Adam: What do you do (Professionally)?
Paul Mostowyj: I work in insurance. Yuk! How boring is that? Does anyone actually dream as a kid of getting in to the insurance industry? I know I never did, but I must say as a claims manager I do enjoy my role and I don't get up in the morning and dread going to work.
Adam: What is one thing that you think that everybody should do for their health?
PM: Simply be active! If you have the option between moving and not moving, then MOVE! Instead of watching TV with the kids, take them to the park. Instead of driving to see family and friends, bike. Don't drive to your local shop, walk. Make it fun, go for a walk on the beach with a loved one, discover the hidden world of Geocaching, go dancing with your friends, plays sports and the list goes on and on. By being active you are keeping the body moving and exercising naturally.
Adam
PM: From the age of 4 to 22 I cycled everywhere locally. I cycled to school, I cycled to work, I cycled to friends and family, sometimes I just cycled. Then I learnt to drive and had a string of jobs where it wasn't always possible. A couple of years ago I moved jobs and began working in an office that was about 6 or 7 miles away from my home. My partner needs our car for the children and getting to work herself and we can't afford a second car, so I was kind of forced in to it. But I was excited to be back on my bike. It means that 5 out of 7 days I am going to be ACTIVE and actually get in some pretty good exercise, cycling 14 miles a day. Plus it doesn't take me much longer to cycle to work than it does to drive. Also by cycling to work I feel fresh and ready to go and then by cycling home I've had chance to clear my mind and be ready for my family. I couldn't imagine not cycling to work now.
Adam: The US (30.6%) has the highest percent of obese people in the world. The UK is 3rd (23%). Why do you think that these two nations are getting bigger?
PM: Both nations have become a nation of consumers. If we have the option between consuming something or doing something for ourselves, then the majority of the time we will take the easy option to consume. For example instead of going out and playing the sport that we love, we become "arm chair critics" and only ever watch the game. We consume so much that we've forgotten how to do things for ourselves and expect everything to be done for us, but personal health can only be achieved by you.
Adam: What is your biggest challenge from biking?
PM: Being prepared. Change of clothing, getting washed, punctures, bad weather and picking up the kids after work. I wont lie to you, driving to work is by far the easy option as I've no need to worry about getting washed up and getting changed at work nor I do I have to work out how to collect my youngest from nursery. With a little time I've worked out (and still working out) better ways of doing things and becoming better prepared as a cyclist. LOL I sound like a boy scout.
Adam: Do you think of bikers differently now that you are a biker? Or do you still get annoyed when they hold up traffic?
PM: I'm quite a laid back person so I generally don't get annoyed when I'm driving, even if I'm stuck in traffic. I do look at cyclists now though and have a much greater respect for them, as well as see them as an equal road user, more than I did before.
Adam: What is the biggest change in your life since biking?
PM: My base fitness has improved. My overall fitness has gone up and down more times than a roller coaster over the years and even recently whilst I've been cycling to work. But before cycling to work my base fitness would have fallen quite low. Now my base fitness is at a much higher level, that doesn't make me a super fit athlete, but does mean that I always have a level of fitness where I can say yes to most challenges without a worry.
Adam: How do you stay motivated?
PM: I simply enjoy it. It's easy to stay motivated about something you enjoy. Don't get me wrong there are hard days when you're tired or it's raining cats and dogs. On those days I do two things. One, I remind myself I enjoy cycling and of all the benefits it brings. Two, I remind myself I don't have a choice as I don't have a car!
Adam: How often do you exercise?
PM: Twice a day, 5 days a week through cycling to work. Once a week I've been going for a long run whilst training for a marathon and a once in a life time Olympic run. On a much more irregular basis I complete body weight exercises and even tried 30 days of yoga.
Adam: How would you rank the importance of physical activity versus mental/spiritual well-being?
PM: Equal. I used to hold it above all else and aim to be an ultimate athlete (secretly I still aim for this). The problem is that if you don't have a balance between the three, then you will never be truly happy even if you do have the body of a god. If you're not happy, what is the point?: Why did you chose to substituted driving for biking?
Paul Mostowyj: I work in insurance. Yuk! How boring is that? Does anyone actually dream as a kid of getting in to the insurance industry? I know I never did, but I must say as a claims manager I do enjoy my role and I don't get up in the morning and dread going to work.
Adam: What is one thing that you think that everybody should do for their health?
PM: Simply be active! If you have the option between moving and not moving, then MOVE! Instead of watching TV with the kids, take them to the park. Instead of driving to see family and friends, bike. Don't drive to your local shop, walk. Make it fun, go for a walk on the beach with a loved one, discover the hidden world of Geocaching, go dancing with your friends, plays sports and the list goes on and on. By being active you are keeping the body moving and exercising naturally.
Adam
PM: From the age of 4 to 22 I cycled everywhere locally. I cycled to school, I cycled to work, I cycled to friends and family, sometimes I just cycled. Then I learnt to drive and had a string of jobs where it wasn't always possible. A couple of years ago I moved jobs and began working in an office that was about 6 or 7 miles away from my home. My partner needs our car for the children and getting to work herself and we can't afford a second car, so I was kind of forced in to it. But I was excited to be back on my bike. It means that 5 out of 7 days I am going to be ACTIVE and actually get in some pretty good exercise, cycling 14 miles a day. Plus it doesn't take me much longer to cycle to work than it does to drive. Also by cycling to work I feel fresh and ready to go and then by cycling home I've had chance to clear my mind and be ready for my family. I couldn't imagine not cycling to work now.
Adam: The US (30.6%) has the highest percent of obese people in the world. The UK is 3rd (23%). Why do you think that these two nations are getting bigger?
PM: Both nations have become a nation of consumers. If we have the option between consuming something or doing something for ourselves, then the majority of the time we will take the easy option to consume. For example instead of going out and playing the sport that we love, we become "arm chair critics" and only ever watch the game. We consume so much that we've forgotten how to do things for ourselves and expect everything to be done for us, but personal health can only be achieved by you.
Adam: What is your biggest challenge from biking?
PM: Being prepared. Change of clothing, getting washed, punctures, bad weather and picking up the kids after work. I wont lie to you, driving to work is by far the easy option as I've no need to worry about getting washed up and getting changed at work nor I do I have to work out how to collect my youngest from nursery. With a little time I've worked out (and still working out) better ways of doing things and becoming better prepared as a cyclist. LOL I sound like a boy scout.
Adam: Do you think of bikers differently now that you are a biker? Or do you still get annoyed when they hold up traffic?
PM: I'm quite a laid back person so I generally don't get annoyed when I'm driving, even if I'm stuck in traffic. I do look at cyclists now though and have a much greater respect for them, as well as see them as an equal road user, more than I did before.
Adam: What is the biggest change in your life since biking?
PM: My base fitness has improved. My overall fitness has gone up and down more times than a roller coaster over the years and even recently whilst I've been cycling to work. But before cycling to work my base fitness would have fallen quite low. Now my base fitness is at a much higher level, that doesn't make me a super fit athlete, but does mean that I always have a level of fitness where I can say yes to most challenges without a worry.
Adam: How do you stay motivated?
PM: I simply enjoy it. It's easy to stay motivated about something you enjoy. Don't get me wrong there are hard days when you're tired or it's raining cats and dogs. On those days I do two things. One, I remind myself I enjoy cycling and of all the benefits it brings. Two, I remind myself I don't have a choice as I don't have a car!
Adam: How often do you exercise?
PM: Twice a day, 5 days a week through cycling to work. Once a week I've been going for a long run whilst training for a marathon and a once in a life time Olympic run. On a much more irregular basis I complete body weight exercises and even tried 30 days of yoga.
Adam: How would you rank the importance of physical activity versus mental/spiritual well-being?
PM: Equal. I used to hold it above all else and aim to be an ultimate athlete (secretly I still aim for this). The problem is that if you don't have a balance between the three, then you will never be truly happy even if you do have the body of a god. If you're not happy, what is the point?: Why did you chose to substituted driving for biking?
Such an interesting read! xx
ReplyDeleteGreat info. Maybe I should start cycling... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being an inspiration,
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