sexywithin

Being Healthy vs. Being Fit
By: Andrew Kaplan
Fit Generations Inc.

fitgenerations@gmail.com

As a health and fitness professional, I am impressed with SexyWithin.com. It deals honestly with the human spirit and conditioning. The message promoted by SexyWithin.com closely parallels my own ideas about health and fitness. In today's society where there is a significant rise in obesity, heart disease, diabetes, eating disorders associated with self image issues, psychological issues such anxiety, depression and countless others health issues, it is refreshing to see businesses that are willing to state the hard, cold facts while helping to provide the foundation necessary to develop an individual's well-being from the inside out.

There is definitely a difference between being healthy and being fit. It is possible for an individual to be healthy without being fit and vice versa. This may be illustrated by a study done by researchers at the Cooper Institute in Dallas. The research studied over 21,000 men and observed the relationship between fitness, fatness, and heart disease. (Lee, Blair, & Jackson Cardio respiratory Fitness Body Composition, and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Men, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999, 69: 373-380). The study discovered that "…it is fitness, not fatness, which relates more to cardiac health, and that it is possible to be fit and fat." In addition they found four other factors:

1. Cardiovascularly fit, fat men had a risk of death which was about half that of unfit, lean men of comparable age.
2. Lean, unfit men had about three times the risk of suffering from heart disease than fit, lean men. Here lean men were defined as those with body fat below 16.7%
3. Leanness at any level offered very little protection against cardiac disease
4. Being fat and unfit increases one's death risk by 33%

Studies like this help to illustrate the fact that being thin does not necessarily constitute fitness. Likewise, physical fitness is related to more than the clinical body. At first glance, most people see only the physical aspect of health and fitness. However, there are a multitude of other factors that make up a truly healthy and fit person. While some of these factors are physiological, there are chemical and psychological factors as well. These categories can even be broken down further into subcategories, which are represented in the values presented by SexyWithin.com, and include self-image, self-worth, and self-confidence. My colleagues and I agree that human conditioning plays a vital role in how situations form in our lives and how even our physical being develops. In the technological world there is a saying, "Garbage In, Garbage Out." This holds true in almost every corner of our lives. If we allow negative thoughts or actions to penetrate or pollute our conscious and subconscious minds, then we become those beliefs.

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of a series of books based on Mexican Toltec teachings, refers to the negative processes in our lives as agreements. These agreements set the stage for what he also refers to as the 'book of laws' that govern our lives. Many of these agreements are from seeds planted by others and most likely are negative in nature, but we are the ones that carry them with us and allow them to affect our lives on a day to day basis. These Four (fundamental) Agreements are as follows:

- Be impeccable with your words. Speak honestly and directly. Avoid using negative words or actions.

- Do not take anything personally. This goes for both negative and positive reinforcements. The reason for this is simple; we need to learn to trust ourselves rather than rely on the conditional reinforcement of others. It is true that it is nice to hear great things about ourselves, and you shouldn't avoid letting people know the positives about themselves. However, there are a lot of negatives that are hurdled at us on regular basis. People may not intentionally mean to say or do hurtful things, but they do. Therefore, to avoid the effects or pain, it is important not to take it personally.

- Don't make assumptions. This agreement is closely related to the second, and its meaning is simple. Do not draw any conclusions without knowing all of the facts. We are only human, and it is in our nature to be driven by our emotions; it is a part of being highly cognitive creatures. Due to this nature, we tend to react quickly without thinking things through, making ourselves the judge, jury, and victim of others and ourselves. The irony is that we are able to be apathetic in one situation and a victim in the next. This makes for an extremely dangerous cycle which only results in negativity.

- Do your best. Always challenge yourself and the do best that you can. This honest and sincere attempt will resonate throughout all aspects of your life.

The Four Agreements are just the crust of the health and fitness philosophy that is shared by many professionals and non professionals alike. Fitness is organic in nature and should be treated as such. Once we forget that and start compartmentalizing individual aspects into mechanical categories, then we lose the balance between the mind, body, and soul. Remember, part of the problem lies in the fact that much of the research funding in exercise science and health is derived from the commercialization of pharmaceutical products, ergogenic aids and sporting goods, such as shoes and technical equipment. It is my goal in the following articles and columns to help debunk and clarify fallacies that may blind us all for finding our way. It is alright to question the things that we are told and not always take it for face value.

Until then, I wish all the readers of SexyWithin.com the very best. I also invite you to respond to my column. Let me know what you think on any level, and if you have any suggestions and or interest you would liked discussed, feel free to let me know.