by Dan | Jan 1, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
2017 is done, and 2018 is here! How was the year for you? Did you accomplish things you wanted? Is there anything in particular you want to accomplish in 2018? What is it you want? That is a good question for all of us. We have to decide what is personally important to us, and how bad do we want. At the same time, what kind of work are we willing to do to achieve. In general, New Years Resolutions don’t always have a good track record. It may be a good time to try to focus on things, and we all have good intentions, but the secret is how are we going to keep doing this year round, year after year? You need to keep going back to your original goals, your original reasons as to why you even want to accomplish certain goals. Why is it important to you?
Here we celebrated yesterday Jill reaching her 1000 mile running for the year, and Jenn reaching 1500 miles. Is the total important? No. It was a goal for them, and they achieved it, and we helped celebrate by running outside with them for the final mile, in what was unquestionably the coldest day of the year! That is what friends do…that is what family does…in this case, our running family. It always makes goals more achievable, and more meaningful, if you have someone else helping you along the way, motivating you along the way!
How truer can this be! Don’t think about it too hard, it will just give you more time to back out of your goals, or come up with excuses not to work for something you know would be of benefit to you. Just Go!
This was the group that came out yesterday to go for their final ceremonial run. We all did a mile (well, a couple of us did 3.5 miles!). I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical prior to going to meet for this run because of the cold…-22, with a wind chill of -40! Far from ideal, but also, if you wear the right clothing, far from impossible as well. We did it, and we helped them get to their final goal. Then we all went out to Caribou to celebrate! That is a reason to do this…spend time with your friends and family…people who truly do care about you, and who you care about. We want to be here more to have more of these moments. Always striving…
I will be the first to admit it…it was cold. If we were not meeting for this specific reason, and for a mile, there is no way I would have gone outside on my own. My workout would have been inside for all of it. It does prove to yourself as well how tough you really are (or stupid! Sometimes this is a very thin line!). You always have to take into account the conditions, the weather. When you are in a group, we all look out for each other. If I had been out there on my own, I would have been worried. What if I would have fallen, and it was that cold out? You have to be smart in this regards as well.
We stick together…look out for each other…are there for each other! There is even more of us when the weather is good! Your friends and family who help push you when things get uncomfortable make things or goals what would otherwise seem impossible, possible! Sometimes you even amaze yourself what you are capable of. Our biggest limitations tend to be between our ears! Believe in yourself, and good things happen.
Just remember, there is never a perfect time. If we keep waiting for that perfect time, we won’t get off of the couch. We won’t achieve our goals, and we won’t live our lives to the fullest that it could be. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Don’t wait for perfect weather. And…normally, I would say don’t wait until Jan 1 to make a start…start anytime, just keep it going. Since today is Jan 1…then this is a good day to start. Come on, what are you waiting for? We are not guaranteed tomorrow! Live today, achieve our goals, be happy, and be around to enjoy the things in life we find worthwhile! Just be safe as well!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3750
by kelsey | Dec 28, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Exercise, Food, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As we approach the weekend and New Year, many of our conversations involve discussion of New Years resolutions….a common topic for the month of January. Personally, I don’t really like resolutions…I don’t think you need to wait for a certain time of the year to focus on your health! You can do that anytime! I also don’t really agree with the mentality we have of binging on everything over the holidays followed by a “starvation” period in January. What fun is that!! Usually those drastic changes don’t last and you are back to eating normally and once again stuck in that revolving door of overeating followed by guilt and then restriction…which then leads us back to overeating because we can’t stick with it! Instead, I like to focus on healthy living all year round!
Choosing a few small things to work on over time that will help you create new habits that you can stick with. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Eat balanced! Strive for well balanced meals and snacks that are nutrient rich and portioned. Make half your plate fruits and veggies, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains.
- Eat consistently-eat several small meals and snacks a day instead of one or two big meals. This will keep your metabolism going and prevent you from being starving which always leads to overeating.
- Start your day off right with breakfast- this will help get your metabolism going and provide adequate nutrients to fuel you through your day.
- Focus on health, not weight. We put so much focus on the number on the scale it can drive us half crazy! Instead focus on healthy habits such as getting more fruits and veggies, using smaller plates and portions sizes, engaging in regular activity, etc etc. The weight will come when you achieve healthy habits!
- Eat dinner as a family. Take time to visit and enjoy. This will slow down your eating process and allow you to think more mindfully about your hunger and fullness. Ask yourself: Should I stop now? Do I really need seconds? etc.
- Get active-strive to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week. If you can get up to 60 minutes, even better! Can’t do it all at once? That’s ok, research has shown that even 10 minutes at a time provides benefit so split it up between your day. We all have a million excuses to not exercise, so you need to throw out the excuse book and just put your mind to it! Start with 5-10 minutes and go from there. You will most likely find that you feel so much better after you exercise which makes doing it so much more enjoyable!
- Think positive- winter is a tough time for us…it’s dark, cold, and dreary. It can really wear us down at times, so instead focus on the positives. Positive thinking will help you be healthier instead and out!
- Get help from a qualified professional. If you need assistance with reaching your health goals, reach out for help! A Registered Dietitian (RD)/Licensed Nutrition (LN) like myself is your best source of reliable and credible food and nutrition information. Our next group wellness program STRIVE 2 Survive starts March 13th, but I can certainly work with you individually now!
Baby steps turn into big ones, so start slow and small and put more of a focus on health and wellness long term versus the quick fix! You CAN do this! Happy New Year!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by Dan | Dec 24, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
It was a great run this AM…not because of the temperature. It was cold outside, with a wind-chill below zero. It was great because of who I was running with. We had our weekly Watertown Area Run Club, and Sarah and I were running with our friends! Our running family. None of our group runs are really about running, but it is about spending time with people you care about, and who also happen to like running. Going out this AM by myself was probably not going to happen otherwise. As soon as I saw the temperature, a 1000 different excuses started going through my head to come up with something else to do for exercise other than running outside. But, my running family was going to be there…so you get up, put more warm stuff on, and get out the door.
It was our second annual Christmas run…and we were all decked out in our Christmas gear. Even Santa Claus was there in full garb! That also made it fun. We were quite the force going down the road. The only problem was we started at 6 AM, so there were not many cars, or people, out yet at that time. Several cars honked, and even rolled down the window to say Merry Christmas! That also kept us motivated to be out there.
We all posed in our Christmas garb in front of Makepeace jewelers. All smiling, laughing, then running…just spending time together. I had to go on a longer run yet today, and was not too eager to run on my own another 5 miles in this cold, and would have easily just headed to the car and left. Amanda decided she was going to run 10 miles too, and she was dressed as Mrs. Claus. We probably looked liked quite the sight running down highway 81. We kept each other going! Thanks Amanda! It made the cold tolerable! Now we both can enjoy the rest of the Christmas holiday!
Here are the rest of many of our run club members who could not be here this AM…but we were thinking about them this AM.
Merry Christmas to all my running friends…my running family, as well as to the rest of my family! Merry Christmas to all of you as well…take care of yourself. Get out and keep moving…be around longer to spend more time with your family as well. Strive to survive! All of this activity is part of this running Doc’s life…make it a part of your life as well! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3742
by Dan | Dec 3, 2017 | Exercise, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Well, we all have things that we were planning on doing, and changes in our schedule, or daily routine happens…or you get sick. That was me this week. I have a marathon coming up in January that I am trying to do some long runs yet, and this weekend was going to be one of my 20 mile runs. The weather was going to be great, and we still have no snow. But, I ended up starting to get sick on Monday, and as the week went on, it only got worse. The coughing was non stop, and by Friday, I had to stay home as every time I started talking, I was coughing. I went in to get myself checked, to make sure I did not have anything more than something viral. One of my nurses asked me, “What is going to happen to your exercise streak?”. Well, to be honest, at 8 AM, this was the last thing I was worried about. I ended up going back home, and slept until 4PM. Just what I needed. By then, I was so achy from laying all day, then I went for a walk on the treadmill. I did not have to worry about the weather, the wind, and I could control how fast I went. I managed 3 miles, slow pace, but actually felt better. Exercise streak intact! But, there was no way I was going to be doing a 20 mile run the next day. That is ok…I want to be healthy first! The weekend is now going to be in the past, and I will just plan, or change my plans, going forward. It is no different than anything else in life. Things don’t always go as we would like. You can either accept it, or dwell on it…or make excuses. Bottom line, you still have to deal with it. Adapt, and overcome. Tomorrow is another day…we hope! It helped running with the run club this AM as well. It always provides more motivation. I did not know how far I was going to go when I started, but told myself I would do what I felt comfortable doing. No excuses. Just keep moving. I am feeling much better, and hopefully I hit the peak of this a few days ago. As physicians, Sarah and I are always taking care of somebody else, but, we get sick too. You just make the best of things, and move on. It is always great having my own doctor at home all of the time too! Thanks Sarah for helping to take care of me…and hanging with me running this AM.
You keep pushing me, motiving me…loving me, even when I am sick, and crabby! Thanks for hanging with me. This is how we strive to survive. Be there for somebody, at some time, because sooner than later, you will have the favor returned to you!
Love ya Sarah! Thanks for everything you do for me! Keep moving everybody! Don’t make excuses, just do it!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3721 (Still intact!)
by Dan | Nov 26, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Food, Holidays, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Thanksgiving! A time to spend with family, eat good food, watch football on TV…and exercise! “If you want to eat, you gotta move your feet”. The annual Turkey Day DASH took place on Thursday, a 5k run, and 2 mile walk. 360 people participated in this event. It is a great way to start out the holiday, and get your activity in, and then eat and enjoy the rest of the day as you want.
We had absolutely perfect weather for this as well. Ended up being at race time in the low 40’s, and then got into the mid 50’s by the middle of the afternoon. Great time to go for a walk to work off some of that noon meal as well. Nick came home from college, and brought my mom up with him, so we got to spend some great family time together as well. Sarah’s family made it up for the day as well. Great food, and great company.
The Turkey day DASH is becoming a family tradition for us now as well. You are out exercising with hundreds of other people, and then work up an appetite to eat, and not feel as guilty later because you already worked out. Thanksgiving is one of those times when we all indulge a little, and that is ok…but still good to keep within reason. And, there is no excuse to not exercise that day as well. There is always some time, you just have to figure out when is that time.
Here was my plate when we sat down. Turkey with stuffing, gravy, corn, a bun, and my moms famous noodle salad with grapes! Delicious!
It was a good time spending with family. We all had more than enough to eat. We then watched the Vikings win in football, and then the weather was so nice out, we went out for a walk, and just spent time outside and enjoyed the warm weather. We have had days where the temperature has been -25 degrees, so this was great!
They were taking pictures of everybody coming across the finish line at the race. After we crossed, I reached my hand out to Sarah to high five her…we came across together…and she was not looking at me right then. So I turned towards her more, and then she saw me and high fived back, but the angle of the camera looks like I am smacking her in the face! Truly, it is just the angle of the camera!
But it was a great way to start the day. Many of the run club members…friends…were there as well. This, too, is becoming a tradition as well.
There is always time to take care of yourself, stay in shape, and spend time with friends. You have to figure out how you are going to do this, and how you are going to make time for it. Is this always easy to do? No! It takes some effort to figure out when this will get worked into your day. You have to plan…you have to learn to make accommodations…you have to make an effort. When all is said and done, you will be happy you did it. Learn to make adjustments. Invest in you. Are you not worth it? The days go by fast. Don’t waste the time we do have. Take advantage of it, and enjoy life to its fullest. Strive to survive! Spend the holidays with family, and make them special. Those same people will not always be in your life. Make life count! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3714
by Dan | Nov 19, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
It may be getting colder out, but you can still jump for excitement! We still have the ability to get outside and exercise, where a lot of people still cannot choose. Does it get tough to get motivated to get out there when you see how cold it is, and how strong the wind is? Absolutely! But, by the time all is said and done, you still feel better when you get done…just that right now when it is cold, you feel even better now when you get done.
First, we can get excited that the majority of the trails are still open, and not icy, and snow covered. We will take this as long as we can. Just like any sport, you have to have the right equipment for it. You dress in layers, and you can take layers off as you need. Your pockets often times are packed with a mask, extra gloves, etc, but if you are prepared, then the run, or walk outside, is much more enjoyable. And, no matter what, it is still much better than being stuck inside on a treadmill!
Here are many of us in the run club, after we got done with our run. We all have the right equipment on, layers on, to handle the cold. That does not mean I don’t want it to get warm out. It is still more enjoyable in the Summer, but you can make if more enjoyable by being prepared for it. You just have to remember one important point:
That is why you have to keep moving! If you stay moving, you stay warm. It helps keep you motivated to keep going, and then you get done faster! We had just gotten done with a run club run last year, and we had just gotten some new light snow during the run. Our tracks were present yet on the way back.
It helps to know where you have been, but it is much more important to know where you want to go! Keep looking forward. Tough conditions make you stronger. Don’t think…just get out and move! You can do this by yourself, but there is no question it is much easier to do when you have friends/training partners with you. This way, if it is windy, you can help take turns blocking the wind. That is what Sarah and I did on our run yesterday. You work together. You motivate each other. The cold is just a temperature…don’t let it decide whether you will exercise or not. If it gets bad enough, it may change where you exercise, or how far or how much you exercise, but don’t let it stop you! You will amaze even yourself at what you may be capable of doing. Enjoy it! When people drive by and look at us outside running, they all think we are crazy! Some days, maybe we are…but we are not going to let is stop us from what we enjoy doing! Keep moving everybody, and remember, you may just have to dress warmer!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3707
