How simply being positive can help you get in shape

What's the point of being negative? It gets you nowhere. It does you no good whatsoever!
Being positive is the first step towards getting in shape.Being positive is the first step towards getting in shape.
Being positive is the first step towards getting in shape.

I’m a ‘glass half full’ kind of person, I always look for the positive things in life. And I truly believe you can always learn something, even from the most negative situations. You just have to learn to block out the negativity.

Negative emotions are very strong, and can cloud over all other emotions. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and clear your head. Find the positives and focus on them.

That’s what happened in this situation with my brother.

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At first I felt angry, frustrated and disappointed. It put me in a bad mood, even though he got the positive outcome that he wanted. I had to sit back and reflect on the positives, and my mood was instantly lifted.

The story …

My brother, Adam, is registered disabled after having brain tumour at the age of nine.

With the recent Disability Living Allowance (DLA) reforms, he was told that he had a low scoring motability rate and that he would no longer get a motability car.

Being without a car would have had a massive impact on his life. It would have taken a lot of his freedom and independence away, so he decided to appeal the decision.

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My Mam worked for hours and hours putting his case together. She endured weeks of stress and anxiety. She knew deep down that Adam was entitled to his disability allowance but was worried that the judges wouldn’t see it, because, as we found out, there are many, many flaws in the new DLA system.

Anyway, the court case was last week.

Adam is currently on a short term uni course in America, so had to fly back to the UK to be in court. It cost him £1,200, and a full day of travel to get home.

The morning he was due in court he received a phone call to say that the judges had looked through his evidence and that they were awarding him the disability allowance.

He had won his case, and he didn’t have to attend court.

Great news that he won the case … but very annoying that he travelled half way around the world and spent a lot of his student budget on getting home, only to be told that he didn’t need to be there!

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He also had to rearrange an important exam in order to be home.

He now has to fly back to America to complete the exam, and then a week later he flies back home for Christmas.

We all felt really frustrated because this could easily have been avoided!

So, last week my family were full of mixed emotions.

It was a bitter sweet day. Very happy and relieved that Adam had won the case, but very frustrated at the incompetence of the whole DLA system.

Angry at the stress and anxiety it caused my Mam.

l ANGRY

l FRUSTRATED

l ANNOYED

l UPSET

l FURIOUS

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They are all NEGATIVE feelings that were clouding over the positives.

Thinking of the negatives was doing us no good at all. It drains the life out of you.

So, I said, “let’s forget about the negative things and focus on the POSITIVES”.

He won his case. He got to spend more time with his family and friends. We are able to go out and celebrate at the weekend.

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It’s a huge weight off my Mam’s shoulders. She’s stress free again.

Focusing on the POSITIVES instantly makes you feel better.

The same positive thinking techniques can be used to help you get fit and improve your fitness.

If you’re in a position where you need to lose weight, get fit, and change your life, sitting on you backside, moaning, making excuses will get you nowhere.

l ‘I’ll never be able to do that’

l ‘It’s too hard’

l ‘I’m too old’

l ‘I’m too unfit’

l ‘I’ll start next week’

All those negative thoughts will get you nowhere! Throw them away! Forget them.

Be positive ...

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Think about, and focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do. Break your goals down into little steps, and focus on one at a time.

Praise yourself more often. Give yourself credit. (But don’t reward yourself with cake, haha).

Just be POSITIVE.

It’s amazing what you can achieve when you work hard and fight for what you deserve!

Grab every opportunity with both hands. Nothing will be achieved by sitting on your backside… especially when it comes to fitness!

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Your Trainer: Graham Low, owner of East Coast Fitness, is an award-winning personal trainer based in Seaham.

The ex-professional footballer was nominated for the Small Business of the Year and Leisure Awards at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards last year.

Graham won the Leisure Award at the North East Hotels Association Awards while working as gym manager at Seaham Hall in 2012.

For personal training, boot camps, small group training and online programmes email [email protected] or visit www.eastcoast-fitness.com