PERREAULT Magazine APRIL 2014 | Page 65

Spring is here and, as the seasons change, so do we. This is the time of year when many of us want to start feeling the healing warmth of the sun by getting out in the fresh air and becoming active. One of the most frequent questions I receive is this: Peter, I’m out of shape! How do I get motivated to workout?

I answer with this question: What is more important: money, or your health?

Invariably, the answer is: Of course my health!

But when I ask them how many hours they spend each week working out, most reply with “Oh. Well…I need to start doing it more.” Or, “I don’t have the time.” Even, “I don't have the money to join a gym.” However, when I ask how many hours a week they work, their answer is typically 8-12 hours, 5-6 days a week. So, for those who don't have time because their life is spent climbing the ladder of success, consider this: While trying to win and achieve success in the world, what is the cost to your heath? You may eventually win at being successful, but in the end, is that extra money really worth sacrificing your health?

As I write this article, about 60% of the USA’s population is obese. According to the US Department Of Labor*, the average person over the age of 15 gets about 6 hours of leisure time per day and about 3 hours of that time is spent watching TV. This means an average of about 18-20 hours per week, per person, could be spent improving their health and well-being.

So, how does one get “motivated” to workout on a consistent, long-term basis?

You don't. It is not about "just" working out for the vanity of losing weight and looking like a svelte magazine model. There must be a change in your mindset and lifestyle. When you “just” workout, you simply go through the motions of doing a set of pre-organized exercises - hardly inspiring for long-lasting change. However, when you begin to think in terms of achieving a healthier mind and body, it transforms your thought process into an important life decision.

In order to properly train your body, you must also train your mind.

This is much different from "just working out". This mindset is not about how to work out better, but how to enhance your health.

Continued on p 66

by Peter Shane

Spring

is here!

MOTIVATE yourself to EXERCISE

Perreault Magazine - 65 -