Have you ever been on a plane? If so, you probably received some instructions regarding how to behave if an emergency arises and the plane loses pressure. You are supposed to make sure you have your own oxygen mask on before helping another person with theirs. The truth that this reveals is that if you are not taking care of yourself, you will not be able to help others very well.
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."
But if you have not put forth effort to help yourself, how do you think you are going to be able to have the resources to help someone else? Here are two questions that I often ask people: 1. How are you investing in yourself? and 2. How are you investing in other people? You see, it is hard to invest in others if you have not first invested in you.
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."
But if you have not put forth effort to help yourself, how do you think you are going to be able to have the resources to help someone else? Here are two questions that I often ask people: 1. How are you investing in yourself? and 2. How are you investing in other people? You see, it is hard to invest in others if you have not first invested in you.
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 reach your fitness goals. Visit Fitness Evolution for more information on personal fitness.
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