RECOVER: March 25, 2013

Move to Recover

As 2012 drew to a close, he realized that everything he had worked so hard for the last few years was starting to fall into place.  At work, he was starting a new position; at play, he was continually setting and achieving increasingly more difficult athletic goals. However, both required significant changes to his lifestyle.  He had to adapt to new sleep patterns to accommodate the early hours the job required; he had to learn to “eat on the road,” and his taxing workouts demanded time too.  It certainly wasn’t easy, but he didn’t care – he was living his dream

And then he crashed – literally and figuratively. An accident with a truck destroyed his car. Then, a few days later, he lost a loved one.   Devastated, he continued on, but not as planned.  In his own words, “self-pity took over me and I reverted to what was easy: skipping workouts, eating fast food, and doing the bare minimum to get by.”  Something had to change…

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” ~ Maya Angelou, American Poet.

After a hard mile on the treadmill, he could feel the stress literally drip away and he became more clear-headed. He increased his pace, and kept running. Thoughts of needing more sleep and raising money for a new car disappeared. He was starting to feel like his old self again, and when he was done, he realized the five miles he clicked off were faster than he had ever done before. Soaked in sweat and legs wobbly, he stepped off the ‘mill with a clear mind, renewed confidence and hope. “I realized exercise was one of the few things I could control in my life. No matter what was happening around me, I can return to exercise knowing I would benefit physically and psychologically.  I went from feeling confused, frustrated and lost to being confident, level headed and looking forward to the next day” said Phil Cyphers, a health and fitness specialist with Pro-Activity.  

At Pro-Activity, we use the word ENDURE a lot.  In the athletic-sense of the word, some may find it a little intimidating, as it’s often associated with some activity involving muscles that seemingly never tire.  But the greatest acts of endurance have nothing to do with exercise and everything to do with MOVING forward.  And when we choose to accept life’s challenges for what they are, and continue to move forward in focus of the items we can control, as Phil recently experienced, we can manage more than we think, find a sense of balance and RECOVER enough, so that we may ENDURE for the long-haul, and ACHIEVE our life’s pursuit! 

-  Joe G.