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There were 6 main steps I took to UNFUCK myself, this is step 4...
If you want to feel good and BE HEALTHY or improve your health, regular exercise and movement is ESSENTIAL! We weren't built to stay still that's for sure!
This Metalhead knows there's no escaping that. We can not perform or feel our best without it If that doesn't sit well with you or you can't be bothered then the sacrifice you make by not moving much is feeling shitty.
If you can't be bothered to fucking move then what I say is, you should APPRECIATE that you CAN move!
There are people in the world who are paralysed or suffering from conditions that mean they can't move or are very limited and they wish they had YOUR problems instead of their own!
I lost my ability to move after a 3-wheeler accident back in the year 2000. Breaking my back, upper left arm and wrist meant I pretty much lost the ability to move. For a while all I could move was my head and my right arm a little!
When something like THAT happens to you, you can be sure it makes you fucking appreciate being able to walk and move at all! If you haven't done so already and want to read more about this and how I got through it and back on my feet check out my previous blog THAT DAY I BROKE MY BACK!
There are many physical AND mental health benefits of regular exercise but I won't go into that as there's a SHITLOAD of information online about it PLUS deep down everyone fucking knows this anyway even if they're in denial about it or make excuses why they don't!
Regular exercise and movement doesn't mean you have to train like fuckin' superfit athletes like marathon runners, crossfitters, bodybuilders or MMA fighters (unless you want to of course!). It can simple mean some daily walking or stretching.
Our bodies are amazing at adapting, both at getting stronger AND weaker. If you constantly push yourself and do hard things you will get STRONGER – if you rarely move or exercise your body will adapt to that and the muscles will waste away and you'll get WEAKER!
Sometimes it can't be helped like when I had the accident. I had no choice but to lie in a hospital bed and in a few weeks all my muscles got so weak from not being used but over time I built them up again when I started to MOVE again!
Even if you're restricted, there's always SOMETHING you can do so don't think just because you can't go all in and do super workouts that there's no point doing ANYTHING!
There are amazing people in the world who are missing limbs, paralysed from the waist down or suffering from disabilities that most people DON'T have and yet they are training hard, achieving awesome things, have amazing strength and fitness and compete in high level competitions like the PARALYMPICS!
No-one is allowed to use the words "I CAN'T" in Zack Ruhl's gym!
Focus on what you CAN do, not on what you CAN'T! When I was recovering from a broken back and got home from hospital I could only walk about 20 yards.
That was a hell of a STRUGGLE as I was in so much pain but I didn't want to be stuck like that forever so when I snapped out of feeling sorry for myself after realising there were people WORSE OFF, I made a point to walk that 20-30 yards or as far as I could EVERY FUCKING DAY!
As the weeks went by this gradually increased as I started to heal and get stronger and when the cast and sling came off my left arm I moved the arm and wrist as much as I could every day and did the exercises the physio gave me to do.
I started learning bass guitar and this helped strengthen the arm, wrist and hand again too and then, being a drummer, I got the drum sticks back in my hand and played on a drum pad every day for a little while.
I knew it was up to me to rehabilitate myself as no-one else was able to do it for me in the same way no-one else can do the work for you and improve your health or life in general!
Just doing everything I could do (even if that was just a little) to move and exercise every day to the best of my ability helped me progress a little more every week. I then started doing stretches and exercises to strengthen my back and started swimming.
I could barely swim one length of the pool and had to rest a lot or just hold on to the side and move my legs around at times but I kept at it and gradually got fitter, stronger and a year and a half later I was back on my feet, working, going out having fun and doing what I LOVED again – playing drums and creating music in my metal band INTERROGATE!
I used to feel a little embarrassed in the beginning because I could do so little as most 19 year olds are able to do a lot more but I was not going to let that stop me! You simply can't give a FUCK about what other people think when your own health and quality of life are at stake!
If I hadn't taken CONSISTENT action and moved EVERY DAY I would not have fully recovered and would probably still be walking slowing, have restricted movement and unable to do all the things I loved!
After suffering from the chronic knee pain that stopped me drumming, exercising, walking as much as I used to and doing what I love for a few years, my fitness, confidence and quality of life again suffered badly.
MOVE! Every fuckin' day! You CAN do it!
My pal Kaxxx who was the bass player in my old band 7 DAYS DEAD suggested I try something called DDP YOGA and sent me a link to a video of a guy called ARTHUR that gave me hope!
When I seen the word yoga I thought “FUCK THAT”, I wouldn't be caught dead doing yoga – that's for chicks and hippies! A very fucking naïve and foolish view I know, I just knew nothing about it. Another example of how the media shapes our opinion or perception of things we know nothing about! Eh?
Arthur was an ex-paratrooper from the US who had fucked his knees up badly jumping out of planes and choppers and was only able to walk with crutches for 15 years! Doctors gave him NO HOPE, said nothing could be done to fix him! He got really depressed, constantly ate a junk food and became really overweight... until DDP YOGA changed his fucking life!
I watched the video and was amazed when seen how this guy who was A LOT worse off than me, completely turned his life around!
Arthur's amazing DDP Yoga transformation!
He lost a shit-ton of weight, regained the ability to walk unaided, could now RUN and was now so flexible he could hold his foot right up beside his head standing on one leg. HOLY FUCK! I was inspired!
I started doing the DDP YOGA 13-week program which starts with short, basic workouts and gradually gets more difficult.
It was a lot tougher than it looked or sounded but the great thing about it is that you can modify it to suit your fitness level and ability. I stuck with it and it not only improved my flexibility, strength and fitness but making progress helped me MENTALLY which was a big deal because I had gotten so depressed, lacked in confidence and suffered from anxiety!
It gave me something else to focus on for a while each night instead of watching mindless fucking TV or feeling helpless and sorry for myself!
DDP Yoga set me on the way to recovery!
DDP YOGA is basically a workout system developed by ex-WCW wrestler DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE that uses yoga poses but incorporates calisthenics, strength building and rehabilitation exercises and allows you to make the workout as hard or as easy as you like! It's also great for people with injuries or disabilities because there is no impact on your joints.
They now have workouts for people who can't get up out of their chair and even ones for those who can't get out of bed so there is something ANYONE can do!
Not that I needed to know it, but it did encourage me even more (and made it more “MANLY” lol) when I found out through the DDP YOGA website that not only did they have loads of success stories of regular people losing lots of weight, overcoming injuries and improving their health but there were pro-wrestlers like CHRIS JERICHO, MMA fighters, football players and the likes of COREY TAYLOR and ROB ZOMBIE who spoke highly of it!
1 of THE most inspirational videos I've EVER seen!
When I decided I was going to take serious ACTION and do whatever it takes to overcome my chronic knee pain, another simple but very effective thing I started doing was going for a 10-15 minute walk EVERY MORNING before going to work regardless of the weather.
Again this not only gave me the benefits of physical exercise and getting the blood flowing early in the morning but it helped wake me up, clear my head and de-stress a little before starting my day. I still do this today. I always made sure I took daily walks at lunchtime since breaking my back but adding in a short morning walk is something I REALLY recommend!
Depending on your fitness level or situation you may have to start off small but that's OK. If you don't MOVE or get some sort of exercise you are fucking your health up and whether you realise or believe it or not that's TRUE.
It gradually built myself up from short walks and in the last few years have went from being unfit, stressed and depressed to stronger, fitter and healthier in my late 30s (now 40 at the time of writing this!) than I was in my 20s.
WALK! Every fucking day!
I went on to doing new and different things like Vinyasa Yoga, hiking up mountains, SAMBA drumming, running, HIIT workouts, MMA classes and I'm back doing what I love – playing drums!
I even came out of MOSH PIT RETIREMENT! I can fucking mosh as hard as ever! Unfortunately my last metal show was November 2019 in Belfast – MACHINE FUCKING HEAD on the BURN MY EYES 25th anniversary tour!
What a show! Some serious moshing done – you're never too old to throw down in the pit IF you get your health and fitness on point and keep that spirit ALIVE!
Exercise can be fucking FUN when you find what you enjoy and even when it's not fun, the benefits you feel from pushing yourself outweigh the struggle!
USE IT OR LOSE IT! We all face struggle one way or the other! The choice is yours!
You don't have to do the EXACT things I have done but I recommend you start with these, especially if you're struggling with health issues, recovering or are physically unfit, then try different things and find shit that you enjoy!
I urge you not to wait until you get worse or completely fuck yourself up like I did before you start improving your health but I do realise sometimes it takes hitting ROCK BOTTOM to really give you that kick in the ass! Don't put it off any longer do this shit NOW and give it a chance!
TAKE ACTION!
Go for a 15 min walk EVERY morning for 7 DAYS no matter the weather – no excuses! Get up earlier and do it! Once you do that then challenge yourself and do it for a MONTH (tell family or friends or post it on social media to hold you accountable). If you can do a month just fucking keep doing it FOREVER! Make it part of your LIFESTYLE!
Scroll up and watch the NEVER, EVER GIVE UP - ARTHUR'S AMAZING TRANSFORMATION video – the video that inspired me and no doubt MILLIONS of others!
Check out the DDP YOGA website , read more about it and all the success stories. If the walk is a big deal to you wait until you make it part of your routine first otherwise just go for it and get the DDP YOGA workouts started. I think they have a 7 day free trial for the app or you can still get DVDs if you're old school!
GOOD LUCK – you can fucking DO IT!!!
GIVE IT A GO, start making progress and feel free to message me through the BORN 2 BLEED Facebook, Instagram page or email me at info@born2bleed.com and let me know how you get on!
It worked for me so it can work for you if you're ready to make the effort! You CAN change and you can completely turn your life around!
NOTE: Don't expect your whole life to change overnight - this is not a quick-fix!
Changing your life and developing new habits isn't always easy but it CAN be done and it IS worth it! Hang in there, BELIEVE you can do it and...
NEVER GIVE UP! Steve STEP 1: CHANGE YOUR MINDSET – CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
STEP 4: GET THE FUCK UP AND MOVE!
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And please share this with anyone you know who needs some inspiration!