Supporting Your Community and Keeping Fit

       Last night my wife and I attended the St. Joseph Center festival on the grounds of Marywood University.  The picture is just a "crowd shot" and as you can see, the grounds were full of people.  We like to go to this festival as it supports the most important work done by the St. Joseph Center in caring for children and adults with severe disabilities.
     While we are not currently eating a lot of "festival" food, like funnel cakes or potato pancakes, we like to buy raffle tickets, basket tickets, white elephant items, etc. to support this organization and their mission.
      I also like walking from the parking spot up the hill and through the grounds of Marywood and then walking all around and meeting people and being social.  I always tell you that a social life is as important a part of being fit and maintaining good mental faculties as exercise is.
      Looking around the grounds, the IHM Sisters and the aides are wheeling some of the residents around the picnic.  When you look at the children and adults that this festival benefits, you know that you are doing the right thing by being there.  One thing I also know, you and I have nothing to complain about.  We are able to walk, talk, laugh and eat without assistance. We bitch about everything...being hot, having to walk a little, not getting exactly what we want to eat, having to go to work every day.  But, these children and adults put it all into perspective.  You  need to be grateful for what you are given and take care of your body and your mind.


"Quit yer bitchin..."

Ready For An "Adventure"

    A few years ago, on Father's Day, my daughter and I competed at Pocono Raceway in a "Warrior Dash."  It was challenging, but we had fun doing it.  My wife and my son-in-law cheered us on with beers in hand...thinking we were just a little crazy for doing it.
     I like to do different things like white-water rafting, horseback riding, shooting or sky-diving. I would like to try new things like zip-lining or even the flying trapeze school in New York City...just once.  It keeps the adrenaline pumping and it makes you feel alive, accomplished.
     To participate in these activities though, you have got to maintain a certain degree of fitness. You need to walk, run, bike or just jump on a trampoline a few times a week, if not daily.  You have to walk the steps instead of taking the elevator. You can park at the back of the parking lot at the store or mall and get those extra steps in heading to the door. You have to get the blood pumping and the lungs working.  I try to do something every day, whether it is running, riding the exercise bike, stretching my muscles, jumping on the little trampoline, walking up and down the steps to the cellar or a combination of several things.  I mix it up a little bit during the week.  I want to be ready for any challenge or charity run or any number of things that can come my way.
      I am not suggesting that you need to be ready to do any of those challenging things.  I am suggesting that you need to be ready to participate in your life, be better at your job, be able to move around on vacation or keep up with your children.  Keep moving, keep flexible, keep your food choices reasonable... including lots of summer fruits and vegetables...and enjoy your life at whatever age you have achieved.

We're Heading to Warm Weather

      It's the time of the year, when the Tiki bar is opening up and the shorts and swimsuits are coming out that we start to think about how we look.  Some dread even thinking about hitting the swimming pool or the beach.  My wife is one of them.  She changes her closet from winter to summer, and never, ever thinks about a bathing suit, although she has lost some weight over the last six or seven months.
     I have always exercised but I do fluctuate with my weight.  I believe that getting on the scale is not the true test of how fit or in shape you are.  Only you know how you feel.  You need to be able to walk without becoming short of breath and do things with your friends and family.
      Recently our treadmill started to die.  The weather has been miserable and I don't feel like running in the cold rain.  There is so much more you can do though. Come up with your own routine, but do something.   I use a combination of the exercise bike, the trampoline and the steps that go into the basement to mix it up.  I also use large hand weights and a straight back chair, getting up and down off of the chair while lifting the weights.  I stretch in the living room.  I do what I can with what I have here.  No matter what you choose to do...just move.


Walk, run, jump dance...it's all good.  

You Are A Work In Progress

     When you make the decision to live a healthier lifestyle, it is a personal one.  You can do it for your family because you want to live longer to enjoy your children and grandchildren.  You can do it because it is a job or wellness requirement for where you work. However, ultimately, the decision to exercise, to eat better, to take care of yourself has to come from inside yourself.  It has to be for you.
      You are a work in progress.  Every day of your life you decide how you want to live it, what you want to do, how you want to make it count.  Small steps, any steps will move you forward.
     The weather is getting better for running or walking outside.  The sun is shining and providing the Vitamin D that is so valuable to your body.  You will feel better and have more energy if you get moving.  Your joints will not ache as much if you continue to use them every day.  As we age, we lose the flexibility and the mobility we had when we were younger.  You can gain some of that back through exercise.  You will definitely feel better.




It's nice out...get out and get moving...

What Are You Eating?

        I normally don't speak a lot in this blog about what you should or should not eat.  For the most part, I say "anything in moderation". However, more significant research has come to light about GMOs, pesticides, diet soda, sugar and processed foods.  In general, as a rule of thumb, the more processed the food is the worse it is for you.  

      Genetically modified organisms are plants and living things whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a lab. Most developed countries do not consider GMOs to be safe.
Diet soda is being found to significantly contribute to the obesity epidemic in the United States.  As a rule, anything white is a processed food and not considered as healthy for you as  a natural, whole grain.  I personally try to eat more whole grains, more wraps instead of bread, more beans and vegetables, and I drink nothing diet at all.  Fresh fruit and vegetables are always better for you than canned or frozen.  Water is really your best choice for a beverage.
     You can make better choices in your life without giving up things you like.  Add some lemon to your water for flavor.   Eat your sandwich, but eat it with a whole grain wrap or bread.  Drink a beer if you want one, it has hops and barley and is much better for you than diet soda.  Enjoy your life, just think about what you are putting in your body.

Keeping Track

          When I read this, I think of the song... "Free your mind, the rest will follow."  Most of the obstacles we face in our lives come from our heads.  From our brains.  We think too much about doing things and then we don't do them.  If you think you can't do something, then you probably won't be able to do it.  If you think you don't have time to exercise or eat right, then you won't exercise or eat right.
       You have to think about what you want and how you want to achieve it.  If you need to keep a log of daily goals or get a Fit Bit to help you keep and set goals then do that.  I also guarantee that you have no idea what you put into your mouth until you write it all down as you eat it.   If you need to keep track daily of the things that help you stay fit and healthy, then do it.  I know that you will keep doing the right things.


Get your mind in line with your life.

Get The Stress Out

     I always feel better when I exercise.  Even if I just get on the treadmill or the trampoline for a little while, I feel better about my day and I have a better outlook on things.  My wife is probably tired of my advice to her when she is stressed out or upset about life.  I tell her to take a walk, jump on the trampoline and just let go of the stress. She would rather eat.   At the time, eating provides the "comfort" she is seeking, but usually provides her with hours of regret afterward.
     I also know when I am angry, if I leave the situation and go for a run around the city or Nay Aug Park, I always come back clearer and calmer.
     I think that most Physicians are too busy to focus on the real issues behind weight gain, anxiety and depression.  We lead sedentary lives, we eat food filled with chemicals and fillers, we don't have time to cook meals and we have stressful jobs and lives.  Eating  well requires time and preparation.  Exercise requires giving up some time as well.  You need to take that time in your day to prepare, to care about your life, to decompress and shake off the stress.




Taking time for yourself is the best time spent.