Edgar Cayce was once asked by a TV interviewer in the early days of TV, “What are the best exercises?”  His reply? “The ones you do.” A person would have to have had their head buried in the sand for the last thirty years to not know and fully understand the benefits of exercise.  This article is about the motivation to exercise and move your body.  It’s not about “how to”.  The “how to” will come later.  With exercise, you’ll benefit from:

• All around better health and energy including better glandular function and a stronger immune system
• Improved cardiovascular circulation and respiratory function.
• Movement prevents deterioration and decay
• Reduced chances of incurring long term chronic illness
• Improved ability to fight stress
• Enjoy life more. Be willing and able to engage.
• Move better. Be able to get up and down from the floor with ease.
• Improved strength, flexibility, balance, endurance and the general ability to move your body.
• Possible increased longevity. Turn back the clock. Live longer and enjoy it more.

The real “so what” to all the above is that with exercise you will look better, feel better, and be physically able to do, and enjoy doing, the things you really want to do in life with energy and vitality, and be able to do it longer.

 “No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training…what a disgrace it is for a man [or woman] to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” Socrates (469 – 399 BC)

Here are a few things to consider when thinking about starting an exercise program: You already can do more than you think you can, but most people are content to stay in the perceived safety of their own comfort zone. With exercise, you’ll most likely discover that you’ll actually want to move beyond your comfort zone, extend yourself, and try new things. Are you planning to be a peak performance athlete at age sixty-five or so? If not, you can probably do with a modest amount of hard exercise. Yes, some of your exercise routine should be difficult, but it should not make you ultra-sore and it should not wear you out. You should feel comfortably tired, not worn out. Planning to engage in master’s level sports? Then you need specialized training for your particular sport. Most of you will simply want to be able to function normally, or a little bit better than normal,  as you age. What is function? It’s the ability to push, pull, lift, carry, bend and twist, balance, and “ambulate” from point A to point B. You’ll want to be able to get in and out of cars, walk for pleasure, carry groceries and put them away and get up and down from the floor and play with your grandkids. As you get older, you lose the functionality of your bodily systems – unless – you do something about it. Your exercise goals should be strength, flexibility, range of motion, and the ability to move comfortably and easily.

 “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”  John F. Kennedy 

There have been many institutional efforts to get people to exercise and move. Presidents have promoted the concept, from Jimmy Carter running (and being attacked by the Rabbit), Ronald Reagan was an avid exerciser, as were both of the Bush’s. Even Bill Clinton tried to jog, and Barak and Michelle Obama have tried to suggest exercise and nutrition, all to show the importance of health and fitness and to show the world that even they do it. The most notable institutional success story that I am aware was chronicled in Dr. John Ratey’s excellent book, Spark where a morning exercise program was instituted for elementary school students in a suburban Chicago school, and student academic performance was significantly improved. While institutional promotion of health and fitness is admirable, and I hope it continues to be emphasized, it is still at the individual level where results occur. You, as an individual, Must take responsibility for your own health and level of fitness. No one, not even the Government, can do it for you, even though many in Government, at all levels, think they can. If you decide to start an exercise program, and haven’t exercised for a long time . . . Be bold, but be careful. Your infrastructure may not be ready for heavy duty exercise and need to be conditioned. Bones weaken. Joints get rusty. Ligaments get weak. Muscles atrophy. You won’t want to put a lot of excess strain on them at first. So listen to your own body and get comfortable with your progress. Take your time and you’ll see progress, as well as enjoy the exercise more. If you don’t move your body the way nature intended for your body to move, your joints will get rusty, your blood will get stagnate, your bones will get brittle and your muscles will atrophy. If you do move and exercise your body, you will look better, feel better, and enjoy a longer and more fruitful life. I’ll take the latter anytime.

Thank you for reading.

 

This will be a controversial post. I am not a nutritionist, dermatologist, nor any kind of medical expert. I talk to a lot of people, ask a lot of questions, and I have read and listened a lot. I have read  studies, books, and reports and I know anecdotally what has worked for others and what has worked for me.  Most everything I read and hear is opinion. The real science isn’t ready to report facts yet, only opinion. That’s why there are so many opinions on all the subjects below. That’s why I use the phrase “the experts suggest that. . . “ often in this article.

These subjects are so vast that it would be nearly impossible to condense them down to one coherent article. So in the post, you’ll get an overview of the four major fuels you use to energize and power up your body and mind. They are all important and the quality and quantity of these fuels are major factors in determining your health, fitness and personal energy.

AIR and BREATHING

Try going without oxygen for more than a couple of minutes. You die. To stay alive, you need to breathe. You use the respiratory system to get oxygen into and throughout your body. When you inhale (through your nose), the air is filtered and directed into your lungs. The lungs in turn put air into your cardiovascular system sending oxygen throughout your body. The deoxygenated blood returns to the heart to be sent to the lungs to be released as carbon dioxide.

The quality of the air you breathe is not nearly as important as the quantity of air you take in. Our internal ductwork has some pretty good filters built into it. Coal miners have problems because the outside air is too polluted for the filters to handle it, and taking raw smoke directly into your lungs can be deadly.  But our bodies are designed to filter out most of the pollutants before they cause a lot of damage.

Most of us breathe barely enough to keep our body functioning. We need more. Our mothers, fathers and gym teachers in elementary school used to tell us to breathe deeply to be healthy. It was true then, and it’s true now.. They were right, so take deeper breaths when you think about it.

SUNSHINE

But Bob, my dermatologist told me that if I get out in the sun, I’ll get skin cancer and die. Yep. That can happen. But here’s the thing: Yes you can spend time in the sun uncovered by suntan lotion. Experts now suggest that you cover up with lotion or clothing after about a half hour of direct exposure, and to stay out of the midday sun.

The sun is good for you. You need the Vitamin D. The sun can help reduce depression, both clinical and seasonal. The percentage of people who die from skin cancer, particularly melanoma is small. I’ve had two occurrences of Melanoma and one Carcinoma, all removed successfully. I have very light skin and I used to have reddish brown hair, and I abused the sun as a teenager. Yet I drive a convertible and keep the top down as much as possible. I don’t have a death wish, I just understand the problem and can deal with it. I know I’m going to get battered over this, but I believe that if you treat the sunshine with care, you’ll benefit and the beaches will stay in business.

WATER

Your body is composed mostly of water. Different components of your body are composed of different percentages of water, but water forms a major part of our body’s structure. You can’t live for a long time without fluid intake. Most of us don’t drink enough. We know we should drink more water to stay hydrated but most of us don’t. How much? Experts suggest eight to ten 8 oz. glasses of water per twenty four hours, more if you do a lot of exercise. That makes sense. Experts disagree as to whether sodas and coffee are included in that amount. If your pee is dark, you probably need more water, if it is light colored or clear, you’re probably OK.

What kind of water is best? Water bottlers say theirs is best. Alkalized water sellers say theirs is best. In the United States, most tap water is OK. We use a standard Brita Filter at home and we’re still alive and kicking.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

We love to eat. We need to eat to stay alive. What should we be eating? That’s the question of the millennium. Go to the bookstore or the library and there are shelves loaded with books on advice about what you should be eating. How much is true and how much is opinion? I would suggest that 100% is opinion and none is fact. No one knows. There is probably no best diet. Nutritional science is still young. Actually the best diet for most people is probably a little less red meat and a few more vegetables. How about fruit? Experts argue about the quantity and the quality of sugars in fruit and which fruits we should eat and what fruits to stay away from.

I’ll bet most of you grew up on white bread and Pepsi. I age a lot of sugar and butter. I don’t do that now, but I grew up with it. There are huge arguments about merits of eating all organic. There was a major article in our local newsrag, The Washington Post, on April 8 of this year entitled “Is Organic Really Healthier?” The conclusion was that the jury is still out.

SUMMARY

Here are a few bullet points that we should consider as you think about energizing with high octane fuel:

• Fuel is more than just food.
• What is the best diet? Nobody really knows. More veggies and less meat seems to be a good way to go.
• Yes, you need sunshine for health. Just be sensible and take it in moderate amounts.
• Breathe deeply.
• Tap water in the United States is usually OK to drink. Eight to ten 8 oz. glasses is will probably do the job.

Whoa! This post reached a thousand words, too many for a blog post. Like I said above, most of what I wrote is based on experts’ opinions and on anecdotal evidence. Make your own judgments. Just drink plenty of fluids, get some sun, breathe deeply, and don’t eat junk. You’ll probably be fine.

Thanks for reading.

“If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.”
– Mario Andretti

Do you take charge and hold yourself accountable for your own health and well-being by using high octane fuel, reasonable but vigorous physical exercise, optimal posture and a positive mindset? Or will you wait until tomorrow to start doing what you know you need to do, spending today relaxing, watching TV, letting your body decay, and eating Pizza and junk food? Guess whose choice it is.

Last week I wrote about the power of enthusiasm. This week I am writing about converting that Enthusiasm into action and self-actualization. Henry Ford said “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand , the irrestible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” Henry Ford may have said it, but to give credit where credit is due, I pulled that quote from a book by a friend of mine, Christina Daves, www.prforanyone.com, who’s book, PR for Anyone makes excellent reading for anyone who is taking action to promote an idea, product or service . . . and no, I don’t make a commission if you go to her site and buy it.

In the next four weeks, I will finish this series of nine principles of Health, Vitality and Possibilities with four action steps related to food and fuel, moving your body, posture and bearing, and rest and recovery.

Action and self-actualization are two slightly different parts with the same ending. Self-actualization includes taking action and taking responsibility for that action, both at the same time. A little bit of action taken each day to improve your health and well being can add years of healthy living, a spring to your step and a clarity to your mind that isn’t there in the typical older, sedentary adult.

All the acceptance of reality, the willingness to create the new reality you want for yourself, the formation of a purpose and generating huge amounts of enthusiasm for it all, doesn’t mean anything unless you take action to accomplish whatever result you choose for yourself. And what result am I writing about in this blog? I’m writing about Health, Energy and Possibilities. Unless you accept where you are and are willing to create a healthy and vibrant future, with less pain and more gain you will stay where you are on our friend Maslow’s Hierarchy. You will remain at the level of safety, security and inertia which, as Theodore Roosevelt once said, is reserved for the “cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Even though statistically, more older Americans are recognizing the need for exercise, the right food and other fuels, and the need for a Come Alive attitude toward life, the number of older Americans on the sedentary end of the curve is also expanding, with more and more older men and women being overweight, unfit, and unhealthy.

So when you decide that you want to live a little longer, live a little better, and enjoy the rest of your life in good health, with high energy, better posture, and a more positive and active attitude, then it’s really time to self-actualize, and take action.  It doesn’t take long to see positive physical and mental results. So, no excuses. Move through the fear. Simplify the process. Use only what you need, to do it. No preconceived limits. No obstacles in advance. Just action. And in the next four weeks, I’ll show you how.

So as we start next week with the action steps to health, vitality and possibilities, remember . . .

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety.”
– Abraham Maslow

 Start taking action now! Thanks for reading.