by Dan | Feb 19, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Just got back from our week on vacation in Mexico. Great time, great weather. Ran on the beach everyday. Much different to get used to for running, but also went walking everyday along the ocean, barefoot, and was very nice. The beach extended for miles so you could just keep going. The scenery was great. Lots of pelicans around, always diving into the ocean to get food. They were great posers for the camera as well. Here one is coming in for a landing along the posts on the edge of the beach, where they like to hang out everyday at.
They made for great subjects, especially at sunset and sunrise. Never really even felt like we were out running or walking, or working at the exercise, when we had this kind of scenery all of the time to look at. Once again, I will take you on a tour of Mexico, and show some of the other scenery, and beach area where we would go running or walking. This would not be hard to get used to! Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1606
by Dan | Feb 5, 2012 | Exercise, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
Spent the last few days out in Deadwood for the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians annual conference/meeting. Weather was very good. Went outside to go running. They are not just hills out there, they are mountains. There was a route just outside of the hotel that was a little more off the main traffic. Started out 1 mile up, then 1 mile down, then back. Wow! I told Sarah I should have packed a rope to climb back up. Here is one going down. The only problem with this, is you have to come back up…
…Nothing like using muscles that have been in hibernation for awhile. Still sore. It ended up being a very enjoyable weekend. I ended up being chosen for a very special, very suprising award during this conference. I will talk about it in the next few days. Have a good week coming. Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1592
by Dan | Jan 31, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Ever have those days when everything seems like it is busting out at the seams, and there never seems to be enough time to get everything done? Sure, we all have. Lately, it seems like it has been more often. Maybe it is the time of the year, and we can’t get out and enjoy the outdoors as much. For me, that is where exercise has helped me tremendously. It is my escape. It is time for me to do something I enjoy, and that reaps more benefits than may be first realized. But, the bottom line… it is time for me. Afterall, are we not all worth being able to have a little time for ourselves? If we don’t make sure that we take care of ourselves, who is going to do it for us? This is a picture of a rocking chair facing the lake, a very special place to me, near the Twin Cities. It is a great place to be quiet, think about things, and get away from the pressures of everyday life. We all need some of that once in awhile. We need to make the time for it, and in the long run, it will pay big dividends. Looking back at this picture brings back those memories. Keep this in mind for the future…when you need to have that time away…for you! Stay Active, and Enjoy!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1587
by Dan | Jan 23, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This weekend Megan had a swim meet here in town, the Big Apple. She had to do the 200 meter breaststroke to qualify for her “all around swimmer” t-shirt, showing that she swam in every event at a swim meet this season. She ended up having to do a time trial in this, so basically swam the race by herself at the end of the meet.
As she was coming down each length of the pool, she had a group of her team mates screaming and yelling and cheering her on. They were all done with their events, but they hung around to cheer on a team mate. With encouragement like this, it makes the activity much easier. That is what a training partner does for you also. Whether it be your spouse, significant other, neighbor, friend, or a pet, like Buddy, you have someone to keep you going. Someone to help keep you motivated. It makes the exercise so much more enjoyable, and meaningful. Here they are cheering her on!
Keep motivating others around you. Show them by example. Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1579
by Dan | Jan 16, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This weekend we spent in Sioux Falls with the rest of my brothers, and my sister, and all of their families, to celebrate my Dad’s 80th birthday. I just talked about on the last post of mine about motivation being an inside job. Look no further than here for where I get my motivation and inspiration from. My Dad worked his whole life doing manual labor, and then has spent the last 16 years in retirement being an exercise maniac. He still rides his bike at least 10 miles a day, but was doing 15 miles. I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, but he would keep a log on a calendar about the bike rides he did, and would mark the day with an “X” on the calendar. At one point, he was 6 months ahead of schedule, so he was actually doing like 45 miles some days on the bike. He has always been an inspiration to me. His motto has always been…”you get what you work for, and nobody is going to hand things to you. So get off your butt, and get it done.” He always made sure he had fun doing it though.
We have had a lot of fun over the years, and I am so glad my kids got to know you, Dad. I did not get the chance to know my grandfathers, but my kids sure got to know theirs. We appreciate all of this time.
Be sure to spend time with your family, and the ones that mean the most to you. Once that time is gone, you don’t get it back. Remember to take care of yourself, and keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1572
by Dan | Jan 14, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Wellness/Health
What motivates you? This is still one of the main things that each of you individually needs to answer. For each of us, we as individuals need to evaluate our own abilities, and at the same time, incorporate these abilities into our life’s objectives. “What you can concieve you can achieve.” One of the more critical issues when it comes to motivation is restructuring our own attitudes, and using this to achieve true success. Anything worth having does not just happen. It takes effort, and effort requires work. Once all is said and done, that work can return rewards that will fulfill our lives, make us happy, and allow us to appreciate who we are as individuals. The hardest part of regular exercise is not the exercise, it is the regular. It becomes much easier when you make exercise a habit. It then becomes a part of your day, your routine, and you just plan for it.
A quatation by Aristotle sums this up: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1570
