If a 400+lb person can do it, so can you.
The simple answer is yes, P90X and RevAbs is for everyone who is able to exercise.
Let's Be Honest...This is More Than Just Not Liking Exercise
I hear all too often people saying things like, "I am too out of shape to do P90X," "It's for young people only," or "I can't do pull-ups." It's one thing when somebody says statements like these because they are just looking for excuses to not exercise. That person should be honest with him or her self and just say, "I don't want to work out because I like sitting on my big butt way better than getting healthy and in shape," or something to that effect ;-) In a way, I get that. Not everyone is ready to commit to taking care of themselves, and in a society that's inundated with cheap, superficially entertaining and addictive foods that have a firm grip on us. So, even though people who are choosing that path CAN do a challenging, structured workout program, in their own heads the answer is still "no," which is very, very sad to see when it happens.
If you find that you're constantly giving yourself reason after reason to not do a higher quality workout program, then ask yourself if those reasons are just because you don't want to lose certain parts of your lifestyle (i.e. comfort foods, emotional eating, daily routines that you may not readily see alternatives for, etc.).
This is Bigger Than Just Deciding To Be or Not To Be Healthy
Problem #1: Knowledge
A lot of fitness people will just say to make the commitment to being healthy, and that's going to be the most important first step. On some level, I can agree with that because ultimately we do have to make that decision, but there's more to it than that. People can say to themselves that enough is enough and that they want to be healthy, but getting there is often a very difficult process with lots of questions of how to do it. If you don't know how to cook well, don't have a decent bank of recipes where you can afford the food, or don't know how to create a structured work out program that will appropriately challenge you, it's going to get frustrating. It's no wonder that so many people start up at the gym at the beginning of the year (for their New Year's resolution) and by March are pretty much giving up. So, problem #1 is having the knowledge.
Problem #2: The Large Hyper-Consumer and Addictive Food Culture
For us, in the United States of Obesity (2/3rds of all states have 25% obesity rates or higher), excuses are a big part of our plus sized developments. To actually address a problem like this is not as easy as eating cheesy poofs and watching Desperate House Wives or Fear Factor. The dumber and fatter we are, the more profits the big corporations such as Pfizer, Altria (formerly Phillip-Morris), Unilever, Kraft, General Mills, Nestle, and Wal-Mart make. From the perspective of the food and pharmaceutical companies, the fatter we are, the more big box stores, pharmaceutical companies, and large food companies profit. Conversely, the more we are in shape, use locally grown foods as part of our diets, and avoid foods that come in cans or boxes, the healthier we are, and the more we are empowered to shape the issue of nutritional food accessibility issues (aka food security issues). Foods are often made with the intention of creating addictive behaviors, which equals bigger profits. The right combination of sugars, fats, and salts is well known by food companies and they exploit the crap out of it. This is very predatory on their part, and the first step is us having that level of awareness.
Clearly, I'm speaking from a deeper place of frustration, but our dramatic recent increase in rates of obesity (in 1991, there were no states with obesity rates at or above 20%) in the US is deeply alarming and is most definitely a social justice and civil rights issue at this point. The only ones who have access to healthy foods are those who can afford them, which is tied to issues of transportation, education, and socioeconomics.
Problem #3: Mindset
So many people are basically backing up this system of injustice when they say that they aren't willing to do a strong, well-structured fitness program. Have you ever said any of these: I'm too old, too much overweight, too busy, or too injured. There are answers that can address every singly one of these issues, but these become mental blocks for people that they hunker down on. Don't be stubborn. You owe it to yourself to say, "Even though I am _________, I can still do an appropriately challenging and well-structured workout program to get me into amazing shape and be healthy."
Problem #4: Money
The one excuse that can be a real barrier for some people is not having enough money, especially if we're talking about purchasing a program like P90X. If you're struggling paying for food and keeping your home, clearly this may not be the right time to spend money on a fitness program. Once again, accessibility becomes an issue for the same reasons as food insecurity issues. It cannot be overstated how much health/wellness and socioeconomics are tied to one another. There are some simple ways around that which are mainly resolved by people working out together in spaces that do not require memberships, dues, or buying equipment or, yes, DVD workout programs like P90X. Access to exercise, in my view, is relatively easier and seems to have less challenges.
However, there is a group of people who are spending their money on superfluous things and could easily afford a fitness program that can have a huge impact on their personal health, happiness, stress level, and relationships with food. This is the group that needs to take a second look at how money is influencing their long-term happiness. You know who you are! Going out to over-priced dinners, crappy movies, and buying things you know you don't need at the mall (not to mention the fact that those things were mostly likely made with child labor and sweatshop labor in a country most people probably can't find on a map). You know you can put your money into something much better for you and something that will give you much more balance in your life. Take a moment and ask yourself what you really want in your life, and I'm sure your answer will include deeper levels of health, balance, and happiness. Eating better, exercising, and having real meaningful relationships in life are pretty much the basic ways of doing that. Everything else either enhances them or distracts us from them.
One more thing about money...and this you'll never find from any gym on the planet. You can make totally legit money by working out with a program like P90X and sharing it with friends and family who are interested. You can get fit and healthy, help others to get fit and healthy like me, and money doing it. So far, I've made about $400 since September doing this. It's not a gimmick, or a racket at all. So, I've actually earned money working out with P90X. No gym is going to do that for me, even if I refer people to the gym. I know it might sound different, and I know you may have never considered doing it, but why not? Here's more information...click here.
Simple Answers
"Soul-ution" #1: Modify Your Exercises
It can seem really quite intimidating at first to anyone who is not terribly knowledgeable about exercise and good nutritional practices...BUT, anyone can do a challenging fitness program like P90X and RevAbs and take back their health if they are willing to commit to the process and modify exercises. Whether you think you're too old, too overweight, or too weak, modifying exercises it the answer you're looking for. If a 400+lb person could figure it out (click here for an amazing story of how someone lost 233lbs using P90X), then you can do it. The biggest trick is sometimes figuring out how to modify an exercise. Fortunately, this is why P90X and RevAbs are so good. They instructors give modifications for every move. And yet, there are more modifications that can still be done if you have a basic understanding about exercise. I am going to be posting several blogs on this topic very shortly. Keep an eye out for them.
"Soul-ution" #2: Make a Schedule
This is key. I am an assistant professor (untenured), so I have such little time in the day to do anything besides work. After about a year and a half of not working out at all, I did final say to myself that enough was enough. I'm not on this planet to work myself to death and be in constant imbalance with my mind-body-spirit connection, which is exactly where I was up until July 2011. I reset my priorities to put my health and happiness first (which also meant spending more time with my beautiful wife and daughter). As part of that resetting of priorities, I made getting in shape and reclaiming my health an important part of it. As a father and husband, I want to be happy, healthy, and full of energy for my family. I found that I was getting more and more cranky, and more and more unhappy. That was totally unacceptable, and I started by simply finding time in the day to work out by making a schedule. That was the start of everything for me. I spent less time working, getting more done because I was using my time more wisely, and I was generally feeling much less stressed about work. By taking the simple step of looking at how I was using time in my days and making a commitment to having an hour everyday to do a workout (still less time than I was spending with going to the gym when travel time was factored in), it made it possible for me to do a high quality workout. My mind is less stressed and so much happier, my body is already so much healthier, and I feel much more connected to my spirit and soul. I've even found time to meditate more often...something that is central to my spirituality. This is probably too much information, but sex is better, too!
"Soul-ution" #3: Mo' Money is Mo' Money!
In late August, I decided that I would become a BeachBody Coach, and it has been such a great decision. I'm a professor, so it's not like I needed a second job, to be honest, but it's provided another outlet to connect with and support people, and even another income source. If you don't think you can afford this, give it a second thought. I buy Shakeology monthly at $90 for us Coaches (rather than the regular $120), and I pay $12 monthly for an online membership at TeamBeachBody.com, which is a great resource for person-to-person support, meal plans, and charting my progress. That's the "cost" of being a BeachBody Coach. The startup fee is $40. So, I've made back all that money so far, every month is growing a little more and more, and I'm even more focused on having good health and wellness because it's part of how I earn some extra income. I've lost 26 pounds so far, I eat healthier, I'm far less stressed, much happier with life, and I'm earning an extra income. After signing up two other coaches, I have BeachBody sending me customers now. I'm loving this!
So, these are 3 easy "soul-utions" that have made a hugely positive effect on my life.
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