Get Out There Together

     As we get older, we do have a tendency to forget things.  Probably not on the scale as this couple in the picture, but I have walked into a store and thought...what did I come here for?
      One way to help prevent dementia and keep the brain working is to keep blood flowing to it.  Increasing blood flow by exercising is a good way to ensure that blood is flowing through your heart and to all of your important parts.  It is also a good idea to exercise the brain by reading, by learning, by playing games specifically meant to challenge the brain.  Some of those can be found on Lumosity.com  or by going to AARP's site, as they have some really decent "brain games".
      We all  know that exercise helps to keep our muscles, joints, tendons and all of our body parts moving and can help us avoid injury from simple falls or wrong turns.  If you do get injured, exercise and therapy can help you to recover quicker, with programs designed to restore function.  Being in shape helps to shorten recovery time from surgeries and other procedures that you may have to undergo as you get older.  Keeping your brain sharp may help you to function for a longer time on your own into your golden years.
     Remember, when thinking of exercise I am not saying you have to join a gym or spend a lot of money on a personal trainer.  If you can do that, and you would like to do that, that is great.  However, at any age, exercise can be as simple as taking a walk.  Bike riding is good exercise as well, but please, put your clothes on.  You may end up with brush burns or bruises in spots where you won't want them


Exercise, like nakedness, is more fun shared....

Small Changes

     I know that I sound like a broken record at times.  I just don't think some people get it.  You are never going to do a complete makeover overnight. You will get discouraged about the things you want to change and give up.  I hear well, starting tomorrow, I am going to eat better, get some or more exercise, lose weight, get more sleep, take a class or work on my hobbies more.  All of that tomorrow?
     First of all, if you start by exercising a little bit you will lose a little weight and get more sleep.  So, for a little while take a walk outside at break or lunch, or after dinner.  Don't want to go out?  Grab those soup cans and raise them over your head or try to touch your toes ten times.  You just have to start there.

     Eating better may require the biggest change.  If you give up eating the things you love all at once or vow to never have them again, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Small starts, big results.  How about, for one meal a day, you have no carbohydrates.  You shouldn't eliminate carbohydrates for the whole day, you need them for energy.  For one meal, you can do this. You make yourself a nice salad every day for lunch...mixing it up a little bit with tuna one day, chicken the next, leftover steak the third and so on.  Be careful with the dressing, yours  may be full of fat and sugar.  Low fat, low sugar.  See?  For one  meal a day you are making a significant change.  Plan it ahead and you can take that walk for five minutes after you eat it.  And it will only be a change for an hour a day.
     We are humans and we have stress and we fail.  When that happens, we get up every day with a different mindset.  We can make it, we can change it and we can do it.

Small steps, big results...

Believing Is Beginning

     It is really true--some basic fitness "problems" start in your mind. If you think you can't, without even trying, you are probably right.
    No one expects you to get up off of the couch and start running a marathon.  All you have to do is get up off of the couch.  Not feeling like getting up off of the couch?  Grab some bigger cans out of your food pantry and raise them up and down like hand weights.  Stand up and touch your toes. Or your knees.  Whatever you can reach. Walk out into your yard and pull some weeds.  Be a little more active every day.
      Sometimes, I don't feel like exercising at all.  I have to convince myself that I must do something, anything. Instead of running, I walk on the treadmill.  I try to mix it up a little bit and walk backwards on it.  You have to be careful when you do this, the treadmill has to go slower so you can get into a rhythm.  Or I just do some time on the bike.  I put my ear buds in and my You-Tube educational videos on and ride.       By the way, that is one thing that helps pass the time in any fitness activity.  If you find music you like, or an app that lets you run through the countryside or something fun on the TV that passes the time in front of the treadmill, it always makes exercising easier.  It doesn't matter what you believe you can do or what helps you do it better.  Just make sure you do it.


I think I can, I think I can...

Get Out and Be More Active!

 
     My wife and I attended the Blueberry Festival in Montrose yesterday.  Blueberries are very good for you, high in antioxidants and certain vitamins.  We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up to the festival, then walked around for a little while.  We did treat ourselves to a little blueberry shortcake for our efforts.  We had a nice day.
     The point, really, of this story is that you should at least be fit enough to enjoy life.  To be able to get out, walk around, eat blueberries or even pick them, and have a pleasant day in the sunshine.  To be able to get out and make some memories.  Walking a little bit, a few times a week, is a good place to start.  Life isn't going to come to you, you need to go out and find it.
       Tuesday, we will be married one year.  Of course, we have been together now for ten.  I am looking forward to making memories, going on vacations, going to festivals or just for walks with her for the next ten years.  If she can put up with me, that is.

Life isn't black or white, you have to throw a little blueberry in there.