Growth in Scranton

Yesterday was a first for Scranton, the first 1/2 marathon was run here. It is nice to be part of a city that encourages health and wellness. Unfortunately there are still cars parked all over the sidewalks, keeping the car dealerships and car owners happy, but making people walk in the street as a consequence. The cars on the sidewalks are breaking the law and endangering the life and liberty of pedestrians (especially those going to and from school). To have a running city we need to be able to run through town. That means having clear sidewalks and a safe environment. It is important to be able to get around town for our wellness and to ensure quality of life as we age. I suggest anyone that sees a car parked on the sidewalk call the police, city council and the mayor. Call everyone and anyone that you can think of. The police are getting paid from OUR tax dollars to ensure our safety and well being. And they are NOT living u[ to that agreement.

Exercise your legs and your rights.

Start To Be Great

       I always say it doesn't matter what shape you are currently in, you can start doing something now. It doesn't matter what you choose to do. You can go out to get your mail and walk down the block and back.  You can sit on the floor and watch TV and do some leg lifts or stomach crunches.  You can buy a stationary bike and peddle for a few minutes while watching the travel channel, pretending you are on vacation.  You know what matters here?  What matters is that you have started to do something, which means that you have started to care about your own well-being.  
      Little changes in your diet can make a big difference.  Eating more protein, more dietary fiber, less processed foods can make a big impact on how you feel and the fuel you are able to burn throughout the day.  I always say, "everything in moderation".  You don't have to give up things that you love, you just have to eat a smaller portion of them.
     No  matter what changes you make, they are positive changes.  Little changes can lead to bigger ones and you can achieve better health.  You just have to start today.


Just start...Dan

Anything Is Better Than Nothing

       I was watching The Today Show this morning, when they aired a story about a 20 second workout.  While normally, I would have turned the channel,  I watched the segment.  The author of the piece, theorized that a 20 second, high intensity workout, done at least three times a week is beneficial to your body and can help you to lose weight.  On the program, they ran up the stairs full blast at 20 seconds, they rode an exercise bike for 20 seconds at a high rate of speed, they ran at full blast on a treadmill for 20 seconds. This workout increases cardiac output and they actually broke a sweat doing it.
     I was skeptical, but then I thought, why not?  If this is all you can do during the week, you should do it.  While I personally believe it's great if you could walk or run around the park, walk around your neighborhood, walk, run or bike for about 20 minutes a day, a few times a week --anything, any little bit, any contribution to your fitness would be helpful.       My wife cringes when I say that "I cried the blues 'cause I had no shoes, til I met a man who had no feet".  One of my favorite sayings.  You were given a body, no matter how perfect or imperfect, to take care of and to use.  I have seen people with serious disabilities, pushing their limits to the extreme, to keep in shape and to remind us to take care of ourselves.  You can do something, anything, and it will help.

Do what you can....

Get Ready For Spring!

      My wife and I decided to do a 5k walk/run for the Colitis and Crohns Foundation last year in Ocean City New Jersey.  The year before that found us in New York City for me to do the stair climb to the "Top of the Rock".  I look for 5k races and things so that I can contribute to good causes and get a t-shirt and have some fun running.  My wife accompanies me to the ones that are by the beach or somewhere interesting.  She doesn't necessarily do the races, or take part in the events, but did walk in the Colitis and Crohns Foundation event.   She likes to cheer me on though.
     Lately,  the winter has me exercising on the treadmill and the bike we have in our spare room.  Tomorrow, the first day of Spring, will hopefully bring some changes in the weather that will make me want to head outside to run around the city.  Running around the city aggravates me though, the city does not enforce any parking laws, so cars are parked all over the sidewalks on Moosic Street, Green Ridge Street, Wyoming Avenue, all the main venues.  This is truly a source of anger and aggravation for me, as I feel that it is a slap in the face to all walkers, runners, handicapped people, students, etc.  I am going to work on this with the city this year, a goal for me.
      Welcome the first day of Spring by exercising.  If you do it inside on the treadmill or just doing some sit-ups while watching TV, do something.  Stretch on your floor, touch your toes, walk around your block.  The first steps are the hardest, but the most important.

You don't have to plan to fly this year, and you don't have to make a resolution to make a BIG change. All you have to do is take "Baby Steps" to make yourself more fit throughout the year. Just do something small. Maybe 10 push ups everyday. Maybe a few sit ups or using the steps at work. Pretty much anything that allows you to move. You can park a little farther from the door at work, or walk around the block after work. What ever you choose to do, try to do it consistently.

In time: Maybe you can fly.

Last weekend of the year and everyone is thinking about what to do to make next year a better year. Run 90 miles each week, cut down to 1000 calories max each day, and go to church every morning for a sunrise service. I do not recommend that you do all that. My recommendation is to get SOME exercise, eat more SENSIBLY, cut DOWN on alcohol and sugar, and most importantly, find something that makes you SMILE everyday. In other words, enjoy life, but do it with some degree of MODERATION. Hopefully, I will be here next year about this time to write again, and you will be here to read it. 

Life in NOT a spectator sport

Cool Fall Day

Today was a fairly nice day for the latter part of October. I should have gone for a run, but instead I opted to jump on the stationary bike and burn a few calories that way. The important thing was to do something that required some motion, and I managed to accomplish that. I rode a little, played with my dumbbells a little then rode some more, Afterward I stretched and did a pushup or two (well, maybe more). When I had this picture taken two years ago, it was at a Polar Plunge and I'm thinking of doing another this year. In all honesty while my heart was in it, the weather was in the low mid 30s and I felt that I was cheated a bit. So this may be my year to break the ice (literally).