Category Fitness

Fitness As An Insurance Policy

drstaceynaito 1 Comment

One of the biggest challenges I face as a physician and fitness professional is convincing patients and clients that healthy eating and regular exercise serve as the best insurance policies in optimizing health and minimizing the risk of illness and disease. It is especially frustrating because I know first-hand that this is true.

I began weight training at the age of 21 to heal from my teenage bout with anorexia. Luckily, I was already practicing relatively healthy eating habits once I abandoned my starvation mission. I was not surprised by the fact that I loved weight lifting, how it made me feel, how it made me look, and how it made others look at me. It also empowered me and lifted me from the darkest period of my life, becoming my saving grace and an insurance policy for my health and well-being. I became intrigued with the world of fitness and quickly noticed the “can do” attitude that was so pervasive. At one point I had considered competing in the fitness division and had even looked into hiring a coach, but then I got sidetracked by medical training, marriage and then divorce. Little did I know then that I would finally hit the bodybuilding stage in my 40’s and eventually attain IFBB Professional Status.

healthy lifeI may be a freak of nature and blessed with decent genetics, but then again, maybe not. My maternal grandmother died of cancer at 63, and my maternal grandfather passed away at 81 of a heart attack. My mom suffered from a brain aneurysm rupture ten years ago and now battles high blood pressure, macular degeneration, and osteoporosis. In contrast, my blood pressure is at the low end of normal, and I have the bone mineral density of a 20 year old. My mother’s veins are very small and deep, while mine are huge pipelines which sit right under the surface of my skin. With that type of family history, I am thankful that I took charge of my own life as a young adult and made changes which protected my health.

Hopefully my story resonated with some of you and perhaps inspired you to take regular exercise and healthy eating seriously. Please do not wait until your health begins to suffer. Be proactive and preventative, especially if you have a family history of certain diseases. Revamp your eating habits NOW. Commit to a regular exercise program that incorporates resistance training. No more excuses!

Keeping Up With Social Media Posts

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SelfieSocial media avenues give people the opportunity to network, build business, increase exposure and connect with others all over the world. They are excellent tools for people who are trying to become the next big thing. But I have to file a grievance…if I had all the time in a day to post selfies and inspirational posts, I would, but because I have a career outside of fitness, I simply do not have that luxury. Numerous people have told me that I need to be more aggressive about posting pertinent items on social media channels, but they don’t realize that I am overwhelmed by what I have on my plate. I manage all three websites I have established, as well as my blog site, Twitter, Instagram, and three Facebook pages. Add to that my work schedule, photo shoots, video shoots, writing projects, training clients, food prep, etc., and I have little time to take alluring pics of myself all day. When I do take selfies at the gym or at work, people think I am being vain. So I am hit from both sides. Either I am not being aggressive enough, or I am self-absorbed. Pretty frustrating.

I also have to admit that I have a crappy camera on my phone which refuses to deliver consistently great images. I get so tired of having the wrong angle, poor lighting, or having a reach that is insufficient. Apparently, the teens and 20-somethings seem to have figured out all the best camera phone angles, and spend considerable pockets of time cropping, adding films and effects, text, borders, etc. to make their posts incredibly eye-catching. I have to admit that I am a bit envious of such skill. What cracks me up is that I have recently seen articles in major women’s fashion magazines on how to take a good selfie, indicating how much this phenomenon has become a common means of connecting with the world.

It’s pretty funny how some haters actually give ME a hard time about taking ANY time to snap selfies, often scolding me and telling me to “get back to work” or “be productive”. I guess if you’re over a certain age or if you are a career professional you aren’t allowed to avail yourself of social media avenues and post selfies? I may not be the best at it, nor do I have a ton of time to perfect the images I post, but I will do what I can to stay current and connect with the world while also honoring my responsibilities outside of cyberworld.