by Dan | Sep 2, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It has been a busy Labor Day weekend! We went down to Huron to stay with Sarah’s parents, and of course, there was a 5k race on Saturday morning that we ran in. We have done this race many times in the past. Andy’s Annual Road Race. My daughter Molly and her fiancée Tanner also joined us. Then we spent rest of the time at the SD State Fair, and went to the Night Ranger/Foreigner concert Saturday night. Wow! All the music from our days growing up. Great time. The running has become part of the tradition for this family. Whenever we go somewhere for a vacation, or a break, we have to see what running races may be going on.
Andy’s is a race Sarah grew up with when she lived in Huron. It is also the first race I did with her when we first starting going out, with the first one being after we started dating for a month. It brought back a lot of memories. This time one of our kids was able to run it with us. Great job Molly and Tanner! Tanner, you are starting to figure out first hand what it will be like to be a part of this family!
Tanner is wearing the shirt from the race. Very nice colors, and will be great for running! Tanner took 3rd place for his age group, and Sarah and I each won our age group divisions for the 5K. Bringing home more medals is just icing on the cake! Later that morning Tanner, Molly, and I went to the Fair. Sarah stayed home with her mom and spent the rest of the weekend quilting. Nothing is going to get in the way of quilting!
Then Saturday night came for the concert. Night Ranger was good, but nothing like Foreigner! All of the songs were hits when we were growing up, and they did not miss anything that night. Incredible concert! We loved every minute of it!
Every song was great listening, but the last one hit it home once again. It was a good way of summing of everything in life so far. “I gotta take a little time, A little time to think things over. I better read between the lines, In case I need it when I get older. In my life, there’s been heartache and pain. I don’t know if I can face it again. Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to change this lonely life.” And then of from there. We all face adversities. We all face challenges. But we need to take the time to spend with our family and friends. That is the only thing that matters. The relationships you make. The people you meet. We all need to learn how we have “gotta to take a little time” to be with those that are important to us, doing things that are important to do! Stay active, stay healthy, live life, with all of it ups and downs, with no regrets when we look back in time. Just keep looking forward, and enjoy the scenery, the adventures, and the ride! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3980
by kelsey | Jun 28, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
July 4th is such a fun holiday to gather with friends and family and enjoy delicious food and outdoor activities. Food is usually a very large part of this holiday, as it should be! Making fun recipes and eating delicious food is very enjoyable. There are a few very easy switches that you can make to improve the nutritional value of typical “grilling” type foods. Enjoy the day and truly embrace the quality time with your family!
- Switch to whole grains.
- This is one of the easiest switches you can make! Instead of purchasing white buns and bread, purchase things that are made of whole grains.
- Use fruit where you can!
- Everybody seems to love refreshing fruit on a hot summer day so add fruit in where you can. You can even do something as cool as making a watermelon cake instead of cupcakes or in addition to them. Another option is to make fruit kabobs and a fresh fruit salad.
- Add in your Veggies.
- Veggies can be added to many salads or slaws. A veggie pizza is always a good option and so delicious!
- Choose lean meats.
- Be sure to use meats such as chicken, turkey, or 90% lean hamburger.
- Offer non-alcoholic alternatives.
- It can be super easy to sip on alcoholic drinks throughout the day but if you have alternatives around it could help remind you to choose other options. Sparkling water with fresh fruit is very hydrating and satisfying.
These are a few easy things that you can implement into your 4th of July for a fun and healthy day! For more recipes and ideas for food to make, click HERE! Have a fun and safe Fourth with your family and friends!
Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by Dan | Jun 24, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It has been a busy 2 weeks! Sarah and I took off for Virginia and spent days with my daughter Megan. I got to spend Father’s Day with her, and the shirt I am wearing is what she gave me. A perfect present! A running Dad is the coolest! She is mainly a swimmer, but has been getting into running more and more. She had done a 5k the week before, and her and I went running a couple of times together while we were out seeing her. Virginia is loaded with things to do from a history standpoint. We stayed several days out with her boyfriend, and his parents, who live close to Williamsburg. We spent an entire day there, touring colonial Williamsburg, and the day before in Jamestown. I love seeing historical areas, and learning about the past. We had just began to scratch the surface of what was there to see. Over the weekend, then adventures got even better!
We spent one day touring the home of Thomas Jefferson, our third US President, at Monticello! Wow! I have always wanted to see this. The next day we toured James Madison’s home at Montpelier, our 4th President. Learning about things at that time, and what these 2 presidents did in founding our nation, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. It was well worth the trip, and I learned a lot of things. After 5 days in Virginia, we then left to head back to Minneapolis, where I would spend the next 4 full days at a Sports Medicine conference.
Again, I learned a lot, but it was very intense. 30 hours of lectures. I definitely learned a lot! But, while we were there, we did exercise everyday. Sarah and I went running each morning before I would go to the conference for the day.
They had a bike trail, and side by side running trail, 3/4 mile from the hotel. It went along the Mississippi River. Great scenery! Lots of people out utilizing their trail systems every morning…walking, running, riding. It was a very popular place. The thing that was also nice about the conference is they had a separate room with 2 treadmills, and an elliptical, with the conference streamed in on TV in an adjacent room where conference attendees could go exercise in half hour increments, and not miss the conference. It was a popular place. I got on it once because it would fill up for the entire day quickly. I had never seen this done before with a conference. When you sit all day listening to lectures, it was a nice break to go do some activity, yet still not miss out on any of the talks.
Friday night we did manage to go have some fun. The hotel was 1/4 mile from Target Field, and the Twins had a home game that night, so we got to go!
We had seats in the second level, behind home plate! The Twins lost, but it was a great night to get out and relax.
Sarah and I just blended in with everybody else. The Twins may have lost, but the fireworks show they had after the game was well worth staying for. It was consecutive fireworks for a full 20 minutes!
All in all, we had a great time. We got to be away for a break, spend some vacation time with daughter, and then come back and learn about Sports Medicine. We always have to keep learning. No matter what any of us do in our lives, don’t ever quit learning. There are so many new things, and places to see, and explore. The days touring in Virginia we would walk anywhere from 5-7 miles a day. The better the shape you are in, the more you get to see. Take advantage of that. Never quit learning, and never quit moving. Life is too short already, and you don’t want to miss out on anything. If someone says they know everything, stay away from them! We all have things to learn. This was a perfect example of how to be on vacation, and still get an education! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3910
by kelsey | May 22, 2018 | Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The official kick off to summer and picnic season is this weekend: Memorial Day Holiday! This time of year always bring great cookouts and picnics. Typical picnic foods consist of burgers, brats, hotdogs, chips, and high calorie salads such as macaroni and potato salads. These are all very tasty foods, but they are also all very high in calories, fat, and sodium. Cookouts don’t have to bust the calorie bank. Choose your foods wisely and plan your menus to include a few healthy options and make substitutions like the meal examples below to help you fully enjoy each cookout while aiding in a healthy heart and waistline.
Eat This
90% lean hamburger with whole wheat thin bun
Grilled chicken breast
Grilled shrimp
Tossed Salad with light dressing
Fresh veggies with light ranch dip
Baked chips
Fruit salad
Angel food cake with light cool whip and strawberries
Unsweetened Tea with Lemon
Not That
80% lean hamburger with white bun
Hot dogs
Brats
Excess portions of: macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans
Brownies
Kool-Aid
Regular pop
-Kelsey
by Dan | May 13, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mothers out there! You truly have no idea what difference you make in your families lives. A mother may or may not have children of their own, but they all take care those who are “their kids” in one way or another. You all fall into this category. Mothers are there when we need them, always sacrificing for others, never thinking twice about what they need to do for their families. There are the foundation of all families. I got to spend this weekend with my mom, and as I told her, I can’t tell her enough how much I love her, and how much I appreciated everything she has done for me in my life. Thank you mom! Sarah and I went to SF to help celebrate this day, and also ran in the Avera annual race for breast cancer run.
My Sarah ran as well! We have run this race for many years. We really have made an effort over the last 17 years as my sister-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. We ran for her…and all moms who have had breast cancer. We all know someone, a friend, a sister, an aunt, or our mom, who have had breast cancer, and have battled through it. This is our way of showing support for them, and all women, and to show support for them, showing them how important they all are to us. All of us are affected by this in one way or another.
Here is our group just before race. My sister-in-law Joni is crouched down in the middle of the picture. The rain held off, and it started out a little cold, but nobody who was there thought twice about this. We were all there for a reason. We were there to show support Joni, and for all of the breast cancer survivors. The route was very hilly and challenging, but the bottom line is our journey was nothing like what they had to endure during their treatment. I always said having this race on the weekend of Mother’s Day is the best way to show how important our moms are to us. We appreciate everything you do for us.
Mothers definitely hold the family together! We love you for everything you do for us!
This AM our run club went out and ran just like any other Sunday. I wanted to get all of our mother’s together…and again, whether a mother directly or indirectly for someone, you are all important. I hope you all realize the sacrifices you make for your families are truly noticed and appreciated. The next slide reveals what you all represent in summary:
Thank you Mom! Thanks to all of you moms! You are loved and appreciated beyond words! Thank you for all you do! Don’t ever change. At times you need a break just like all of us, but your job as a mom never takes a holiday! You all keep going forward, pushing us, encouraging us, supporting us…loving us! Thank you very much!
Keep moving everybody…just like our moms!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3868
by Dan | Mar 11, 2018 | Equipment, Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, weight lifting, Wellness/Health
Sarah and I had a great vacation in Jamaica recently, but being on vacation does not mean we have to take a break from working out. It is always part of our daily routine, and being on vacation was no exception. We did one excursion off of the resort, and went horseback riding one morning. We have done this before, and was a lot of fun, but also forgot what different muscles it takes in your legs to do this. We both felt this afterwards! Here we are getting to ride the horses in the ocean.
There was plenty of walking to do on the resort as well. The main areas to eat were up on a hill, so there were plenty of stairs to use to get to the different restaurants, and then again back down to the beach.
We normally would first go hit the gym they had their when we got up in the morning to start the day. They had several treadmills, bikes, steppers, and weights. We could always find something to use that morning.
Following this we would eat breakfast, and go hit the beach for the day. Relax, read, take a nap, then repeat for lunch. We had the rest of the day to take it easy, so getting our workout done first thing was no problem. There were no alarm clocks on vacation…we just got up when we felt like it. Sarah the one afternoon joined in on a yoga session on the dock over the ocean. I just watched!
The rest of the time we spent just watching the ocean, relaxing, and taking in the scenery, and peace and quiet. It was a great vacation…but we still found the time to exercise, and when it is a part of your regular routine, it was not hard to continue doing then as well. It is a great way to start each day. Then spend the rest of the day relaxing.
Enjoy your vacations…but you can still eat well, splurge a little, and still exercise. Otherwise, it is just another reason to have to use an excuse for! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3812
