How Fast You Gonna Get Up?

Is it just me or has anyone else who’s been watching the Olympics been hit with this sudden urge to hit the gym and workout all day?  Doesn’t watching all these athletes who are the best in the world at what they do just make you even more conscious of that extra flab around your midsection?

Add to the mix the Nike commercials of people falling, tripping, hurting, and getting beat down with the song in the background asking, “How fast you gonna get up?”  It makes me want to jump up and shout, “As fast as I can.  As many times as it takes to be the best!”  And then of course, the Nike logo flashes on the screen telling me to “Just Do It.”

Boy, how much motivation can one guy take?  Especially a middle-aged one like me?  Still, it makes me want to head to the gym and work out like an Olympian!

Well, hold on there Bucky.  The problem with watching experts make some sport look easy is that we tend to convince ourselves that it IS easy – that is until we try it.  That’s when we find out how much skill it really takes – and how out of shape we really are.

So before you seriously hurt yourself, take a deep breath and honestly evaluate where you currently are on a fitness scale with 1 being a couch potato and 10 being an Olympian.  You’re not going to go from a 1 to a 10 in one workout.

OK, so you’ve been beat down right off the bat.  But as the Nike commercial asks, how many times are you going to get up?  Answer?  As many times as it takes to go from a 1 to a 2 …. and then from a 2 to a 3.

It’s OK to see yourself up there at the top of the ski slope with all the other guys and gals that have less than 5% body fat.  It’s OK to use that motivation to drive your fitness plan forward through one more day.  If you keep at it, you might actually get there some day.

But whether you get there or not is not really important.  The important thing is how you answer the question, “How many times are you going to get up?”

…and then as the Nike commercial says, “Just do it.”

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: Olympics, nike, commercial, sports, fitness, health, workout, exercise, motivation

Related Reading:

Running for FitnessIf you are one of the millions of people who enjoy running but who don’t want to become a professional athlete, this book is for you. Running for Fi... Read More >

Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest YouYou’ve seen her change lives on The Biggest Loser–why not yours?

Are you in good shape but struggling with those last ten to twenty pounds?... Read More >

101 Workouts for Women: Everything You Need to Get a Lean, Strong and Fit PhysiqueMuscle & Fitness HERS magazine has provided a program of rapid-fire core workouts for those seeking to "get moving" on a weight-training fitness progr... Read More >

Related posts:

1. Ramp Up Your Workout with a Fitness Monitor
2. Is it a Stroke? Find out FAST.
3. Smart Fast Food Tips