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The Fitness Fool

Rants & Raves

How did two-time DWTS (Dancing with the Stars) champion Cheryl Burke go from plumpin' to pumpin'? And why do the tabloids always do "that"? You might recall that she was in some hot water last year after the tabloids picked up that she "packed" on what was rumoured to be five pounds(although unconfirmed). She went on a campaign to defend the modern shapely woman, who has other things to do other than dance for 6-8 hours a day - which is what she does while she is in taping for the show. This season, the buzz is that a slimmer Cheryl has really caught the attention of not only the viewers and the tabloids, but also the other contestants. And now you, yes YOU, can catch the Cheryl craze by buying her new fitness dvd, aptly titled "Disco Abs" which is in no way cheesy or makes her a sellout whatsoever to the principles she previously espoused. Sounds like Cheryl needs to get back down to her roots and just be...herself.

***
I love coffee. It is warm. It smells good. I like to watch it snow against the backdrop of the woods while I sip my hot coffee in the early morning. You ask, "Why do you drink coffee, isn't it bad for you?" I tell you, "Shut your mouth and worry about yourself. Don't you have some cardio to do or some weights to lift?"

BTW - I'm just kidding. I just wanted to see if you were awake. Ah-ha! You need some coffee! ;)

***
Many of you may have heard that Larry Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz - one of the most successful NBA franchises in history - passed away this week at the age of 64 due to complications suffered from type II diabetes. Now, I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but for those of you who have high blood sugar or are diabetic - take one look at poor Larry during the last years of his life and ask yourself if you really want to end up like him. He may have been highly successful in his career and made a lot of money, but he certainly wasn't rich as far as his health was concerned. One has to ask how much of his health problems could have been prevented by a simple diet and exercise program had he started one years ago. Unfortunately, he'll never know what how that could have changed his outcome.

***
So I just returned from a three-day fitness conference in DC this weekend and I was reminded that those of us like myself who work in the fitness industry are all just like our clients, which is something we tend to forget sometimes. Don't let our physiques, fancy degrees or certifications fool you - we eat all kinds of food, struggle with certain exercises, suffer from injuries and have an occasional beer too. And that's ok. We have our own neuroses from being in this industry, and we need to get over it! Great conference though, learned a lot, met some terrific people. ;)

***
Good news for those of you who HATE winter(like me!). We have exactly 5 days left of February before March, and March means Spring (Algebra class, remember? A=B, B=C). That means fewer excuses for not getting out and doing some exercise. Just 15 minutes outside walking around the block will not only help you burn calories, but lift your mood as well.

***
I challenge you this week to do something exceptional with your fitness. Can't do a pullup? Make this the week that you do one by breaking the exercise down into it's components. Never been much of a runner but always wanted to? Find out how to start a simple beginner's running program - and get fitted for a great running shoe. Welcome. YOU are now an athlete. Has arthritis prevented you from doing the things you enjoy? Don't let it stop you any longer - research how a sound exercise and flexibility program can help you recover lost range of motion, muscular strength and endurance and discover what it means to LIVE!

***

Fitness Follies of President's Past

Many presidents have been active in the White House, not just those of recent past. As a tribute to President's Day, let's take a look at some of those memorable ones of the past:

Upon seeking re-election in 1828, President John Quincy Adams(6th president 1825-1829), then 61, began to have reservations about how his declining health was affecting not only his chances of winning the election - but his family life as well. He decided to re-double his efforts, and continued his strenuous routine of riding between eight to 14 miles on horseback before breakfast and swimming in the Potomac(Teed 120).

President Theodore Roosevelt(26th president 1901-1909) was an avid boxer and rower. His father encouraged him to learn boxing after learning his son had several health ailments as a young boy, making him easy prey for school bullies. Roosevelt, who was also a young Sunday school teacher at his church, was scolded once for paying another boy a dollar after the boy showed up with a black eye after having fought a bully. At Harvard, he was a runner-up in the university's boxing championship.

He continued boxing well into his adult life, even after he suffered a detached retina which left him blind on that side. He even permanently carried a bullet in his chest after a salonkeeper's bullet meant for the president's head went awry. Roosevelt decided surgery to remove the bullet was too risky. On a safari to Africa, Roosevelt suffered a severe leg injury and contracted malaria. Despite his ailments, he continued to box and espouse an active and conservationist lifestyle. For example, Roosevelt signed an executive order requiring marines to hike 50 miles in 20 hours, no small physical feat. That would require the soldier to walk at 2.5 mph...for the entire duration of the test, over unsteady ground in weather conditions with no rest! Many people don't know he is also the founder of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), and his physical accomplishments are numerous(Wikipedia).

Iowa-native President Herbert Hoover (31st president 1929-1933)created his own sport, an amalgamation of volleyball and tennis played with a medicine ball(yes, you read right!). Before breakfast around 7:30 am, he would play a game of what was nicknamed, "Hoover-ball". The ball itself was a six-pound ball tossed over a net similar to volleyball, and the game was scored like tennis(Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum). See picture above - Hoover and his staffers conducting a game of "Hoover-ball" on the White House lawn.

President Harry S. Truman (33rd President 1945-1953) installed a horseshoe pit at the White House and enjoyed a two-mile walk each day. In an interview conducted after his days in the White House, he had this to say about not letting the job increase his waistline:

"Well, you know, when you're on a job where when you have to sit down all day, the best thing you can possibly do is to walk, especially after you're forty-years old, because that exercises all the muscles in the body, a walk does," he told the interviewer. "Legs were put on us to use. The present-day youngsters, and most people, will get in a car to go a block. They'd be much better off if they'd walk(pg. 117)."

This interview was conducted on Thursday afternoon, September 10, 1951. It's now 57 plus years since he gave that interview, and things have not changed. If you haven't already, take that step today - make a difference in your life, as these presidents did with their fitness!

Don't be a fool!
____________________________________________________________________________________ Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum. Accessed online at: http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoover_bio/pres.htm. National Archives and Records Administration.

Roosevelt, Teddy. Wikipedia.

Truman, Harry S. and Ralph Edward Weber. "Talking with Harry: Candid Conversations with President Harry S. Truman." Rowman and Littlefield, 2001.

Tweed, Paul E. "John Quincy Adams: Yankee Nationalist". Nova Publishers, 1996.

Obama Flexes Both Political and Real Muscles

Nine a.m. strikes and our new president strolls into the oval office sans jacket, sleeves rolled up, having just taken Malia and Natasha to school. Perhaps he's just finished a 90-minute grueling workout, which he does six days each week. His workouts, unlike that of any other president, are less about preventative health than they are about the body sculpting prowess one would expect of a cover model of Men's Health. Nonetheless, his faith in his fitness has not been shaken by the weight of the responsibility this man must now carry on his shoulders every day, each waking(and sleeping) hour of his life.

According the to the Washington Post, during the election - sometimes on primary nights - Obama's team would call ahead to a gym in the area to ask if the could either open or close early to accommodate the then presidential-candidate's schedule. Occasionally, Obama's team managed to fly in some of his closest friends for a game or two of pick-up basketball.

Even after the election, Obama managed to stay on target with his fitness routine. Each morning he would travel by motorcade at 7:30 am and meet some buddies of his at an exclusive health club overlooking Lake Michigan. Obama's workout is half weights and half a cardiovascular circuit consisting of stationary bicycle, elliptical machine and treadmill. He also completes about a dozen exercises in the hour as well, sandwiched in between a warm-up and a cool-down.

For all the working out Obama does, he still has one vice - the occasional cigarette. According to the same article from the Post, Obama has cut back from three or four to having one every once in awhile.

Obama's plans for making the White House fitness-friendly include building a full-basketball court at the White House.

However, Obama was not the only president to pursue physical fitness. Stay tuned for a special posting on President's Day about the fitness endeavors of past presidents, dating back to John Quincy Adams.

On Friday, we'll discuss the popular television show, "The Biggest Loser" and I'll unveil why the show is a big loser as well.

What I've learned from my dogs

Sometimes when I come home at night I feel like I've accomplished so much in my day and yet I still have so much to do! Laundry has piled up, bills need to be paid, calls need to be made, never mind about the cleaning.

Then I sit down, and take a deep breath, and look around me. I see my dogs starring back at me, watching my every move, curious as to why I am such a busybody all the time when all they do is sleep, eat and play all day. I can almost see them shaking their head at me, saying, "I try to tell you this all the time, but noooooo, you won't listen to me. You just don't get it that life will be the same whether or not you get everything done on that list or not."

For those of you who own dogs, you know what I am talking about. Upon arriving home, these little balls of fur instantly remind me that life is about the simpler things: laughing, playing, eating, sleeping, walking, mindfulness, and spiritual guidance(whatever that may be). When we junk up our lives with too much extraneous crap, our focus gets clouded, and it's like our souls are being fed a very poor diet. My dogs serve as the spectacles I need to re-focus my life on what is important to me.

I've also learned from them some very important principles of fitness. If you've ever watched a dog "play", this is their form of exercise, whether it's walking, jogging or retrieving a ball. It's fun for them. Whatever happened to having fun exercising?!? We need to find our retrieving ball too and allow ourselves to make exercise fun again. We have to stop telling ourselves that we can't do something, for whatever reason. Think for a moment of something you've always wanted to do, but didn't, and then brainstorm why. Now take those reasons why and break it down further by asking yourself, why has this reason for not doing "x" prevented me from really accomplishing my goal? You'll find that the reason behind why you said you could not do something is actually not the real reason at all, but is something much different, and probably related to some type of fear that you have. Once you have decided to conquer that fear, there is nothing that can stop you from reaching that goal - besides you.

Another great thing I've learned from my dogs - particularly from my little wiener dog Freddie - is that rest is a great thing and should be revered as much as exercise. Play hard, rest more. When working out, your muscles actually suffer tiny micro-tears in the tissue that get repaired based on how you recover. Once these tears are repaired, the muscle tissue actually gets stronger. Rest is part of that, diet is the other. A great post-workout snack consists of 20-30 grams of carbohydrates and roughly 10-20 grams protein. Make sure you rest and eat right in order to keep your body operating in it's optimal state.

And last - but not least - I've learned the true value of friendship from my dogs. I've never known unconditional love like the love they give me. No matter what is going on in my life, or theirs, they will always be there right next to me. Nothing can beat that little tail wagging!

(I Will Not) Go Down Softly

I will Not go down softly.

I will not
let the critics inside my head tell me I can't do something.

I will
stand up for myself when someone puts me down.

I will
face my fears even though I know it is easier to ignore them or run in the other direction.

I will
not make excuses for not reaching my personal fitness goals. Instead I will embrace them and move forward.

I will not
let injury or illness dictate what I will accomplish this year.

I will
stop and think before I open my mouth.

I will
let the other car go even though I have the right of way and feel good about it. :)

I will not
let other people make me feel bad about who I am or what I do.

I will
spend more time laughing.

I will
enjoy more time with my family.

I will
live in the moment and remind myself that life is a gift and we must be thankful for it every day.

I will not
worry about money so much as I wonder about what I will be having for lunch. :) It will all come together.

I will
be who I am unapologetic ally and honestly.

I will
treat those I choose to surround myself with with love, as I truly value them as individuals and they enrich my life.

I will
be a better partner and remind myself of this in all that I do.

I will
try to not feel so overwhelmed all the time by taking time each day to de-stress.

I will
cherish each moment I have with my family and not let petty arguments or disagreements get in the way of what really matters.

This year I will accomplish and learn and enjoy many things life offers us.

Carpe Diem!

What's your manifesto?!? Share it in your comments...it doesn't have to be formal or poetic or well-thought out, just from the heart.

Friday's posting will be the last one in January....this ends our weight-loss, New-Year's inspiration theme. In February, we will focus on celebrity fitness trends, since the Oscars are scheduled for February 22nd. We'll find out who's wolfing down burgers(or avoiding food like the plague) and who's bulking up for the big event!

A New Renaissance has Begun

As an English major, I was mesmerized by Langston Hughes' poetry and his voice. I was never a performer of any kind of artistry, but when it came to Hughes' work I felt myself wanting to speak his poetry, the words falling out of my mouth as if I, too, had been black in the 1940's. Poor. Destitute, but not out. Full of hope, but not fear. Consider the famous Hughes' poem "I, too" for a moment, and allow yourself to be lost in the beauty of his words and their meaning: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15615

On Tuesday, Barack Obama's words inspired me the same way Langston Hughes' poetry did when I was an English student - and continues to inspire me to this day.

Not only did our new President remember where he came from in his rousing inauguration speech, but he also recognized how the unique experience of being an African-American and can shape his perspective on leadership. Obama may not be as poetic about it, but even as I listened to reports Tuesday morning about how the mall was filling up - even at 6:30 in the morning (!) - I felt a rush of pride at how far we really have come. True, I am a romantic, altruistic in the most purist sense, but I choose to believe in the goodness of man and the character that God molded us from.

Some of you on the other side of the aisle - or those who simply don't identify as Democrat - may be wary of another Democrat taking office who will spend your money, make government bigger, and decline tax cuts. Each party has their own way of doing things but their goal is ultimately the same - they want to make America better. And we need to do better. With a flailing(and failing) economy, lackluster credit, banking and auto industries, and foreclosures and layoffs climbing everyday, the new president will be sweating bullets until he can shore up the dam. You may very well disagree with President Obama's policy positions, no doubt. But it's hard to disagree with the powerful message Tuesday's inauguration sent to the rest of the world: We will overcome. President Obama's own election is proof of that.

It is my hope that we can now put aside our partisan differences and focus on the task ahead of rebuilding - and support our new president, whatever party or color or religion our new president is.