Those of you that know me know that Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. Aside from being a good excuse for taking a break from work, it is a holiday when we are all surrounded by family, we gather around a bountiful table, and our focus is on giving rather than receiving. Every year we host Thanksgiving dinner at my house. It is our way of thanking our relatives for all the support they give us year round. It is also a way for me and my wife to teach our daughters the importance of being thankful and expressing that thankfulness to others. As we reach the 11th month of the year, we area already making preparations for the big event. This got me thinking about the things for which I am thankful. What better way to approach this month's article than by listing the things around the gym for which I give thanks:
I am thankful for the Spin Bikes. Life is a journey, not a destination. In our quest for physical, spiritual, or intellectual perfection we often forget that the growth is in the process. What better example of enjoying the journey than a bike that doesn't take you anywhere? The Spin Bike offers us an exhilarating, energizing, and challenging ride. It is a 45 minute adventure where the benefit is in the ride itself. Life is full of these opportunities, but often in our eagerness to get to our goal we forget to pay attention as to how we got there.
I am thankful for the Dumbbells. The dumbbells teach me about balance. In all my years at the gym, I have never seen anyone purposefully grab a miss-matched pair of dumbbells. Whether we are doing a set of curls or presses, we want our left side to work as hard as our right. Everything we do requires such balance. For every hour at the gym, we should spend as much with our family. For every hour at work, we need to spend an equal amount of focus on ourselves. We want our body to be physically balanced; we should strive for an equal in everything else.
I am thankful for the Yoga Straps. All of us have our weaknesses, flexibility is one for which some of us are lacking. Flexibility to see beyond what is in front of us, to take on another person's perspective before reacting to their actions or words. The Yoga Straps remind me that we often need a little assistance to stretch ourselves beyond our comfort level. To reach out and see things from another perspective, even if it is only an inch beyond what we are accustomed. Whether in our daily lives or in our fitness program, stretching ourselves a little beyond what we believe to be our limit can be an enormous help in easing the stresses that we place upon ourselves.
I am thankful for the Workout Music. Studies have shown that music is central to improving our workouts. Music can be a driver and a motivator; it can mark the pace of our workouts. Our body listens to the music and in turn responds. Working out to music reminds me that we must listen to our body as much as our body listens to outside stimulus. Much like music, our body has a rhythm. It has phases of growth and change, and phases of rest and recovery. Our energy levels fluctuate from week to week, from day to day, even from hour to hour. The more in tune we are with our body's rhythm the more benefit we will get from our workout and the healthier we will be.
Lastly, I am thankful for all of you; my readers, members, and staff. Writing these articles helps give my newsletter a sense of purpose. In visualizing my audience, I also remember that the gym is a community. That it is made up of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences; people with different talents and interests. The one thing that brings us together into a community is our desire to be better people; physically, spiritually, or intellectually. I hope in reading my article I help you get a step closer in your quest; I know in allowing me to write to you, you have helped me in mine. Happy Thanksgiving.
