Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

With the weather we are having, it is easy to have all the excuses come out as to why you can’t exercise.  “I am sick of snow!; I am too tired!; It is too cold; It is too windy;  The sun is not out; I have too many other things to get done.”  And on and on it goes.  Believe me, I think I have used all of these at one time, plus about 1,000 others.  If we waited for the perfect moment, we would never get out the door.  Now, I am the first to admit, I am really tired of this weather too.  It makes it very hard to get motivated to get outside.  So, if the weather is not cooperating, then keep it inside yet. 

Get on the treadmill, or the bike, and put on the TV or the radio, or use your ipod.  Whatever it takes to help keep your mind off of the activity.  I just got some DVD’s to use that have me running or walking out in the woods, or in California along the ocean.  You literally get to follow along with someone else walking or running.  They have a music background, so you can just lose yourself in the scenery, and it is the next best thing to being outside. The more you can keep your mind interested in something, the easier it gets.  Which brings up some topics to discuss.  What do you think about when you are out walking, running, or biking?  What do you think of during that 20 or 30 minutes of time?  Or if you are doing a marathon, like Steve and I, what do you think about during a 3-3 1/2 hour run?  I will fill you in on what I think about, but would like to hear what you keeps you going as well.  Stay tuned for future posts on this.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2027

Watertown Bike Trail

The snow is getting less and less all of the time (we won’t talk about the upcoming forecast though!).  Soon, we will be able to have full access to all of the bike trails here in town.  For the Watertown Initiative, H20-20, (also symbolic for the consecutive exercise day for me today!) I am chairman of the Watertown Bike Trail Systems committee.  I would take any input anybody would have as to ideas of how to improve the trails.

The city gets so much funding each year, and is able to set aside only so much each year, for upkeep, re-paving, and development of future trails in the city.  Their is a plan in place to continue adding onto the existing trail over the next 5 years.  In the meantime, we would like to know what else could be done.  Signs, such as distance markers, bench seats, bike racks, port a potties, drinking fountains, bike rental stations, or anything you can think that would be of benefit out on the trail.  This goes for everybody…walkers, runners, and bikers.

How can we help maintain the bike trails?  Can we have sections where individual, or group volunteers, are in charge of keeping the trail clean:  picking up garbage, sweeping the trail to keep glass and garbage off, and to help keep it safe for everyone to use.  This also could include more drop points of having garbage cans around to dispose of the garbage.  Get your thinking caps on.  This trail system benefits us all in Watertown.  We have a great trail system, and want to continue to maintain the current system, plus continue to develop more trails, particularly around the lake.  Any suggestions would be of benefit.

Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2020

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!  Spend time with your family, and appreciate all that it is about.  It is holidays like this that make spending time with your family even better.  I am thankful to be able to be as active as I am, and be able to spend time with my kids, and just be there for them.

My twin daughters are growing up fast, and will be graduating in a few months, then off to college.  Time for their new adventure to begin. 

And, of course, Nick, who always loves it when I come around with the camera.  He won’t admit it yet, but he will miss the girls when they go off to school. 

Sarah and I will still be running, biking, walking.  As I have stated numerous times on this blog, I plan on being around a long time…to be there for them.  Hopefully, I am the Dad they want me to be.  We have a lot of fun together, and times like this when we, as a family, can be together, makes things even better yet.  Take care of yourselves…if not for you, but for your family.  They want you around longer too!  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2013

Celebrating Day 2K!

Click below to hear Dr. Dan’s “surprise” on KXLG’s morning show.

Day/2K KXLG Radio Show

 

Wednesday this week I went to the radio station, KXLG, to do what I thought was going to be a talk on our wellness program, Strive 2 Survive.  Instead, it turned out to be a “set-up celebration” to recognize the 2000 days of consecutive exercise I have done.  This was originally to be on monday, which was the actual 2000th day, but with the snow storm we had, I rescheduled because I could not get there.  I did not know this was planned.

Sarah was there, after leaving earlier than me that morning, telling me she had to go to the hospital to do rounds first.  Very nice surprise!  It was great having her there.  Afterall, if it was not for her, I would not have been able to stay on task to do the exercise.  Thank you Sarah!

Here is the rest of the group…co-workers, friends, training partners, and radio station employees.  A special thanks goes to Carol Zillgitt at KXLG radio station, who planned all of this, made the Tshirt, and worked with Barb at the clinic to get all of the set up.  Very nice surprise!  Thanks to all of you, especially to you Carol!

Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2006

No Time Like the Present to Get Moving!

The hardest part about getting going with an exercise program is just that:  Getting going!  We can come up with all kinds of excuses to put it off:  I will do it later when the weather is better;  I will start when I am not so busy;  Once I get this project done, I will have more time to start exercising more.  There is never a better time to start than now!  Forget all of the excuses.  Get out of bed, get out the door, and get moving!

We would sit and watch the pelicans on the beach while we were recently in Mexico.  They would take off, fly around, and coast back in, and then just keep repeating the process.  Well, it really is no different for us.  First, we have to get going, so push off…

…once we get going, we need to “spread our wings”, and work a little…

…then, we can really take off!  We can “spread our wings”, move around, enjoy the scenery, take all of our surroundings in, and in the end, feel better! 

It truly is amazing how much more you can enjoy life if you take off and explore.  See what is all out there.  It is easy to take for granted those things that are around us all day, until we no longer have it.  I forget how nice it is to look at something green, and not all the white of snow this season.  I am ready for Spring, and can’t wait to really enjoy being outside again when it is nice.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1999