KBs

KBs

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Off the Wagon for the Holidays

It is that time of year. The family comes to town. Its cold and nasty outside. Shopping needs to be done. You are busy. Translation: it is more than likely that this is the time of year when people put their health on the back burner. Its the most wonderful time for making excuses.

Now it may seem like I'm about to go all Grinch plus Jillian Michaels, but hang with me. I am just as guilty of this holiday ritual of ditching my routine, not being active and make poor food choices. The phenomenon is magnified when the rest of the family is in cahoots. Meals are planned, errands are tasked, general over planning takes effect. It seems like the whole holiday season is designed to disrupt even the most determined quest for betterment.

So what are we to do? Are we destined to succumb to wintry setback every year? Is this why we make New Year's resolutions? To signify the end of this multi-week bender of laziness and overeating? I have a better idea.

Here are some ideas that should help keep you (and your family) active and healthy throughout this busy season:

  • Short term Goals - Set up small, daily activities for yourself. This can be anything from a walk or run every morning or a set of push ups when you wake up to a scheduled full on workout every day. Make a plan for staying active.
  • Mix family time and active time - You aren't the only one who needs to move. Your family and friends are just as busy as you. Make them a part of your plan. Go on group walks. Workout together, kids and adults. My family has started doing this and it is a great bonding experience and you feel better afterward. Everybody wins.
  • Upgrade your Trough -  The numerous big meals that occur this time of year can really throw us off our game. Everyone knows about the food coma that inevitably happens after each big meal. It is here that we need to improve our choices. Replace one of any of the half dozen casseroles with vegetables. Offer to plan and prepare one healthy meal. Limit yourself to one night of binging on Nog-based adult beverages.
This is a great time of year. Families come together. We see old friends. Meals are shared, fun is had. But if you are trying to get better every day, now is typically a good time to fall off the wagon. Recognize where you stray and make this year an fun and active.

Jack

PS - Do any of you have favorite holiday traditions that involve family activities? We do a Christmas morning walk every year. Its not the most demanding of exercises but it is something and we do it together. Easy as that.
(Not me)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Use your Fear

If you say you don't have fear in your life, you are a liar. Fear is perhaps the most basic and primal of human emotions. It is felt and expressed in all kinds of ways throughout our lives, from near misses in traffic to runs ins with wild animals. Fear steers us away from harm. It keeps us focused on dangerous tasks. Without fear, the human race would have died long ago because we didn't know to avoid lions and bears.

So what does this have to do with getting better, you ask? Good question. It seems that most of us let fear guide our actions without ever really being acknowledged. Our fear controls us instead of us controlling our fear. I propose that we become the masters of our fear. This starts by acknowledging things that scare us and then facing those things. If you fear heights, go sky diving. If dogs scare you, find a friend with a friendly dog and hang out with said dog. If the idea of letting your teenage child get behind the wheel is terrifying, take them to a high performance driving school and give them skill and confidence as a driver.

Once we start owning our fears, we realize that they aren't crippling. They are valid, rational fears. Heights can be dangerous, but you are more likely to die in a car crash driving to the drop zone than on the actual skydive. Wild or rabid dogs (or wolves) can also do serious harm. But bad dogs are few and far between. Also, dogs can "smell" or sense fear. So be cool and most dogs will do the same. And you should be worried about putting your kids behind the wheel. The road can be a dangerous place, but making sure that young drivers are prepared for anything behind the wheel can alleviate some of your worries.

So whatever scares you, figure it out and face it. You will be amazed how much confidence you gain.

Jack

PS - I spent the last few days jumping out of planes. This evokes fear in me no matter how many times I do it but it is not negative, debilitating fear. Instead, it is an awareness that I am doing something risky that requires 100% focus. If my pulse didn't quicken before jumping out at twelve thousand feet, then I would be scared.
Maybe don't play with this dog. . .