by Dan | Apr 26, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Last weekend was Prom for the first time for my twin daughters. Here they are with their dates. Hard to imagine they are growing up this fast. Being able to see my kids as they grow up is what life is all about. I know of many people that don’t have the advantage of this, or for grandparents, to see their grandchildren grow up. Remember these reasons when you wonder why you should be working on things with your health, like trying to watch things in your diet, and making time to exercise. I stated several times before how I never had the opportunity to see either one of my grandfathers, and have always felt cheated by this. Use this as motivation to get going on taking care of yourself.
This is why I do all of my exercising. I plan on being around to see my kids with their activities, and one day, to see their kids doing the same thing. Is there really anything else more important in life? My twin daughters are growing up fast, and it has had its challenges, just like anything, but I would not trade any of. I am proud of my kids, and hopefully they are of me. Take care of yourself, and keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1673
by Dan | Apr 13, 2012 | Exercise, Wellness/Health
Some 16+ years ago I wrote a grant for the American College of Sports Medicine in regards of development of a fitness program entitled Strive to Survive. The Strive represents “Securing Time for Regular Involvement in a Variety of Exercise”. Since that time, it has become our Brown Clinic Wellness Program, with modifications and improvements along the way. It is a 12 week program incorporating exercise and nutrition, with the goal of continuing these types of habits for a lifetime. Our dietician Kelsey has been instrumental in helping us get to the point that we are at. We also continue to work and improve on this through the shared help of Dr. Likness, and two of our great assistants, Barb and Kristi.
You truly start to find out just how good your program actually is by the response of participants in the class, and community talk. You also find out about others who have developed programs with strikingly similar characteristics, such as the following:
One local program also goes 12 weeks, has the same lab, promotes the dietician aspect, and even has their classes taught on the same nights.
Another local community calls their program “Strive”, but advertises to high school athletes, and the benefit of the dietician.
Even as of today, another local individual who promotes/sells supplements posts on her facebook page about the concept of “Strive 2 Thrive”.
Coincidence? I doubt it. At this point I just find myself grinning from ear to ear because nothing tells me more about how good of a program we have than having other groups/individuals copy your idea. Bottom line, we are the original. We are the ones staying around, promoting our ideas, teaching individuals how to become healthier, and, most important, we practice what we teach. As the picture above shows, you need to make yourself standout and shine through amongst the branches. Be creative and go with your ideas. Good job to all of Brown Clinics Strive 2 Survive team! Keep up the good work. Remember everybody, keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1660
by Dan | Apr 8, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
A participant in a previous Strive 2 Survive class taught me, as a motivating tool, he carried around with him a rock with the words painted “WIN” on it. Whenever he had trouble deciding on when he needed to work on things, he would rub on this, and WIN represents: When is Now. It kept reminding him that it was up to him to really accomplish what it is he wanted, and he needed to do it now, before it was too late. Of course, never forget that we all can rely on others to help keep us going: friends, neighbors, relatives, training partners in general, that all can help us WIN.
Remember those that are close to us, important to us, to help us achieve our goals, and be healthier to be around longer.
Don”t lose sight of the big picture, of what it is we really want to achieve. Getting there is the challenge and difficult part. But remember, success should be a journey, not a final destination. Have fun along the way. You will be amazed as what you can all learn as you go. This knowledge you need to continue to fall back on, utilize, adapt, and continue to learn from it. We never quit learning. When is Now–WIN-to help you keep going forward. Good luck. Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1655
by Dan | Apr 7, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
The winds were definitely picking up today. The wind is not so bad when it is warm out, but when it is cold, it is another thing. When I started off running this AM with Sarah and some other friends from the running club, it was 51 degrees. We went on a long run, and by the time we were done, it was 41 degrees. I am not sure what the wind chill was, but had to be in the low 30’s. The forecast is calling for some more cold days, with lows down in the 20’s. Still overall not bad, but it is when we start getting used to the warm weather we have been having.
The Lake had lots of white caps on it, and made it very tough to run in. So the group we had running worked as a team, and took turns blocking the wind. We would then just keep trading off. We all got our workout in, and we worked together. It is always more enjoyable exercising with someone else. The conversations, the comraderie. It is no different then how we work through things every day. It is always easier when you have help, and at the same time, you contribute to it. We all have different Winds of Change in our lives every day, regardless of the weather. Keep your chin up, and move forward. As far as the weather, here is hoping that the cold days, and the wind, will be short lived. Have a great Easter coming! Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1654
by Dan | Apr 1, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
The Watertown Arrows had their first outdoor track meet of the 2012 season yesterday in Aberdeen. It was a perfect day for a track meet. There were lots of kids achieving qualifying times for the state meet. My Molly and Nick were both there competing, and both had a good day. As a parent, nothing gives me more pleasure than to sit back and watch my kids compete in similar events that I did growing up. Hopefully, all of the exercise I do wears off on them, and they not only learn how to compete, and have good sportsmanship, but also learn lifelong habits of staying in shape and exercising for years to come. I tell them that when it comes to participating in track, you get out of it what you put into it. If you work hard, you will go far… Hmm, sounds an awful like life in general, doesn’t it? It is just like I tell them…there will be good days, and there will be bad days. You just have to learn to appreciate the good days, and learn from the bad days. Here are pictures of both Molly and Nick.
Have a good week. Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1648
