My philosophy on fitness

My philosophy on fitness

When it was first suggested to me to write an article on my fitness philosophy I had to consider my journey so far as without the experience of all my physical pursuits I wouldn't have the knowledge I have today. Well into my fifties and I am still unlocking doors to what I can achieve. I am a firm believer in “what the mind can imagine the body can do.” 

More than ever I train with a perspective that allows me to continue to surf, explore my physical potential and have enough energy left in the bank to be able to handle anything life throws at me.

So here are my thoughts:

Stay strong 
Don't be afraid of getting stronger, as after the age of 30 you start to lose your type 2 muscle fibres (which are responsible for your strength and speed) so it's important not to let them fade away.

Train intelligently 
Give the body more integrity because the stronger you are the better you move, the fitter you are the better you feel, you don’t always have to train to fatigue and failure.

Take out the weight of expectation
Take out the weight of expectation from personal performance and treat every training session as a practice, whether it's in the gym, in the dojo or out in the surf. I’m always learning, creating new movement patterns and improving on old ones, this is fun and enlightening, so I try to take out the ego and just play. 

Make every moment count
Learn to observe yourself more and learn to react less. Life is one continuous moment, always changing and never the same, so be in the present. 

Be flexible
Both in the mind and in the body, so by being less rigid we can adapt and flow within our daily lives and our training.

Eat well
Everything you put in your body should be of a positive benefit, treat nutrition as an elixia to life and the body will respond accordingly. It's not always easy as we are only human.

Take time
To sit in peace and let go, meditate on the breath, the breath is the basis of our lives, when it's shallow and erratic we simulate its action. When we sit and breath with composure, breathing with depth and flow, we again simulate its action. In Chinese culture Qi or Ch’i is believed to be a vital force forming part of every living entity, Qi translates as “air”, “life force” or “energy flow.” It's at the heart of Chinese traditional medicine and in Martial Arts. Breath is life and it can bring about peace.

Practice
Is at the heart of everything as we say in Strong First, strength has a greater purpose.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” (Gandhi)

Peace, Mike.