A (Re)Start to Your Healthy Journey

For many of our members who just finished celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this is naturally a time to think about new beginnings. But even if you did not celebrate Rosh Hashanah, you can always decide that today is the day to turn over a new leaf. We can always choose to become more conscious of our spiritual health, our physical health, our mental health, our relationships with the people around us, and our relationship with God. There is never a bad day to start a new beginning.

So let's talk for a little while about making a new beginning when it comes to exercise.

One of the first things you need to do is find the right program for you, whatever that may be. Start by thinking about where you actually like to exercise. Some people love working out in the privacy of their own home, on their own schedule. Others need the social environment of a gym or enjoy exercising with friends who push and motivate them. Both approaches have benefits. The important question is: Which environment is most likely to keep you motivated and consistent?

Next, I strongly believe in having a structured program. You can find an existing program, design one yourself, or have somebody design one for you. But having a schedule that balances cardiovascular activity and resistance training while working toward your particular goals makes exercise much easier to sustain. You know what you're doing today, tomorrow, and next week. You don't walk into a gym and twiddle your thumbs wondering what to do.

You don't have to go online every day and search through a thousand different exercise videos. You have a plan in front of you, and now you have another goal: finish the program.

That's the approach we've chosen at Jump Into Shape. Our members can select a structured program and follow along with instructors who demonstrate the exercises. But whether you use Jump Into Shape or something completely different, I believe having that structure is extremely valuable.

There's another factor that I think people sometimes underestimate: exercise has to be fun.

In fact, I would argue that enjoyment is so important that I might choose a program that doesn't exactly match my goals over one that does, if I'm much more likely to stick with the first one. Let's say you could benefit from doing more resistance training, but you absolutely enjoy jumping rope, especially with weighted jump ropes like we use at Jump Into Shape. Maybe a program with a little less resistance training and a little more jump rope isn't theoretically perfect for you. But if you enjoy it, look forward to it, and consistently show up day after day and week after week, that may ultimately be far more valuable than the "perfect" program that you don't actually do.

After all, the best program in the world doesn't accomplish very much if you don't do it.

What About GLP-1 Weight-Loss Medications?

There's another topic that's become extremely popular recently: GLP-1 medications. Some of these medications are FDA-approved for chronic weight management, while others are used for diabetes and can also result in significant weight loss.

I'm not a doctor, and I'm certainly not telling anyone whether they should or shouldn't take a medication prescribed by their physician. There can be very legitimate medical reasons for using these medications, and that's a conversation to have with a qualified medical professional.

But I do think there's an important point that's sometimes overlooked: losing weight does not replace exercise.

If you're losing a significant amount of weight, maintaining muscle through appropriate resistance training and nutrition can become particularly important. And simply seeing a lower number on the scale doesn't automatically mean you've strengthened your heart, lungs, biceps, triceps, or the rest of your body. Weight loss and physical fitness are related, but they are not the same thing.

That brings to mind something the Gemara says in Megillah 6b:

יגעתי ולא מצאתי אל תאמן, לא יגעתי ומצאתי אל תאמן, יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן

If someone says, "I worked hard and did not succeed," don't believe him. If he says, "I did not work hard and I succeeded," don't believe him. If he says, "I worked hard and succeeded," believe him.

The Gemara is speaking about success in Torah learning, but I think there's a powerful lesson here that can be applied to many areas of life. When we're pursuing a worthwhile goal, there is something incredibly valuable about putting in the work.

Imagine a child who wants a new bicycle. His parents could simply buy it for him. Or perhaps he mows lawns, babysits, saves his money week after week, and finally has enough to buy that bicycle himself. Which bicycle do you think he's going to cherish more?

The same principle can apply to our health.

If you work hard to lose weight by changing how you eat and consistently exercising, you experience every part of that journey. Maybe the scale moves one pound, then two pounds, then five pounds. Perhaps it takes four months, six months, or eight months to reach your goal. There may be setbacks along the way. But during that process, something much more important than the number on the scale may be happening: you're creating a healthier lifestyle.

That's the real benefit.

You learn how to exercise consistently. You become more conscious of what you eat. You learn how to keep going when you don't feel motivated. You discover what works for you and what doesn't. Eventually, those behaviors aren't simply things you're doing to reach a number. They become part of who you are.

It's similar to learning Torah day after day. When you consistently put in the time and effort, learning becomes part of your life and part of who you are. Healthy living can work the same way. The goal isn't simply to "finish" losing weight. The goal is to develop habits that you can maintain for years to come.

And that brings us back to Rosh Hashanah and the idea of a new beginning. A new beginning doesn't mean everything suddenly becomes easy. Quite the opposite. If you genuinely want this year to be different from last year, that new outlook will probably require work.

Most meaningful accomplishments do.

So wherever you are in your exercise and health journey, my bracha is that you find the right program for you. Maybe it's Jump Into Shape, and maybe it isn't. There are many excellent ways to exercise and many different paths toward better health. Find the one that fits your life, your abilities, your goals, and your personality.

Then give it a real chance.

Work hard. Start slowly. Be methodical. Understand that progress isn't always a straight line. Sometimes you'll move forward, sometimes you'll plateau, and sometimes you'll take a step backward. That's okay. Keep building the habits. Keep putting in the effort. And give yourself the time necessary to make meaningful changes that are sustainable.

Remember my three P's of exercise: Prayer, Patience, and Practice.

Pray for the help from Above to succeed. Have patience with yourself and the process. And practice consistently until healthy living becomes part of who you are.

Many blessings. I hope that whatever new beginning you're taking on, you reach your goals in a healthy, methodical, and sustainable way.