SO, HERE’S THE BASICS OF HOW TO GET FIT. NUMBER 1: THE RIGHT ATTITUDE Don’t even think about how to get fit if you are not willing to take a look at your attitude about fitness, about yourself and your life. I don’t say that to be nasty or contrary. But if your attitude is not right about this effort then your failure is sealed. Conversely, if your attitude is positive and affirming then your success is certain. If you want to know how to get fit, begin with the words that roll past your lips, the messages that enter your ears, the information that permeates your mind through your eyes. Surround yourself with affirming company, like minded, supporting friends and community. And if isn’t positive, get rid of it. You have to speak and receive positivity. NUMBER 2: AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE The next step in how to get fit is to live active. I’m not yet talking about a fitness program. I’m talking about being active in the basic, daily, normal things of life. Walking up the stairs rather than taking the escalator. Walking around the neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon or in the evenings with the family. Going fishing. Just don’t go to work, sit at a desk, drive home, then sit in front of the TV all evening before going to bed and doing it all over again the next day. I know you are tired. But I also know that the more active you are the more energy you will have, the better you will feel and the more vibrant your life will be. So get up, get moving in the normal, ordinary every day things of life and reap great rewards. NUMBER 3: FOLLOW A FITNESS PLAN Living active is a great start as you learn how to get fit. But a professional, forcused fitnees plan really brings it home. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember, you aren’t training to be a cover model in Sports Illustrated. You are simply training for a vibrant, active, healthy, functional, strong body that works for you every day. 3-5 days a week, 30-60 minutes a day is how to get fit for life. From a few Tabata circuits to a cardio, bodyweight or weight training routine, just get in there and make it happen. You’ll feel infinitely better when you do and the rest of your life will be so much more alive! NUMBER 4: MIX IT UP! Once you have established a lifestyle of activity, mix it up. Too often people find something they enjoy or can do and just keep doing it over and over and over again until they hit a plateau of frustration and stagnation. In discovering how to get fit for life, learning to mix things up is crucial. Don’t do the same program, same routine, same series of sets and reps day in and day out. Your body will adjust and soon it will simply be you going through the motions with no new results. Toss in something new, something you have never done before and watch your results accelerate. NUMBER 5: JOURNAL IT! I suggest this all the time and most often am met with, “I don’t have time for a journal”. Make time. The truth is that once you are in the habit it takes very little time at all. But why? Why is a journal so important. It tells you where you’ve been. It tells you how to get fit by showing you your weaknesses and strengths; a bit like a compass. You need this guide and I promise you once you establish this habit, you’ll wonder why you ever resisted. NUMBER 6: FUEL YOUR BODY You have to eat. Not just anything though. What you eat counts. You may have made it many years eating whatever it is you wanted… fast, processed, refined, convenience based foods. And you may have felt little ill effect. But then you looked in the mirror. You paid a visit to the doctors office for a check up and the lights came on. It has begun catching up with you. And even though you now know this, you still have no clue what has been done internally to damage your body. So now you want to know how to get fit and get your health back. There is a saying, “you cannot out work a bad diet.” You can work you butt off in the gym all you like but if you eat crap, you will not achieve your goals. If health and a fit, strong body are your goal then it is time to learn how to eat, real, high quality, nature made, authentic food and you need to eat it 5-7 times a day. NUMBER 7: HYDRATE I am willing to bet that most of you reading this today are dehydrated. This has become a chronic condition in society and its effects are immense. From your organs to your skin and your brain, you need water. Not coffee, tea or soda. And you cannot argue that they are made from water and count it. LOL You need to be drinking pure, clean, clear water all day every day to the tune of 1 gallon a day for optimal health. Water is how to get fit. Hydrate your body and those muscles and even that fat loss will respond in favor. NUMBER 8: KEEP THE HOUSE STOCKED When last did you clean the kitchen cupboards? Make it a date and do it asap. Get rid of anything made in a factory. Remove all the refined, processed foods and stock it with high quality clean foods. This is crucial. If you don’t keep it nearby, you are far less likely to go get it. After all, we are the ultimate convenience driven society so don’t make it convenient to eat poorly. Instead, make real food your convenience. NUMBER 9: REST I would wager a bet that few of you, me included, get enough quality sleep. Notice that word… quality. That means 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Tough to get isn’t it? It may be, and I certainly understand it but fight for it. This may be last on the how to get fit list but let me assure you it is not least.

SO, HERE’S THE BASICS OF HOW TO GET FIT. NUMBER 1: THE RIGHT ATTITUDE Don’t even think about how to get fit if you are not willing to take a look at your attitude about fitness, about yourself and your life. I don’t say that to be nasty or contrary. But if your attitude is not right about this effort then your failure is sealed. Conversely, if your attitude is positive and affirming then your success is certain. If you want to know how to get fit, begin with the words that roll past your lips, the messages that enter your ears, the information that permeates your mind through your eyes. Surround yourself with affirming company, like minded, supporting friends and community. And if isn’t positive, get rid of it. You have to speak and receive positivity. NUMBER 2: AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE The next step in how to get fit is to live active. I’m not yet talking about a fitness program. I’m talking about being active in the basic, daily, normal things of life. Walking up the stairs rather than taking the escalator. Walking around the neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon or in the evenings with the family. Going fishing. Just don’t go to work, sit at a desk, drive home, then sit in front of the TV all evening before going to bed and doing it all over again the next day. I know you are tired. But I also know that the more active you are the more energy you will have, the better you will feel and the more vibrant your life will be. So get up, get moving in the normal, ordinary every day things of life and reap great rewards. NUMBER 3: FOLLOW A FITNESS PLAN Living active is a great start as you learn how to get fit. But a professional, forcused fitnees plan really brings it home. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember, you aren’t training to be a cover model in Sports Illustrated. You are simply training for a vibrant, active, healthy, functional, strong body that works for you every day. 3-5 days a week, 30-60 minutes a day is how to get fit for life. From a few Tabata circuits to a cardio, bodyweight or weight training routine, just get in there and make it happen. You’ll feel infinitely better when you do and the rest of your life will be so much more alive! NUMBER 4: MIX IT UP! Once you have established a lifestyle of activity, mix it up. Too often people find something they enjoy or can do and just keep doing it over and over and over again until they hit a plateau of frustration and stagnation. In discovering how to get fit for life, learning to mix things up is crucial. Don’t do the same program, same routine, same series of sets and reps day in and day out. Your body will adjust and soon it will simply be you going through the motions with no new results. Toss in something new, something you have never done before and watch your results accelerate. NUMBER 5: JOURNAL IT! I suggest this all the time and most often am met with, “I don’t have time for a journal”. Make time. The truth is that once you are in the habit it takes very little time at all. But why? Why is a journal so important. It tells you where you’ve been. It tells you how to get fit by showing you your weaknesses and strengths; a bit like a compass. You need this guide and I promise you once you establish this habit, you’ll wonder why you ever resisted. NUMBER 6: FUEL YOUR BODY You have to eat. Not just anything though. What you eat counts. You may have made it many years eating whatever it is you wanted… fast, processed, refined, convenience based foods. And you may have felt little ill effect. But then you looked in the mirror. You paid a visit to the doctors office for a check up and the lights came on. It has begun catching up with you. And even though you now know this, you still have no clue what has been done internally to damage your body. So now you want to know how to get fit and get your health back. There is a saying, “you cannot out work a bad diet.” You can work you butt off in the gym all you like but if you eat crap, you will not achieve your goals. If health and a fit, strong body are your goal then it is time to learn how to eat, real, high quality, nature made, authentic food and you need to eat it 5-7 times a day. NUMBER 7: HYDRATE I am willing to bet that most of you reading this today are dehydrated. This has become a chronic condition in society and its effects are immense. From your organs to your skin and your brain, you need water. Not coffee, tea or soda. And you cannot argue that they are made from water and count it. LOL You need to be drinking pure, clean, clear water all day every day to the tune of 1 gallon a day for optimal health. Water is how to get fit. Hydrate your body and those muscles and even that fat loss will respond in favor. NUMBER 8: KEEP THE HOUSE STOCKED When last did you clean the kitchen cupboards? Make it a date and do it asap. Get rid of anything made in a factory. Remove all the refined, processed foods and stock it with high quality clean foods. This is crucial. If you don’t keep it nearby, you are far less likely to go get it. After all, we are the ultimate convenience driven society so don’t make it convenient to eat poorly. Instead, make real food your convenience. NUMBER 9: REST I would wager a bet that few of you, me included, get enough quality sleep. Notice that word… quality. That means 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Tough to get isn’t it? It may be, and I certainly understand it but fight for it. This may be last on the how to get fit list but let me assure you it is not least.

Walk It Off Research shows that people who walk four hours a week--that's just over 30 minutes a day--weigh nearly 20 pounds less in midlife than those who don't exercise regularly. Related research shows regular walkers are half as likely to develop heart disease--one of the leading killers in our sport. You don't even have to do all your walking at once to get benefits. Three 10-minute walks a day will help you shed fat and strengthen your heart. Warm Up Most of us wouldn't step onto the golf course, tee up and start driving away without taking a few easy swings to get the blood flowing. It's equally wise not to jump into the water without warming up. A good warm-up boosts circulation and lubricates your joints and muscles so you can shimmy into your wetsuit, hoist your tanks, and get up and down the ladder with ease. And it's easy to do. Perform a couple of simple squats. Do push-ups against a wall. Put your hands on your hips, and twist your torso left and right. Make easy windmills with your arms. Pay attention to places in your body that feel tight and give them a stretch. That's it. With just two minutes of easy activity, your muscles and joints are ready for the rigors ahead. Make Some Muscle It's not your imagination--that 50-pound tank really is getting heavier! Sometime after we blow out the candles on our 30th birthday cake, we start losing up to a half-pound of lean muscle tissue a year. That means less strength and, because muscle fuels your calorie-burning metabolism, more fat. Turn the tide with a little strength training. U.S. Navy research shows you can replace two pounds (nearly five years' worth!) of lean muscle tissue and shed four pounds of fat by doing just four strength training exercises three times a week. Do these core four moves (three sets of 10 repetitions) starting today: Simple squat: Stand, holding dumbbells at your sides. Squat down like you're sitting in a chair until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor (don't let your knees jut past your toes). Return to start. Chest press: Lie on your back holding dumbbells over your chest with arms extended. Lower the weights until your upper arms are even with your chest. Press back to the start. Bent-over row: Stand, holding dumbbells. Bend forward from your hips until your back is nearly parallel to the floor, with your arms hanging down, palms back. Pull the dumbbells to your chest, then lower. Criss-cross crunch: Lie on your back, knees bent 90 degrees and legs lifted so calves are parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Lift your right shoulder off the floor and curl toward your left knee as you extend your right leg. Switch sides. Drink up ... Dehydration increases your risk for DCS. Hydration experts recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces, especially on the days leading up to a dive. All liquids count (well, except booze), but water works best. ... But Not Too Much Speaking of fluids (or "unfluids"), mounting evidence shows that a beer (or other adult beverage) or two a day is good for your heart, but more than that is a buzzkill for your body, especially if you plan on diving. Alcohol is well known for its dehydrating effects. But more importantly, booze messes with your anterior cingulate cortex--the error detection center of your brain. That's really bad business before a dive. Having too much also can hurt you the day after. Hangover doesn't just lead to headache, fatigue and poor brain function; studies show it also stresses the heart and increases your risk for cardiac death. Flex Your Feet Unless you're a ballerina, the only time you spend an hour or so pointing your toes and flexing your feet is when you're 50 feet down, finning like a fish. The result can be painful foot cramps. The best way to avoid them short of dancing in silk slippers: "Toe grabs," says Martz. "This simple move can strengthen the muscles that support your arch, so they're less likely to fatigue and cramp up on your next dive." Do it twice a week. Sock pickup: With bare feet, grab a sock with the toes of your right foot and, keeping the heel planted, lift it off the floor. Hold for one second. Release and repeat until your foot fatigues. Repeat with the left foot. Strengthen Your Support System Weak back and ab muscles open the door to low back pain, especially for divers who spend so much time bowed like a U as their legs drift up behind them. Ab crunches can prevent some pain by strengthening the muscles that support your torso. But research shows the fullest protection comes from flipping over and working your spine supporters through their entire range of motion. Do crunches and extensions (described below) twice a week. Back extension: Lie facedown with your arms bent and hands folded underneath your forehead. Lift your head, shoulders and torso off the floor as is comfortably possible. Return to start. Repeat eight to 12 times. Breathe Deep Scientists have found that practicing yoga can help improve your lung function and breathing capacity. But you don't have to be a yogi to breathe better. Get similar benefits by stretching your chest muscles, which helps open the chest cavity, and practicing deep breathing to expand your active lung capacity. You can even do it right at your desk: Raise your arms out to your sides and pull them back as far as possible. Hold that position and take five or six deep, full breaths. Relax. Repeat daily.