Change is the only constant in life. A mantra my two incredible sons are sick to death of hearing alongside a few others their ears would no doubt rather have been spared over the past many a year. My how they
have flourished despite my misgivings! Alas like all sage notes there is indeed an element of truth to this ancient wisdom. Although not all change is progress.
Progress. Hmm. Yes. Of course it doesn’t always take change to progress but I have found myself in a state of constant change over the past fifty years and not all has been progressive. In fact I’ve found myself slammed through the floor of change to the dungeons of abject failure on more occasions than I care to recall. Some of those decks have been crafted of fine hardwood timber, some hard set concrete and some marshy, dirty, stinking bog! My the pain of each of those journeys! It sounds far more erudite and enlightened when expressed as a journey when in fact it’s really just shitey failure, a hard, uncompromising blow to the contents of one’s scrotum. Shitey failures. Hard lessons.
All however have been valuable lessons. Each in their own way a chance to crawl back to the ground floor and rebuild, often to find myself, yet again, nose deep in the cellars of darkness. As a result there are many cracks in my head but as the worthy poet and songster, Leonard Cohen noted, “…that’s how the light gets in.” I have no doubt that one of these shards of optimism, some have referred to this phenomenon as “fantasy” over optimism, will penetrate deep enough to cut through the hardship subsequently forming a strong foundation from which to flourish. Optimism is always a more fruitful path than pessimism. Positive rather negative. Agile rather than arthritic. Functional rather than dysfunctional.
So this train of thought brought me to sit back and take a little stock. Is it enough to be omnioptimisitic? Can omnipositivity be the ladder to contentment? I’m no longer as agile as once was but that’s the result taking the foot off the gas. Am I as functional as I could be? The results were clear but as ever when we are cosseted in a cold darkness we forget to look for the light and the warmth of our passion. We tend to ignore the inherent osteoclasts of our internal motivational fabric. But in this moment of clarity and luminescence, functionality held a key to a door long ignored and unconsidered. This is the lateral part of the thought process. I was now thinking like I can. Sideways. At least it wasn’t downward!
Since the age of fifteen I have been around elite sport. It’s a long story and won’t bore the hair in your ears with the now thirty-five years of to-ing and fro-ing. Suffice to say I’ve been as agile as any subnormal human can be but doubt I could be described as fully functioning. I know a few who are and trust me there are only enough to count on the fingers of one hand and even then I wouldn’t run out of digits. It’s such a difficult but as I know not impossible balance. Emotional, intellectual, spiritual and physical dexterity. Not an exhaustive list of course nor in any order as none more important than the next or previous.
So where could all this possibly lead me. Functionality. Fully functional. Is it possible to be completely dextrous in each of these four components of life? Maybe there are some which can assist in the acquisition of or at least the endeavour to find and optimise others. In this one, like Highlander, “There can be only one!” Exercise. The links between good physical health, regular exercise and positive mental health and cognitive dexterity are now unequivocal and thoroughly researched. I talk not of hard-core gym regimes or hypertrophy obsessed brobdingagians but simple, basic exercise. It occurred to me that not many people really, really enjoy exercise but all certainly enjoy the benefits. This is the point where the light really penetrates. See all my life I’ve been described as naturally fit. Such a lot of codswallop. Trust me my plummeting VO2max, expanding waistline, atrophic legs and bum dispel that fantasy! So now I just want to be fit enough to do the things that I used to take for granted. Bending down to tie my shoelaces without a whimper of discomfort or strain on many an unsuspecting ligament or tendon would be a good start. If that’s what it’s like for me, a time served athlete, then what must it be like for others who work hard to avoid the benefits of every(other)day exercise?
You see the key to breaking down the barriers to exercise adherence is to make the route into exercise pain-free, accessible, non-judgemental and then make the activity a heap full of fun. Too much of the hard-core “shred” mentality is hindering the fitness business and putting off more curious window gazers than it is converting. It’s a socially intimidating environment. I’d like to see a more functional world than
shredded. More agile than ripped. More able than super fit. Through the windows of my view there will always be those who wish to push themselves to the ultimate point of their own athletic possibility, heck I’ve been there but what I feel should be our collective focus is on the hoards of people window gazing who would love to join in but feel too self-conscious, too intimidated, out of shape and almost unacceptable. Tragic.
Queue more change. Earlier this year I decided to take a revised route on my journey and have to date completed a level three personal training course and feel more energised than I can remember. Level four is now in my optimistic telescopic sight. The passion I have for sport and exercise is well known to those poor souls who have encountered my unique sense of non-sense. I’ve taken up an offer of a PT Coach position in a large gym in Glasgow and can’t wait to get my personal brand of positivity out on the floor and help guide some optimistic souls to a new world. This includes elite athletes, determined amateurs, enthusiastic gym-goers and of course a host of newbies to their goals of change, strength, flexibility, agility, endurance but most of all fun. The fit of fitness is, for me, so fitting. Sounds a bit shitey but it’s pure magic by the way.
Such a great word “shitey”! Shitey, shitey, shitey! So very expressive. So very Glaswegian. No change there then.
Yours in sport and positivity.