How Obesity Taught Me The Importance of Exercise

Check this out: Imagine yourself in this scenario: you take a step outside your house and go into the world, not knowing that one of the biggest causes of death in our country is right over your shoulder. And I’m not talking about a masked murderer either. One of the main causes of death and or issues that increases risk factors for other diseases that result in death is obesity, and now that you are conscious of it, you might begin to notice it all around you.

Society as a whole seems to be getting larger by the year. Fast food restaurants are feeding this epidemic on the daily, no pun intended… In studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the number of fast food restaurants has more than doubled since the 1970’s.

Empty calories from added sugars and processed foods are contributing to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. The fact that there is a lack of importance placed on nutrition as well as a large percent of the U.S. population not getting an adequate amount of physical fitness in per week all contribute to the rising epidemic of obesity facing our world today.

But today I’m going to share with you how you can fix that, not only in yourself, but in others. According to the D.O.H., “Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.” This means that 95% of adults aren’t completing the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day, and over 65% of adults are completing the recommended amount of weekly physical activity. This is a scary statistic.

Obesity has been linked to dozens of other health concerns; the main ones being: heart disease & stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, & cancer.

In a study done by Dr. Rabindarjeet Singh he showed how at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day (not necessarily vigorous, not necessarily continuous), as well as 30-45 minutes of exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, or racquetball per week contributed to better overall health for a variety of different factors, including: reduced blood pressure, better efficiency of heart muscle, increased muscle strength & endurance, lowered risk of other diseases, a counteraction of obesity, improved overall health, and my personal favorite, better brain function & feelings of confidence by the increased levels of serotonin. Mental health is something I push very heavily in all of my coaching programs, as well as my work with The Ambrosia Collective.

These are just a few of the factors that fight obesity with a small amount of exercise per week. A simple way that you can become part of the fight against obesity and ensure that you don’t become a statistic is to engage in the required amount of exercise, daily & weekly. It doesn’t matter what fitness level you are at currently or how old you are. My grandfather is 80 years old, and he runs one of my coaching programs- he has improved his balance as well as his core strength and worked on his diet and even at 80 years old, he travels the world as a TV journalist for work. This just goes to show you, it doesn’t matter where you start, what matters is the work that you are putting in to make sure that your body is in the healthiest condition it can be in.

I wasn’t always in the healthiest condition myself… I was considered obese at one point in my life. I was 5’6 weighing between 220-230 lbs, at roughly 34% body fat. I was not happy with my body, and one day decided it was time to make a change. I got help. I got a trainer. I got my life on the correct track, and figured out where I needed to be going. I know the struggles and the things that it takes to battle these treacherous waters. I am happy to stand in front of you today and tell you that anything is possible with enough drive and dedication. I never preach anything that I haven’t been through or studied myself, and having battled obesity at one point in my life, these are the best ways that I found work for staying the course of consistent weight loss and overall health:

- Set small goals and big goals. Focus on using your goals to build a firm foundation for you to stand on. Big goals are great, but focus on the weekly and daily goals as well. Such as making it to the gym a certain number of days per week, or limiting the amount of sugary drinks you consume per day.

- Remember why you started. What was the main reason that you decided that you wanted to lose weight? Focus on that. Imagine what feelings and emotions you would experience if you accomplished your goals. Now go out and get to work!

- Be held accountable. Use a friend, a gym buddy, your social media, use something to connect to someone else who will ensure that you are being held accountable. I see it a lot in my work as a trainer, the people that don’t have anyone to report to or be held accountable by fall off track easier because they have nobody to judge them for not showing up or achieving their goals. Utilizing someone that can keep you accountable is one of my secret weapons in staying on track. And if you don’t know who to reach out to, or you’re nervous, I can be your secret weapon. Feel free to privately message me on any of my social media platforms and I’ll be sure to keep you on track.

- Get help & utilize resources. Reach out to a personal trainer, hire a coach, do your own research. Utilize the tools that you have around you. Personal trainers/ fitness coaches- as long as they are knowledgeable- are very valuable assets to your fitness journey. They help to keep you on track, provide workouts and meal plans, and ensure that your goals are being met, at least the good trainers do! I offer a wide variety of different training & meal plans, including plans for any fitness level, at home workouts, and more.

Visit www.maxwolf.fitness to start a plan today and start battling the epidemic of obesity in our nation, and making sure that you are in the percentile of people that are getting an adequate amount of exercise, paired with proper nutrition, to be the best and overall healthiest version of yourself that you can be.

Be sure to use the hashtag "WolfPack" on Instagram to join the conversation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYNADpEeKcU