Do Something Good
Business development and entrepreneurship facilitate Larry North’s passion to help others be better
by Jeff Holler
The name Larry North is synonymous with health, fitness, and business leadership excellence. In fact, the only thing that surpasses his physical prowess is his expertise and effectiveness as an entrepreneur who has mastered the marketplace as an author and television personality while using his gifts in strategic leadership to own two successful health clubs in Dallas and Westlake, Texas.
Yet it’s his purpose to help others that continues to drive Larry forward, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have a strong background with people that overeat,” Larry said in my latest podcast. “My mom was a founding member of Overeaters Anonymous, so I’m very sensitive. I’m not going to preach or lecture, or look at someone that might have a weight control issue and think, ‘Hey, you need to start dieting and lose weight or you’re gonna die!’ But there is no question that if you’re obese and you get COVID, your chances of having a much more difficult time are going to be increased dramatically—all the more reason to grab hold of your health right now and take the necessary steps to minimize the risk.”
Because Larry knows other factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and high blood pressure also contribute to COVID-19 contraction risk and overall poor health, he believes that building your immune system through a disciplined but realistic approach is vital. “We build our immune systems, we stay healthy—but that doesn’t mean that we have to go run to exhaustion, or lift until failure, or starve ourselves,” he said. “Something like getting 20 minutes of sunshine a day could help build your immune system. Making sure you sleep properly could help your immune system. Walking at a leisurely pace for 30 minutes three times a week builds your immune system. They all sort of intertwine.”
As he talks to people about fitness, Larry reminds them how quickly they can make a positive change. “Let’s say since college they haven’t even touched a weight or done any exercise or paid attention to their diet, and, as a result, they’ve gained unwanted body fat,” he said. “Did you know that literally in 90 days, maybe 120 days, that same person could look like they’d been doing it their whole life? That’s how quickly you actually do get results.”
But Larry says it can work the other, too. “Let’s take someone who’s 50, and they’ve been working out and eating correctly and maintaining their weight their whole life, and all of a sudden COVID hits. There’s stress. They’re having financial issues. They’re having marital issues. Did you know that in 90 to 120 days, they could look like they’ve never worked out a day in their life? It flips both ways.”
Therefore, Larry encourages people to “do something good” for themselves. “If you’re a soda drinker, have a glass of water. Guess what? You just did something good for yourself. If you’re not an exerciser, and you choose to walk your dogs for an extra 10 minutes, you did something good for yourself. If you’re at a restaurant, and you’re consciously saying, ‘You know what? I think I’m going to make a better food choice today,’ and add one healthy meal to your current day, you just did something good for yourself.”
“As I’ve gotten older, I aspire to find joy, things that put a smile on my face. That is equally as important as walking and exercising and lifting and making good food choices. That’s where that balance comes in. Especially during COVID lockdown quarantines, maybe finding that little speckle of joy can actually bring great well-being to every one of us.”
In the end, one of Larry’s greatest joys is helping those who want to help themselves. “I’ve learned a long time ago I can’t change people. I can’t force them. So, I don’t really stand on the street corner pounding a drum trying to get people to change that aren’t ready to change. But boy, if you’re ready to change, I might be your guy,” he said.
“A lot of people feel hopeless. Hopelessness is feeling that there is no solution to your problem. The truth is, there is a solution, and there is hope. You can make the changes that you want to make. Life is short. We are learning that, more than ever with COVID, you just never know what is around the corner, so why not be healthy and happy?”
In my next podcast, I will continue my conversation with Larry as he shares his fascinating life story and how it has fueled and shaped him as a person and in his many business ventures.
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