Last weekend, I met with a great friend I’ve known for over a decade. He’s really smart and asks the best questions. Plus, he’s a great listener.
Long story short: While I was sharing the story on my 1982 cross-country bicycle trip, he came to a realization, and so did I.
When I said cross-country, the original intent was from one coast to the other. But for a variety of good reasons, it didn’t happen the way it was envisioned.
And for a moment, it started to feel like maybe I was misrepresenting the truth, and I questioned myself.
In summary, Derrick Redmond, an Olympic 400 meter runner, may tell people he ran in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but that may not be the “truth”. You owe it to yourself to watch this, and then ask and answer the question that follows:
Three simple exercise tips we can all do to make exercise a more important part of our lives:
Commit to it for a lifetime
Do it for someone else
Try to have fun on your journey
Simple. But simple doesn’t mean easy. Most likely, whatever you want to accomplish with your health and exercise goals, is well, impossible. Which is perfect. Carpe diem.
Had a great hour and a half with our son yesterday after school. We had ice cream, played catch, rode our bikes and blogged.
Could have gone to the gym, but chose differently instead. Ultimately, a balance is required. Working out is challenging. Finding time and energy is hard. Finding excuses is easy.
Having very high health goals makes finding motivation easier. But it is still a challenge to figure out how to achieve those goals.
Because it is so challenging, most people are tempted to give up on their big health goals. Don’t do it.
Skipping a day of exercise is an easy thing to do. In fact, it’s actually one of the easiest things to do. How do I know? Because I did it yesterday.
It was easy.
Just don’t go to the gym. How hard is that? It’s not.
However, the intent was to pick up our son at school and head to Gold’s Gym like we commonly do. The reason I really wanted to go is because I hadn’t been in four days.
Too much time in between workouts does several things:
Too much rest negates previous efforts
Too much rest makes us lazy
Too much rest makes it easier to skip
Skipping a day of exercise is an easy thing to do. When it comes to taking care of yourself, are you an example or a warning?
That’s what is confusing. Why is the left foot pain returning?
It’s always something isn’t it? There’s always something that is in front of us that tempts us to want to stop doing what we know we can’t stop doing.
Always has been. Always will be. Getting so impatient with this that a cortisone shot is looking very tempting – cortisone is something I swore I wouldn’t do.
Yet my podiatrist and I agreed, in March, that we should try one shot.
Now I’m seriously thinking about a second. Remember, I swore I’d never do a single shot. Now I’m thinking about a second. Good luck with your temptations today.
Everyday Health is a daily email I subscribe to. Why? Because when I find something that is excellent, it’s helpful to have a way to find it easily. Click here to see a great one from yesterday.
Yes, we all bookmark certain websites, adding them to our Favorites. But an RSS feed or an email subscription can be a great strategy for daily reminders about what matters most – Health.
The health of our Mind, Body, Spirit and Finances.
Staying active is important at any age, yet it’s especially important at Mid Life. Be the change you wish to see in others. Be the role model for healthy living. Have the courage to do the hard work. Or not.
My son and I went to Gold’s Gym yesterday. It was packed. That’s great to see. Yet even though Gold’s Gym was crowded, the people exercising represent such a small portion of the population.
When I drive to and from work, or on errands, there are occasional joggers along the way. Again, a small portion.
Maybe the ones who exercise regularly are missing the boat. Perhaps they are the crazy ones. Wasting their time on the frivolous pursuit of a sound body. Not a perfect body. A sound body.
Wasting their time and energy by rearranging their schedules to make exercise fit. Passing on “delicious” foods, or skipping second helpings, in an effort to practice healthy moderation.
What’s wrong with that small portion of the population? What a bunch of self-indulgent individuals. They remind me of the people on the airplane who put the oxygen mask on first, before offering to help the person next to them.
People Like Being Unhealthy. In fact, you probably like being unhealthy. And odds are you know a lot of people who also like to be unhealthy.
Right?
Absolutely. Why? I have no idea. None.
But I have a hunch, but it’s only a hunch. Know what it is?
People must love it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so unhealthy. Seriously.
If it’s not true, then go ahead and convince me this is incorrect. Go ahead please.
Hey, the whole point of Lane 8 is to challenge you (and me) to set awesome health goals, go after them, reach them, and then maintain our health goals for the rest of our lives.
This requires DAILY effort. Which is why I write this Lane 8 blog every single day. Got it? Every single day is our great opportunity to focus on our health.
It is not easy. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. But it is always worthwhile. Figure it out or live with regret. There are no other choices.