No Magic Bullets When It Comes to Exercise--Just Consistency

I should be flattered. My students frequently come to me for exercise advice, as if I were some kind of fitness sage, even though my voracious appetite makes me tip the scales at 230, 20 pounds more than my ideal.

I suppose being the only English instructor in the PE building, sharing an office with the wrestling coach, and having a Randy Couture action figure on my book shelf gives me a Mr. Workout image.

The other day during finals week a student told me her boyfriend is fat and needs to get on a program. She asked me what he should do. I told her the truth: There is no magic bullet, but there is one word that sums up success when it comes to exercise and fitness and the word is consistency. No matter what her boyfriend does, he is going to need to be consistent. If he doesn't break a sweat for an hour 5 or 6 days a week, he will not be successful at attaining his fitness goals. I don't care if he runs, walks, lifts weights, does power yoga, plays tennis. He just needs to be consistent.

I suspect few people want to embrace this simple truth. I have dozens of students with gym memberships, the kind where the gym automatically deducts money from their credit card every month, but few of these students go to the gym. They like the idea of having a gym membership. It comforts them and makes them feel they are on the right path. It's like buying a complete library of the classics so people can see them on your book shelves even though you haven't read them.

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[Ed]

I hope these pictures aren't real...

http://www.bigstupididiot.com/2009/06/20-pictures-that-give-steroids-bad-name.html