Some people aren't as focused on the long term future and want to focus more on enjoying the present or short term future. I think it is good to balance immediate, middle and long term planning. So, how does exercise benefit me today, tomorrow or next month?
On an ideal day, I like to exercise first thing in the morning for various reasons. Most of the year, it is more comfortable outside in the morning if I am running and it ensures that I will get my exercise in that day. Sometimes, my days don't go as planned and I run out of time and miss my exercise time. But, there are other reasons I like to run in the morning. It helps me get going. It gets my energy level up so I can start my day strong. If I am running, it provides me 30-45 minutes of peaceful, quiet, alone time to think, talk to God and listen to God. That is a great way to start the day. Plus, I feel good the rest of the day when I exercise first thing.
On a bad day, when everything seems to be going wrong, running at the end of the day is helpful. It helps me recover from the day. There have been days that I have exercised at both ends of the day for this reason.
When I was a teenager, and out of shape, we often went to Six Flags in Atlanta. This is a great amusement park with roller coasters and other fun rides. We would go all day and often stand in long lines. My memory is that I would always be worn out and my back would be aching by mid to late afternoon and we usually would stay till it closed around 9 or 10 PM.
2 years ago, we took the family to Disney World for a week. We got to the gates at opening time and didn't leave till closing time every day. That was about 9 AM till 9 PM each day. Since I am cheap, we carried in lots of snacks and water and it was cool with chances of rain so we had layers of clothing to keep up with. We were either pushing a stroller with junk in it or carrying the junk in a backpack while pushing the stroller with Reece in it all day. I never had back pain. I felt great all day, all week. In fact, I got up to run a few days that week prior to going to the parks.
The year after the marathon, we went to DC with Regan and Riley (Reece stayed with family) for a long weekend. Lots of walking and carrying kids and stuff. No pain. No fatigue.
It is nice to be able to outlast your kids on vacations. It is nice to not be worn out before the end of a fun day. It is nice to be able to go on to the next fun thing without needing a rest break.
Why Exercise? Because it helps me start my day, finish my day, enjoy fun days, endure bad days, keep up with my kids, and hopefully keep up with my grandkids and great grandkids some day. It helps me be a better me.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Why Exercise? (Part 2)
After running the marathon in 2006, I was trying to think of what to do next. I didn't come up with another big physical test. What happened is that I started to see a connection between my exercising and my position as owner of a business. I was in a position of influence. But, what kind of influence? Where did exercise fit in? I had been preaching the value of reading for years. But, what about exercise? Was it important? Was it as important as reading? Why Exercise?
In 2007, we had the opportunity to get a piano for free. I like free. I wanted to move it myself to save money and because the person needed it moved quickly. The piano ended up in my house just fine and I ended up having surgery a few months later as a result.
While hooked up to all the stuff in pre-op the surgeon comes by and comments that I must run because my heart rate was so low. I told him yes and we talked about exercise and fitness. He said, "your fitness is going to make my job and your recovery easier." That is what you want to hear from the person that is going to be cutting you open. I suspect I will have a few more surgeries in my life and I want the doctors to say the same thing every time. I know I was able to be back out running within 2 weeks of my surgery and able to be back to normal activities in half the time they originally said.
Similar to this lesson, I was talking to a friend (My Marine Corp Marathon training partner) about fitness and aging. We were talking about the value of being fit as we get older, really older. There will come a point in our lives that our bodies will start naturally deteriorating. Sometimes, I think I may already be there. The example he gave was that for somebody that has simply gone from the sofa to the frig for exercise, that is the best fitness they will have and it will deteriorate from there. It won't take long before they can't get off the sofa without help.
For somebody that has been running 3-5 miles regularly, or swimming, or biking, or walking, it will take a lot longer to deteriorate to the level that going from the sofa to the frig is a challenge. My dad's dad is my example of this. He has had several surgeries including hip replacements but is still very active. This past summer, we were up there and have pictures of him playing ball with our girls and giving them horsey rides on his knees. That is their Great-Grandfather doing that with them. A few years ago, I remember seeing him jogging, not walking, down his driveway to fix his mailbox and this was just a few months after one of his hip surgeries. That is what I want to be like when I am 80+ years old.
So, why exercise? One reason is so I will be able to enjoy life in the future. If I wait till then to start, it may be too late or, at best, it will be tougher to get back into shape. It's like investing in a retirement account. The earlier you start, the easier it is to grow and maintain. The later you start the more difficult it will be and at some point, it becomes too late.
In 2007, we had the opportunity to get a piano for free. I like free. I wanted to move it myself to save money and because the person needed it moved quickly. The piano ended up in my house just fine and I ended up having surgery a few months later as a result.
While hooked up to all the stuff in pre-op the surgeon comes by and comments that I must run because my heart rate was so low. I told him yes and we talked about exercise and fitness. He said, "your fitness is going to make my job and your recovery easier." That is what you want to hear from the person that is going to be cutting you open. I suspect I will have a few more surgeries in my life and I want the doctors to say the same thing every time. I know I was able to be back out running within 2 weeks of my surgery and able to be back to normal activities in half the time they originally said.
Similar to this lesson, I was talking to a friend (My Marine Corp Marathon training partner) about fitness and aging. We were talking about the value of being fit as we get older, really older. There will come a point in our lives that our bodies will start naturally deteriorating. Sometimes, I think I may already be there. The example he gave was that for somebody that has simply gone from the sofa to the frig for exercise, that is the best fitness they will have and it will deteriorate from there. It won't take long before they can't get off the sofa without help.
For somebody that has been running 3-5 miles regularly, or swimming, or biking, or walking, it will take a lot longer to deteriorate to the level that going from the sofa to the frig is a challenge. My dad's dad is my example of this. He has had several surgeries including hip replacements but is still very active. This past summer, we were up there and have pictures of him playing ball with our girls and giving them horsey rides on his knees. That is their Great-Grandfather doing that with them. A few years ago, I remember seeing him jogging, not walking, down his driveway to fix his mailbox and this was just a few months after one of his hip surgeries. That is what I want to be like when I am 80+ years old.
So, why exercise? One reason is so I will be able to enjoy life in the future. If I wait till then to start, it may be too late or, at best, it will be tougher to get back into shape. It's like investing in a retirement account. The earlier you start, the easier it is to grow and maintain. The later you start the more difficult it will be and at some point, it becomes too late.
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