The Key is Moderation

The comparison between a healthy lifestyle and a golf bag may not be immediately clear, but for Fred Aylward the clubs that we carry on our back serve as a metaphor for the tools we utilize in our day-to-day lives. Fred illustrates his point with a hypothetical character:"They have one of those clubs and they swing wildly, they never stop. Everyday they have their running shoes on and are out running-they don't yet feel the need to have less coffee, less cigarettes." For Aylward, a healthy and rewarding lifestyle is much more than just improving one's fitness. Vitality, energy, and healthy eating, are just a few of the components with which to maximize and improve our enjoyment of life. But Fred's approach isn't extreme, it's not about making lifestyle change at the cost of living,"sometimes [ice cream] is a cool thing to have in your life-that's enjoying life's richness-it's [just about] moderation." He says with a smile. It's evident that Fred isn't militant when it comes to encouraging life-change; unlike approaches that advocate the complete extinction of old habits, moderation he explains,"is sustainable."

I'm not the first person who's asked Fred what advantages there are in utilizing the services of a third party as a catalyst for change, rather than affecting change on their own. He pauses in contemplation before offering his response."We're not grown up with the tool kit," He explains."I didn't get the class&that taught me moderation&I didn't get the class that told me that my body is the weighted average of everything I do." It's peoples' desire to incorporate support, knowledge, accountability and the desire to increase their commitment to lifestyle change that lead them to Fred and his company Quest For Healthy Living's programs, but more than that,"it's the rewards."

Fred's latest project is the mentorship of Team Myles, the Blue Nose International Marathon's team of everyday-average participants. Team Myles members are in an enviable position in that they are able to avail themselves with the opportunities provided for them as Team Myles members-fitness/lifestyle coaching, gear, and a teammates that understand what each member goes through in their personal journey to the finish line. But for those of us without those opportunities it's important to identify the key to getting started on our own journey towards lifestyle change."Be absolutely clear about what you want," says Fred. It's this crystallization of goals that he sees as that first step towards profound personal transformation:"What is it I want to do, and what do I want to get out of it." It's the culmination of those two questions that will ultimately create the first stepping-stone on the path to a new you.