BY MARK KINI
I am beyond excited to bring this column to our industry. My goal in writing this and future articles is to share my passion for fitness and overall well-being, and how they help me be a healthier person and a more mindful business owner. Anyone can make their own health a priority—even if the steps are small on your own path. I’m an operator like you, so I get that the 24/7 nature of chauffeured transportation is stressful, and operator burnout is almost absolute, but we only get one life. As noted motivational speaker and entrepreneur Jim Rohn puts it: “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
I want to start by recognizing everyone who made it through the pandemic; it’s been a phenomenally difficult three years to be a business owner. Some of the early days of COVID were dark for me personally. Initially, like most of us, I thought the shutdown was only going to last a few weeks, but instead it became a chaotic period of PPP loans, spending calculations, and bringing employees back with nothing to do and having to lay them off all over again. It was like running a marathon while only having trained for a 5K.
The fear and stress were real for all of us. Taking care of our mind and body is key to stabilizing any type of work/life balance, and living a fitness lifestyle was essential for me getting through this difficult time. But how could I when gyms (my preferred place to work out) were closed, and everyone was freaked out about getting sick ... including me?
This was a great opportunity to clean out my basement and put in a home gym. I had accumulated 12 years of junk that was piling up in my basement, including enough wrapping paper to open my own Christmas shop. I first rented a dumpster from a friend, and over the course of a week, filled it with the stuff I didn’t need or use. That newly cleared space gave me the ability to put in a nice gym complete with dumbbells, Smith Machine, Pullup and Dip station, elliptical, and treadmill. I used my home gym regularly until commercial gyms opened back up. Problem solved.
Having a gym was important to me, but it’s not the only way to find mental and physical clarity. There are hundreds of activities to choose from that don’t require a membership, including walking, yoga, pickleball, bike riding, or dancing. If you dread running, don’t do it. Some like working out alone, while others are inspired by teams, groups, or even making it family time. The list is endless, but the goal is finding something that makes you feel great, alive, and strong. If it’s been a while, start out slowly—and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you not only feel better but how much farther you can go in a short period of time.
Everyone’s fitness journey will be different. I have been working out consistently for 35 years, mostly weight training and light cardio activity. There have been times where life got in the way and my routine slowed down, but it’s recognizing what is going on that gets me back on track. It’s not about perfection, but about consistency.
If you take nothing else from this article, let it be this: Movement is medicine. Living a fitness life is not something you do, it is something you live.
In future articles, I will cover a variety of subjects such as how to get started, yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, rest and recovery, setting goals, staying healthy on the road, and any topic you want to learn about. Some ideas will click with you, some will inspire, but my goal is to help as many people as possible because it all starts with one. If I can accomplish this, then this column will be a success.
“When we hit middle age, we often attribute our lack of clarity and achy body to getting older, but this book will give you ways (backed by science) to stave off the aging process.”
Before I close, I leave you with a great book suggestion, Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, which is published in both a men’s and women’s edition. When we hit middle age, we often attribute our lack of clarity and achy body to getting older, but this book will give you ways (backed by science) to stave off the aging process and keep you healthy and thriving into your 80s.
We’ll talk again next month. [CD0323]
Mark Kini is the President & CEO of Boston Chauffeur. He can be reached at mark@bostonchauffeur.com.