Since the day I started Combat Kinetics, I have noticed people saying the same things, over and over — excuses they have been giving themselves for years to live a life that’s far from prudent, leave alone being the best that they can be. It’s quite disturbing, because it reflects the mindset of a vast majority of people around me, including close friends and family.

I thought I’d do a small 4 part guide on the basics and bust a few myths. I’m not one for mincing words, so if you’re easily offended, I suggest stopping right here and finding a dark corner to rock yourself to sleep in.

Yes, I know there are exceptions to the rule. No, this isn’t a thesis covering every possible scenario. Aaaanyway! Here we go!!

PART 1: Living in misery

Living in misery seems to be acceptable these days… Most people think it’s normal to be living with a hundred complications every day. It isn’t. And in all probability, it’s your own fault. The good news is that once you’re done feeling sorry for yourself, you can do something about it right away.

Here are some regular examples of  ‘it’s normal’ that I see simply as denial or sheer ignorance.

Falling sick

isn’t something that you do every day or every week. Healthy people have healthy immune systems. They rarely fall sick and if they do a couple of days resting does the trick, they almost never visit hospitals for treatment unless they’re injured or have a serious condition.

Constant physical fatigue

isn’t because your job is too hard, it’s because your physiology/diet/sleep patterns are crap. Go tell the 50 year old daily labourer who lays roads about your hard tiring day at office.

Constipation

is a symptom, not a disease. It is most often caused by bad diet habits and other factors as far removed as bad posture. Most people needn’t ever suffer constipation in their lives, if they take good care of themselves.

Depression

can be caused by many things, and, at times, it’s even because of factors beyond our control. At these times it’s important to remember that the world keeps spinning, but check this out, intense exercise releases endorphins (chems that make you happy) and in the long run makes you look/feel much better and opens the door for a lot of new possibilities as far as activities go. Meditation clears your mind… Better than the oft travelled route of stuffing your face with “feel good food” and feeling sorry for yourself for months and then feeling worse because your moping has left  you 2 steps behind and now you have a nice paunch to boot!

Not able to run and play.

Limited mobility is not normal. It’s a disability if you’re 40 and you aren’t able to play ball with your kids or run up to the fourth floor because the lift isn’t working. You should be able to go on that trek with your love interest or go deep sea diving for your 10th anniversary if you wish to… If you can’t, you are living half a life. No two ways about it.

Not able to have sex or a very low sex drive

is not run of the mill. There are so many people who attribute sexual dysfunction to many causes when in all probability they don’t get it on like bunnies because they treat their bodies like crap and are functioning at 30% capacity most of the time. Getting tired after a couple of minutes isn’t normal either… And yes, maybe her low sex drive is because you look like a walrus and move like one too! No, your “skills” don’t make it all ok.

Feeling old.

I won’t even bother wasting time addressing people who feel old at 25 or 30. You should be absolutely bulletproof at 30 and you can carry that invincibility up to 40 quite easily. Why can’t you still do somersaults and cartwheels at 28? Why do you have a slipped disk at 30? Why don’t you have any stamina at 32? Can’t do all those crazy positions with her anymore at 35? You can’t dream of running a half marathon at 40 or go trekking in the Himalayas at 50, even though you finally have the money and the time? It’s probably because you wasted all those years treating your body like a dust bin and not because of your age. Is it too late? No. (Well, not unless you want to compete in the Olympics…).  Start doing something about it right now and I guarantee your life will change.

Looking like a relic

is quite simply a by-product of neglect and a bad lifestyle. Aging is an unavoidable process, but it is in our control whether we age healthily or keep pushing ourselves into decline… Unhealthy hair, shot eyes, saggy skin, discoloured nails, bad muscle tone, bad posture, the ‘middle aged spread’… Unlessyou are 65+ These are all signs of poor health, not old age.

Aches and pains

are not a part of your everyday life. Most of them are probably caused because of bad posture and musculoskeletal imbalances. Yes, that back issue you have had for all these years that’s getting worse is not because of old age, it’s because you haven’t strengthened/corrected it as yet. Try doing something about it instead of hobbling around and groaning every few minutes. Same applies for ancient sports injuries. Nothing’s stopping you from intelligent rehabilitation.

Genetic predisposition.

“I’m obese because my mom and dad are obese”; “No one in my family is athletic”; “My family is predisposed to wide hips and that’s why my butt looks like a sack of potatoes…”… Bullshit! Your parents were obese because they didn’t look after themselves and you’re obese because you followed suit. No one in your family is athletic because they never did anything athletic. Shakira has wide hips. Her butt doesn’t look like a sack because she doesn’t have kilos of excess fat covering her muscles.

It’s pretty simple actually… What you eat and how you live will manifest itself in every facet of your life… The good news is that it isn’t too late to step up. For those of you who have already started mentally preparing excuses for yourself, Part 2 of this article is just for you… Now sit up straight!!

Watch this: 60 year old man.