Weekly Word: February 28th, 2021

​News & Notes
The month of March is looking like it is going to be a special one. For one, my amazing daughter turns 3 on Friday! She is such a good kid and I look forward to seeing her happiness as we celebrate her big day. In addition to that, she just might be going to pre-school sooner than we expected. We found a nice Montessori school that accepts students of her age which was a pleasant surprise. She is so ready for interaction and one of her little buddies will be there which will hopefully make for a smooth transition!

On the business side of things, as the temperatures rise and the snow gets cleared, I am extremely excited about the prospect of getting back outside for training sessions. I think some fresh air is much needed for all of us and to be able to pump a little iron and soak in the sun at the same time is a bonus!

That being said, starting March 8th, we will be offering a 3 week introductory course to weight training. It is practically going to be Weight Training 101 with me as your instructor. These sessions will take place on Tuesday and Thursday at 9 am (If those days and time do not work, message me and we can most likely accommodate). It will be a wonderful refresher course for those who have been out of the game for awhile or give someone with no experience an opportunity to learn how to perform the basic fundamental movements. More information on this course to come in the next few days!

Fitness Tip of the Week
I am on a quest to find ways to train the body that anybody, of any age can do. I don't care if you are young, old, or somewhere in between, we need to collectively find ways to improve the health of our country and one way we can do so is low impact cardiovascular training. Why low impact? To put it simply, I want my body feeling good and the wear and tear associated with running doesn't always jibe with that. Also, I want to do some low level exercise on days I do not strength train to promote recovery. One way we can do this is by taking a walk but only using your nose to breath. It may sound crazy but here me out...

This concept is nothing new as it is a type of self limiting exercise. It is self limiting because we can only go so fast before giving into the urge of taking a deep breath out of our mouths. This type of regulator allows us to tax our cardiovascular system with minimal physical wear and tear on the body. I took my usual walk a few days and when I got to the hills I couldn't complete the task without opening my mouth and taking a deep breath... or gasp!

So, the plan for next is to obviously complete the loop with nasal breathing only and I am going to keep an eye on my heart rate and see if I can illicit a response comparable to jogging by using this method and walking briskly. Again, I want to get the training effect of jogging without pounding the pavement too hard!

What I've Been Thinking About...
Food! This week I was speaking with a friend about the difficulties of losing weight and I mentioned I set a goal to drop 10 pounds this year. He asked how someone seemingly in good shape would go about doing so. I told him how I felt that walking and following a eating plan like time restricted eating, food journal or meal prepping are game changers. I then broke down how I hoped to reach the goal...

In January I set a goal to drop 10 pounds and lower my waist measurement at the belly button by two inches. I gave myself four months to reach this goal. I wanted the approach to be reasonable so I planned to drop 4 pounds in January, 3 in February, 2 in March, and 1 in April. From there the goal would be to hold that weight for the remainder of the year. The gradual weight loss allowed for a little lack of discipline here and there along the way which I knew would happen. It also made sure that not only would I lose the weight, but I would be able to hold the line and keep it off.

The mindset for this plan was to lose what was required each month and nothing more. I didn't want to drop 10 in month one because of the probable rebound that would ensue. I think this is important to remember when we embark in a weight loss journey. Keep the goals small. Keep them reasonable. Make sure they are obtainable and then hold the line and avoid the rebound weight gain!

What I've Been Reading...
American Serengeti by Dan Flores
This year I have found myself down an interesting path. From listening to Jurassic Park & The Lost World then moving to Darwin's On the Origin of Species, it seems the recurring theme is how different species adapt and how some of these species thrive and others don't. This book is no different. The stories that Dan Flores shares of what was here in America (Saber tooth cats, short faced bear, woolly mammoth, etc) to what is here now (coyotes, horses, bison) are pretty remarkable. I am enjoying this so much that I will be reading another one of his books titled Coyote America upon completion. 
 
Quote of the Week
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” -- Frederick Douglass