Power of Fitness | Vincent Lam | TEDxRanneySchool

Summary

Vincent Lamb, a fitness professional, emphasizes the importance of exercise for a healthy lifestyle, highlighting that despite the American Heart Association's recommendation of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, nearly 80% of adult Americans fall short. He shares his personal journey from hobbyist to professional and underscores the benefits of exercise, including reducing chronic diseases, boosting brain function, improving mental health, and fostering discipline and confidence. Lamb stresses the impact of proper nutrition and exercise, as seen in his father's reversal of diabetes, and encourages consistency and discipline in adopting a fitness regimen. He concludes by inspiring the audience to integrate fitness into their lives for personal and communal benefits.

Takeaways

• 🏃 Exercise is recommended by the American Heart Association for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week, yet nearly 80% of adult Americans do not meet this recommendation.
• 🕒 Everyone has 168 hours in a week, and dedicating just 2.5 hours to exercise can lead to a better, healthier, and potentially longer life.
• 💪 Exercise can reduce serious health problems such as chronic diseases, including obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis.
• 🧠 Physical activity can make you smarter by increasing oxygen flow to the brain, promoting the growth of new brain cells and healing damaged ones.
• 🧘 Exercise is a powerful tool for mental health, treating depression, anxiety, and stress as effectively as medication without side effects.
• 🚫 Starting with exercise for the wrong reasons, like impressing others, can shift over time to a love for the challenge and the personal benefits it brings.
• 🥗 Proper nutrition and exercise can reverse serious conditions like diabetes, as demonstrated by the speaker's father who lost weight and reduced medication by making healthier food choices.
• 🤩 Exercise can improve discipline by making it a part of your daily routine, similar to brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
• 🌟 Confidence comes from seeing the results of your hard work in both physical and mental changes, which can lead to new social and career opportunities.
• 👵 Age is not a barrier to starting a fitness journey; the speaker's mother, who is in her 50s, is an inspiration and a testament to this.
• 🌱 Discipline is like a muscle that strengthens with use, and making consistent, healthy choices becomes easier over time.

Q & A

What is the recommended amount of exercise per week according to the American Heart Association?

The American Heart Association recommends exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week.

What percentage of adult Americans do not meet the recommended exercise guidelines?

Nearly 80 percent of adult Americans do not meet the recommended amount of exercise per week.

How many hours does Vincent Lamb argue everyone has in a week to dedicate to exercise?

Vincent Lamb argues that everyone has 168 hours in a week and he is only asking for two and a half hours of it for exercise.

What are some of the benefits of incorporating exercise into a daily regimen?

The benefits of exercise include a better, healthier, and potentially longer life, reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved brain function, better mental and emotional health, and increased discipline.

What was one of Vincent Lamb's initial motivations for starting to exercise?

One of Vincent Lamb's initial motivations for starting to exercise was to impress girls.

How did Vincent Lamb's father reverse serious health conditions by changing his lifestyle?

Vincent Lamb's father reversed serious health conditions such as diabetes by incorporating vegetables into every meal, eating good sources of healthy fats and protein, and significantly reducing his intake of carbohydrates.

What physiological change occurs when you exercise that can lead to improved brain function?

When you exercise, your heart pumps more oxygen into your brain and throughout your body, which can lead to the growth of new brain cells and healing of damaged ones.

How does exercise potentially treat mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress?

Exercise can treat mental health issues by producing more endorphins, which make you feel good and act as a natural painkiller. It also improves alertness, concentration, and sleep, which can relieve stress and elevate mood.

Why is discipline important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

Discipline is important because it ensures consistency in making healthy choices and incorporating exercise into a daily regimen, which is vital for reaping the health benefits and achieving long-term health goals.

How does building confidence through exercise and healthy eating affect one's social and professional life?

Building confidence through exercise and healthy eating can make one more attractive to others, facilitating social connections, new friendships, and possibly opening doors to new opportunities, relationships, and careers.

What is Vincent Lamb's educational background in relation to his career as a fitness professional?

Vincent Lamb studied kinesiology at Penn State University, which is the study of body movements, and this academic background has supported his passion for fitness and helping others achieve their health goals.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ The Importance of Regular Exercise

Vincent Lamb, a fitness professional, opens the discussion by asking the audience about their exercise habits, highlighting the American Heart Association's recommendation of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. He points out that nearly 80% of adult Americans do not meet this standard, which can lead to health issues. Vincent emphasizes that everyone has the same amount of time in a week and encourages finding just 2.5 hours for exercise to improve overall health and longevity. He shares his personal journey from hobbyist to professional, and outlines five key points on the benefits of exercise, including reducing chronic diseases, boosting brain function, improving mental and emotional health, promoting discipline, and increasing confidence.

05:01

🍽️ Nutrition and Exercise for Disease Prevention

The second paragraph delves into how exercise and proper nutrition can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Vincent shares a personal story about his father's transformation through diet and exercise, which led to significant weight loss and reduced need for medication. He stresses the importance of moderation and smart food choices, particularly regarding carbohydrates, for diabetics. The paragraph also explains how exercise increases oxygen flow to the brain, promoting the growth of new brain cells and potentially enhancing cognitive functions.

10:02

🧠 Mental Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Vincent discusses the mental health benefits of exercise, noting its effectiveness in treating depression, anxiety, and stress, comparable to medication but without side effects. He explains that exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, which can act as natural painkillers and improve alertness, concentration, and sleep quality. This leads to reduced stress, elevated mood, and increased energy levels. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of discipline in maintaining a consistent exercise routine and making healthy food choices for optimal results.

15:02

💪 Building Discipline and Confidence Through Fitness

In the final paragraph, Vincent talks about the journey of building discipline in fitness, likening it to a muscle that strengthens with use. He shares his own fitness journey, starting in high school with the aim of boosting self-esteem and confidence. Despite initial misconceptions about nutrition and exercise, he remained consistent and eventually turned his passion into a career in kinesiology. Vincent also praises his mother as an inspiration for her commitment to fitness, showing that age is not a barrier to adopting a healthy lifestyle. He concludes by encouraging the audience to incorporate fitness into their lives for long-term benefits and to inspire others through their own transformations.

Keywords

💡Exercise

Exercise is a physical activity that is beneficial for health and fitness. In the video, it is emphasized as a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, recommended by the American Heart Association for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Exercise is linked to numerous benefits such as reducing chronic diseases, boosting brain function, and improving mental and emotional health.

💡American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a reputable organization that provides guidelines and recommendations for heart health. In the context of the video, it sets the standard for the recommended amount of weekly exercise, which is mentioned as a benchmark for maintaining good health.

💡Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions that can be controlled but not cured. The video discusses how exercise can help reduce the risk of such diseases, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. These are all conditions that can potentially be lethal if not managed properly.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process of providing or obtaining the necessary nutrients for health and growth. The video highlights the importance of proper nutrition in conjunction with exercise to achieve health benefits. It is mentioned that making healthy food choices can lead to weight loss, reduced medication needs, and even the reversal of conditions like diabetes.

💡Brain Function

Brain function encompasses the mental and cognitive processes that occur within the brain. The video explains that exercise can boost brain function by increasing oxygen flow to the brain, which can lead to the growth of new brain cells, improved memory, and better reactions to complex situations.

💡Mental Health

Mental health is the state of emotional and psychological well-being. The speaker in the video discusses how exercise can improve mental health by treating depression, anxiety, and stress. It is noted that exercise can produce endorphins, which can elevate mood and provide a natural pain relief.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow a set of rules or a code of behavior. In the context of the video, discipline is portrayed as a key factor in maintaining a consistent exercise routine and healthy lifestyle. It is associated with the ability to make and follow through with plans, including incorporating exercise into one's daily regimen and making smart food choices.

💡Confidence

Confidence is a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities. The video emphasizes that confidence comes from seeing the results of one's hard work in exercise and nutrition. It is linked to a positive self-image and the ability to inspire and motivate others.

💡Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is the fat stored in the abdominal cavity that surrounds the internal organs. The video explains that losing visceral fat is important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It is mentioned as a type of fat that is not only unsightly but also harmful to health.

💡Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the scientific study of human or animal movement. The speaker, Vincent Lamb, mentions studying kinesiology at Penn State University, which helped him understand body movements and further fueled his passion for fitness and helping others achieve their health goals.

💡Lifestyle Change

Lifestyle change refers to the process of making significant alterations in one's way of living to achieve health benefits. The video stresses that incorporating fitness and proper nutrition into one's daily life is not a quick fix but a lifestyle change that requires consistency and discipline for long-term benefits.

Highlights

Exercise is recommended for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week according to the American Heart Association.

Nearly 80 percent of adult Americans do not meet the recommended exercise guidelines, potentially leading to future health issues.

Everyone has 168 hours in a week, and allocating 2.5 hours for exercise can lead to a healthier and longer life.

Exercise provides benefits such as reducing chronic diseases, boosting brain function, improving mental and emotional health, and increasing discipline and confidence.

Vincent Lamb shares his personal journey of how fitness transformed his life from a hobby to a career.

Exercise can reduce the risk of diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis.

Proper nutrition and exercise can help reverse serious conditions such as diabetes, as demonstrated by Vincent's father's experience.

Exercise increases oxygen flow to the brain, which can improve memory, reaction to complex situations, and overall productivity.

Physical activity can be as effective as medication in treating depression, anxiety, and stress without side effects.

Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, which can act as natural painkillers and improve mood and energy levels.

Discipline is key to maintaining a consistent exercise routine and a healthy lifestyle.

Planning and making healthy food choices are essential components of discipline in achieving fitness goals.

Confidence and self-esteem improve as physical and mental changes from exercise and good nutrition become evident.

Vincent's mother, despite working 40 hours a week, exemplifies discipline by making time for exercise, nutrition, and family care.

Age is not a barrier to starting a fitness journey; it's never too late to begin.

Vincent's initial foray into fitness involved consistent but misguided efforts, highlighting the importance of understanding nutrition and exercise.

Studying kinesiology at Penn State University helped Vincent turn his passion for fitness into a career and a means to help others.

Fitness is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor; it's about personal growth and helping others improve their health and well-being.

Transcripts

so good afternoon everyone

so i want to start today off with a

question but i show hands who here

exercises for at least 30 minutes a day

five times a week

that's pretty impressive

awesome so according to the american

heart association that is actually the

recommended amount of exercise

per week

so nearly 80 percent of adult americans

don't meet this recommendation which can

potentially set themselves up for years

of health problems later down the road

so as a fitness professional one of the

most common things i hear

is

i don't have time

so let me tell you guys something about

time

every single one of you has 168 hours in

a week and i'm only asking for two and a

half hours

out of your week

and for what

to live a better life a healthier life

or even a longer life

these are all benefits that come with

exercise

fitness is a lifestyle this is not a

quick fix this is something you have to

incorporate into your daily regimen just

like brushing your teeth or taking a

shower

my name is vincent lamb and i started

exercising as a hobby

i went on to school and majored it in

college and now i'm doing it as a career

this is how the power fitness changed my

life

so i have five main points i want to

share with you guys today

we all know that exercise is an

important part of a healthy lifestyle

but what you may not know is just how

important it is

so these benefits may include

reducing serious health problems such as

chronic diseases

it may boost your brain functions so in

a sense it can make you smarter

it can improve your mental and as well

as emotional health

and make you more disciplined as a

person whether you're in school or even

at work

and lastly it will make you more

confident inside and out

so most people exercise because either a

they want to lose weight

they want to look better

or they have health issues

one of the reasons why i started working

out was because i wanted to impress the

girls

but

i then found out that the only people

that i really impressed were the other

dudes in the gym

so over the years

that changed now i exercise because i

love the challenge i love the sense of

accomplishment it gives me i love

watching my body transform

but most importantly i love inspiring

and helping others

so my first main point i want to talk to

you guys today is how exercise can

actually reduce

health problems such as these chronic

diseases listed above

obesity heart diseases diabetes

hypertension osteoporosis

and the list goes on

so by showing hands who here knows or

has someone with one of these diseases i

just mentioned

it's a lot

so without proper cam prevention all of

these diseases can actually be lethal

over one third of the population are

actually considered

obese which can lead to many of these

diseases that i just mentioned before

however this can all be prevented

through proper nutrition and exercise

so when you make so when you exercise

and make healthy food choices

what happens to your body

you will

put on muscle making your joints and

ligaments stronger you will be less

prone to injuries

and you'll

look ten times better

you will also lose fat in places that

you don't want like your arms your

stomach your legs your love handles

so not only do you lose fat on the

outside you will lose fat on the inside

this is the fat that surrounds our

organs and this is called visceral fat

visceral fat can cause many of these

chronic diseases listed above which can

be lethal

so i want to share with you guys a

perfect example

my father

was actually

kind of overweight he

was very unhealthy he had a very poor

diet

which led to diabetes

high blood pressure high cholesterol and

the list goes on

so

over the years he's made

better food choices however in these

last two months he wanted to change his

life around for the better

he started incorporating vegetables into

his every meal he started

eating

good sources of healthy fats he got good

sources of protein in

one thing he did take out were carbs

he took out

bread he took out rice he took out pasta

he even took out most fruits and the

results were actually staggering

he lost over 20 pounds

he stopped taking a lot of his

medication and even stopped taking his

insulin shots so by incorporating

exercise

and proper nutrition it can reverse

something as serious as

diabetes

so

he took out carbs because he was a

diabetic so i'm not trying to say carbs

are a bad thing you just have to make

sure that you're eating it in moderation

and making smart food choices

so my second point i want to talk to you

guys today is how exercise can actually

make you

smarter

so when you exercise your heart is going

to pump more oxygen into your brain and

throughout your body

so

from experience

a lot of the clients that i work with

always forget how to breathe when they

exercise

so in order to reap these benefits you

have to make sure you are breathing in

through your nose

and exhaling through your mouth

so when you do that your brain and body

release tons of hormones which will

provide a nourishing environment for the

growth of new brain cells

it may also act as a first aid kit on

damaged brain cells so in a sense

it's kind of healing your mind

if you incorporate exercise into your

daily regimen it will prepare you for

mental stresses that you encounter for

the rest of the day

it will also increase the retention of

your of new information

improving your memory and also giving

better reactions to complex situations

so not only does exercise

make you look better make you healthier

and may also make you more productive

whether you're at work or at school

so the third point i want to cover today

is how exercise can actually improve

your mental health

so it's not just about

how far you can run or how much you can

lift

exercise can improve you mentally as

well

it is vital for maintaining mental

fitness

so studies show that exercise can

actually treat depression

anxiety and stress

just as well as medication

without the side effects of course

so here's why exercise is so effective

when it comes to these types of problems

changes will start to happen in your

body

you will produce

more endorphins which are hormones that

make you feel good

it may also act as a natural painkiller

it can improve your alertness and

concentration

it will also improve your ability to

sleep so in a sense it will help you

relieve stress it can decrease overall

levels of tension whether it's in your

mind on your body

it may help elevate your mood making you

happier and lastly it'll give you plenty

of energy for you to use throughout the

day

so your mind and body works hand in hand

when one feels better so the other

so my next point i want to cover today

is discipline

with exercise comes all of those

intrinsic health benefits that i

mentioned earlier however in order to

reap all these benefits you have to make

sure that you are consistent as well as

discipline

so most people want to be healthy and

they want to live a long life right

so this doesn't happen by accident

most of the healthiest and happiest

people in the world all probably have

one thing in common and that is

discipline

living a healthy lifestyle takes

consistency and discipline

so first of all you will have to plan

your day accordingly you got to make

sure

you have enough time to incorporate

exercise into your daily regimen whether

it's in the morning in the afternoon

or even at night when you're really

tired

and this doesn't always have to be

boring it could be something that you

like it could be go out and playing

sports going for a hike going for a walk

or even taking a dance class with

someone you like

second you have to make sure that you're

you are making healthy food choices

you got to make sure you're eating good

sources of protein so that your muscles

can build and repair itself you got to

make sure you're incorporating healthy

fats into your diet so your hormones are

functioning properly you got to make

sure

you're having good sources of carbs so

that you have enough energy for you to

use throughout the day

and also your micronutrients which are

your vitamins and minerals

so all of this takes discipline however

this doesn't happen overnight it's a

journey

learn to love the things that are good

for you

discipline is a decision a decision that

says i will constantly do the things

that i need to do in order to reach my

goals sometimes this is easier said than

done the good news is is that discipline

is like a muscle the more you strive to

use it the easier it will be

discipline becomes habitual

so this brings me to my last point

confidence

so there's nothing better than seeing

your hard work pay off when you exercise

and you eat well you will start to see

physical and mental changes happen

throughout your body

being happy with how you look is

essential for confidence

when you feel good

when you look good you will feel good

you want to be happy with yourself no

matter where you are on your journey

your mindset will become healthier as

well as more positive it's going to be

easier for you to socialize with new

people

make new friends

and possibly open doors to new

opportunities new opportunities and new

connections may lead to new friendships

new relationships or even new careers

when you're confident this becomes

contagious

people would want to be around you they

can feel this

when more people around you this is the

opportunity for you to inspire and

motivate others

so i'm so passionate when it comes to

fitness that my friends and family see

the changes that i inspired within

myself and they want the same for

themselves

so speaking of friends and family this

is a picture of my mom and i taken at

the gym

a few weeks ago

so she's actually the embodiment of all

of these principles that i covered

she's my inspiration

many years ago she decided to make

fitness a part of her lifestyle

and ever since i think i followed her

footsteps

so she works 40 hours a week but yet she

still makes time to exercise

make healthy food choices and also take

care of her family

she's actually 50 years old she's

turning 51 in june

so

age is not a number

age is not a factor it doesn't matter

how old you are

you can start wherever whenever

so i just want to say

thank you mom for being such a great

role model inspiration and a loving

mother

[Applause]

so

this was my journey

i started working out as a sophomore in

high school

around eight years ago

so there were three main reasons why i

started working out

a

i had low self-esteem and i lacked

confidence

b

i wasn't the brightest kid in school and

i also wasn't the most athletic kid in

school

and c

my best friend was doing it so was my

mom so they were people who i looked up

to

so when i first started

i didn't really know what i was doing

i basically did bicep curls every day

i didn't know nutrition was important

sometimes i would starve myself just

those so my abs would show

however i was there consistently

i was there five to six times a week

and i saw progress the more progress i

saw the more i fell in love with fitness

so i realized that this was something

that i wanted to do for the rest of my

life so

i went to

penn state university

i studied kinesiology for those of you

who don't know what kinesiology is it is

the study of body movements

i realized that this was my passion

not only was it just exercise

i love to help others whether it's

helping people reach their

goals such as losing weight building

muscle or even just being happy

so i'm extremely grateful that i have

the opportunity to turn my passion into

cur into a career doing something that i

love

i know this is taking fitness

to an extreme however you don't have to

follow my footsteps

this is just one example of how i

incorporated fitness into my life

but if there's one thing i want you guys

to take home today is that as long as

you incorporate fitness into your life

your future self will thank you

fitness is not just about helping

yourself but about helping others as

well

i'm actually terrified of public

speaking if you guys can tell already

but here i am speaking in front of all

of you today about something that i love

and that i think you can benefit from

change your habits and you will change

your lifestyle

working out isn't a punishment it's a

blessing nutrition isn't restrictive

it's healing health isn't a

one-size-fits-all it may not look the

same for everyone but it is something

worth fighting for

so thank you all for coming and taking

the time to come listen today again my

name is vincent lam and i hope you can

benefit from fitness

[Applause]

you