A Long, Cold Winter

During the long, cold winter we have a tendency to gain some weight.  We don't go outside as much, we enjoy all of the holiday food and drink and we become very sedentary.  That's just normal, we seem to do that every year.  Then, we hit the New Year and the resolutions come in and we make promises we really do intend to keep.  Keeping them is another story.  We start out well and then we start to make excuses and other promises about keeping them.  Don't worry, we all do it.
     January is long and cold.  It is nine degrees this morning, which really makes running or walking outside very difficult.  If you don't bundle up frostbite can set in.  If you do bundle up, it's difficult to be flexible and move.  So, we stay inside.  At our home, we have a treadmill, so there are no excuses here to not walk or run a little bit. At least on the weekends.  I have a new job that has a schedule of Monday through Friday, so I can do a little more in the morning during the week.  That makes me feel better about staying flexible and not falling out of a routine.
     However, if you think about it, there is a lot to do inside.  We have a lot of steps in our home. There are 18 going to the second floor.  There are about 8 to the basement.  If your knees are doing okay, you can walk up and down the steps a few times listening to your favorite tunes.  Put the decorations away in the basement one piece at a time.  Anything like that will help.  We have some bigger cans of tomatoes and things in our kitchen.  Touching your toes and then stretching while holding these cans will help you build up a little muscle in your arms.  Put Glee on and pretend you are auditioning for a Broadway show and you have to kick like a Rockette.  That will never happen with me, but to each his own.  My wife likes to laugh, so she puts belly dancing on and pretends she is exotic.  If nothing else, she keeps laughing and burning calories.  I like when she laughs.  However, the moves are so controlled and some are difficult, so it really can be a workout.
      The key is to like what you do and do it often.  It doesn't matter what it is or how long you do it.  It just matters that you do.

Spring is on the way!

Happy New Year!

     Happy New Year!  I hope that this year brings some exciting new things for everyone.  I'm not a big "resolutions" kind of guy, but I am a big "bucket list"  believer.  Every year, my wife and I think of things we want to do or should do this year.  See new places, do new things, and strive to be happy.
      What do you hope to accomplish?  No matter what, make a list of "healthier" things that you can do in the New Year.  Walk more in the New Year.  Eat less candy, chips.  Give up soda for water.  No one expects miracles or really big steps forward.  Little steps lead to big progress.  Every year, if you can make one change, you will accomplish something positive.
     My wife was on the treadmill this morning.  She said she would like to regain some mobility this year.  I got on the treadmill after she did.  I always like to run and stretch and do whatever I can.
     This year, if you want to make one change for your health, that doesn't include exercise or diet, make a new friend.  Studies show that with a better social life, mental and physical health is improved.

Enjoy your life and make little changes...

Christmas is a time for...moving...

      No matter who you are or what you do, there is always a way to get a little exercise.  The season is upon us now where cookies are baking and festive food and drink are starting to surround us at work and at home.  The key is moderation, balance and exercise.
     I am never going to give up the things I love like nut roll, kielbasi, ice cream and other goodies. I love to have a little Bacardi and Coke and when we go out I like to have a beer with my burger. However, during the week I eat a hard boiled egg for breakfast and for lunch I have a small bowl which consists of a protein, beans and a small bit of starch on the top... a little pasta or rice.  It balances out the days were I eat and drink a little more than I should.
       Walk, run, cycle, lift soup cans, wrap presents while dancing--just do a little something extra to keep your joints moving and to keep your weight from creeping up.  It is easy if you think about it.  Park away from the door when you go to the mall or to grocery store.  Walk up the steps, even up the escalator to move a little bit. Take the bag of potatoes, lift it up and down while walking around the kitchen table.  Small things, small steps but you can do this.


Keep moving at Christmas...

   

Positive Actions

     It is very easy to say "I'm going to start tomorrow" or "I can change".   I want to lose a few pounds so I tell myself I'm going to cut carbohydrates and exercise more.  My wife is always going to drop some weight and walk on the treadmill more often. Then life gets in the way.  With all of it's stress and demands, particularly at this time of year, we have a tendency to lose sight of the goals we wish to accomplish and we become complacent.
     We need to take the positive thinking and make it positive action.  When we think it, we need to set out a plan to do it, to make it happen, to accomplish our goals.  Make a game plan and stick with it.  My wife has decided that she is going to eat at least two of my famous "bean" lunches during the week.  Beans are said to be good for diabetics, controlling blood sugar while the fiber keeps you feeling full.  I eat them daily.  I miss running.  With the 12 hour work days, the papers that are due for class and the finals this week, I haven't been able to run much.  This week that will change, I will make the time for myself and my health.  You owe it to yourself to think through changes and then make the changes that will benefit your life.


Think it, then do it.

Happy Thanksgiving

     Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends.  I hope that you really enjoy your day. Thanksgiving is a time to take stock of everything in your life that you are grateful for.  It is also a time to think about all of the holidays, events, and things that you really want to be around for in the future.
     You can definitely eat all that you want, it's a day made for that.  But, while the turkey is in the oven, go outside and shovel or sweep a little snow.  Take a walk down the block, do some light aerobics while listening to Christmas music.  Make sure that you get some exercise in before you have the wonderful meal.  I'll get on the treadmill in the morning.  My wife will be frantically cooking, but even she will get on the treadmill in the morning too while she watches the parade.  It is important to take care of yourself so that you can enjoy your life.  Eat the turkey, eat the stuffing, eat the pie...but burn the calories.  You will thank yourself Friday morning.

Stay Strong

      I am sure as we go through our lives and deal with problems and things that come our way, we get stronger. We bounce back.  We learn to deal with or prepare for life differently.  For some reason, nothing seems to get easier, we just adjust our routines to meet daily challenges.                                            Our bodies, however, don't bounce back as easily from illness or injury as we get older.  Our bones aren't as strong, we don't use our muscles and flex our joints as much.  Arthritis and other disease processes take their toll on our bodies.  We begin to notice the aches and pains that advancing age brings.  We have to think about things a little longer, like where we parked the car, what we actually went to the store for or what is coming out of our checking account this week.                                                                           There are many things we can do to ease into our "Golden Years".  I take classes at Marywood University, not so much to get a piece of paper that documents the achievement, but to keep learning about things that interest me and to keep my brain sharp. I walk whenever and wherever I can.  I like to run, even if it is on the treadmill, as it keeps my joints moving and my muscles from becoming atrophied. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of aches and pains.  That comes from years of being in the military, from martial arts participation and instruction, from doing difficult things that I like to do.  It can't stop me though.  It will never stop me from moving, from jumping out of planes, from running through the streets of Scranton or at Nay Aug Park.                                              You can't let it stop you either.  Life keeps moving and so should you.  If you have to sit and do exercises, then sit and lift weights, or stretch in your chair.  If you can walk to your front gate or to the street, walk to the corner, walk to buy your coffee or walk from the back of the parking lot to the store, then you must do that. As I always say, anything you can do is better than doing nothing. Take a class, learn to cook, learn to work on the computer, do something not only for your mind, but to develop into a better person.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Life keeps going, you should too...

  

It's Not In the Finish, It's the Start

     It is true...you hear yourself saying things like "I'll do it tomorrow" or "Maybe later".   It's hard to get started when there is so much of life getting in the way.  But how do you want to live your life?
     I want to be able to be to move.  I want to be able, as I always say, to tie my own shoes until the day I die.  I want to go on vacation and visit new places and be able to walk around all of them.  I want to be mentally sharp until the day I die.  I take classes, do mental testing on the Internet and watch educational videos.  Read.  Read books, read articles, read the newspaper.  Life is moving really quickly.  The days seem to go by slowly, but the years are just flying.
     Get up and walk to your front porch ...go to the sidewalk or driveway...and keep walking.  When you feel tired, come home.  It's that simple.

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