(Submitted to NorthIowaToday.com by Charles L. Green)
To ask for help can be a very humbling concept.
But every year multitudes of American reach the point where they recognize the need for life style changes in regard to improving general health, fitness, and over-all wellness. The most common cause can be linked to the dramatic rise in obesity in Americans over the last 20 years, and statistics showed that 25 to 29% of Iowans fell into the catagory of obesity, according to the Centers Of disease controls 2009 statistics. Nationwide, 33 states had populations with obesity rates above 25%, 9 of which had reached a 30% obesity rate.
While obesity is easy to point to, there are many other reasons people seek to make positive changes in life style. Some individuals who have a family history of certain diseases like diabetes, or heart disease, become passionate about becoming more proactive in becoming as healthy as possible to help battle the possible on-set of some of these diseases. Other individuals have already suffered with healths issues, and wish to find ways to stay active and healthy in spite of these issues.
But where to begin?
Many people have tried to take on these challenges with mixed results, and varying levels of success, while others simply don’t know how to begin taking the journey toward success in these areas.
Over the past decade in working as a fitness trainer, several things became obvious to me: Education, and awareness are the two main keys to the long-term success of the clients committed to making these positive changes in the long-term. Education: The how’s, and equally as important, the WHY’s in regard individualized approaches toward specific goals. Awareness: The recognition of any physical, or mental hurdles that can be in the way of long term success. The understanding of these concepts is paramount to being on the right track at the on-set of a successful long term program.
As we are all individuals, a program should be individualized to be specific toward our individual needs. Finances, schedules, equipment availability, and the contemporary mind-set, and and physical disposition are all factors that should taken into consideration when designing programs for a client.
It is with those considerations that I began my own fitness and wellness program, Bodhi Wellness. The word “bodhi” is translated to the meaning, “enlightenment”, or “to know”. The goal of this program for the clients, is to take the guess work out of what should be done to reach the goals they truly wish to reach, and leave the rest to self accountability and committment.
To ask for help can be humbling, but there is a program to help look at all the factors involved in a non judgemental, and caring fashion. If you don’t know what your first step should be toward making those lifes-style changes, contact Bodhi Wellness today.
Note: Charles L. Green is a certified advanced personal trainer with 10 years of client based experience, and has been exercise consultant and personal trainer for the Mercy Medical Weight Management Clinic since its conception in 2007, and works closely with the Mercy Medical Bariatric Program, which has been designated as a center of excellence.
