Check out these 4 quotes, from way way back until present day, to ignite your own fitness commitment. T

You’ll see here the recognition of fitness as an essential element to optimal human health is an idea that has been around for THOUSANDS OF YEARS!

1. “It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.”

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

Cicero was a Roman philosopher, lawyer, statesman, constitutionalist and political theorist who lived form 106-43BC. He is known for his theory on humanism and philosophy.

And he was certainly forward-thinking. Now-a-days it is scientific fact that exercise energizes your spirits and makes you feel good because of releasing a hormone group called endorphins. Studies also have demonstrated a direct link between exercising regularly and relief of anxiety, depression and stress.

Lastly, research demonstrates how exercise improves learning capacity.  On a cellular level, exercise increases the amount of brain chemicals called growth factors. These help make new brain cells while also facilitating better connection between brain cells to help us learn.

2. “Those who do not find time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

– Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby

Lord Stanley was a 16th Century English nobleman who likely saw the state of many, healthy or not, in his travels. His finding was a positive correlation between human movement and good health. And on the other side, a lack of exercise matched a higher potential for illness.

I included this quote in particular because “no time” is THE #1 Reason for skipping exercise. 

And here are some of the current research facts linked to Sedentary Lifestyle and the reason physical activity is literally linked to human survival:

• According to the American Heart Association, inactive individuals have between 1.5 and 2.4 times the risk for getting heart disease.

• 60% of American adults are not regularly active, and 25% are not active at all. That is 85% of our population missing the mark on physical activity! 

• SeDS (Sedentary Death Syndrome, a term developed by hundreds of today’s leading physiologists) is a diagnosis for the growing epidemic of physical inactivity and it’s relationship to chronic, preventable diseases.

• Approximately 2.5 million Americans will die prematurely in the next 10 years due to SeDS (that’s more than the deaths of all illicit drug use, motor vehicle, gun, and alcohol combined!)

• One reason daily physical activity is linked to our survival and optimal health is because (according to current research) our genes are almost identical to the genes of our ancestors 10,000 years ago. They were hunter-gatherers. Their movement was not a lifestyle choice, but a necessary part of survival.

• If you are freaked out now because you are one of those “I don’t have time”ers, check out my post on 6 Steps to Create Time for Your Fitness!

3. Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

-John Wooden

This is just one of many famous life-lesson “Woodenisms”.

John Wooden (19010-2010) was the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a coach. His most notable accomplishments as a coach was his 88-game winning streak at UCLA, along with a 0.804 winning record, and 10 National Championships in a 12-year span!

This quote to me is 2-fold.

First, it gets into other excuses I hear all the time:

I can’t exercise because… “I have a knee injury, I have back pain, I am so out of shape I can’t do anything, I’m intimidated to get started, I don’t know what to do…”

The bottom line… DO WHAT YOU CAN! There are professional athletes with no limbs; people who have 200lbs to lose and they all start with THE 1st STEP! There are people who don’t think they can, but they go for it… and surprise themselves almost every time.

Secondly, this quote can be an encouragement to focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

It’s great if you want to learn a new sport or skill, and often times that is a great way to get fit,  make exercise fun, and increase your neural capacity to take on new movement patterns and stay sharp with your coordination.

The red flag comes in when: You do something you hate and you are not good at and it does nothing but frustrate, discourage, and disempower you. This is a sign it’s time to switch it up, and do something you ENJOY! Whether it is yoga, walking, dancing, weightlifting, or cycling… your body will respond best to movement that brings you pleasure!

And one from me:

4. “Challenges and triumphs in physical fitness mirror the setbacks and breakthroughs in all areas of your life.”

– Tessie Tracy

This quote is an opportunity to see how your mindset and results around fitness… mirror those of all other areas in your life. What comes up for you when you think about this? I would love to hear. Leave a comment below!

Resources:

Dangers of Sedentary Lifestyle Article

Emotional Benefits of Exercise

US Health News- Brain Benefits of Exercise