Luck Of The Fitness (Or Whatever You Want To Call It)

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing shamrocks, pots of gold and sayings like, “Luck of the Irish!”

And that made me think: where did the term “Luck of the Irish” come from? Well, according to Edward T. O’Donnell, an associate professor of history at Holy Cross College and author of “1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History,” the term is not Irish in origin.

“During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth … Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression 'luck of the Irish.'”

Fascinating right?

So speaking of luck, something I think we’ve all heard a time or two is the saying, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” And there is a lot of truth in that statement. But what if we could be a bit of both?

What if we could have good fortune and competency? At our gym, we believe strongly that luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

This applies heavily in the fitness setting, too. We are all about some preparation.

This couldn’t be truer when it comes to nutrition. You don’t have to prepare every meal ahead of time, but a little weekend cooking to create some heathy leftover meals for the week can really pay off.

Also, looking at your week at a glance before it begins and recognizing challenges that might pop up can be a game-changer. For example, if you know you are going to be working late or running the kids around all evening, planning ahead is everything.

Packing a protein shake or healthy meal you can munch on at your desk or in the car sets you up for success. This helps us avoid feeling overly hungry and eating whatever we can find while we are out.

Planning ahead can really help us too if we are trying to be more active or work out more often.

Putting out our workout clothes the night before can be a little task that really pays off. Removing potential obstacles between us and our goal may seem like an insignificant step, but many times it is the difference between achieving success and not.

Making plans with a workout/accountability buddy ahead of time can help us actually make those workouts happen instead of binge-watching “Friends” or the latest episode of “The Bachelor.”

Sometimes things just seem to go in our favor: we get off work a little earlier to make it to a workout, or we end up at a lunch meeting with all healthy, low-calorie options. But most times, we need a little preparation ahead of time to achieve the success we are looking for when the opportunity arises.

So, now I’m off to make my low-calorie, Irish mint protein shake and try to set up my day for success. I hope your day is lucky too!