Mind Over Mattress
Since I continue to perform on the pommel horse frequently when I speak (and because people who are remotely good at math realize my Olympic experience was quite a few years ago), I’m constantly asked what my fitness regimen consists of. Before I go into that, let me comment first on health and wellness in general. As the Vice Chair of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and a former member of the President’s Council, I’m a deeply committed advocate of fitness for people of all ages. I firmly believe, and mountains of evidence support, that when we exercise regularly and eat properly, we can improve our quality of life, as well as increase our propensity to living a longer life. Who doesn’t want to reduce the risk of premature death, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, colon cancer, breast cancer, depression and anxiety, while improving your psychological well being and enhancing our work lives, too? However, too often we let our busy schedules hinder any commitment we may have to work towards our fitness goals. While I’m far from perfect, I have been consistent with my wellness program by practicing the art of “mind over mattress”. Please don’t think I’m advocating less sleep.
Practicing “mind over mattress” refers to the time we may choose to exercise. We all know it’s often hard and inconvenient to interrupt our workday with a run, swim, or trip to the gym. Some people do use the middle of the day to exercise, but for most of us it’s difficult. So what’s left? Mornings and evenings – we can either commit to exercise as soon as we rise each morning or before we go to bed. Because I’m a morning person and my days may keep me busy until late at night, I have found it most convenient to exercise in the morning as soon as I leave my mattress. I vary my workouts among the things I love most, such as cycling with friends, running with my yellow lab Jasper, or surfing with my son. Every morning, I try to do something (though I do rest one day per week). My fitness regimen also consists of resistance training: push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and weights a few days a week. Of course, I also do some gymnastics exercises (that I don’t recommend!). Lest I overwhelm you, I do all of this because my work demands that I be very fit. Or as my late friend and fitness legend, Jack LaLanne, once told me, “Pete, I can’t die…it will ruin my image!”
To enjoy many of the benefits listed above, experts say we really only need regular exercise of 30 to 60 minutes, three times a week. (If exercise is currently not a part of your life, you should see your physician before embarking on an exercise program.) The key, however, to practicing “mind over mattress” is commitment – something I learned many years ago through preparing and competing in the Olympics.
Soon after I graduated from high school, I found myself on a run with my coach in Colorado Springs. As we finished, my coach looked at me and said, “Pete, do you know what a vow is?” (Whenever he asked questions, I’d get nervous. I knew he always had a motive behind them, and that motive usually involved more work for me.)
“A what?” I asked. (I guess I was buying time.)
“A vow,” he said.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I know what a vow is.”
“Pete, let’s make a vow,” he said. “Let’s vow that you will do morning training like this before breakfast every day until you graduate from college. And I will too.”
So what was I going to say? “No”?
“Uh, OK,” I said.
“Good”, he replied.
He then reached out his hand and said, “Let’s shake on it.”
So we shook on it, and when we did, when I shook his hand, even though there was no drum roll, no trumpets blaring, and no lawyers were writing it down, I knew it was binding. I thought, “I have to do this.”
Keeping that vow was a piece of cake….. for the first couple of months, when I was healthy, when I didn’t have any early classes, but it definitely became more challenging as I dealt with fatigue, final exams, and other distractions. I never missed a day though. I’d made a commitment and I was going to stick with it, NO MATTER WHAT.
Sometimes life requires this kind of “NO MATTER WHAT” attitude. But the benefits are real and lasting. They go beyond fitness and enhance productivity in every aspect of my life. As you think about a new year’s resolution, be sure not only to ask yourself what you want to accomplish, but – even more importantly – how you will stay committed to your goals.
Peter’s 10 Tips to Stay Committed to Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution:
• Decide on a specific time to exercise that will be most convenient for you. Start off with 30-60 minutes, three days a week. Schedule this time in your calendar as if it were any other important appointment.
• Find activities you actually enjoy. Do you like to work out alone? Participate in exercise classes at the gym? Or do you enjoy social group sports, such as tennis or basketball? Focus on what is most fun and you’ll be much more likely to stick with it consistently.
• Mix it up. If you do the same thing every day, you will grow tired of it eventually.
• Find a friend, or two. Committing to a friend is easier than committing to a treadmill. If you need someone to really push you along, seek out an expert at a local health club or find a certified personal trainer you’recomfortable with.
• Take it public. Tell family and friends you are committing to a fitness plan. This will help hold you accountable and when other commitments pop up during your regularly scheduled fitness time, they will understand when you have to decline.
• Set measurable objectives. How many inches, pounds do you want to lose? How fast do you want to be able to run a mile? How many points do you want to lower your cholesterol by? Measure your results. Visualize your results.
• Keep a scale by the shower. Most people hate the thought of this, but it can be very motivating when you begin to see results. Weigh yourself every morning. Remember, where performance is measured, performance improves.
• If you travel often for business, don’t watch TV unless you are in the hotel fitness center.
• Don’t think of your fitness program as a “project,” but more as a permanent lifestyle change. (If you need help with this, read the second tip again!)
• Remember – Have fun! Be positive! And don’t quit!
Peter Vidmar, Olympic Gymnastics Champion, is a speaker on personal achievement, risk taking, and innovation. He is also the author of Risk, Originality, and Virtuosity: The Keys to a Perfect 10.
