Last night I attended a lecture that is currently part of the 92Y Tribeca Break and Make Series. The series consists of conversations amongst leaders and innovators in life's most compelling arenas. Panels under consideration for the series include money, love, family, and food. Last night's conversation focused on Health and asking the question: "Are communities the answer to health and wellness?" With this question, the panelists consisted of Elizabeth cutler and Julie Rice-creators of soul cycle (my life changing everything!) and David Kirchhoff-CEO of Weight watchers. The Panel was curated by Fred Dust-Partner at IDEO.
Now in all honesty, I had originally signed up for the lecture mainly to hear the story of the soul cycle mavens. However, there was some cosmic reason as to why I went to this particular talk including the weight watchers CEO. Weight watchers has been one of those programs that has literally been in and out of my life for literally as long as I can remember. While I don't consider myself on the program 24/7 it has changed my life just as much as soul cycle. I mean it taught me how to eat. They discussed how teaching yourself to live a healthy lifestyle through eating right and exercising is like learning a new language. Yes the point values can be a bit overwhelming at first, but Julie described it perfectly. It's as if your in a foreign country and the first week or so you are trying to get your bearings and get around while figuring out the essentials. After a month, you are communicating and understanding the lay of the land. That is weight watchers. The plan has changed multiple times over the years, but remains grounded in the same principles. AND...I think that to everyones' surprise Julie Rice has been a member of weight watchers forever! I was shocked. She is such a huge advocate for the system. Both Julie and Elizabeth made a point of saying that they want soul to stay about soul. They don't want to add a nutritional component and dictate how people should eat. However, Julie said that when people ask her what she thinks, she immediately says weight watchers! Its the healthiest way to eat, includes all of the food groups, and teaches portion control and size. So interesting and so true!
I think what made the lecture so powerful, was the fact that both parties experience their product on a day to day basis. David, who I must say was so wonderful and relateable, had been successful in losing a ton of weight when he was fist appointed CEO of weight watchers years ago. He also had done soul cycle before and loved it. He was singing high praise for soul. He made so many excellent points such as: if you tell your self"believing that if I do it, it will work" you will succeed. However, if you tell yourself "I will try it, and see what happens" you are going to fail. Its all wrapped up in believing in yourself and implementing behavioral change. He also said that through his 10 year journey, "his life is massively enriched by being a habitual exerciser". I feel the same way!!
It takes time to get to that point, but once you do its the most zen place. You are doing good for yourself and it doesn't feel like work it feels like freedom. Thank you endorphins! That's also where soul cycle came in. They were discussing how its not an exercise, it s a practice.
Soul Cycle=ASPIRATIONAL. Fred and David brought up how people aspire to do soul cycle. They aren't sure that they are able to do it and therefore don't even try it because of fear. they also touched on the fact that it may seem exclusive to some. Julie and Elizabeth strongly disagreed with that. They created soul cycle for everyone. Its designed to push you beyond what ever your personal comfort zone is. Someone participating in their first class is going to get just as much as someone who is super advance and doing it for years. And most importantly you can buy it on a class by class basis. There is no membership required. Financially it can be a strain, so in that sense I would say it could be exclusive in that sense.
I think that one of the most important points that came out of the lecture was the power of community, and community as a belief. In this crazy modern world of technology take over, its nice to have some human interaction. Community, believe it or not, through all of the commonalities between the two was the strongest thread that leads to success. While weight watchers online is great and convenient, the amount one learns and gets out of a meeting with fellow members is crucial and impossible to understand through your iPhone or computer. Same goes for soul cycle. you feed off the energy of those around you and your instructor. So, you may say you don't like working out with others around you, but its worth it when you see what you get of it. You feel it in your bones and your heart.
I felt it was so important to share this, because while I have been training for my half marathon, which never would have been possible i think without these two components in my life, I feel as if things have been a bit stagnant. I ALWAYS remind myself that with everything I'm doing my body is changing. However, its hard not to see change on the scale. I feel even more inspired and recharged than ever. I'm convinced that I was meant to be there last night.
You get out what you put in...
Listen to the beat and move!
No comments:
Post a Comment