You may have heard the saying that “You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet”. If you haven’t then you just did. Well I say that is bull crap! HOGWASH I tell you! Two is better than one, but one is better than none!
Continue reading “Why “You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet” is FALSE!”Category: Fitness
3 Things You Need To Prepare for When Staying Active On Vacation
Time away from work is always a blessing. It is a chance to break away from your routine and distance yourself from work stressors. Early morning runs are fantastic ways to stay active and not affect your sightseeing itinerary. I consider it an absolute privilege to have ran in Italy and Japan (pre-Fatherhood), South Africa, Thailand, Zambia, Botswana and Peru. If you want to experience a country from a different perspective, GET UP AND GET GOING before the suns comes up. Before people get fully in to their day, GO FOR A RUN! (jog, brisk walk, hike, hop, jump, skip…). Pack a poncho and leave no excuse to bow out.
Continue reading “3 Things You Need To Prepare for When Staying Active On Vacation”WOW! That was Inspirational! (Now What?)
SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION THROUGH ACTION!
The best way to display appreciation for inspiration is through acknowledgment and action.
Continue reading “WOW! That was Inspirational! (Now What?)”4 Simple Ways to WOOT (Work Out On Travel)
When consistency is the key in prioritizing physical activity, breaking from your routine can be stressful and detrimental to forward momentum. When you’re at home, you already have prepared healthy foods or know where to find them. Finding healthy food choices in a new location takes extra effort, making fast food found on every corner even more tempting. Sleeping in a different bed is not always the most restful. Most of the time, I am lucky if I can get a good five hours of rest (Despite what my wife thinks, it is not ALL fun and games). I make it my mission to continue to prioritize physical activity, even when on work travel, and SO CAN YOU!
How does that look?
- Travel Bag: You will have to substitute some of your leisure clothes for ones you can get SWEATY-N-STANK in, but it is all worth it. Previously, I would pack more leisure clothes than I ever got around to wearing. Even then, 9 times out of 10, I end up wearing the same pair of shorts or pants and rotate the tops. It is work travel, so most of my off-duty trips are to the grocery store or restaurant to grab a bit to eat before turning in. *Laundry Hack: toss your workout clothes in the shower with you afterwards, wring excess water and hang dry. If you sweat like me, this will keep it from setting in to PERMAFUNK.
- Wake Up Call: Waking up a minimum of 2.5 hours before I must depart. This allows an hour for morning preparation (empty stomach + empty bowels = LET’S GET IT!). Energy drink, coffee or pre-workout, depending on the activity and what I have access to. One hour for the physical activity and 30 minutes to get ready! I wear a uniform, so…
- Fitness Center: We have all seen what some lodging places try to pass as a “Fitness Center”. An empty hotel room with a treadmill, elliptical and a bicycle IS NOT A FITNESS CENTER! Pisses me off. If possible, I try and look ahead at the facility with the most fully equipped, legitimate Fitness Center. GAME CHANGER: I recently stayed at a Hampton Inn that offered something that BLEW MY MIND! While this Hampton Inn did have a “Fitness Center”, I opted out. About 100 yards away was a 24 Hour Fitness facility that I decided to utilize instead. After getting a day pass, the 24 Hour Fitness desk clerk mentioned that some hotels will reimburse the cost of the day pass. I mentioned this to the Hampton Inn Front Desk employee, and sure enough, $15 back in my hand! The received some great reviews from me!
- Get Running: One of the least expensive ways to get active is to put feet to pavement or trail. Living on the west coast, there are tons of cities and towns that have a network of trails. And why not, it’s beautiful out here! In the more remote areas there is less chance of trails, but you can always rely on sidewalks. So, I default to running outdoors. If all else fails, there is always that stuffy “Fitness Center” treadmill you can utilize. Just get up early enough that you’re not competing for it or left with breathing in anyone else’s morning breath or worse (some people ain’t got no “fitness center” etiquette).
So, less excuses and more moving y’all! Feed the FEEDBACK MONSTER and comment below if you have some other tips, tricks or hacks you utilize to make physical activity a priority away from home. Let me know how I can help you GET START!
But Why Daddy? Because Our Kids Are FATTER Than Ever!
You have heard it called “Finding Your Purpose”, or “Following Your Dreams”! The new catchphrase is “Finding Your Why”. Live long enough and you will have seen old concepts repackaged into new, fresher terms (Emotional Intelligence vs plain ol’ Not Being A Jerk). Call it what you want. The idea remains, if you do not have a passion or something deep down, driving you to justify and validate your decisions, you run that chance of bouncing from one purpose to the next.
It is imperative to note that your “why”, CAN, and most likely, WILL, change with time. Or better yet, your “why” may stay the same, but your path to it will often change. In my case, it has expanded, and the path has become less treacherous.
Kids Ruin Your Life: I know you have heard it. There seems to be a growing negative connotation with having kids these days.
Continue reading “But Why Daddy? Because Our Kids Are FATTER Than Ever!”6 Reasons Why Paternity Leave MUST Be Mandatory
As I am writing this post today, my lil’ man Tiras is on my chest. I am at home. Having been away from my office for three weeks now, with another week of leave planned, I know I am privileged. Recently, I was reminded by this.
Moment of Realization. A contracted employee at my duty station was expecting his first child within a month of the arrival of Tiras Malachi, my son and second born. We often have discussions on how our families are doing and what we are doing to prepare. For me, I told him I planned on taking the 12-day paternity leave allowed by the service I am a commissioned officer in, followed by using an additional 12 days of annual leave. Basically, about one month of family time. His response was something in the vicinity of: it must be nice. This full-time employee did not such a privilege. This served as a reminder. Since this was my second child, I had not given it much thought this time around. Not every expectant dad is afforded the privilege of taking time off to allow the family to settle in to the new addition and try to get acclimated, somewhat.
Continue reading “6 Reasons Why Paternity Leave MUST Be Mandatory”4 Steps To Being An Active-Dad
What does being a dad mean to you?
For some dads, fatherhood is defined by sacrifice. And that’s ok! That is part of the duty and absolute honor of a little human being calling you “Daddy”. In the same breath, some sacrifice is not for the benefit of you, or your family. Your own health should not be at stake! Your family cannot rely on you, if you cannot carry yourself. What if in the end, it is your family that must carry you? Statistically speaking, this may happen eventually any way. Every day that passes, we all grow older. Should we not do whatever we can to maximize our time with our family? Your family needs you to be strong and healthy, to live long and prosper.
Over the next few days I hope to help guide you through how I am able prioritize physical fitness in my life. The adage stands true…If I can do it, so can you!
Continue reading “4 Steps To Being An Active-Dad”