“Living a healthy life is so hard!”
“There are too many things to know and I am not educated in those fields to do it.”
“I have lived this way my whole life, why stop now?”
These are common statements I hear daily. The sad truth is, people truly believe it because they have brainwashed to believe it by peers, family, and professionals. These are not bad people, they are just telling you what they know.
Living a healthy life is not as difficult as it seems.
In truth, with a little knowledge you can start immediately making little changes and then the momentum will start. Where most fail is thinking they must do it all at one time and that is a guarantee to fail. If you think you need to be more educated to change, ask yourself this question, how many people have a degree in medicine, nutrition, psychology, and fitness? I would venture to say close to no one. So now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at the 4 keys to live a more healthy life.
A Healthy Life in Four Steps
A Healthy Mindset
Believe you are a more healthful person. When I weighted 315ibs. I obviously was not a healthful person, but I knew I needed to find the people most like I wanted to be and listen them. Not challenge them to prove they are wrong or crazy just make me feel better. I remember saying, “organic, smorganic,” when my wife started teaching me about nutrition. She was a registered dietitian. Imagine being married to a dietitian and being overweight. I learned to change nearly everything I had been taught about eating. Today people want to know how I lost 105lbs in 18 months and when I tell them it was easier than you think, they are shocked!
Restore with Sleep
Sleep is a crucial piece of the puzzle. I combine my sleep with my diet by using intermittent fasting during the time I sleep. My goal is to stop eating at 8pm and not eat again until 8am. The beauty is I am sleeping for 8 of those hours. If you are not getting 8 hours sleep, it is difficult to maintain a healthful body and mind. If you are not getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, think about why. Are you eating later at night, watching intense shows before bed, or watching TV, iPad, or phone in bed? Changing those habits can help improve your length and quality of sleep. The foods you eat affect your sleep. Easting sweets or caffeine drinks at night can rev you up and prevent you from sleeping well.
Move with Exercise
This is a big one! Most people use the “No Pain, No Gain,” mentality and this usually ends up in giving up or injuries and frustration. The average person only needs 30 minutes a day for 2 days a week for strength training. Cardio like walking, biking, or swimming should 20-30 minutes per day 5-6 days per week. If you are over 40, remember you are not 18 and cannot start where you left off in high school. Start slow and build up. You can do this regardless of your age. I have seen a man in his 70’s go from wanting to riding his bike 50 miles once a week to 50 miles a day at a high speed in over 5 years
Stretching Wisely
This is very misunderstood area, by everybody! Typically, people stretch by holding a stretch for 15 or more seconds and pull as hard as they can. The belief is the muscle has memory which would mean it would have a brain. Truthfully, you only have one brain, and it is in your head.
When you apply too much pressure and hold for long periods of time, when it hurts, your brain will contract the muscles trying to make you stop. This is strength training, not stretching and most people do this. If there is no pain, you can hold a pose as long as you want because the brain is not fighting. However, if you are stiff, only hold the stretch for 5 seconds and as you stretch breathe out and just feel the muscle releasing.
Check out my videos on the YouTube channel The Muscle Repair Shop to learn more about the power of stretching.
You Can Do It
The keys to living a healthy life are about not making it too hard. You are trying to build a new habit. When I lost all that way, the exercise was the toughest part because like most of you, I was pushing too hard.
My physician helped me understand that deprivation only will lead to failing, so I did not do any drastic changes at first, but slowly learned how to eat properly. These keys are simple if you don’t overthink it. You did not get this way overnight and you will not do this overnight either.
About The Muscle Repair Shop
Drawing upon his personal experience as a former competitive athlete turned wheelchair, obese ,and chronic pain sufferer, Muscle Repair Shop founder Butch Phelps decided to take his health into his own hands when at the age of 36 he was told he might not make it to his 40th birthday. Applying balanced nutrition advice from his doctor along with a sound exercise program, he went from 315 lbs. to 180 lbs. Motivated by his experience, he then acquired degrees in advanced therapeutic massage and aging sciences to help people eliminate chronic pain. This included applying his expertise in how people age, including the effects of dementia, anatomy, psychology, and the day-to-day struggles living as an older person to his practice and development of The Muscle Repair Shop’s one-of-a-kind Stretch n’ Release Technique.
Available through in-office and virtual coaching treatment sessions, this unique combination of stretching and breath work teaches the brain to release the emotional side of muscle tension and pain allows clients to find lasting relief and healing from stiffness, aches, injuries, and chronic pain. The at-home exercises come with customized instructional videos and virtual or in-office support, allowing clients to enjoy and experience life and sports as they did before limitations slowed or curtailed activities.
We’re happy to offer you a complimentary 30-min virtual consultation. Schedule your introduction to Stretch n Release now.
