Okay, the Exercise Science Bloke is here today. Whistle in hand, heart-rate monitor strapped on, spandex body-suit firmly in place, leg-warmers adorning my hairy ankles and sweaty biceps and pecs glistening in the morning sun.
Feeling queezy yet? Me too. Sorry about that unnecessary visual.
The common denominator So, I guess the one thing we all have in common when it comes to our body is our desire to look good, feel good and function good. Er, goodly. Er, well. Er, much more better. You know what I mean.
Where are my glasses? Anyway, while the younger members of the tribe are typically more concerned with how they look for their numerous social outings and courting rituals, us more...
experienced members of the species are usually more concerned with our creaky knees, our rapidly decreasing bone density, our sore lower backs and our ever-diminishing eyesight; how we feel and function. Sure, a six pack and a few veins would be great (not the varicose kind either), but right now, simply being able to walk up stairs without chest pain would be a bonus.
Talk to any over-weight person and there's a fair chance you'll hear something like:
"Yeah, I'm an endomorph, I have the world's slowest metabolism"... or
"I eat really well but I've inherited the family fat gene"... or
"At my age, I'm fighting a losing battle." Apparently obesity is a foregone conclusion for them; something beyond their control.
Well, fortunately for you and I, our genetics and our age don't determine our physical reality; how we look, feel and function. Sure, they play a role and they need to be factored in to our overall strategy, but our DNA does not determine (impacts on, but doesn't determine) how fat or thin, fit or unfit, healthy or unhealthy we'll be when we're forty, fifty or eighty.
Getting the most out of what we've got When it comes to maximising our genetic potential - getting the most out of what we've got - there's a bunch of stuff we can change and there's a few things we can't (let me know if I'm getting too technical at any stage). The reality is that the
vast majority of us (listen to this bit carefully) do not even
nearly maximise our physical potential. Imagine owning a Ferrari and constantly filling it with kerosene, instead of the high-octane fuel it requires. Of course we wouldn't do that. Yet we'll gladly put crap in our body year in, year out.
Wasting time Stupidly, many of us waste significant time and emotional energy on the stuff we have no control over, while investing virtually no energy or time into the stuff that can drastically change our body and our life.
A few examples:
Can't change: body type
Can change: body shape
Can't change: what you ate last week
Can change: what you eat this week
Can't change: what genes your parents gave you
Can change: what you do with those genes
Can't change: the ever-increasing amount of fast food at your disposal
Can change: whether or not you put it in your gob
Can't change: chronological age (how many years you've been on the planet)
Can change: biological age (how 'old' your body is)
Can't change: what's required to get in shape, lose weight and
stay that way
Can change: your attitude, your level of commitment and your application
Can't change: what you've done or not done over the last (insert number) years
Can change: how strong, fit, lean, flexible and functional you will become over the next few months
Can't change: the alcohol, the drugs, the coffee, the lack of sleep and the stress you've subjected yourself to for far too long
Can change: the kind of lifestyle you choose to lead from today
Can't change: the decisions you've made to this point in time
Can change: the decisions you'll make from right now
Can't change: how many times you've started and stopped
Can change: whether or not you choose to continue that pattern
Can't change: How much potential you have
Can change: How much of that potential you use
Can't change: other people
Can change: you
Can't change: your history
Can change: your future
But the question is, will you?
译文:
生理因素不是宿命
好，运动科学小子今天来了。手里拿着哨子，绑着心率监测器，穿着非常合身的莱卡运动服，暖腿套装饰我多毛的关节，出汗的二头肌和脸颊在早晨的阳光下闪闪发光。
觉得振奋吗？我也是。很抱歉让你们看到这些不必要的画面。
共同的要素
所以，我想我们都有一个共同点，那就是我们渴望我们的身体可以气色良好，感觉良好，正常运转。恩，不错。恩，好。恩，更好。你知道我的意思。
我的眼镜在哪里？
无论如何，部落里的最年轻的成员通常更关注众多的社会竞赛和法庭仪式，我们则更多……上了年纪的成员通常更关注我们吱吱嘎嘎响的关节，迅速老化的骨头，酸痛而且越来越弓的背，持续下降的视力；我们的身体感觉如何，如何运转。当然，和一些静脉变粗（不是静脉曲张那种），但是现在，能够轻松地上楼梯而不带疼痛就已经很不错了。
与超重的人聊天，你很可能会听到类似这样的话：
“是，我是内胚层体型，我的新陈代谢全世界最慢。”……或者
“我吃得很好，只是我继承了家族的肥胖基因。” ……或者
“在我这个年纪，我是在进行一场必输的战役。”
显然，肥胖是对他们的过去的总结；一些东西超出他们的控制。
幸运的是，对于你我而言，我们的基因和年龄不能决定我们的身体情况；我们怎样看，感觉，运转。当然，它们会占据一席之地，影响我们的整个身体，但是我们的基因不决定（影响，但不决定）我们在四十岁，五十岁，或八十岁时是胖或瘦，是苗条或不苗条，是健康或不健康。
你从你已有的东西中获得最多
谈到要最大化发挥我们的基因潜力——你从你已有的东西中获得最多——有一大堆的东西我们可以改变，只有一小部分东西是我们不能改变的（告诉我，我是否讲得太专业了）事实是我们中的很大一部分人（听仔细了）都没能最大化发挥我们的身体潜力。想象一下，就像拥有一辆法拉利，却不停的倒入煤油而不是它所需要的辛烷燃料。当然，我们不会这样做。但是我们会为排泄顺畅而开心不已。
浪费时间
我们当中的很多人愚蠢地把重要的时间和情感浪费在一些我们无法控制的东西上，而不把精力和时间投资在那些能彻底改变我们的身体和生活的东西上。
一些例子：
不能改变：身体类型
能改变：身体形态
不能改变：上周你所吃的
能改变：这周你要吃的
不能改变：你父母给你什么样的基因
能改变：你怎样利用这些基因
不能改变：已消灭的持续增加的快餐数量
能改变：你是否把它送进嘴巴
不能改变：年龄（你在这个星球存在的时间）
能改变：生理年龄（你的身体年龄）
不能改变：对塑身，减肥和保持体型的要求
能改变：你的态度，你的承诺，和你的努力
不能改变：在过去的（插入数字）年，你已经作过的或还没来得及做的事情
能改变：在将来几个月里，你会变强壮，苗条，瘦弱，身体柔韧，运转正常
不能改变：酒精，毒品，咖啡，失眠，压力对你的长期控制
能改变：选择一种生活方式，从今天开始实行
不能改变：你已经及时作的决定
能改变：现在你要作的决定
不能改变：你已经开始又停止多少次了
能改变：你是否选择继续这种方式
不能改变：你有多少潜力
能改变：你的潜力你用了多少
不能改变：其他人
能改变：你自己
不能改变：你的过去
能改变：你的未来
但是问题是，你会吗？