“Just Do It,” the Nike swoosh admonishes. Yeah, right.
If you’re 20-something, single with a lot of free time then go right ahead and just do it. But it’s not that easy for most of us. We can’t “just” do it if we’re going to school, raising kids, working long hours, running a business, managing a household, taking care of parents, dealing with medical and/or physical ailments, or juggling a host of other issues that demand our time and attention. To focus solely on ourselves and “just do it” is just selfish and self-serving.
The Nike motto implies we should not just talk about fitness goals, or look for reasons why we can’t achieve them, but instead just get on with it. While the sentiment is admirable, it’s just unrealistic for many of us who use the JCC as the locus of our fitness programs. For us, time is of the essence—the amount of time we can spend on our fitness regimes is circumscribed by life as contributing, not just consuming, adults.
We may not be able to simply “Just Do It” but we can “Just Commit and Continue” (JCC) a fitting corollary to Nike’s commandment. Commitment implies dedication and continuation signifies constancy; an enduring effort to reach a goal. In today’s jargon, we’d call it “grit”.
The JCC Fitness & Wellness staff can help you design a program that will serve your specific needs and help you reach your goals over the long haul. A well-conceived program doesn’t “Just Happen” and you can’t “Just Do It”. A realistic program must take into account your starting point and, from there, develop strategies to build strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and a healthy diet. The most important thing is to make a commitment and stick with it. There are no shortcuts.
As George Patton once said, “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow”.
Phil Greenberg, JCC Fitness & Wellness Instructor
