by Dan | Mar 6, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens us, and to have strength in the face of adversity, whatever that adversity may be. For many of us, exercise brings out fears in us, and excuses! “There is no way I can do that!”, or “my body is just not designed to do that”. Find the courage to move past our own mind! Here Sarah is riding her bike in the triathlon, or I should say, restarting the triathlon. She had gone about 2 miles and had a flat tire, and had to be taken back to start line, where she got her tire fixed. Because she got help, she got disqualified. She did not let that stop her though. She got on her bike, and took off, in last place, knowing that her time would not be given, but she had trained for this, and was going to finish it regardless. That was her personal goal…and she did it. To me, that took courage. She could have just quit, and sat there, and been even more unhappy because she did not get to do it. She overcame that set back, and took off anyway.
Steve had the courage to overcome issues with his heart…serious issues…but he did not let that stop him from wanting to participate in, and complete a marathon. We are crossing the finish line at the Disney marathon, his first, and after an 8 month struggle with issues with his heart. He found strength in the face of adversity, and found the ability to do something that would have frightened many others…he too had courage!
Tom had his own issues with his heart as well. My first marathon partner. But he was out joining me in a run on those long run days to help me get through, and achieve my goal of doing another marathon. He continues to run as well…having the courage to do this, when many others would have long quit. He is another example of you “live your life”, and do what you want to do, and enjoy life, and don’t let things hold you back, or allow you to come up with excuses that hold you back. Find that courage! It is in all of us…and even though it may be located deeper in some of us than others, it is there. So this is why I remind you…find the courage to overcome your fears, and do what we as individuals are capable of! Our minds are our biggest obstacles…our bodies are ready to go, if are mind convinces us that we are capable. And we are!
Find the courage to move past that fear! Whether you are a regular to exercise or not, we all need to be moving. A body in motion stays in motion!
Take those risks! Live life to the fullest. Another future blog post will cover the topic of “risk” as well.
Be who your are! Do what is right and important for you. Have the courage to do the things you enjoy, and push yourselves into those things that you think your are not capable of doing. If you do, you will have Success in Life!
Keep moving everybody…find the courage!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3082
by Dan | Feb 28, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all need encouragement for things in our life at some time or another, and who better than to receive this from than your own family. We are missing Molly and Jeff in here, but the rest came along when Steve and I did the Disney Goofy. After all encouragement means “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.” We all need it to keep going with our goals, especially our exercise goals.
When Steve could not run his first marathon at Fargo because of issues with his heart, he was there to support and encourage me. I ran it because I had been trying to help him participate in his first marathon. I still don’t know who was more disappointed, Steve because he could not run, or me because I could run, but without Steve! But we had each others back, and Steve was able to start running again, so we could do Disney together! He never gave up!
We all have challenges along the way that make it tough for us to keep going, or to stay motivated. Rely on your family and friends to help keep you going. They need help too! We can all be there for each, and in the process, have some fun, and create memories to last a lifetime!
Our run club may be small, but we are a close knit group. Here is a shot of the originals, completing a half or full marathon at Fargo. We all hung around to cheer each other on, and then got to show off our medals together. We create even tighter bonds amongst each other, and those friendships go a long way. Here Jill and Paula celebrate after the SF half marathon.
We may all be runners, but we are also friends. We care about each other, and the running has only created stronger bonds of friendship. Bonds of encouragement for each other! This can carry on to not only running but other forms of exercise. Here in our Fun Fit class Rich and I are encouraging Susan as she is completing her lifting routine.
Susan used to be one of my nurses, but now is one of my exercises “partners” in this class. We can still dish out things to each other, but bottom line, we are pushing each other as well, and challenging not only ourselves, but each other. It always helps working out with a group. I have also gotten to know Rich really well in this class, and we both work our butt off, and push each other. The motivation is higher when we are both there, not in a competitive kind of way, but to help encourage each other to keep going…to not quit, and especially to not quit on ourselves!
When it comes to exercise, I have stated this in numerous posts in the past. The perseverance, determination, drive, attitude…all of it gets better by encouragement! This last quote I think sums it up very well!
Enjoy Success in Life, and encourage others, and they will encourage you! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3075
by Dan | Feb 21, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Persistence! That quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something, even though it is difficult or opposed by other people. For me, it shows in my consecutive exercise day streak. The hard part is convincing everybody else to get moving, and making an attempt also. The following quote by one of our former Presidents, Calvin Coolidge, hits it right on!
Persistence and Determination–what a combination! “Press on”, or as the ad for Nike states, “Just do it!”. Both have deep meaning and can solve a lot of our problems. Never give in—especially to our own minds! What it takes to be a success in life is Persistence!
How true this is! Simple, but true! Sarah and I went hiking out in Colorado, and the mountains can be a challenge. But, if you are persistent, you open the door to many more sites, and have a deeper appreciation for all of the things in life, especially the little things!
More important, I get to spend time with someone who is my world! How much more of a success in life can this be?
Next time that thought enters your head telling you that you can’t exercise, or come up with some other excuse to not do it, refuse to quit! It is much easier to step back and go at things at a slower pace then to quit altogether, only later to restart again, and face those struggles all over again as well. Exercise is one of my passions, and I believe in this with all of my heart. Hopefully, it is also doing my heart some good as well. But the ride along the way has been wonderful! Bottom line–Persistence! Believing in a cause, and being distracted by nothing! JUST KEEP GOING!
Keep moving everybody! Persistence is the Key!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day#: 3068
by Dan | Feb 14, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Desire: a strong feeling of wanting to crave something, or wishing for something to happen. Or maybe even just wishing for something to be better, or even appreciating what you already have!
It can mean a lot of different things for different people, but bottom line, we want something, or to hold on to something, more than anything else. We DESIRE it! We appreciate it! We work for it, or it is something worth working for! What is that desire for you? What is it you don’t have, but want? A relationship? A healthier life? A happier life? Are you willing to work for it? How bad do you want it?
I desire to spend time with my family, and my wife. It does not get any better when we have the same interests, and exercise is one of those interests. It brings us closer than many other things in our life. We have been able to travel and explore more things, and more places, because of it. Together! We have gotten to experience life more fully. In the process, we have become healthier, so that hopefully we will have even more time to spend together, and explore more things. A desire to spend time together, and be happy. Is that not the desire of everybody? To be happy in our lives? Are we willing to work for it, and work through many obstacles and challenges that come along the way?
If it is important to you, then it is important to work for. Nothing in life can be taken for granted. One day we have it, and another day we may not. Appreciate it all while you can!
Nobody ever said it would be easy. If it was easy, then you would not appreciate it when you do earn it, or work for it. There will always be “bumps” along the way, and challenges.
On this Valentines Day, appreciate even more those are close to you, and important to you. Especially with your spouse, or significant other. 2 hearts really can become one…one to share everything with, explore with, and work those challenges in life…TOGETHER! Just like 25 years ago, when Sarah and I were married…we new already then, as our wedding announcement shows…2 hearts were to become one! Forever and for always! Never lose that DESIRE in your life!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3061
by kelsey | Feb 10, 2016 | Diet, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. Many people who lose weight slip back into their old ways and gain weight back. This yo-yo dieting or weight cycling results in a variety of issues including poor self esteem, lack of motivation, binge eating, etc. I like to compare this cycle to being stuck in a revolving door like you’d find at a hotel…you just keep going around and around and can’t seem to get out! I was recently discussing this concept with a friend who has been working really hard to lose weight and improve their health and she hit a wall this week….life got busy and she’s struggling to stay on track. The reality is that that’s life for you…life is busy, hectic, and sometimes crazy! Your day may not always go as you planned and you may not always make the right choices in regards to exercise or activity, but that’s part of life and we just have to accept and move on instead of dwell about it! Don’t let those bumps along the road derail you from meeting your long term goals! Below are some tips to help you stop that cycle and improve and maintain good health and wellness long term!
- Change your mindset: No one ever wants to go on a “diet” and being a diet is never any fun, so ditch the word. Diet usually has a time period to it, so instead think of this has a lifestyle improvement. Think of healthy eating as a lifelong commitment, not a short period of time. Fad diets never work as you can’t live that way forever, so instead focus on a well-balanced nutrition plan that incorporates whole foods and portion control.
- Get adequate sleep: sleep is often overlooked in the equation to success as we tend to put a large amount of focus on food and activity….but in reality, getting adequate sleep is just as important as your exercise and nutrition. You need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep/night to allow your body to reset and repair itself. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits typically result in poor eating habits, increasing cravings for junk foods, and a higher BMI.
- Destress: stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol and when this hormone is increased, you may experience a greater desire for junk foods or unhealthy foods. Examine your stress levels and think critically about ways you could improve the stress in your life. You may consider journaling, yoga, or meditation to help you. Engaging in regular activity also helps reduce stress as it gives your body natural endorphins that aid in mood boosting.
- Practice mindful eating: Slow the eating process down and think critically about your hunger and fullness factors. Think of food as fuel and you want to choose healthy foods to provide your body with the appropriate nutrients and energy. When we think of food as “good” or “bad” it tends to make us want those bad foods even more, so instead change your mindset about food and work on portion control and feeling confident about your decisions.
I don’t expect these tips to happen overnight, but I do encourage you to examine your life and look at each part of the equation to help you stop the weight cycling and get on a path of healthy living for the long run!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Feb 7, 2016 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have that urge to want to attain a goal, whatever that goal may be. The goal we want can be as individual as the individual themselves. We push ourselves, and sometimes need someone to push us as well. But, for all of us, we have to dig deep within ourselves to find what that drive may be. What is that urge we desire for a goal we want to attain? What is it that will push us toward that level of discomfort, and fear of the unknown? It is different for all of us, and the answer can be as unique as the individual. It does help though when you are with a group, or a partner, to help motivate that drive.
We need to show our determination, and to keep reviewing our goals, vision, and then ultimately to execute, in order to create that drive.
We need to push ourselves past that comfort zone. I hear all of the time “I don’t have time”, “I just can’t get motivated”, “I could never do that”. We all have those doubts, including me. Even with my consecutive streak of exercise days, there are times when I just don’t feel like working out. I have to continue to dig deep inside myself as well, and keep looking back at my goals, understanding my vision, in order to keep that drive going. It is no different for me…but I have figured out that drive. You need to also. And you can. Enjoy what you do, and if you don’t, then you need to find out what it is that will make you happy, or enjoy things more.
Figure out what it is going to take for you to create that drive! And above all else, REMEMBER: anything short of this is just another excuse.
Leave your excuses at the front door when you are heading out to go workout. Focus! Push that Drive! Find that Drive! Remember, you are in the “driver’s seat”!
I have now talked about Determination, Drive, and next week will be on Desire! You need all 3 to be successful at achieving your goals. Whatever those goals may be. Without it, it will just turn into another excuse, and more tired where you feel unhappy, unmotivated, and depressed.
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3054
