David M. Rogers - Twelve Pathways to Personal Wellness: An Activity Based Perspective for Wellness of Body, Mind and Spirit

TWELVE PATHWAYS TO
PERSONAL WELLNESS

An Activity Based Perspective for
Wellness of Body, Mind and Spirit

DAVID M. ROGERS

Copyright 2020 David M. Rogers.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-9822-4251-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-4253-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-4252-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020902082

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/29/2020

CONTENTS

Pathway #1
You are the One in Charge; You Control your State of Wellness.

Pathway #2
The Body was built to Move; Choose
Activities You will Perform Consistently.

Pathway #3
Fitness Requires a Combination of Aerobic,
Anaerobic and Flexibility Activities.

Pathway #4
Identify Your Body Type and understand your
Capabilities; Strive for Compatible Activities

Pathway #5
Create a Wellness Plan and Execute goals to sustain that Plan.

Pathway #6
Overall Balance is critical, in Wellness and in Life

Pathway #7
Variety is the Spice of Life and a Key to Wellness Also

Pathway #8
Garbage in Garbage Out; You Must
Properly Feed and Hydrate Your Machine.

Pathway #9
Rest and Recovery are an Important Part of Overall Wellness.

Pathway #10
Emotional Wellness; Attitude Influences Wellness Altitude.

Pathway #11
Nurture Your Positive Intellectual, Social, and Spiritual Passions

Pathway #12
Positive Renewal; Find Your Quiet Place

It was the late fall of my sophomore year in college. A fellow teammate had been begging me to visit a new fitness club that he wanted to join to maintain a daily off-season training regimen. To me, there was no such thing as off season training. We would go jogging once in a while or play a little tennis, soccer or touch football, but I thought there were better and less strenuous ways to spend the days ahead. My friend was persistent in his requests. I sensed that he might want me to support him as a work out partner. This was apparently not an adventure he wanted to undertake alone.

The day I walked through the door of the Berkley Fitness Center was a day that changed my life forever. The facility was located in a relatively cozy retail space in a local strip mall. As I entered the impeccably organized and maintained Center for the first time and looked around, I was met with a sight I had never seen before. A complete circuit of Nautilus equipment was carefully arranged around the main room of the facility in a semi-circle. A small section of free weights occupied a distant corner. There were patrons working on the machines with a trainer at their side talking them through their movements and encouraging their performance.

We were met by the Fitness Center manager and given a tour of the facility. The machines fascinated me. Upon examining them more closely I could immediately sense the engineering, ergonomic integrity and cutting edge technology of each machine as the manager took us around the circuit and explained their program, how each machine worked and the Centers dedication to meeting our fitness expectations. I was intrigued. I had to try these captivating contraptions out. Within a few days I had become a member of the Fitness Center. Within a few weeks I was hooked.

One thing I quickly realized is that I did not have any expectations for what activities I needed or preferred. I did not have any goals. I really did not have any idea of general fitness principles. All I knew was that I enjoyed working on these futuristic looking machines. I had no idea how general physical fitness would transform over the following years into a lifelong philosophy of wellness. The type of wellness philosophy that promotes excellence and a desire for balance and achievement in every aspect of life. Nevertheless, that day was a transformational moment and I knew that daily, ongoing competitive exercise was going to become an integral part of my life. I also knew that I had a lot to learn.

Over the next few months and through the next few years my knowledge of fitness and the broader scope of wellness began to grow. The Fitness Center provided free personal training with my membership. And so I began my journey. Personal training sessions led to books on exercise methodology, health and nutrition. The Center offered fitness seminars with nationally renowned authors and trainers. Within a year I was invited to be an assistant manager of the center and personal trainer. Over these next several years, I enjoyed training and participating with fellow fitness enthusiasts, local high school and college athletes and corporate executives. I enjoyed this position until I graduated and left for a Masters program in another state.

Graduate studies opened broader horizons. Reading great authors of business, science, philosophy, religion, economics and other stimulating subjects opened to a young mind numerous doors, alluring pathways into a larger world. A more comprehensive life philosophy. A view of the universe that encouraged me to be my best. This is the foundation of lifelong wellness. Fitness came to mean more than a toned body. It encompassed soundness of mind and spirit. It transformed into a holistic view of being that embraced the fundamentals of overall wellness.

Fast forward several decades and the journey continues. I have been faithful to that initial transformational experience and have enjoyed a lifelong relationship with activity based wellness. The programs, places and faces have changed over the years, but the principles remain the same. Every individual has the opportunity to learn and benefit from incorporating proper wellness principles into their daily routine. Whether you have already had those transformational experiences or wish to step on the path to developing a personal philosophy of wellness the Pathways in this book will be timeless and priceless to a wellness based understanding of the whole self.

We live in an age where wellness programs abound. Gyms, holistic centers and specialized wellness facilities dot the landscape of every major city and suburb. Specialized routines that can be done at home are plentiful. The internet provides an almost unlimited stream of ideas and programs. Yet amidst this abundance of resources, the average person who commits to an activity based regimen of wellness usually does not stay with a program for more than sixty days. One of the main reasons for this is not necessarily motivational, it is a fundamental lack of understanding of the principles that sustain wellness. The Twelve Pathways will communicate those transformational principles in a simple and understandable manner.