Wednesday 05.02.12

Excuses. Seriously. We have heard. them. ALL. Of course, please add the following to the "Reasons I CAN'T exercise/CrossFit/get off my ass" list:

• I'm too embarrassed.
• It costs too much.
• I don't like to get all sweaty.
• I'm too tired.
• My knee/back/hip/arm/shoulder/finger/left heel/bottom lip/ear lobe HURTS.
• My athletic days are behind me.
• CrossFit isn't safe.

The list could go on, but I'm sure we're all tired of hearing it from our friends, family, and neighbors (and perhaps, even, ourselves). I've been putting these excuses on our Twitter and Facebook feeds over the last few weeks in an effort to jumpstart everyone's thinking about the priority of their health, wellness, and fitness, particularly as Muscatine vies to become a Blue Zone Project Site. Muscatine finds out this Friday whether it will be designated as a Blue Zone. 

Part of the trouble in discerning whether Muscatine will be a Blue Zone has been community participation. Muscatine needs 20% of its population to pledge their commitment to improving their health and wellness. The folks who already pledged are mostly the ones who already make their health a priority. They already squashed the excuses that try to prevent them from getting to the gym, or outside walking, running, or biking. They already made the commitment to eat better and smarter by reducing the amount of processed foods and added sugar they consume on a weekly basis. Because they already make diet and exercise a priority, making the Blue Zone pledge is a zero risk, zero effort action. 

The real question is: How do we reach those that are still hiding behind their excuses? What is the trigger point for change? Is it a major heart attack? Is it the fifth, sixth, or tenth pill they need to take on a daily basis? Is it a diagnosis of diabetes? Is it the death of a loved one from a preventable and curable condition? Is it going shopping for a size or two (or three) up? Is it how one looks in a swimsuit as summer approaches? What will it take to squash the excuses the protect the bad habits of those that don't view a healthy diet and exercise as the only way to prevent disease, delay decrepitude, and improve overall quality of life? 

Certainly, part of the answer starts with each of us. We must serve as good examples to friends, family, and neighbors of what a healthy, fit, and happy lifestyle looks like. We must walk the walk as well as talk the talk. For every excuse, we must have an answer. And we must demonstrate that small changes can lead to big changes over the long haul. It all starts with putting that diet Coke down...now.

WOD

Strength:

1 RM Deadlift

3x3 deadlift @ 80% 1 RM

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10 Rounds

1 barbell complex every 2 minutes (95/65)