After 2 ½ decades in the wellness business, I think I finally figured out why I'm so passionate about helping people achieve better health.
It's not because I love to exercise, and it's not because I'm fascinated with human physiology. My passion is derived from giving. And that is the gift of hope.
Let's talk a little about the psychology of hope and how it influences one's outlook.
Back in graduate school, I enrolled in a class called Positive Psychology as part of my doctorate program. I'd planned my dissertation to address a specific type of behavior change, and I wanted to learn how to motivate others. The class covered broad topics such as gratitude, compassion, authenticity and more. But the psychological attribute that I found most interesting was hope.
Within hope theory, there are all sorts of key components including perceived capacity, goal-related thinking, attributions and outcome values. Each component is an additive to one's overall feeling of hope, but the basic definition of hope was defined as "the perception that one can reach desired goals."
The definition stuck with me. I remember thinking that hope cannot be bought, it cannot be sold, and it cannot be faked. Hope must come from within, but it's not magic, and I believed it could be manufactured if each component of hope was addressed. At that point, I realized that I wanted to be part of that process and help others generate hope.
I had experienced the generation of hope through my own health journey, and my technical knowledge was in the field of exercise science -- so I knew that health and wellness would be the vehicle through which I could help others.
And that's what continues to inspire me today. If even one person laces up their tennis shoes to resume a workout because of my influence, I will have contributed to their little factory of hope.
But this week's movement is about generating stability and strength in the upper body, and it's great for beginners and advanced exercisers alike. Please meet the Dumbbell Piston Row.
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1. Select a very light pair of dumbbells and adjust an incline bench to 45 degrees.
2. Position yourself face down on the incline bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
3. Slowly extend the right elbow back in a rowing motion while allowing your elbow to bend naturally to 90 degrees.
4. As the dumbbell reaches chest level, slowly reverse direction and begin lowering to the starting point.
5. As you do this, simultaneously row with the left arm. Get into a rhythm where one arm is lowering while the other is lifting until you perform 12 total repetitions.
6. Perform two to three sets.
This exercise is a safe, effective way to generate a little more hope with weight training. It's one of those movements that feels very natural, so almost anyone can perform this one with success. Let's do it together!
Director of business development and population health solutions for Quest Diagnostics, Matt Parrott began this column 20 years ago at Little Rock. He has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.