Strickland Fitness

Here's a great excuse to get a massage and enjoy a little R&R.  I thought you might enjoy this article.  Please comment and share. ~ Chad.

Finally, a manly excuse to get a massage: It refuels your workout. According to a new study, a post-sweat rubdown promotes recovery and relieves pain in the same way anti-inflammatory meds (ie: ibuprofen) do.

In the study, 11 guys biked to exhaustion. Afterwards, they had just one of their legs massaged. The kneaded leg had fewer signs of muscle inflammation—which lead to soreness—than untouched leg.

More from MensHealth.com: Fix It With Massage

How come? When you work out hard (think: The Spartacus Workout), your muscles tear, releasing pro-inflammatory substances that make them ache. “Massage improves your body’s ability to make the proteins needed for energy that goes towards rebuilding muscles torn or strained during a workout,” says Simon Melov, Ph.D., and lead researcher of the study.

So when should you hit up a masseuse? Melov says that the pros are onto something. Ever seen a guy fresh off the field headed to a trainer’s table? It makes sense: The study found that the largest differences in inflammation were seen in having a massage immediately after a tough workout.  

For more on this article, please go here.

I decided to make a list of the top 10 excuses people use to stray away from their health and fitness goals. But I’m not going to stop there. Each is followed by an answer to that excuse.

1. “I don’t have the time.”

Make the time! If anything in life is important enough, time can be made. It’s all a matter of priorities.

2. “I can’t afford a gym membership.”

Not all gyms are expensive. There are some out there that cheaper than you think. You can also do exercises at home with little to no weights needed. Check out http://stricklandfitness.com/2008/11/20/2-full-body-exercises/

3. “I just don’t know what to do.”

It can be scary starting to work out and not know what to do. However, there are plenty of good websites out there (like this one  ) with free content to get you started.

4. “I need to lose a lot of weight and it seems like it will take forever.”

Shorten your goals to a month. If your goal is to lose 25 pounds, start by trying to lose 5. Once you reach that goal, try for another 5. Before you know it, you will have lost all 25. Read http://stricklandfitness.com/2008/11/17/short-term-goals-long-term-success/

5. “I know myself, and I can never commit to anything.”

Begin a program with a friend. Accountability is key.

6. “I’ll start soon.”

Start now! If you do, 6 months from now, you’ll be glad you did. Trust me!!!

7. “I’m not in good shape and everyone at the gym seems to be. “

Everyone at the gym is working towards their goal. That is what they are focusing on. Put your focus on your goals and not on other’s perception of them.

8. “I’m afraid people at the gym will laugh or stare at me while I’m exercising.”

To tell you the truth, I only laugh and stare at the people who walk around the gym doing nothing. To me, that’s funny. If you are worried about your form, work out with a friend or in front of a mirror to make sure you have correct form.

9. “I’m already in pretty good shape, and I don’t do anything.”

The outside doesn’t always match the inside. Working out and doing cardio is great for stress relief, prevention of heart disease, controlled cholesterol and blood pressure, and overall well-being.

10. “I have been working out but I haven’t seen any results.”

You have to mix it up or you might be overtraining. If you don’t change your routine, your body goes into autopilot and plateaus. You have to keep it guessing. Overtraining can also slow down results. Be sure to get plenty of rest between workouts and eat a healthy diet.

What you see in the mirror is just a reflection of how you feel. So what does this mean? You have to change the inside in order to change the outside. Most people find this statement to be backwards. You are probably saying; if I look good then I will feel good. Think about it for a minute. Ask anyone (or yourself) who has an overeating problem when they binge on food. It’s usually when they are sad, mad, stressed, depressed, or have simply given up on their goal. Those are bad feelings which cause a bad behavior.

Go take a look in the mirror right now. What do you see? Does the outside match the inside? Very few people look in the mirror and say; I look fat but I feel great. Or on the other hand, say; I look great but I feel like crap. I am in great shape, but I know on days I don’t feel great, the image that I see usually reflects that.

No matter what your fitness goals, first start with the inside. Get plenty of rest so you start each day feeling refreshed. Eat well to have the energy to complete your day and stay healthy. Do all the things that make you feel fresh, energetic, and motivated. Those feelings will take you to the gym, help you make good eating decisions, and start to change what you see in the mirror.