Balancing Acts aka The Spice of Life

Most people know that I’m a fitness enthusiast. What they don’t know is that I’ve tried just about every fitness and nutrition program that is out there at one time or another. Some of them you’ve heard of and others you probably haven’t unless you’re like me and constantly on the look out for a new challenge.

Lately I’ve been seeing reviews of various programs, people saying this one is better than that one or the other. This one is not good for sustainability (meaning is it something you’ll be able to or want to do continuously for like ever!). The reasons are all different, overtraining, the risk of injury, boredom etc.

Now as I’ve said I’m a fitness enthusiast. I’ll openly admit that currently the only fitness certification I hold is as a Crossfit level 1 trainer, though pursuing others is on my “to do” list. I know what works for me and what I like, but everyone has to choose what is best for them. The key is to get moving in the first place.

I’ve been involved with Beachbody, the company that markets such products as P90X and Insanity for several years. I took a brief hiatus to delve into Crossfit. P90X was my first exposure to so called “extreme” fitness. I loved the program but after several rounds of it a few years ago, I was ready to move on to something else. That’s when I discovered Crossfit. For an adrenaline junkie like myself, this was perfect. Everyday was different but no less intense. But I quickly burned out on this as well. A recent article that I read gave some of the pros and cons of both of these programs. The biggest con was that neither of them was something that you should do for the long haul. But is anything?

The argument against the X was the hour plus long workouts 6 days per week. And against Crossfit was the high rep and heavy weight extremely intense WODs day in and day out were sure to tax the system. Now neither of these programs is for everybody and this is something that you’ll need to figure out for yourself. But the point is they get people off the couch.

Even the creator of P90X has said that his program is NOT something that was meant to be done over and over and over again. Use it to get into shape then move on to something else, come back to it as a base if you need to. I am currently in the middle of a P90X round, but as great as it is I know that after this I probably won’t even look at it for awhile. The good thing about it and all the other Beachbody programs is they provide people with a structure because let’s face it this is what most folks need. I find myself always researching new fitness programs and downloading information. I’ve discovered some terrific ones that have been added to my own personal fitness library. But most people aren’t interested or willing to do that. They need something laid out for them daily, eat this not that, do this not that. Some people will eventually get to a certain level and know what works for their body, but others will always need more guidance to help them stick to something and that’s fine.

The important thing is that you find some physical activity that you enjoy doing and do it (no Buckethead I’m not referring to that!). Not everyone will want to do the adrenaline pumping, gut wrenching workouts that some of us love. But the key is variety. That’s what is so beautiful about having so many choices. If one program is too long then choose another. If yet another is too intense for your taste then move on to something else. Or here’s a novel idea … mix it up. Some people want to climb Mt. Everest, but is it something you should consider doing more than once if you’re able to complete it at all? Probably not.

Variety is the spice of life. Choose a mish mosh of programs that gets you from in front of the tv (and the computer). There is no one surefire way and it all depends on your preference and what you’re trying to achieve. But do something besides the quick sprints to the kitchen to lift the icecream out of the fridge during commercial breaks.