I Have What?
A little over two weeks ago I woke up one morning with a slight pain in my ear. The next morning it progressed to ear and head and a small rash on my temple made an appearance. These symptoms progressed for a few days where the rash spread to around my mouth and the pain began to get more intense. I went to urgent care and the diagnosis was a classic case of shingles. I thought this was a virus that typically afflicted the elderly community but as I talk to more and more people about it, I have learned that they have had it in their 20's, 30's and 40's. (Side note: Upon looking at the rash, Marisa diagnosed it right away. I should probably start listening to her!)

When you look up what typically brings shingles on in a younger population it is either stress induced or a weakened immune system. Which brings me to my next point...

Health Tip of the Week
The same week that I came down with shingles, I sent Marisa a text that simply read: "I am an idiot". The reason for that message was due to my schedule for this spring. Finding time for two businesses, teaching phys ed, coaching a youth/middle school track team, and most recently I accepted a position at my former high school to coach Track has been a challenge. It has left me running around in circles and I believe this could have played a role in this most recent ailment. 

So, this weeks tip is more of a reminder to myself and for anyone who this may apply to: The body keeps score. Everything that you do that may induce stress (workouts, sleep, diet, work, family life, business, etc.) adds up and the body will hold on to it. If you do not take the time to rest, recover and restore eventually some illness, virus, or ailment will show its ugly little head and force you to take time for yourself. 

What I've Been Watching...
Oppenheimer on Peacock

I spent a few days resting in bed during this shingles situation and I used the time to get caught up on watching a few things. Leading up to viewing, I knew Oppenheimer was a man who had an incredible ability as a physicist but also someone who was troubled about what they were working on. As he later uttered after the deployment of the atomic bomb, "Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds". He feared what would be next and it reminded me of the Albert Einstein quote: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones".

This was a very good movie, one in which I plan on watching again. Full disclaimer, it is 3 hours long so make sure you block out some time or watch it in small chunks like it is a Netflix series.

Question of the Week...
Can you have peace without forgiveness?

I just finished a great book titled Killer Angels about the Battle of Gettysburg. At the end of the book, it gives a little insight on how the war finally concluded, two years after the bloodshed that occurred on the Pennsylvania farmlands. At one point, after the Rebel army surrendered, Northern men began applauding in celebration but were told to stop and rather than cheer, salute their former opposition. Lincoln and many of the leaders knew that if the Union was to be restored, then forgiveness must take priority over ill feelings. 

This concept applies to our personal lives as well. We will make decisions that we will eventually regret. It is at these points that we have a choice to make: feel down and be critical of oneself or learn to forgive our former self and work on healing. To find inner peace, we must do what the North did and forgive. Sticking with this theme, I really like the quote below from MLK...

Quote of the Week
“And in every one of us, there's a war going on. It's a civil war. I don't care who you are, I don't care where you live, there is a civil war going on in your life. And every time you set out to be good, there's something pulling on you, telling you to be evil. It's going on in your life. Every time you set out to love, something keeps pulling on you, trying to get you to hate. Every time you set out to be kind and say nice things about people, something is pulling on you to be jealous and envious and to spread evil gossip about them. There's a civil war going on. There is a schizophrenia, as the psychologists or the psychiatrists would call it, going on within all of us. And there are times that all of us know somehow that there is a Mr. Hyde and a Dr. Jekyll in us...There's a tension at the heart of human nature. And whenever we set out to dream our dreams and to build our temples, we must be honest enough to recognize it.” -- Martin Luther King Jr. 
​
I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

Breaking Habits is Hard
It was a bittersweet morning yesterday as I woke up, started the tea pot, prepared the French press and started to read a book. This has been my routine for a solid decade  but I recently decided that it was time for a change. Today I did something I thought I would never do again: quit drinking coffee.

I don't think coffee is evil and should be vilified, I just don't think it is the best for me. I have a slight problem where if I decide to go in on something, I tend to push it a little far. For example, I will either eat zero cupcakes or 5 cupcakes. Once the decision has been made to do it, the flood gates are open. This has been my relationship with coffee as well. It is never one cup and then be good for the day. It is multiple cups drank throughout and eventually, it leads to over consumption.

Why is this an issue that needs to be addressed? I am not sure if it is genetic or just poor coping mechanisms to stress but I have had slightly elevated blood pressure for much of my life. Coffee does not help that. When I get all jacked up on coffee, I feel that my responses to stressful situations aren't always ideal and I am not as patient as I would like to be so we are giving this little experiment a go. Stay tuned!

What I've Been Thinking About...
In Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning he wrote the following: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

This is beautiful in theory but one of the toughest things to follow through and successfully execute. In my personal life, teaching it to kids, or even encouraging my child to follow this advice has led to some difficult moments or conversations. For example, we had a nasty storm this week. Our five year old daughter was not enjoying what Mother Nature was serving up and was starting to get a little scared. We focused on breathing, she covered her ears, and eventually she was able to get back to sleep. The following morning we talked about why we did what we did and told her that she cannot control what goes on around you but you can control how you respond to it. I told her I was proud of her for overcoming her fears but I know that with the next storm, this behavior is most likely going to happen again and this scenario will play out once again.

The important part of this whole topic is just because an undesired behavior happens again doesn't mean you failed at teaching the lesson. The lesson may take 1000 attempts, done in a variety of ways for it to last. So when you get to lesson #999 and it doesn't work, don't quit. You never know when it is going to stick and it is on us adults to make sure that we continue to try.

What I've Been Watching...
This week I started watching the movie Race which tells the tale of Olympic star Jesse Owens. It was a solid movie, one that I watched and/or listened to while doing things around the house. My favorite scene occurred when a group of college students were causing a ruckus in the locker room and talking in a nasty way to some of the black athletes at the school. The coach used this as a moment to tell Jesse to quiet the noise, to focus on what he was saying, and ignore the rest. If you can do that, you can do anything.

Owens went on to win 4 gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany right in the face of Adolf Hitler. To say it was a tense environment at those games would be an understatement. Hitler was on a quest to prove the superiority of his German athletes and Owens showed up and embarrassed them all. I could only imagine what it must have felt like for Jesse to be in that country, in that stadium, in front of those Nazi's and then to perform the way he did. Talk about blocking out the noise!

Health Tip of the Week
Should we be acting more like kids? I have to say, if you want to get high level agility and conditioning work out of a group of kids, introduce a fun game and then get out of the way! Earlier this week the kids were sweating, breathing heavy, and smiling as we played a game of Gaga ball with a few fitness elements sprinkled in to the mix. This usually happens when we set up a game of tag, chase, or anything else that brings a little joy to your training. Tremendous effort plus big smiles is a winning combo. 
 
Now, for us big kids, it is not unreasonable to try to do the same thing. I think it is safe to say we can all use a little more joy and why not implement it into your physical fitness practice. The fun doesn't have to end once we reach adulthood. So here is my advice for the week:  Find something physically active that elevates your heart rate, doesn't feel like punishment and most importantly, puts a smile on your face! 

Quote of the Week
"Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust." -- Jesse Owens

I hope you all have an awesome week!
Chris Fluck

​What I've Been Listening to...
A few times a year I listen to interviews with Josh Dubin of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice. During these chats, he will bring on someone who either was wrongfully accused of a crime or an individual who committed a crime but found themselves punished severely when compared to others who offended similarly. These individuals share their stories and more times than not, tears well up in my eyes. What they discussed in this last episode really blew my mind.

Now, depending on where you look, the statistics vary a bit but one thing that is consistent is that a large majority of inmates have a poor education. It is so poor that roughly 60% of prisoners are functionally illiterate. One prison tried to change that and they offered a literacy program to all of their inmates. What they found was that the rate at which someone re-offends and winds up back in prison is roughly 70%. For those that completed the literacy program, that number decreased to 16%! If you can educate the individual, you open up the world to them. It offers a life that they never really felt was possible and can help get them and keep them on the right path. 

What I've Been Working On...
This week I was trying to get across to a group of middle school kids that no matter what we do, we might not be accepted by everyone. It is not an easy topic to broach as it sounds harsh, someone may have told them otherwise, or even that some of these students really focus on accepting others and assume others will as well. At one point, one student put their hand up and told me that everyone has the right to be accepted and I said maybe so, but it doesn't mean that it will happen. Then we dove into how does it feel to not be accepted, thoughts on what to do if that happens, and ways to work through those feelings.  

The main point of this class was that as an individual, we all have core values. These core values drive our decisions and they end up setting the foundation for who we are and who we become. When it comes to fitting in with others, we cannot capitulate on those things that we deem important. You do not change who you are to fit in with others. If you can stay patient and authentic, you will find those people who will become your people!

Health Tip of the Week
Remember, there are four buckets of health (mental, physical, social and spiritual) and it is important to make sure each bucket get proper attention. My advice for this week is to do something that helps improve the social aspect of your life. Block some time out on your schedule and make an effort to connect with someone. Take a walk, chat on the phone, grab some coffee, or do something fun and exciting with a group of friends. When you are there with them, make it a point of emphasis to listen more and give your friend some space to share what is going on in their world. 

Speaking of social gatherings...

Barn Event
This evening at 4 pm we are having a small event at our barn. Well, actually not we, but rather ME! Marisa and I had a plan to host this together but then she looked at her calendar and realized that she has a horse show (she coaches Lehigh's equestrian team) and will most likely not be available. So, with that being said, I will be going it alone and would like to have some friendly faces show up and help a guy out! 

The purpose of these gatherings is to build an intentional community of health minded people who want to be proactive with their health, seek solutions to problems, and lastly, to connect with others. We hang in the barn for a bit, share what we have been up to, then have a little chat at the end for those who may have questions. There are usually a few people in the world of health and wellness in attendance so if I don't have an answer, someone else most likely will. It is usually about 5-10 people and my usual anti-social self has been enjoying them. 

If you cannot make it but are interested in more info on future events, click here and I will keep you in the loop! 

Quote of the Week
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." -- Alexander Hamilton

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

I Almost Face Planted
On Thursday of this week I set out for a jog after my last PE class. I only had about 25 minutes for exercise due to a work call so I decided to run for as long as possible until my phone rang. Roughly 15 minutes into the jog, I complete the first loop and set off for another. I am taking in the sights and sounds and then all of a sudden my body jolts forward as gravity attempts to send me straight to the ground. My left foot caught a bump in the sidewalk and if it wasn't for my right foot swinging forward to catch me I would've have face planted. 

This story reminded me of something I heard years ago in regards to agility training. As we age, our ability to react slows down. Our mind and body just don't seem to move with the same amount of speed and efficiency that it had in previous years or decades. This is one of the reasons why the incidence of falls increase. What was once a stumble in our 20's, 30's and 40's becomes a fall in our 60's, 70's or 80's. Father time is cruel but we should not capitulate. 

Health Tip of the Week
I have been trying to organize a training plan that fits my own schedule and realized this format may be good for all. Below I quickly detail what I will call the 4321 Program.

• Step One: 4 days of slow cardiovascular training. This could be a slow jog (watch out for bumps in the sidewalk), a walk with friends (this I recommend), or something on that piece of cardio equipment nobody ever uses in your basement. Healthy lungs = a longer life. 
• Step Two: 3 total body strength sessions. The goal here is to get stronger...in something. It could be adding 2.5 pounds to the bar on an exercise, holding a plank 5 seconds longer, or working toward your first chinup. Just work on improving something. 
• Step Three: 2 days of interval training: This could be as little as 4 minutes following the Tabata protocol or a more sustained, longer interval session like 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 30 minutes. 
• Step Four: 1 day of recovery. This is a day where we work to avoid stress, both physically and mentally. 

If you do the math on this, it equals 10 training sessions. That means you can use a slow cardiovascular day prior to a strength session or perform a 4 minute Tabata after you lift. The goal is to keep most sessions to roughly 50 minutes. 

What I've Been Up To...
I am only a few weeks in of launching my new podcast (Chris & Friends) and I am beyond excited about it. The premise of the show is this: Over the years I have met some pretty amazing people, some of which I have lost touch with. So, under the guise of work, we reconnect, talk about life, health, parenting, and anything else that may come up over the course of 60-75 minutes. This week I released two episodes and looking back, I learned a ton from these two people I am fortunate enough to call friends!
 

• In Rising from the Ashes with Westley Morris I learned that you cannot change the past, but you can change the meaning. When you do this, you reframe a negative past experience into something positive that serves you today. Your past doesn't define your future and if you can shift your mindset on how you view previous experiences, you can then start moving forward in a positive direction. 
• In Be the Person you Never Had with Megan Duerring I learned that you are not always going to be accepted and the importance of identifying your core values. When we identify what we value, we can let those values drive our decisions on the path of self-improvement. In doing this, it is important to not change your core values for acceptance into a group because eventually, the dust will settle and your true self will shine through. It is always best to be authentic and not shy away from who you truly are.  

What I've Been Reading...
Gods & Generals: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara

Gods and Generals is a novel which serves as a prequel to Michael Shaara's 1974 Pulitzer Prize–winning work about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. As you can see, these author's share the same last name. They are a father and son duo who embarked on telling the story, behind the story of the Civil War. Father Michael set the stage with his classic book and upon his death, son Jeff set out to write the prequel and sequel to his father's work. It is a unique legacy project that I admire and enjoy.

Quote of the Week
“Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.” -- John Wooden

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

Earlier this month I dropped my daughter off at school and then hit the streets for some exercise. As I am warming up I notice there is water flooding the path so I decide to cut through a cemetery to keep my feet dry. As I am doing this, I take a peak over my right shoulder and see something that stops me right in my tracks. What I saw was my last name, written in big letters on a headstone from 150+ years ago! 

As I thought about this experience I was reminded of a story I heard a few years ago. On every tombstone, there is the day of birth and the day that you pass on. In between those dates is a dash. At first look, one might think that the dash is insignificant but upon further examination, I came to realize that it represents our time here on earth. The dash is how we spend our days, the relationships we build, the connections we make, and the mark that we leave on the world.  

So how do we make our dash mean something? Mahatma Ghandi once said that "If you want to change the world, start with yourself". ​I believe that if we can improve ourselves then we can better serve those in our little network or community. So, after a little reflection, I have identified seven areas that I plan on working on this year and will outline them below!

1. Connect with people who support you. Remember, a rising tide lifts all boats so if you find yourself struggling to stay afloat, surround yourself with people who will grab ahold of you and elevate you.
2. Engage in real time with people or things that give you life. Social media, the news, and true crime docs can all really put you into a bit of a funk. Put down the device and make an effort to connect with real people. 
3. Exercise. A healthy mind cannot exist in a body that doesn’t move. In order for us to thrive optimally, physical activity must be a part of our daily routine. If this task seems to be too much, start with a five minute walk and go from there!
4. Train your mind like a muscle. Activities like reading, exercising, adequate sleep, efficient breathing, and pro-social activities build a strong mind. 
5. Let go of “keeping up with the Joneses”. Consumerism and other trendy things always leads to the feeling of being unsatisfied and always chasing more. You can still be cool without a Stanley tumbler!
6. Practice kindness and gratitude. If you can keep these two principles in mind with every interaction you have, your life will be a happier existence. 
7. View habit formation as practice. Starting something new or quitting a habit cold turkey is not easy. Start with small, realistic steps, rather than grandiose plans and then set reminders to “go to practice”. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this and I want to encourage all of you to take some time to reflect on a few areas that you can work on this year. Write them down, put them into practice, and reap the rewards that come with self improvement. 

Chris Fluck

Good Morning!

What I've Been Thinking About...
The 1800s. To me, this may be the wildest period of time in American history. During this century, we have all sorts of major issues going on throughout our land. As Americans attempt to spread civilization from "sea to shining sea" (Atlantic to Pacific), they do so in a way that does not take into consideration those who inhabit the lands. They soon become well aware of what they refer to as the "Indian problem". To combat the issue, things got very hostile on both sides. Settlers lived in fear of a raid which and the government response to this is downright wicked with groups like the Texas Rangers formed to literally hunt and destroy the Indian way of life. As a result of this nonsense, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children (both Native and non-Native) die during the mission to move westward. If that is not enough, there are the gold rushes, The Wild West, the land grabs, and an influx of immigrants that are searching for a new way of life. But wait, there is more!

While all this is going on, there is political unrest on the Eastern side of the country. Slavery, John Browns raid on Harper's Ferry, the Civil War, the assassination of Lincoln, and the list goes on. It truly was a crazy time to be alive and I am only starting to scratch the surface. 

What I've Been Reading
Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss

I am in a rabbit hole and like written above, it runs very deep! The topic that has grabbed my attention is that of the American Indian. Since the start of the year, I have listened to Empire of the Summer Moon and Custer Died for Your Sins. I have also read a book titled Killing Crazy Horse, listened to a podcast about the 1973 Standoff at Wounded Knee, and now, I am diving into this book on the great athlete Jim Thorpe. 

Side note: Marisa and I watched Killers of the Flower Moon on Friday night. The book is incredible, the movie not so much. Save your time (3.5 hours) and money and watch something else!

Health Tip of the Week
Pavel Tsatsouline is the man often credited with bringing the kettlebell to American gyms and training programs. He is a man that has incredible insight and introduced me to the concept of "greasing the groove". This idea can be summarized best by thinking about a door hinge. If the door is rarely opened, the hinge might get a little stiff. It might creak a bit and eventually, it could get rusty and start to break down. This hinge is every joint in your body. If you do not move them, you will become the door hinge. Your body will stiffen, creak and eventually, break down. 

So my guidance is this: a little bit of movement often is better than doing a lot of movement rarely. Having a daily practice of movement will allow those joints of yours to be "greased" and ready for action, whatever that action may be. 

What I've Been Working On...

• Blog: When I look at an ancient structure like the Parthenon, it blows my mind that large portions of it are still standing today. You see the foundation with its wonderful pillars still holding strong after all these years and it makes you appreciate those who designed and built it. They created something that could withstand anything life through its way. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that too? Well, in regards to our health, I think we can! Click here to learn the four areas we should focus on: http://www.chrisfluck.net/blog
• Chris & Friends Podcast: I have been tinkering with a few ideas for the podcast and finally made a decision on the format. Here it is: contact all of my awesome friends and see if they want to come on and chat. Here is the first episode with my number one friend and other half, Marisa! To watch, click here:  EP1 Proactive Wellness with Marisa Mangiameli!

Quote of the Week
"Our children are only as brilliant as we allow them to be" -- Eric Micha-el Leventhal

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

When I look at an ancient structure like the Parthenon, it blows my mind that large portions of it are still standing today. You see the foundation with its wonderful pillars still holding strong after all these years and it makes you appreciate those who designed and built it. They created something that could withstand anything life through its way. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that too? Well, in regards to our health, I think we can!

Comparing ourselves to a building, we have a foundation. On top of that foundation
are pillars. In order for this structure to work, the pillars are going to have to be strong and able to withstand any burden that is placed upon it. If they cannot, the whole thing can, and eventually will, crumble. So how do we do this? 

There are four components to health that we need to be aware of: social, mental, physical and spiritual. Each pillar carries equal importance and should be addressed accordingly. Ignoring or weakening a pillar in architecture dooms the project to failure. The same can be said for our health. Below are a few ideas to keep in mind as you work your way towards improving your overall well-being...

1. Social: build healthy, positive relationships. Remove negativity from your social group and aim to be in front of people rather than behind a screen.
2. Mental: Sleep well, practice stress relieving methods, talk through your problems, stay active and connect with others. 
3. Physical: When one is physically active, so too is the brain. Challenging yourself physically and overcoming said challenges builds resilience, confidence, self esteem, and self efficacy. These are great qualities to have. As Thomas Jefferson once quipped, “A strong body makes the mind strong”.
4. Spiritual: This box can be checked in a variety of ways but a central theme in all is serving something greater than oneself. Barring an apocalyptic tragedy, the world does not end when you end. In service to others, you will make the world a greater place. 

As a parent/coach/teacher, we cannot forget that last point. We play a major role in effecting the health of future generations. A healthier family leads to a healthier town. A healthier town leads to a healthier state. A healthier state leads to a healthier country. Eventually you get to the point where some small, local changes create a positive impact on the world. You just need strong pillars to build from!

​Chris Fluck