And so that in mind what would you suggest would be one of the best ways to kick off to get started for someone that’s hit late 40’s, early 50’s looked at themselves in the mirror and said, “Man this isn’t good. I’m not feeling real well anymore. My body’s letting me down. I’ve got to do something about it here and get things back on track otherwise it’s a…it’s going to be a downhill spiral from there.”
What would you offer James, just to give someone a bit of a kick start?
James: Yeah, that’s a really good question man. Because it’s, the old proverb right, like a journey of thousands steps begins with the first one.
Rod: Uh-huh.
James: Sometimes that first step is the hardest one to take…I think there’s 2 things.
I think that before you even take that first step you going to have to continue looking at yourself in the mirror and figure out what your priorities are and what they really are and figure out you do some shifting around, of those priorities and so, people have said they don’t have time to fit this stuff in, it’s like you know, the old quote from Fight Club like people are working jobs they hate for shit that they don’t need.
Rod: [laughs]
James: And that I guarantee you that 95 plus percent of people who have that look at themselves in the mirror moment, if the heart of what they’re feeling is both what they’re seeing in the mirror and also what they know has led them to it. And they kind of sold their soul a little bit.
Rod: Yup.
James: …for…for this, you know they made a freaking deal with the devil and they realized that it wasn’t really worth it and so…anyways, my point is, is like, I think a lot of people need to kind of figure out what their priorities are and figure out how to prioritize themselves and their fitness and their lifestyle first. Because if you try to go on that journey with the same mindset that got you into that, place in the first place, is not going to work. Like, something has to change upstairs before real change will take hold with everything else.
Rod: Yup.
James: So, that’s my first piece of advice. After that it’s really is like start small. I think the big thing, the mistake that people make is they try to bite off more than they can really chew and they have the best of intention and so what I try to tell people is, you want to set the hurdle so low that you have no doubt in your mind that you’re going to be able to overcome it, right? And so for a lot of people that may be just a spin in 10 to 15 minutes a day doing some foam rolling and stretching and just trying to move.
Rod: Yup.
James: If that’s where you’re at, that’s where you’re at. And that’s your goal and that’s what you do and you build on that. You’ll find at the momentum that you’ve built from just setting…easily achievable wins for yourself is, will add up over the long run. And once you’ve done that for a while, you’ll find that ‘well gees you know, 15 minutes isn’t so bad but I can add another 5 minutes in here and you know, next thing you know, it’s like you’re doing the hour a day that you’ve originally set out to do. But instead of doing it for an hour and only doing 15 minutes a day and kicking yourself in the butt feeling bad, you know, you set out to do 15 minutes and you’re feeling good about yourself. And so a lot of times it’s just how you kind of frame…what you’re doing…you know in your head so, you know just start small, just start with those easy wins and trying to build on those. But the priority is really moving better so I think the mobility is the first thing that people should really try to work on.
So keep in touch and see you out on the trails.
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About The Author
Rod Bucton, mountain bike fanatic from Mid North Coast, New South Wales Australia…discover the shortcuts to mountain biking for beginners and while you’re at it follow Rod on Facebook or Instagram.
Like any sport, bicycling involves risk of injury and damage. By choosing to ride a bicycle, you assume the responsibility for that risk, so you need to know — and to practice — the rules of safe and responsible riding and of proper use and maintenance. Proper use and maintenance of your bicycle reduces risk of injury.
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