect? Sure, we would all love to easily be able to change our behaviours (what we do) in order to serve us better towards our goals. However, because all change occurs at the unconscious level, often times, we miss the mark by just a little bit, whether it is standing in front of a crowd, or finishing a set with the utmost strength and confidence that we could possibly have.

When it comes to fitness, or what our definition of fitness is, this could have a profound effect on our stress levels, counteracting all of our progress to a great degree. No doubt, there has come a point in your life when you have been the center of the universe at any particular moment, be it standing in front of the classroom doing a presentation, going over numbers in the boardroom with your superiors surrounding you, or standing on stage being scrutinized on your physical appearance by a panel of judges. Maybe it has been something as simple as making a toast, or going for a personal best on the bench press. Not all of us are necessarily comfortable when it comes to these situations. We may be experiencing unresourceful states at that given moment, lacking the resources to be completely successful.

Creating Resources for any Situation

As much as we are affected by unconscious triggers, there is a way to consciously create a neurological link in order to bring out a resource that is needed for any occasion. Personally, I was never comfortable standing in front of a crowd of people public speaking. I am most certainly a confident person. Somewhere in my past, whether it was in a personal experience or one I witnessed somewhere else, I must have seen a presentation go completely awry, forming a trigger which made me feel nervous or anxious at the mere thought of public speaking! What I needed was the ability to empower myself when I was the center of attention. This was done through a process in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) known as Anchoring.

An anchor can be created when an individual is at the peak of recalling an experience, during an intense, emotional state. When a specific external stimulus is applied, a neurological link between that emotional state and the stimulus is created. This technique allows us to access past states and can connect the past state to the present or future events. In turn, it allows us to become empowered at any given time by consciously using our own trigger.

In my case, I recalled playing football at the university level. I went back in my memory to a game when I felt totally and completely empowered, confident and unstoppable on the field. I remembered a specific game, a specific quarter, a specific play that defined the situation in which I was the center of attention. I was able to visually recall with total clarity what I saw on that day, from the colour of the grass on the field, to the uniforms of the opposing team. I evoked the sound of the crowd cheering, the cadence of the opposing team’s quarterback. I recalled the smell of grass and sweat around me. I remembered the most surreal feeling of confidence as the ball was snapped, bodies smashing together in those four to six seconds of fury. I had made this internal representation so vivid, so powerful, that I was told later by someone working with me that I had begun to breathe a little deeper, my face had become more relaxed and I was standing upright; the same posture typically associated with someone exuberating total confidence and power. At the peak of that experience, I applied my chosen stimulus, and an anchor was created that gave me that unwavering feeling of power, confidence, and patience whenever I needed it.

Weeks later, I was asked to do a presentation with a colleague on NLP for the rest of the trainers in our region. I thought I had left presenting behind in university! The thought of presenting a topic to a group of highly respectable trainers created a slight feeling of anxiety, and so when the day came and I was standing in front of the room with all eyes on me, I applied my anchor, and held it for several seconds (possibly even a minute) behind my back. Lo and behold, very quickly, that feeling of anxiety and nerves had regressed. I was standing up tall, speaking with an unwavering tonality exuberating confidence and acting as if I had done this my entire life. By firing my anchor and testing it, I was able to get through a tough situation and it works to this very day.

You do not have to have a presentation or a show going on to be able to create a resource for yourself. A resource is anything that can help you achieve your desired outcome, make you stronger and help you through a challenging situation. Resources can help you develop a belief in your potential to reach your fitness goals or improve your sports performance by having you focus on areas in your life where you have enjoyed that success previously.

There are four keys for this technique to be successful. First is the intensity of the experience. You must, must, must be fully associated in an intense state! The more intense the experience, the better the anchor will stick. Secondly, the timing of the anchor is crucial. Ensure that you are at the height of your experience before you apply it. Third is the uniqueness of the stimulus. Remember, it should not be something that you would do on a normal day to day basis. Fourth, the anchor has to be repeated and reinforced in the same way from time to time. Practice makes perfect. Finally, repetition of applying the anchor, like everything else we do, will ensure its effectiveness.

Anchoring

First, decide on an anchor. Ensure that whatever you choose as your anchor is unique. Second, and most important, know what resource it is that you want! It may be motivation, happiness, confidence, security, patience or strength. Whatever resource you need, you can create an anchor for yourself and fire at will in order to rid yourself of the negative states you are currently experiencing. We all have had an experience in our lives in which the particular resource that we want occurred and can be engaged. If you cannot think of a specific situation, I encourage you to think of a role model who has the required qualities you desire. It can be someone you know, or someone you have seen and heard on TV. Once you have thought of a time or a role model, you will need to fully associate yourself into that experience.

Take a few deep breaths and really relax…disassociate yourself from your conscious mind and float right back into your body, to that time when you were experiencing your desired resource in totality…see what you saw…hear what you heard…and really feel what you felt…take your time with this. Really get into the experience.

This is important. At the very peak of your experience, when you can feel your state and physiology changing and mixing in with that internal representation, apply your chosen anchor and hold it for anywhere between five and fifteen seconds. In this time, you will be creating that neurological link between the internal representation, state and physiology and the anchor you have chosen to apply. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take notice of how you feel. Change your state by doing some pushups or jumping jacks and clearing your mind. Now, test your anchor by applying it again for fifteen seconds with your eyes open and totally conscious. Are you able to experience that same feeling from your past at that very moment? If you cannot, you may need to start the process over again and really make the picture bigger and brighter. Make sure you turn up the volume of any sounds associated. If you were successful, then you have just given yourself a resource to help you out in any situation you so choose in your future.

I have been very fortunate to have been allowed to help a variety of people out with this technique in and out of the training room. The ability to empower someone to anchor resources that they were previously lacking in their personal and professional lives has really benefited their health on a total scale. The difference between a client who is upset and slouched coming in for a training session, and one that is smiling, upbeat and positive will do wonders for their ability to achieve the results that they desire. Likewise for yourself, find out what resources you want and when you want them, and give yourself a gift that will make you feel totally empowered any day, any time, anywhere. Remember, whether or not you are able to do something is dependent on the way you use that machine between your ears. Whether you think you can or can’t achieve something, you’re right.

Adam is a certified Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner recognized internationally through the INLPTA. A former professional athlete in the CFL, he currently trains full time out of GoodLife Fitness in Burlington, Ontario.

WAKE UP!!

This article is long overdue, both in terms of my writing it, and your reading it. You can call it a sound off, a call out, or a reality check. Or you can call it the cold, hard truth. For some, it's something you already know. For others, it's something you know but choose not to regard. Either way, this article is going to tell you EXACTLY why you are not getting what you want in life. When people use the old adage "the only thing keeping you back is you", they are 100% right. The only way you will get anything you want, is by using your BRAIN.

The more people I encounter both in the gym and on the street, the more visible this truth has become. I constantly hear people complaining about why they cannot start a fitness program or how they are not hitting their goals (and I'm not just talking in the gym either!) The bottom line is this: if you are not getting what you want, it's nobody's fault but your own.

In our industry today, it is now more clear than ever before that the mind and body are connected as one. Everything we do is the result of a thought process. We are all the same human organism. We're all made up the same way. However, in studying Neuro-Linguistic Programming with Master Practitioner and Coach Pamela Rigden, I've personally learned that although we are made up the same, our experiences are vastly different.

Any one event that two people see is represented differently in their mind. Certain information is deleted or distorted, it is generalized and then filtered through memories, experiences, beliefs and values, decisions, language and attitude. It then creates an internal representation in our minds which affects our state at the time and our physiology which then forms our behaviour.

What does this have to do with the article?

Although we all have different internal representations of any event, we also have the power to control our behaviour through the action of decision. I know you are doing the best you can with the resources you have available. But that is my belief system about you and I may not even know you. The question is, do YOU truly believe that you are doing the best you can, or do you know that you could be doing better? Have you made a conscious choice to do that one thing better, or have you deemed it too hard, or unimportant?

What we're talking about here is RESPONSIBILITY. You and only you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Any decision we have made and any decision we will make acts upon what Anthony Robbins refers to as the "Pain Pleasure Principle". Any decision we make is made either to avoid pain (ie. not lifting weights, procrastinating, not going to the gym period!) or to elicit pleasure (ie. working on your fitness, eating foods we know are not good for us but we enjoy and sex!).

Undoubtedly, you have experienced something in your lifetime which has forged your decision making abilities to create mass generalizations about certain things. If you've ever had just 1 near death experience swimming, you may never go into a pool again. Do cookies make you feel better after a long day at work? That's been conditioned. Maybe you had one bad gym class when you were a kid, or maybe you were picked last and have been turned off exercise altogether. Do any of these sound familiar?

I'm here to let you know that IT STOPS HERE. You do have the power to do anything you want, as long as you claim responsibility for it! You must CHOOSE to be the cause in your life, and not be the culmination of the effects in your life! You can choose to eat the unhealthy food that you enjoy, or you can find a healthier alternative that will give you the same pleasure. It really is as simple as it sounds. Even as you read this, you're making a choice whether to take it seriously, or consider it just another trainer sounding off on something he doesn't understand. Think I don't have hardships in my life? Think again.

When you become the cause in your life, you empower yourself to do anything. A fellow colleague of mine and I shared a conversation along these lines not too long ago and he emailed me a excerpt from a book. I'll share that excerpt with you now:

So many people out there aren’t willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be in the best shape they could possibly be in. As a result, they assume everyone else must be cheating. People often make comments about me like “Oh, he must be doing steroids” or “He must be on some type of drugs”. That’s a self-esteem issue – for them. I’ll tell you what they’re really saying: “I don’t have the where-withal to endure the pain that it must take to get into that kind of shape. Therefore, he had to cheat. Because if he didn’t, that means that he’s more focused, more determined, more ambitious, and more aggressive than I am, and I can’t accept that. So I’d rather say he cheated”.

That is such a cop-out. It’s like saying the class valedictorian had to have notes written on his shoe, that there’s no way someone could have studied all night and skipped sleep and crammed and gone on the Internet and researched everything in order to get those grades. He had to cheat. That’s unfortunate because people who excel academically really do put in the work, the same way I rock the weights.  Before sitting down to write this, I trained for 45 minutes in the gym at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. That may not be remarkable – only I was up at 4:30 this morning, in a car by 5:00, on a plane by 7:00, flew 6 ½ hours goin’ back to Cali, had two important business meetings once I arrived – and then did that workout, which had my heart rate racing from beginning to end. And in a few minutes I will head over to Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform five songs on national television.

Would I have rather gotten some sleep and bailed on my workout? Are you kidding me? Of course! But the key to this whole thing is doing what you’re supposed to do even when you don’t necessarily want to. That’s discipline, and discipline creates consistency, and consistency breeds success. That 45-minute workout I just did means nothing if it’s only done once, but think about how you’d look if you did that every day for 6 months. Just that! And just ate halfway decent. So are you willing to put the cake down, the ice cream back in the freezer, and the fast-food burger back form where it came? I’ve never seen a single person with abs of steel eating a doughnut, have you? When you’re no longer willing to tolerate what’s in your life, you can get it out of your life. Taken from - LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, 2006

Make a decision right now for yourself. Choose to stop making excuses! Choose to stop playing the blame game on everyone but yourself! Get rid of that victim mentality! Stop making reasons and excuses for things that have gone wrong in your life and realize that you made a decision somewhere in the past that led to it! Choose to take responsibility for all of your actions and choose to finally have the power and the ability to do whatever it is you want in this life! I made mine a long time ago and to this day, I dictate my destiny.
Try this formula for success. First, know what it is that you want. Do you even have an idea right now? What are your fitness, financial or relationships goals? What is this want going to do for you?

Now envision it clearly in a big, brightly coloured box exactly how you want it. Take in any audio you may hear. Turn the volume up. Notice how you feel in this moment. Feel how just this power of THOUGHT is already making your pulse heighten! Is there a smile on your face? Your brain just changed your physiology and state!
Next, figure out how to start and maintain this course. Can you do it by yourself? If not, then with whom, and how? What resources do you have available right now to get you what you want? What is standing in your way? How do you break that down? What do you need to go out and get in order to get those resources? Figure out when you want your desired outcome and set a deadline. Write it down! It becomes real when you do!
Figure out what you want to keep from your current behaviour. These are the things you are absolutely not willing to change. If some of these are things that hurt you, think of alternatives that will give you the same outcome, but without the negative effect.

It is so easy in our day and age to just "go with the flow". Many times, we just let our environment dictate the decisions that we make. The media has a massive effect on us, but you can change that! Open up your eyes and your ears for clues!

The world around us is constantly giving us little hints as to how to get what we want. Ask yourself, is this worth the cost to me? Do I see the value behind what I want? Do I understand the benefits of what I will get with what I want? Is it congruent with my beliefs, my values, my sense of self or identity?
If you've done all those things, you've now forged a brand new path ahead of you! You've made a decision towards pleasure! Think of it like a car: it's pretty hard to see where you're going if you're always looking back. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight", say "I want to be slimmer!"

Know what you want. Figure out how to get it. Make a decision and finally, ACT NOW!

Nothing worth doing ever came easy. Nothing worth having will just be given to you. It may be a long, hard road, but as long as you keep your mind focused on what it is exactly that you want, you will find that your mind, like the great leader Hannibal once said, will either "find a way, or make one."
This is your wake up call. Take responsibility for your life. No longer will you play the victim. No longer will you blame others, make excuses or give reasons.

No...not anymore.

You now have the power. You now have the control. You now have the ability to do WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT!

Because whether you think you can or you can't, you're right.
- AK

Adam has completed a 4 day introduction to NLP programming and is currently working towards becoming an NLP Practitioner through the INLPTA. To date, he has helped clients lose weight, reduce inches, increase strength and muscle, reduce depression, get off blood pressure medication, prepared women for motherhood and changed entire lifestyles. His style of training is holistic, meaning you will reap the benefits of training with him in body, mind and spirit. Catch Adam on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ackania

Reframing and the Transformation of Meaning

I tend to read a lot of books. Typically, I’ll read 2 or 3 at a time to give myself a little variety, like changing the channels on a TV. One will be a book I’ve chosen for entertainment, and another will be one on how to improve myself or help my clientele out. Passing over this section in Introducing NLP: Psychological Skills for Understanding and Influencing People by Joseph O’Connor & John Seymour, I felt it was something that would be appropriate to share with you on I Will Act Now. The following is a word for word excerpt. See how it can apply to you, in any and every aspect of your life:

Reframing and the Transformation of Meaning

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

- William Shakespeare

Mankind has always searched for meaning. Events happen, but until we give them meaning, elate them to the rest of our life, and evaluate the possible consequences, they are not important. We learn what things mean from our culture and individual upbringing. To ancient peoples, astrological phenomena had great meaning: comets were portents of change, and the relationship of the stars and planets influenced individual destinies. Now scientists do not take eclipse and comets personally. They are beautiful to see and confirm the universe still obeys the laws we have made up for it.

What does a rainstorm mean? Bad news if you are out in the open without a raincoat. Good news if you are a farmer and there has been a drought. Bad news if you are the organizer of an open-air party.

Good news if your cricket team is close to defeat and the match is called off. The meaning of any event depends on the frame you put it in. When you change the frame, you also change the meaning. When the meaning changes so do your responses and behaviour. The ability to reframe events gives greater freedom and choice.

One person we knew well fell and injured his knee quite badly. This was painful, and meant he could not play squash, a game he enjoyed very much. He framed the accident as an opportunity rather than a limitation, consulted a number of doctors and physiotherapists, and found out how the muscles and ligaments of the knee worked. Fortunately, he did not need surgery. He devised an exercise programme for himself and six months later his knee was stronger than it had been, and he was fitter and healthier too. He corrected the postural habits that had led to his knee becoming weak in the first place. Even his squash improved. Hurting his knee was very useful. Misfortune is a point of view.

Metaphors are reframing devices. They say in effect “This could mean that…” Fairy tales are beautiful examples of reframes. What seems to be unlucky turns out to be helpful. An ugly duckling is a young swan. A curse is really a blessing in disguise. A frog can be a prince. And if whatever you touch turns to gold, you are in big trouble.

Inventors make reframes. There is the well-known example of the man who woke up one night with the sharp end of a rusty spring in his old mattress digging into him. What possible use could an old bedspring have? (Besides depriving him of sleep.) He reframed it as a stylish egg-cup and started a successful company on the strength of the idea.

Jokes are reframes. Nearly all jokes start by setting events in a certain frame and then suddenly and drastically changing it. Jokes involve taking an object or situation and putting it suddenly in a different context, or suddenly giving it another meaning.

Sleight of Mouth Patterns

Here are some examples of different viewpoints on the same statement:

“My job is going badly and I feel depressed.”

Generalize: Perhaps you’re feeling down generally, but your job is OK.

Apply to self: Maybe you are making yourself depressed by thinking that.

Elicit values or criteria: What is important about your job that makes you think is going wrong?

Positive outcome: It could make you work harder to get over this particular problem.

Change outcome: Perhaps you need to change jobs.

Setting a further outcome: Can you learn something useful from the way your job is going at the moment?

Tell a metaphor: It’s a bit like learning to walk…

Redefine: Your depression might mean you are feeling angry because your job is making unreasonable demands on you.

Step down: Which particular parts of your job are going badly?

Step up: How are things generally?

Counter examples: Has your work ever gone badly without you being depressed?

Positive intention: That shows you care about your job.

Time frame: It’s a phase, it will pass.

Reframing is not a way of looking at the world through rose-coloured spectacles, so that everything is “really” good. Problems will not vanish of their own accord, they still have to be worked through, but the more ways you have of looking at them, the easier they are to solve.

Reframe to see the possible gain, and represent an experience in ways that support your own outcomes and those you share with others. You are not free to choose when you see yourself pushed by forced beyond your control. Reframe so you have some time to maneuver.

Become a follower of this blog by clicking to do so on the right! Please feel free to leave questions or comments after articles, and pass along the site to anyone who may find it of interest!

Be the Positive Influence!

Once and awhile, you'll come across a person and have a conversation on a topic you know deep down in your subconscious makes sense, and it will enlighten you in a way that makes you want to share it. That conversation happened today with a member who I'll refer to as P.

As I was finishing up a series of footwork exercises on the agility ladder, an elderly gentleman began talking to me from the chest press machine. He asked what I was doing, and what it was for. I told him it was an agility exercise that I've been doing for years, specifically for football training. He figured that's what it was. After mentioning that I no longer played football, he asked me why I continued to do it. I told him that I simply wanted to stay agile and athletic, even if I no longer needed to use it for football itself. It made sense to P, who at 75 years old, still acts and moves as if he was much younger.

P told me that he himself had been a football player in the CFL back in the 50's (before my parents were even born!) He recalled doing footwork drills such as the ones I was doing to keep himself fast as well. When football ended for him, he moved to warmer climates for a number of years at which point he fell ill. But did a diagnosis stop him? No sir. P continued working on his health and has not allowed an illness to beat him to this very day.

He mentioned that he had friends down south who owned houses on the beach (houses, not condos) and who worked far too hard for far too long. For most, their health declined immensely due to their inability to balance work and play, as well as their inability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even though they had accumulated a large sum of money, to quote P: "What good is all that money if you don't have your health?"

It was at the end of that sentence that it clicked for me. Here was this gentleman, 75 years old, had lived a long life through various illnesses, still plugging away and working on his longevity and quality of life. It truly amazed me, especially when I think of some of the people in my life who absolutely need to get into the gym to work on their own health (family members included).

There are a plethora of us out there, both in the gym reading this article or reading it online at home or work, that are guilty of taking our health for granted at times. Yes, you may work your butt off in the literal or metaphorical sense, but you know as well as I do that there are people in our lives who simply do not share the same work ethic. These are the workaholics, trying to climb up the corporate ladder at all costs or some just barely trying to stay afloat. These are the lazy, who have never worked out a day in their life, either because they don't know what to do or are afraid to try something different. Even though these two descriptions are seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum, they are walking along the same path hand in hand towards a short, illness filled life.

Take a moment and think about whether you have people like this in your life. Maybe it's mom or dad, a brother or sister, husband or wife, children, friends. Think about the work you put in and how it makes you feel. For some, you may be frustrated with a lack of results. But the point is, YOU ARE HERE AND WORKING TOWARDS YOUR GOALS. You've made that conscious decision to take a stand against a life of laziness and work towards a long and healthy life.

Don't you want the people you care about to do the same?!?

As a holistic fitness professional, I focus my attention both for myself and for my clients to a) get them towards their goals, whether it be aesthetic, rehabilitation, weight loss or muscle gain and b) exercise my professional and, more importantly, MORAL OBLIGATION to give them a happier and healthier lifestyle. I love my job because each and every day that I wake up, be it 5:30 in the morning or later, I know that I have chosen a career in which I help people drastically change their lives each and every workout, and that makes my job easy. I love what I do. I love the gym I work at and the people I work with and I strive every day to get better at something, be it physical, mental, emotional, social or spiritual and I work to instill that same fervent attitude in my clients.

But now you are thinking so what? What does you loving your job have to do with me? Simply put, you don't have to be a fitness professional to be a positive influence in somebody's life. You know your capabilities in and out of the gym. You know how working out makes you feel. Pay it forward. Go to that loved one and encourage them to do the same. Break them away from the shackles of the desk and walk them through their first workout. They'll be comfortable with you and not as nervous the first time around. Show them how to work intervals, and help them create an uplifting playlist to get their throughout their workout. Help them setup a routine if you are in the know, or point them in the direction of someone who does. Bottom line is, be the positive influence in that person's life and watch how they become better as a person each and every day.

All it takes is that initial endorphin rush for them to get hooked. And when they do, they will remember you as being the positive influence in their life that helped them drastically change theirs to one of health, fitness, longevity and fun.

Stress: The Good, The Bad

It’s been a long day. You woke up, hit the snooze button. You stay curled up until the alarm goes off again. After moving in a zombie-like fashion through your bathroom routine, you head downstairs and make a quick breakfast. For some, you prepare the kids for school while drinking a cup of coffee. For others, you’re grabbing all your personal belongings and running out the door. Some of you take the QEW to work, which means you have to leave another hour and a half just to move two kilometers ahead of whatever every other rubbernecker is looking at. You get to work and sit at your desk for 8 hours; your posture declining in the process. Lunch is bought, more coffee is drank. Let’s not forget the hour drive home on the same QEW. You get home and prepare a quick dinner, probably something that’s not very healthy. Oh, and you haven’t got to the gym yet. You’ll do it tomorrow, and if not tomorrow then the weekend. Rinse. Repeat.

Sound familiar? Or does this sound relaxing compared to what you actually go through. Even if your day isn’t this chaotic, we all experience some degree of stress. Stress is very often the root of many people’s problems, whether they recognize it or not. You’ll often head that someone is “under too much stress”. You, too, may feel this way. How can some withstand more stress than others? Is stress always a bad thing? Let’s take a look.

What is Stress?

Once again, we turn to Paul Chek and his book “How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy!” for the answer. The following is a selected excerpt from the book. Stress is not always a bad thing. Just as bones and muscle need exercise to stay strong, we also need certain amounts of stress to stay healthy. A complete lack of stress would not be a good thing. Let’s visit the six types of stress.

Physical Stress

The Good: Movement and exercise is very beneficial. The actual stress comes from loading the muscles and bones of our body under the influence of gravity. Adequate movement and exercise also helps us to maintain an optimal metabolic rate (the rate at which all physical and chemical processes take place within your body), keeping us from becoming overweight.

The Bad: Over-exercising can be every bit as bad as not exercising enough. While under-exercising can contribute to becoming fat and sluggish inside, over-exercising can cause immune system suppression. This can lead to increased incidence of upper respiratory infection, chronic fatigue and a number of other maladies. Another form of adverse physical stress is poor posture. Posture has a significant influence on breathing, muscle function, joint health, circulation and internal organ support. When the body structure is out of balance, the rest of the system follows.

Chemical Stress

The Good: Our bodies are full of chemicals – naturally produced chemicals that are essential for health. The work of producing these key chemicals is a necessary stress for the body. For example, when your body systems are working correctly, exercise results in chemical adaptations in the form of hormonal changes that alter your biochemistry to increase protein synthesis, energy production and myriad other chemical reactions. The action of sunlight on the skin results in the production of Vitamin D and the regulation of the hormones melatonin and cortisol – both chemical reactions (see previous article). Plant and animal foods are made up of organic chemicals – vitamins, enzymes, proteins and fats that we need to survive.

The Bad: Today we are bombarded with thousands upon thousands of chemicals that were not around one hundred years ago. Many of these chemicals are synthetic, and our bodies do not have mechanisms to neutralize them. Synthetically manufactured medical drugs, such as aspirin, are among the most common form of unfavourable chemical stress. Other examples of dangerous chemical stressors include pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and certain fertilizers. These chemicals are often made from the same formulas used to make biological weapons, yet nearly two billion pounds of these chemicals are sprayed on our foods. Many health problems have been linked to this form of chemical stress.

Electromagnetic Stress

The Good: Sunlight. Without sunlight, we wouldn’t be alive. The electromagnetic field of the earth is also a good form of this akind of stress. This invisible field helps control the rhythm of our hormones and other physiological functions. A common example of the earth’s electromagnetic effects can be experienced when weather patterns change. At the onset of thunderstorms, many people feel changes in their joints, muscles nd even their moods.

The Bad: The most obvious is over-exposure to sunlight which results in a sunburn. Most people know that overexposure to radiation such as medical X-rays can also be harmful to your health. Often overlooked is the extremely low frequency (ELF) pollution emitted by electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, microwave ovens, electric motors, your TV and even an electric blanket. Many of these forms of stress are insidious, causing dysfunction in your hormonal and autonomic nervous system.

Psychic or Mental Stress

The Good: Thinking and using your mind productively represents good psychic or mental stress. Having a plan or setting goals in your life and doing the work to achieve them is also a positive form of this stress. Other examples include overcoming adversity to become a stronger, better person. Without psychic stress, our minds would not develop fully.

The Bad: A common form of bad psychic stress is focusing on things you don’t want in life instead of what you do want. Other forms include verbal abuse from others, studying so much that your mental faculties begin to diminish, and challenging religious or spiritual beliefs that are imposed upon you – even if self-imposed. Being rushed or taking on more work or responsibility than you can manage will also produce unhealthy psychic stress.

Nutritional Stress

The Good: Eating in accordance to your metabolic type (see much earlier article) and not over – or under-eating are all representatives of good nutritional stress. In these instances, the term stress is used to indicate the stress of digestion, assimilation and metabolizing of foods. For example, your body must be stressed with the challenge of extracting nutrition from food or it will become lazy, much like a person’s muscles become lazy if you put them in a sling or cast and don’t use them.

The Bad: Eating too much, too little, or eating the wrong food proportions for your metabolic type are unhealthy forms of nutritional stress. I love bananas. Always have, but they are not the best fruit according to my type. When I stopped eating bananas, I noticed an immediate change in my body’s composition.

Thermal Stress

The Good: Maintaining your body temperature at 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees Celsius) is the most obvious of the good thermal stressors. When it’s hot or cold outside, the thermoregulatory system is stressed in order to keep your internal temperature constant. It’s good to stress this system now and again to maintain its dynamic capacity.

The Bad: Anything that burns you is a form of adverse thermal stress! In addition, the opposite thermal stress would be anything that brings your body temperature too long for an extended period of time.

What Stress Does to Your Body

External Stressors

External stressors are things that stress the body from the outside, such as sunlight, physical pain (caused by injury or other external forces) emotional trauma and toxic chemical exposure.

Internal Stressors

Stress is perceived or interpreted by key control systems of the body – limbic/emotional, hormonal, visceral, nervous, musculoskeletal and subsystems. Internal stressors come from within the body and are most often the reaction of external stressors. Chronic stressors cause elevated stress hormones in the body, leading to immune suppression, the inability to heal and eventually to disease.

CHEK Points for Managing Stress

1. Identify your primary stressor: Focus on reducing stress in the area that is causing you the most stress. Generally, these include security, sustenance, and sex. Alleviating the chief stressor in your life often creates a domino effect wiping out or dramatically reducing other stressor in succession.
2. Make a plan: Make a realistic plan to address your biggest stressor and a set a series of achievable short-term goals, allowing you to clearly recognize progress as it’s made. Look for current books, videos or audio tapes that address issues related to your key stressor and how to overcome it. Another effective method is to find someone who has already been successful at overcoming the challenge you now face. There is no better teacher than experience.
3. Eat and drink right: Internal stressors only serve to magnify external stressors! Regardless of what your primary stressor may be, if you aren’t eating according to your metabolic type, you will not be able to effectively replace the stress hormones you’re using on a daily basis, which only causes more stress to the body. Dehydration is a common cause of internal stress. A reduction of as little as 1% of water content in your central nervous system can cause significant psychological disorders. Reducing your intake of coffee, tea and sodas, plus drinking more high-quality water, is an easy way to start reducing the internal stress on your body.
4. Move and exercise: Regular exercise can be a major tool to reduce stress. When performed correctly for your particular needs, exercise in the correct dose stimulates an anabolic (tissue growth and repair) environment.
5. Mental exercise: Many successful individuals give credit to the power of positive thinking. Try harmonizing your thoughts, words and actions with your goals and you may find that this will help decrease stress. Doing so is a good example of beneficial mental stress. Make sure you’re talking and thinking about what you do want, rather than what you don’t.

It’s one thing to actually read this article. It’s another to implement the things this article and the previous ones have suggested into your current lifestyle. As a trainer, I know from experience (both my own and my clients), that these methods work and have allowed everyone involved to live happier, healthier lives. One male client has lost 60 lbs. and is forced to buy a new wardrobe. Another has reduced over 20 inches on her body and is fitting in clothes she wore in her 20's. Both are reaping the benefits of a controlled, thoroughly planned out fitness regime. They are working to their goals one day at a time, and you can too, if you act now.

Email your questions or setup an appointment with Adam at adam.kania@goodlifemakesiteasy.com or leave a message at the front desk.

Sleep/Wake Cycles

How many of you can earnestly say that you get to bed by 10:30 every night? In a world with late night TV and bright lights at the flick of a switch, we as humans are able to stay awake for periods of time much longer than our ancient ancestors. I'm sure by now you have all heard that you have to have 8 hours of sleep to reach optimal health, but perhaps you have not been explained to the reasons behind doing so. Further, did you know that when you go to sleep is vital to your health?

It's called the circadian cycle, and it is a natural physiological cycle of about 24 hours that persists even in the absence of external cues. World renowned holistic health practitioner Paul Chek dedicates an entire chapter of his book How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy! to Sleep/Wake cycles in an effort to help the reader understand the scientific and biological aspect of getting to bed on time.

Understand that the cycles of light and dark that result from the movement of the sun and planets affect nearly all living creatures. Even though humans had the ability to use fire thousands of years ago, our activity and sleep schedules were still very much in tune with the sun and our environment. Whenever light stimulates your eyes or skin, regardless of whether it is the sun, a lightbulb, TV or computer monitor, your brain and hormonal system think that it is morning. In response to the light, your hormonal system naturally releases cortisol which is the activating hormone that is released in response to stress (electromagnetic). This activates the body and prepares it for movement, work, combat or whatever may be necessary for survival. Chek says to remember that "our physiological systems were well developed long before we even began using fire, so as far as your body is concerned:

Light = Sunshine = Cortisol release = Daytime activities.

Our cortisol levels rise and peak between 6 and 9 am when the sun rises. In the afternoon, as the sun begins to drop, so do our cortisol levels. As cortisol decreases, our bodies begin to release melatonin and also increase the levels of growth and repair hormones. "If we follow our natural sleep/wake cycles, we start winding down as the sun sets and should fall asleep by about 10 pm. Physical repairs mostly take place when the body is asleep between 10 pm and 2 am. After 2 am, the immune and repair energies are more focused on psychogenic (mental) repair, which lasts until we awaken."

Disrupted Sleep/Wake Cycles

A brightly lit house, late night TV and working late into the evening will keep the levels of stress hormones high past sundown. This includes computer screens which flicker on and off between 60 and 120 cycles per second which your brain interprets as morning sunlight. Since cortisol can take hours to clear your bloodstream, this will prevent the release of melatonin, growth hormones and important immune factors, cutting into your immune system's valuable repair time.

Going to bed after midnight means you've already lost over two hours of your physical repair cycle. People that do shiftwork or parents getting up in the middle of the night to tend to their kids regularly have their psychogenic repair cycle disrupted. This can cause musculoskeletal injuries, an increased incident of headaches, sagging personality and even neuromuscular disorder.

A disrupted sleep/wake cycle can also result in adrenal fatigue, which occurs when more cortisol than normal is produced and can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections,bacterial and fungal infections and headaches. In order to overcome this, it is very important to respect your natural circadian rhythm and allow your adrenals to rest.

Factors that Can Disrupt your Sleep/Wake Cycle

- Stimulants: Caffeine, sugar and tobacco are all stimulants, which excite your sympathetic nervous system. This triggers the release of cortisol! Note that coffee, and specifically the caffeine inside it has a half-life of about 6 hours. "If you have a coffee at 3 pm, you'll still have 150 mg of caffeine in your blood stream at 9 pm. Six hours later, well into the psychogenic repair cycle...you'll have 75 mg of caffeine stimulating your adrenal glands to produce cortisol. ideally, you should not drink anything containing caffeine after lunch or throughout the evening."

- Electromagnetic Pollution: Power lines, electric circuits in walls, ceilings and floors and electrical appliances such as electric blankets and TV's all emit electromagnetic energies.

- Entrainment: Physiologists and medical doctors have found that you can be entrained, or synchronized to a dysfunction schedule in as little as 7-21 days. This means that if you stay up until midnight for one to three weeks in a row, your internal body clock will become trained to wait until midnight to start reducing cortisol output and increasing melatonin production.

CHEK Points for Optimizing Your Sleep/Wake Cycle

- Get to sleep by 10:30 pm. If you need time to wind down your sleep, make the appropriate adjustments, Getting in bed at 10 pm and reading until 11 defeats the purpose.

- Minimize exposure to bright lights, particularly fluorescent lights, for at least 2 hours before going to bed.

- Sleep in a room that is completely dark.

- Avoid consumption of stimulants after lunch.

- Drink plenty of water. Our bodies have very little water reserve, and once dehydrated, the body responds as though it's experiencing stress.

- Exercise! Some type of exercise or physical activity during the day will generally help you sleep better at night. However, be aware of the time that you are training. You may find that sleep patterns are disrupted if you exercise after dinner, particularly if the exercise is intense. Intense exercise or cardiovascular activity, particularly when performed for longer than 30 minutes, can increase cortisol levels, making it hard to go to sleep.

- Try unplugging all electrical appliances in your bedroom, including clocks, tv's and lights. If your sleep quality improves, rearrange your bedroom so that all electrical devices are as far from your bed as possible.

Following Chek's advice personally in regards to getting to sleep by 10:30, sleeping in a completely dark room, avoiding coffee and sugar past noon, drinking plenty of water, exercising in the morning and avoiding bright light before bed time have not only improved my own sleep quality, but has also helped in the reduction of body fat and increase in energy levels. After applying the same principles with my clients, within as little as one week, they have more bounce in their step and more energy for their workout.

Working on your sleep/wake patterns is just another example of how the things you do outside the gym affect what you do inside the gym by a considerable amount. Sleeping properly, eating properly and exercising regularly are all components to living a healthy lifestyle. Apply Chek's tips for yourself for one week, and see how you feel.

Next Post: A Look at Stress: The Good and the Bad

Fore the Love of Your Game

Unfortunately for you golf enthusiasts, our Canadian climate around this time of year typically signals the beginning of the end of yet another golf season. With it, leaves what for many turns out to be another frustrating campaign. Whether you are a scratch golfer or a weekend warrior, everyone can relate to the same frustrations one may experience on the course (poor shot distance, accuracy, consistency, back pain, overpriced cart beverages etc.) The thing is, you can have the best golf professional teaching all the little intricacies of the game, the best bag of clubs and top notch balls to hit, but if you do not take care of the most important piece of equipment you own, you might as well save your money for something that will get you a better return on your investment. That piece of equipment is your body.

Teeing Off: Stability vs. Mobility in the Spine

The question begs to be answered: Is your spine stable and strong where it needs to be? Consequently, is it also mobile and flexible where it needs to be? A powerful tee-off puts a very high stress demand on various joints in your body such as your knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Has there ever been a time when you have finished a game only to find yourself writhing in pain at the clubhouse or at home? Lower back pain is typically the most common site of acute and chronic pain from the recreational golfer to the professional alike. One way to combat this for the upcoming season is to get a jump-start in understanding how your body should be performing.

In terms of needs, your body “needs” to be stable throughout the lumbar region (lower) of your spine and mobile throughout its surroundings: the hips and thoracic spine (middle). If a golfer’s hips and thoracic spine are too stiff, what happens is the body naturally forces the lumbar to become mobile, contributing to the lower back pain one may feel after a round. As such, golfers “need” to develop the surrounding muscles of the core, which is the power center of your swing, and also the key to performance and longevity. Thus, another “need” becomes to improve the rotational ability of the body to enable the transference and production of power from the ground, up through the core, down the arms, through the club and onto the ball.

Birdie or Bogey?: Strengthening and Conditioning Your Core

Working on core development off the course is the fastest way to improve your next round. Your swing largely depends on balance, posture and having a neutral spine (one that does not round out). If you are a novice in the gym, the simplest form of strengthening your core is by eliciting the benefits of the pronated plank position.

Starting on your forearms and elbows, keep your back as straight as you can by lifting up your hips at the same time that you bring your midsection in as tightly as possible. Beginners will shake at first as the brain works with the body to understand which muscles are being stressed and for what purpose. A good way to challenge yourself once you have been able to hold the position for at least ninety seconds is to increase the demand of the exercise by introducing a piece of equipment, such as a stability ball or the TRX. At the same time you strengthen your midsection and lower back, you should also use the side plank variation, targeting your obliques and developing 360 degrees of core strength. Strengthening your abdominals will immediately increase your posture when you step up to the tee and help transfer the above mentioned rotational force.

Closest to Pin: Back and Legs

Equally as important as strengthening your core is strengthening your back and legs. A golfer’s back is so incredibly important to their game. If a golfer has weak muscles between the shoulder blades (rhomboids), this will cause shoulders to be more mobile than wanted, thus creating a rounded back, poor posture, and an uncontrolled swing. A pull exercise such as a variation of a row will immediately strengthen the muscles of the back in order to control any unwanted motion. Also, developing the muscles of the rear deltoid through Y’s, T’s, and I’s will ensure that muscles do not become tight after the game and are available for a great range of motion.

As pull exercises are essential in developing power and maintaining posture in the golf swing, another target area to focus on is the latissimus dorsi, which are connected to your arm and is used when lifting your arms to initiate your swing. The strength throughout your lats must be thorough in order to be able to produce a smooth, controlled movement. Exercises such as a lat pull down or chin-up/pull-up (with assistance if necessary) works to promote the strength needed to help with the swing.

In order to truly reap the benefits of greatly conditioned body, the golfer needs to learn how to do a proper squat. The inability to perform a proper squat on one’s heels will see the golfer rise from their stance before they connect with the ball, forcing the club to be released early, affecting the shot in the process. Learning how to squat on one’s heels not only promotes great leg strength and balance, but also helps to strengthen the stability of the lumbar spine, increasing posture as the outcome.

Often Left Behind in the Clubhouse: Flexibility Training

Finally, a word on flexibility training. As a fitness professional, time and time again I see people finishing an intense workout, only to pack up their things and leave without going through a proper cool down. Stretching after a workout not only makes your muscles feel good by releasing tension, but it also helps to improve flexibility, posture and range of motion in many of your joints. There must be a revolution in the fitness industry to help the common gym-goer understand that our bodies are interconnected entities, and as such, are not simply isolated masses of soft tissue. When one muscle aches, it is not an isolated area of concern, for the surrounding muscles now have to work twice as hard to make up for the lack of action.

Muscles and joints work as chains in unison to create movement. As a trainer, I get my clients to do various multi-joint exercises to severely increase the demand of the body but also, to help the body develop these chains. As such, stretching, or not stretching embodies the same principle. There is a state of interdependency between muscles from our heads right down to our toes. Like the progression of a golf swing, we too are connected throughout are entirety and as such, need to stretch in a manner which promotes functional ability.

Conclusion

Implementing the philosophy written here of creating a stable lumbar spine and mobile thoracic spine and hips, along with strengthening the muscles of the core, back and legs with a proper flexibility routine will do wonders for your game. Whether your play for fun or have a competitive nature, the benefit of having a finely tuned body will instantly shave strokes off your next round and impress friends and business partners alike so get ready to tee up to a higher caliber of sport! And while you now have the ability to use your body to the utmost of your ability, unfortunately the prices of beverages on the course are out of your control.