Me and Serena Williams

On Wednesday Serena Williams tweeted “bad day” to her Twitter followers.

Serena has won 13 major tennis championships. She is a successful business person in the fashion industry. Her endorsements contracts are huge. What could be so bad?

“It’s a blood clot in your lungs.” That’s what they told me in the spring of 2006. The medical term is pulmonary embolism but at the time it didn’t register in my head. It should have. My father-in-law had died from a post-operative pulmonary embolism ten years earlier.

For me, it started with what felt like an upset stomach at noon on a Friday. It was uncomfortable enough that I left work early that day (I was a corporate cubicle dweller at the time). By 6pm I thought I had pulled a muscle in my left rib cage. It was plausible; I had worked out that morning and could have strained something.

By Friday evening I had tied the pain to my breathing. Deep breaths equaled searing pain in my ribs. Shallow breaths meant the pain wasn’t so bad. Being the stubborn, indestructible guy that I think I am, I went to bed.

By morning, at the urging of my wife, I headed to the emergency room. Every moment ratcheted up the pain level. In at 10am, put through a battery of tests including x-rays, blood tests, physical exams, more x-rays and finally six hours later a CAT scan.

Even after the CAT scan the nurse came into my room and prepared to release me. They hadn’t found anything. It must be a muscle strain.

Then 30 minutes later things changed. A small embolism was found in my lung on the last scan. Quickly I was put on a blood thinner and whisked up to a hospital room where I spent the next 5 days bed ridden while the Heparin dissolved the clot.

“Bad day” indeed.

Serena was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism last week and is likely to face a minimum or 6 months on a blood thinner, perhaps a lifetime. This is not good news for an athlete. The regular intense workouts, the hours spent on a hard court surface and the occasional scrapes and falls that go with it are not great for someone who, once cut, can’t form a clot due to their medication.

Add the endless travel of a pro athlete and she has many obstacles to overcome to regain her footing as a great tennis player. (Airline travel was likely the cause of my clot. If you don’t move around regularly your blood will pool and the risk of a clot increases.)

However, I'm proof that a fully active lifestyle is possible. Six months of blood thinners and I was allow to stop taking them. I had no family history and no risk factors for forming clots. I get up and walk around on any flight that lasts more than an hour. I ride my bike fast, mix it up on the tennis court occasionally, hike with the dogs and stay moving like I did before. That clot changed my life in other ways.

That small clot is largely responsible for a dramatic turnaround in me. I used that bad day as a wake up call. My life changed significantly over the next several months. I chucked my corporate career, re-committed to be fit and healthy, and started my personal training business. I’ve never felt better and never loved what I do as much as I do today.

Hopefully Serena's bad day is just that, a single day that she will fully recover from.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
www.ActivePersonalFitness.com
267.626.7478

The Cycle of Quitting

I ran across an article yesterday by Suzanne Evans, a business coach. I don't know Suzanne but her article resonated with me. Her "Cycle of Quitting" doesn't just apply to the business world. It also applies to people trying to lose weight, get lean and get healthy. I've gently re-written her article below to talk specifically about fitness but the crux of it is hers. You can see more of Suzanne's articles here.

There are two types of quitting:

1) Giving up

2) Walking away from something harmful or hurtful

I get a bird's eye view of - THE QUITTERS. I know some would say we should talk about the winners, but I must say I probably learn more from the quitters. The winners show up, suck up, cry, stomp, celebrate, and then rinse and repeat over and over. Every successful person who has lost weight or gotten fit that I have EVER worked with, mentored with, or been a colleague to has had the exact same formula.

The quitters are a bit more interesting. They are very creative and it is interesting where and how "quitting" shows up. Now remember the #1 reason exercisers fail is they stop- yep-stop. I have been watching the 'quitters cycle' for a long time and I know when it starts to creep up on people and kick in. I think it would be useful for people to see a lineage of how it starts and how they might stop themselves, as well as see the difference between something needing to come to an end and just quitting.

It usually appears like this...

Second guessing ~ fear ~ blame ~ projecting ~ overwhelm ~ blame ~ action ~ (the quitting) ~ relief ~ second guessing ~ fear and over again

Fascinating, right? I am using it as a paradigm for myself to catch me and where I am falling into the cycle - you can honestly use it for anything - the gym, your business, a relationship, etc. So, I don't want you to be a quitter...frankly, seeing people give up on their dreams daily can sometimes overwhelm me and blind me to the people actually living theirs, but I know you are out there. I know you are striving and working and living your gifts.

Here are a few tips to stay in the game, even when you would rather throw in the towel:

1) Have a clear vision of exactly what you want - relationship, money, freedom, environment, and spiritual. If you have a clear vision in writing and in your view, it is harder to let that vision go or the dream die.

2) Get real. One of my mentors says... "It is simple, but it is not easy." Success is hard work. No one ever won the Oscar, Gold Medal, Nobel Peace Prize, or lost 50 lbs by half ass showing up. And don't fool yourself....are you thinking you are working hard or are you spending a lot of time around thinking about succeeding and processing your next step.

3) Get good advice. The people around me won't let me quit. Surrounded yourself with a circle of influence. I have a tribe of tough and loving go-getters who want the same goals as you and will hold you accountable. When you want to stop, take a moment and remember that giving up on yourself is also giving up on them.

4) Care. I know you have gifts to share. Your life experience has value and people are meant to be transformed by your connection and your talent. Care enough to keep going. Care enough to share and keep going.

If you do what you love and you love people while you do it there is no reason to quit. Stopping is not an option. See you at the finish line!

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
www.ActivePersonalFitness.com
267.626.7478

Why Your Workout is NOT Working Out

Are you getting the results you expect from your exercise routine? As a trainer I ask prospective clients this question all the time. Many of them respond “no”.

I’m not one of them. I get the results I want. My fitness level has soared over the last two plus years. In fact, I am nearly as fit now as I was when I was on the rowing team in college 22 years ago. And in many areas I blow that scrawny kid out of the water. How do I know? I measure my progress all the time (I even blogged about self-assessment).

My 2000 meter row is close to my college time and my squat, deadlift and overhead press are far better now then they were back in the day.

“But you’re a trainer, that’s why you’re fit.” I hear that all the time. The assumption is I hang out in a gym all day and do pushups. Actually, that’s not even close to the truth. I’m a small business owner so on the days when I can make time to workout it has to be short and sweet (I’ve also blogged about my workout routine).

So how did the 180 lbs college guy add 27 good pounds without the help of supplements, vitamins, or drugs (legal or illegal). I figured something out. Effort = Intensity = Results.

And I learned to get uncomfortable.

More than that, I determine that every workout must give me 4 distinct feelings; humbled, exhilarated, defeated and triumphant.

Why humbled? If you do not feel inferior in the face of your workout (even if it is just momentary) then you are not choosing a workout that is challenging enough to get results. At some point during every workout I say to myself “I’m not sure I can get through this.” That is not a sign of weakness. That needs to be a fact. You have to doubt your ability to finish. That’s when you know you’re working out hard.

Why exhilarated? In the face of feeling humbled I rise up and keep going. Do I take a short break, catch my breath, curse at my list of exercises? Yes. Do I continue to work until I am done? You bet. Sometimes the workout beats you up. That’s the humbling part. But when you beat up the workout you’ll get that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration.

Why defeated? I measure every workout. How long did it take? Was I faster than last time? How many circuits did I finish in 20 minutes? Was it more than last time? And just when I feel good about myself I make sure I find out how long it took the elite athletes and how many circuits they finished. I think I’ll never reach their numbers.

Why triumphant? In the face of a challenging workout that you are not sure you can finish, in comparison to elite athletes who crush your times and results, I am able to see steady progress. I completed the workout. I did it faster than I ever had before. I am stronger, faster, more agile and healthier than last year or last month or last week. And that feels AMAZING!!

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
NASM - Certified Personal Trainer
Website | Facebook | Blog
267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."

Lessons in the 'Fierce Urgency of Now'

Yesterday, President Obama awarded 15 people the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor our country can bestow. I watched the ceremony and was moved. These noble people picked themselves up and then helped others do the same. I've pulled some short bios from the President's remarks. Find some inspiration....

As President Obama said, these people are "the best of who we are and who we aspire to be.”

John Adams – In 1970 he and a small group of unpaid attorneys and law students setup an environmental law office with some old desks, chairs and file cabinets. The group became the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Sitting at the same desk for 36 years he said “if people want to protect the environment we’ll support their efforts…if not, we’ll play hardball.” With more than 1 million members they have acted as the planet’s lawyer.

Maya Angelou – As a girl she suffered trauma and abuse that led her to literally stop speaking. She found a voice in poetry and writing and inspired millions with her words. She taught us “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. And if faced with courage, need not be lived again. Lift up your eyes upon the day breaking before you. Give birth again to the dream.”

Warren Buffet – At age 11 he invested all of his savings in 6 shares of City Services Perferred at $38 per share. The stock dropped sharply but he stayed the course. 70 years later he is not only one of the world’s richest men but one of the most admired and respected. He now devotes the vast majority of his wealth to those around the world who are suffering, sick or in need.

Gerta Klein – She spent 3 years in concentration camps enduring a 360-mile death march and weighing only 68 lbs when she was found by American forces. Now an author, historian and champion for tolerance she said, “I pray you never stand at any crossroads in your own life. But if you do, if the darkness seems so total, if you think there is no way out, remember to never ever give up.”

Rep. John Lewis - “If not us then who? If not now, then when?” is the sign posted above a doorway in Nashville where students refused to leave lunch counters 50 years ago. Now a civil rights leader and considered the conscience of the U.S. Congress, he understood change could not wait for some other person at some other time. His life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now.

Tom Little – An optometrist from New York he spent 30 years with his wife Libby in Afghanistan serving the children of the region and giving them sight amid the horrors of warfare and repeated invasions. Amid the recent conflict he was ambushed and murdered last year in a senseless act of violence. He was a true humanitarian.

Silvia Mendez – As a young schoolgirl in California her parents fought a landmark school segregation case to allow Latinos into public schools. That case in 1946 paved the way for the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Constantly told by her mother that she is every bit as good as anyone else, she has made it her mission to spread a message of tolerance and opportunity.

Stan “The Man” Musial – A Hall of Fame baseball player who lost one of the prime years while serving in the U.S. Navy. Musial was the first player ever to earn $100,000 and then insisted on a pay cut when he did not perform up to his own high standards. He remains an untarnished pillar of the St. Louis community to this day and happens to be one of my dad’s favorite ballplayers as a kid.

Bill Russell – Cut from his basketball team in junior high, he led the University of San Francisco to two NCAA championships and in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics his team won 11 NBA titles. He stood for civil rights and marched with Dr. King and stood by Muhammad Ali. He became the first African-American to be the head coach for any major sports team. I his words, “I am not a basketball player. I am a man who plays basketball.” Bill Russell was the consummate teammate and defined what it meant to be a winner.

President George H. W. Bush – His 70 years of public service included being a decorated Navy pilot, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., CIA Director, Vice President and eventually the 41^st President of the United States. A champion of service to others and to country he continues to lend his efforts to aid Haitian earthquake relief. His humility and decency reflects the very best of the American spirit.

All of these people took a stand for themselves first and then took a stand for others. All I ask you to do is take a stand for yourself. What are you waiting for?

Be well,

Paul

www.ActivePersonalFitness.com

An amazing and heartfelt testimonial from one of our boot campers and friends

I received an email last week that I want to share with you. After reading it you will understand 1) why I do what I do and 2) why you need to make exercise a priority in your life.

Paul

*******************

Hi Paul,

I wanted to share this with you, if you want to use it for a testimonial that's great, but really I want you to know this because I appreciate what you do.

First of all, I always love your boot camps (regardless of how much I whine). But I always came sporadically because I would have a hard time finding time and I would feel guilty for spending the money. (It's a mom thing I think). When I started coming with Bridget, it gave me the incentive to keep going. (If she wanted to keep going, I should too. I can't abandoned her now.) And I do actually love the classes.

As it got closer to my birthday it really made me think. My mother was only two years older than me when she had her first heart attack. A little history of my mom, she was an amazing athlete. I mean amazing! She played golf, field hockey, bowling and even had a contract to play professional baseball for the Fort Wayne Daisies. Any sport, she was amazing. (not hereditary).

In her 20's she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her sports were limited. In her 30's she could still bowl and play golf, but that was about it. In her 40's just golf. Because of her pain, she didn't move much. She certainly didn't do excercises to get her heart rate up. And then her heart attack. I remember her making a few attempts at exercising (Dancing with the Oldies with Richard Simmons) but truly it didn't last.

The older she got, the more pain she was in. It was sad. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers at age 60 and died before her 61st birthday.

To say this isn't always in the back of mind would be a lie. When I want to give up, I think of her and have made a decision that I am going to do whatever I can control to prevent this from happening to me. Exercise being the most important. Diet right beside it.

I had a physical a couple of weeks ago. My cholesterol is perfect, instead of giving me an EKG, they did a test for inflammation which can predict heart issues. I was told my asthma would probably screw those results. It did not. It was again at the perfect level. (Inflammation is also something that every Alzheimer patient has). I have to attribute that to running and I have to give you credit for that.

With your encouragement, and just telling me "yes, you can do this", as much as I hate it, I run 5 days a week. Now I feel like I can breathe real breaths. I never realized how shallow I used to breathe, I feel like my lung capacity has grown significantly. I may never run a marathon, but that isn't really the point for me. No signs of arthritis. Essentially, I got a gold star.

I decided that paying for boot camp is cheaper than paying for medication for not exercising. It's cheaper than liposuction and I feel so much better because of it. That is how I need to look at spending the money on myself.

So I want to thank you for making it fun and challenging. I have gotten so much stronger since I started and I forgot how much I miss feeling this way. I look forward to class and it keeps me motivated. It is obvious how much time you put into your classes, I can honestly say, I never left class feeling like I didn't have a great workout. So thank you for helping me, you have no idea how much.

Joanie

Weight Watchers Gets It Right

I’m a fan of Weight Watchers.

I know many of my wellness colleagues are rolling their eyes reading this but Weight Watchers' simple approach of portion control, recording what you eat, and providing group support just works. Millions of people have shed tens of millions of pounds by counting points, keeping food journals and showing up for weekly weigh-ins.

So why do my colleagues make snide comments under their breath? Well, for one, Weight Watchers never really cared WHAT you ate. They assigned points to every food under the sun and as long as you stayed within the point range you could eat any combination of foods your heart or stomach desired. (You see, my personal trainer friends tend toward organic and paleo eating, avoiding all things processed. A 2-point bag of WW cookies will send them into a 2-day cardio binge).

But now the venerable weight loss company has taken a bold step. Their famous Points system, introduced in 1997, just got an overhaul. They have recognized that the idea of “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie” is not the optimal way to approach nutrition.

“Calorie counting has become unhelpful,” according to the company’s president David Kirchhoff as quote in Time Magazine. “When we have a 100-calorie apple in one hand and a 100-calorie pack of cookies in the other, and we view them as being ‘the same’ because the calories are the same, it says everything that needs to be said about the limitations of just using calories in guiding food choices.”

The new Points Plus system assigns NO POINTS to fruits and vegetables (except for the most starchy varieties). That’s right, you may now eat bushels of apples, bunches of bananas and all the mango you’d like.

Basically, if the food is high in protein and fiber it gets a low point rating so you can eat more of it. If the food is high in processed carbs, it will be accompanied by a high point total.

So the mantra I have been instilling in you for several years, “eat meat and vegetables, fruits and nuts, few starches, no sugar” has now been confirmed by the most popular weight loss program on earth.

The lesson, try every fruit and vegetable you can find, list out 5-10 that you like, keep them on hand at home and eat them at any point in time.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
NASM - Certified Personal Trainer
Website | Facebook | Blog
267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."

10 Most Important Things for Establishing a Healthy Lifestyle (Part 2)

I was asked by an author this week to submit the 10 things I think are most important to a healthy lifestyle for a book he is writing. Earlier this week I shared the first 3 tips. Here are numbers 4-6. Stay tuned next week for the final four.

4. Good health begins with nutrition. Even if you exercise religiously, failing to eat foods that offer usable energy from proteins, complex carbs and, yes, healthy fats will prevent you from achieving optimal results. Choose your foods wisely. Lean toward meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts and away from starches and sugars.

5. Followed closely by exercise. Similar to #4 above, if you eat pristinely but do not move you will not achieve optimal results. Make a list of 10 exercises you like and 5 that you don't. Include body weight and strength training exercises along with traditional cardio (walk/run, bike, row, jump rope). Intermix these exercises in different sequences as often as you can. Very often people don’t like an exercise because they are not good at it – yet.

6. Regularly evaluate where you are in relation to your goal. Setup some simple fitness tests and perform them regularly to provide accountability and motivation. Here are some examples.

- Maximum number of pushups (elbows come to a 90 degree bend and no more than 3 seconds of rest between pushups)

- 100 box jumps (10" step) as fast as possible (two foot jump or step up and down)

- Move your body (walk, jog, run) 1 mile as fast as you can

- Row 2000m as fast as you can

- Maximum number of jump ropes in 2 minutes

Check in next week for tips 7-10.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz

Active Personal Fitness

www.ActivePersonalFitness.com

267.626.7478

"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."