Monday, January 16, 2012

English Proverb

Yesterday afternoon I was looking through my twitter feed, when a post caught my eye.

Women's Health posted an English Proverb that read "Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork".

At first glance, I didn't quite get what they were going for, but after reading it a second time, I totally got it. Then I thought about how many people I know who are literally digging their own grave with their own knife and fork, and it made me a little uneasy.

I mean, we claim to live in the most modern of times. Medicine has never been more effective and saving lives and preventing the spread of diseases. People understand the importance of early detection of diseases such as cancer and hypertension, and yet they struggle with grasping the importance of preventing obesity. Yet obesity is a suspected contributing factor to many types of cancer as well as a long string of other potentially fatal health maladies. To put it succinctly, we have convinced people that it is important to get mammograms and colonoscopies to help detect possible tumors in their infancy, but we have somehow managed to forget that what and how much we eat is just as important.

It's kind of funny to look back at old proverbs and adages. I sometimes have to shake my head at how right those sayings are, only to see how badly we've gotten off the path and screwed things up. It's almost unfathomable to me, that in this modern age we really do have such a hard time seeing the forest for the trees.

It doesn't seem far fetched to me that what we consume plays a huge roll in our overall health, but, for whatever reason, some people just can't quit digging their grave with their own fork and knife.



Thursday, January 12, 2012

Just Get Going

This past weekend I completed my 3rd half marathon. This race took place at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, FL, and was a really great experience. I had been training for this race for some time, and while I didn't run quite as fast as I had hoped I would, I did finish with a new personal best time.

Along the way, I even had time to stop for a pictures with a couple of the coolest guys ever.




These races at WDW are always such a great motivator for me, because there are always runners of every shape and size imaginable. There are people that finish these races, some even faster than me, that look like they would struggle to complete a 5k, let alone a half or a full marathon.

The amount of inspiration you can get from some of these participants is incredible, and they really show that whatever excuse you have for not exercising really is a nothing but that--an excuse.

This weekend I passed a guy that was running the half that had both of his legs amputated. He was out there running with two prosthetics and enjoying the experience, when no one would have blamed him for sitting at home feeling sorry for himself.

Two years ago, a soldier ran the full marathon wearing full army fatigues, carrying his pack with him as he ran in honor of all the other soldiers serving overseas. Every person that passed him thanked him for serving our country, and he just humbly deflected all gratitude to those soldiers far from home.

This year I had some friends run that have never considered themselves runners, yet they all managed to finish their races. One actually wasn't planning to run until the day before the race when another person got sick. She hadn't trained and had every reason not to run, but instead she just went out and did it. She may not have been the fastest person out there, but she finished.

And when you finish something you never thought was possible, you feel so proud of what you accomplished, and it also helps you realize how much more is attainable. I love going to these big races to remind myself of what is possible when you convince yourself that you are able to do anything you put your mind to.

So whether or not you ever run a marathon, or even a 5k, please don't ever tell yourself you can't do it. Because you can.

And afterwords your muscles might be sore, and your joints might ache, but you'll have done something that can never be taken away from you.

And you'll know to never doubt yourself again. Ever.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Resolutions 2012

Happy New Year!

So I'm a few days late, but better late than never, right?

With the new year come New Year's resolutions. And every year it seems like the majority of those resolutions are to do something in order to improve your health. If I had to guess, losing weight would be the most common resolution that people make. Other common resolutions often include quit smoking, eat healthier, and drink more water.

So if we consistently resolve to live healthier, how come we are getting unhealthier as a country every year?

The answer is pretty straight forward. It is only the 5th of January, and already a large number of people have given up on their resolutions. Statistically, only about one in five resolutions last. That means 80% of our resolutions fail. Why so many failures? Making major changes to your lifestyle is difficult, and if you're not fully committed to the change it is easy to revert back to your old ways. And even if you are fully committed, slip ups happen. The key is to not let the slip up become the last straw. Instead, brush or off and get on with the changes you are working towards.

So whether you decide to lose weight, stop smoking, or get more exercise, the start of a new year is a great opportunity to make a lasting change for the betterment of your health.

And if you happen to fall off the wagon at some point, don't get discouraged. Just resolve to start over and then keep going.

You can do it.

As for me, this year's resolution is going to be a tough one. I'm setting my sights on running 728 miles for the year. I'll keep you posted on my progress throughout the year.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to take a second to wish everyone a very happy and healthy new year!

I hope you will make this year your healthiest one yet, and if DK FitSolutions can help you with that in anyway, I would be honored.