Left Coast Fitness: Living Fully

Regrets: I’ve had a few…but then again…

I once heard regrets defined as responsibility that comes home a day late and a dollar short.
Wikipedia - which is so much more fun than an actual dictionary or encyclopedia sometimes - says this (in part) about regret:
"Regret is an intelligent (and/or emotional) dislike for personal past acts and behaviors. Regret can describe not only the dislike for an action that has been committed, but also, importantly, regret of inaction. Many people find themselves wishing that they had done something in a past situation."
Sound familiar?
I want to explore what we regret and why we regret.

The “what” is far easier to explain; generally regrets fall into two categories:
regret for having taken an action
regret for not taking an action

Regretting having done something is often characterized as a lack of judgment or indulging that moment in which some action seems like a good idea. Let’s not forget those moments when that huge red warning flag of rational thought waves so hard it practically smacks you in the face and yet somehow can be ignored. The word “rationalization” can get a bit tarnished at times.
Then again, regret can seemingly be at war with spontaneity, taking a chance, going for the brass ring - which leads us to that other aspect of regret - not taking an action.
I’ve met many a former member of any number of professions who regret to this day that they didn’t stay in the career or calling that meant the most to them. I’ve met far too many people who lament they never pursued becoming a chef, teacher, parent, spouse, etc.. For these people, their regret defines their lives just as surely as accomplishments or memorable events do for others. Their “non-event” is where their passion stays trapped; that’s painful for them, and one hell of a legacy to pass on to their loved ones too.

Having read a number of studies and scholarly papers on regret (to add to my own vast experience) there was one aspect that loomed quite large: the differences in the imagined consequences of regrettable actions or inactions.  You know what I mean: “if only I had asked that gorgeous woman (or guy, if you’d prefer) out, we would have been dating and maybe even been married by now” OR “if only I had taken that job I’d be running that department/company/country now!”

Ah, the Devastating Duo: “if only” and The Imagined Consequence.

So given the pain that regret seems to engender, why oh why do we regret? Is there some great value that can come of it?

Perhaps the value lies in how you respond to experiencing regret - does it inform you or do you let it define you? I think that’s the key here - it’s impossible to know if every action (or inaction), every choice, every decision will be the “right” one. Frankly, how would you even define “right”? I, for one, feel that I am the sum total of all my experiences, all my choices, and while I may know I have lots of growth opportunities ahead of me I also know that I’ve done pretty well considering where I started. How could I know what my “true” path would have been years ago?

But, let me offer this to all of you who have been digging your heels in, clawing at the earth and trying to hold onto the ultimate excuse – “I’ll [insert as-yet undone activity here] as soon as I get around to it”…here ya go:

Feel free to print it out and put it to good use.

Be well and, by all means, Live Fully, regrets be damned!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain

Pets and Fitness - Some Fun Ideas

Hello Again, Pet People!
In my last post on  exercising with your pets I spoke about how important it was to help our pets stay (or become) healthy.  It should come as no surprise that exercising with your pet can improve your well-being as well.

Studies have shown that with proper exercise, stress levels decrease, appetite improves and is more readily regulated, and sleep becomes more consistent and restful. Not bad just for having some fun.

So, today I’d like to offer some references to videos and sites where you can see some great ideas on how to exercise with your pets. By the way, I won't swipe other people's hard work which is why I'm redirecting you directly to their sites, but don't forget to come back here too.
[Please note that I am neither endorsing, nor objecting to, any of the products you might find at these sites; I’m merely suggesting that they have exercise ideas you might consider]

As I see with my own clients, there are athletes and weekend warriors and just plain Folk in the animal world as well so here's one for the SERIOUS pet athletes out there - playing flyball which you can check out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X64NC0oQdPI

So you and your best four-legged Bud are more of the casual Frisbee type? Well, for many of you it’s a a natural and has been part of your regular playtime for years. For the rest of you sitting there looking at your pup and remembering the last time you tried this to no avail, I offer this great site where you can learn how to play Frisbee with your dog in a few simple lessons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEbODCH8MJk&feature=related

Then there’s always the Pet-to-Pet workouts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuAWEZxvuHI

I suppose if you’ve always loved treadmills for yourself you could consider this:
http://www.jogadog.com/index.html

But personally that makes me kinda sad, so I’d opt for something along these lines for ideas:
http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-exercise.html

Just like their people, pets may need to be coaxed to play more energetically, so search for the right environment, the right toy, the right playmates to excite and interest your pet. If your dog is shy or aggressive you might not be too happy going to the local dog park and expecting your pup to have a great time. You might find that a quieter environment with fewer distractions works better. If your pet has lazed around for months or years, getting out for a long hike or run may turn into a very long walk back carrying a recalcitrant/exhausted buddy!
So plan accordingly and try different things - be your pet’s trainer and coach.

In my next post on exercise and pets we’ll be looking at keeping your pet safe during exercise and play, so please be sure to come back for more.

Have a great day with your pet today and don’t forget a healthy treat...for your pet, that is...Oh, OK, for you too...good person! Yes, you are!

Calories, Macronutrients, and Metabolism, Oh my!

Let's talk about calories.

By now you've probably seen pretty clear evidence that eating too many calories will add pounds. I'm often dismayed by hearing people complain about weight gain after they've over-consumed "good" calories, as if the inherent goodness of the food would provide a caloric dispensation. Sorry, but too much of anything good or bad is still too much.  Now, this doesn't mean that your ratio of macronutrients (basically fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) isn't important - it most certainly is - but if you decide to pound down 6,000 protein calories you're pretty likely to pack on pounds and it won't all be muscle!

For those of us who follow the Primal Blueprint or Paleo, we have become far more aware of how certain carbohydrates can be detrimental to our health - specifically we're looking to maintain a healthy amount of insulin, so grains and legumes and most notably sugar, can be truly problematic.

"Eat fat and get fat" was a dietary mantra for years and one which many of us have disproved through our own experience (in my case my increased fat intake was coupled with a decrease in "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides, an increase in "good" cholesterol, and a significant decrease in body fat) and of course fat helps a great deal with satiety therefore making it easier to consume fewer calories when that's appropriate.

Protein is equally elevated to a position of preposterous goodness or demonized as cancer's wing man. There are two very important things to remember about protein -  first is that protein's primary function is to repair muscle. If you've increased your workout regimen and you've not increased your protein intake (assuming you were in balance before) you're just not going to see the increase in strength you had hoped and if you're looking for hypertrophy (muscle growth) it surely won't happen no matter how much you pump. The second thing to remember about protein is that not all protein is  created equal - the bio-availability of protein is key to its effectiveness. Here's a great link: http://www.nutribodyprotein.com/protein-types.php

OK, having gotten that out of the way let's get to the question of how many calories you really need. I'm not going to try to give you a number because there are too many factors to consider but I will say this - I see just as many people who are concerned about their health (but not yet well-versed in what their body needs) under-eating as over-eating! Wait a minute...if I'm trying to lose weight what's wrong with under-eating? Oh my...have a seat...let's talk...actually let's listen to Dr. Frederick Hatfield, co-founder and president of the International Sports Sciences Association: "Scientists have long known that stringent dieting causes a corresponding drop in our resting metabolic rate (BMR), making it very difficult, often impossible, to continue the fat loss process." In essence by withholding too many calories (or eating too few, if you prefer), your body is sent into a state that will defeat your best-laid plans. But what about those people who eat virtually nothing and manage to lose 10 or 20 or more pounds, just like that? Well, let's see...what exactly did they lose? More often than not, some fat loss occurs of course but the body will more likely be losing water weight and going into what is known as a catabolic phase, in essence  you  lose muscle mass.  Bear in mind that catabolism is also referred to as destructive metabolism. Now that's a healthy approach to achieving your wellness goals!
So give some thought to how many calories you truly need to support your body's needs and the level of activity that your daily life provides. If you don't know how to figure out your base needs, let me know and I'll point you to some websites that can help.

Oh, one last point - please retire that tired myth of the fat-burning zone. You know, the idea that's plastered all over elliptical machines and treadmills whereby you work out at a truly low intensity and magically your body will burn fat! Sorry, Folks, but it just ain't so. There is certainly a scientific rationale for how the body chooses which fuel to burn but intensity and the resultant caloric outlay trumps that every time. Simply put, the more energy you ask your body to expend, the more calories are burned (calories being a measure of energy) and I can assure you that you will indeed lose fat.

A great read and a great need...

Now, if I told you up front what the subject of this post is I can easily say that a number of people would run from their computer!
Yes, I'm talking about s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g. Stretching has to be THE most underused tool in most athlete's and fitness enthusiast's bag of tricks. Does it trump nutrition in importance? Noooo, I wouldn't go that far but let’s understand some fundamental things about your body.
 OK, so this is about as unscientific an explanation as you can get but...

Your body has a structure (your bones) and this structure is held together at a variety of points (joints) by a spectacular system of connectors (ligaments and muscles). For the structure to be supported properly and to move properly, the connectors must be supple and strong.
Ligaments need movement to get the nutrients they require for their greatest ability and well-being. "Motion is Lotion" may sound corny but it is all too true. Muscles get nutrients through an intricate system of arteries, veins, and capillaries which carry nutrients to the cells and dispose of waste but ligaments have a far poorer exchange mechanism and require motion to encourage that mechanism.
Furthermore, each of your muscles has an optimal length at which it can produce optimal force. It's analogous to a guitar string being able to produce a specific note - too little slack and the note is high, too much slack and the note is too low. For our muscles to be truly effective they need to operate at the proper length and simply exercising to produce greater strength will not overcome the deficiencies of shortened, tight muscles.  Have you ever met someone who looks fairly typical - no bulging muscles, possibly even slight of build and yet they are tremendously strong? It's a good bet that their muscle fibers are all firing as they should and without great bulk producing great force.
So, on to the topic of how to get there - read this book: "Stretching Anatomy" by Arnold G. Nelson and Juoko Kokkonen.
It's kind of "techy" and may not be the most exciting of reads but boy does it show great stretches and wonderful explanations of stretching technique.  The illustrations show external and internal views of the body and the authors give precise identification of which muscles are involved. Too much information for some? Yes, but you’ll likely find your understanding of how your body works expanding with each read.
Don’t skip the introduction of the book - it’s short but very helpful. Once you’ve done that, dive right in and read about a portion of your body that you know needs help - Oh, I'll hazard a guess and say...hamstrings, for example, and follow the instructions on how to bring more length to these often neglected muscles.
 I guarantee (IF you actually DO the stretches consistently) that you'll find relief from many aches and pains and you'll enjoy sports more and possibly even create a sense of well-being in the world. OK, that last one might be a bit much but give it a read and give it a try.
I'll post more about stretching, but for now let's borrow from Nike and say "Just Do it" (with some well-done instruction by Arnold and Juoko).

Obese Beasts and Couch Potato Critters?

By now you’ve probably heard enough about obesity in adults and children to see that we need to make changes in our approach to how we live if we’re going to be able to enjoy our lives fully.
Well, said to say, our pets are also falling under the spell of too many calories in and too few calories out.

Studies from 2007 through 2011 have shown a steady increase in overweight pets with some studies citing obesity levels in pets as high as 57% for cats and 44% for dogs.
Considering that we’re talking about domesticated animals it’s hard to ignore the obvious truth - we are overfeeding our animals for the level of activity they live with.

In the case of cats this is a pretty straightforward fix - simply decreasing the amount of food or the availability of food will yield great results. A bit less obvious but an even better solution is, if possible, consider a raw food diet for your cat. Le’s face it, not too many cats are out there foraging for wheat, rice, or corn, regardless of how hungry they are!
Dogs will fare far better on a more “conscious” diet as well, of course.

One of the biggest reasons why animals overeat is simple boredom.
I think sometimes we forget that these are domesticated animals but only barely...they are hunters at their core. Pets need physical stimulation as well as mental stimulation; they need to run, jump, chase and be chased and this is especially true for dogs.

Think about the last time you sat in a meeting or an airport or in a car for hours; now think about the last time you were out on a beautiful trail or on the beach or beside a lake - the smells of nature, the breeze against your skin, the exhilaration of being able to move freely and walk or run. Now which would you like to repeat again and again?

Our pets are often stuck in situations that prevent them from enjoying their very nature and they’re looking to us for help. One last thought - as a client of mine pointed out today, if your pup is overweight, odds are you (the owner) aren't getting enough exercise!

NEXT UP: The joys of flyball, frisbees, parks, and recreation.

Hey, Inner Child...take a hike.
OK, so that doesn't really mean what you might think it does.
The other day I heard a couple of people talking about very disparate pleasures and enjoyments of life and in each case they spoke of how they wanted to allow their inner child to play.
Sounds good, right?
However, I think the concept of inner child has been used too widely and in this case in particular.
Why should play be associated with an inner child? Why not the outer adult? Better yet, why not with...YOU!
You see I think people create an artificial and restrictive state by maintaining that distinction. Why shouldn't, why couldn't, the outer adult be as free to enjoy and play as does this supposed inner child?
I think such a distinction bifurcates our psyche (always wanted to use that word) and gives responsibility to the outer adult and pleasure to the inner child. Well I say it's far more important to remember when play was a part of our life and reinstate it to a well-deserved and well-respected part of our adult life.
My blog is about wellness, about living life fully; I believe those imperatives can't be met without play. Of course responsibility is still part of our life, again living fully would require that but that doesn't have to impinge on fun, on play, on laughter and even being care-free if only for a few moments!
Frankly, I think many people experience a childhood that is anything but care-free!
So I say, if you've forgotten that play is an important part of your adult life - remember *how* to play, remember *what* play is - a way to grow, to learn, to life life more fully.
Now get off the couch and play but by all means have a good time.

Getting Stuck; Getting Unstuck.
So there's "Just Do it" or this gem from Walt Disney: " You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. " and other fabulous admonitions meant to break through the sludge of our inability to move forward (or even move, for that matter).
I'm sitting here today at the computer to put these words out there and to slap myself on the back for breaking through a bit today myself.
You see, in the last 2 years (almost to the day) I've lost my two older siblings, neither of whom were particularly old when they died - Patrick was 60, Elle was 69 and I've found myself stuck...no make that weighed down as if by gravity times 10. I think I wanted that weight to be lifted or to become less dense or something before I could get back on track but I decided today that isn't going to work that way.
So, I had a business meeting, worked on cleaning up some stuff that was preventing me from doing some creative activities, and I set up my hex bar for some squats. Started at 185, went quickly to 235, upped it just a bit to 255 and right now I can't remember that feeling of being weighed down at all.
I know that I pushed a total of 427 pounds off the floor (the bar + me) and I know that over the course of the lift today I pushed well more than 10,000 pounds off the ground. So for some of you those numbers sound big, for others they're nothing much. Today, for me, they represent more than 5 tons I moved piece by piece but I moved them. I moved a bit of the ache and a bit of the loss and unstuck my heart from the pit...just a bit but it moved!
I didn't plan on anything, I just wanted to accomplish something, to achieve something, to feel movement to beat the s*** out of inertia both physical and emotional.
So I did just do it and my teeth are still intact; maybe I'm not doing so badly after all.

Fitting in Fitness

Today I wanted to give you some quick ideas to help you fit in a few healthier choices throughout your day.

Even those days when you have no time to work out in any conventional way, you can find a few things that will help you be healthier.

For example (in no particular order):

1. park as far away from the store as possible when you go grocery shopping - if it's a big purchase day, load up the cart and push it as far as you can to get in a quick workout. Think of it as a sled run for the urban athlete.

2. forget the cart and carry two baskets instead - for those days when everything you need to get can fit in two hand-carried baskets, let your shoulders and arms work a bit more (or a lot more if you're getting heavy stuff). As you walk home or back to the car (which is parked far away, of course), keep your shoulders back and down to allow your lats to work harder, keep your shoulder blades active and get those rhomboids working as well. If you're really into it, see how many lateral raises you can get in but please make sure your grocery bags are strong.

3. speaking of grocery bags - use canvas bags rather than paper or plastic and don't forget to throw them into the wash often so they don't become germ carryalls.

4. change your pillow - get one that suits your style of sleeping well with just the right amount of support and you'll sleep better, breathe better, have a far better disposition in the morning as your neck and shoulders thank you for the proper support (not to mention your spouse thanking you for not snoring).

5. stand while watching the game on TV…you'll probably feel more connected to the action and your body will be working just by not slouching on the BIG DESTROYER OF SPINES aka, the couch.

6. get your teeth cleaned - a healthy mouth is tremendously beneficial to your overall health. 

7. in the same vein - get a water pik. helps to keep your mouth far cleaner than just brushing or flossing (but use 'em all)

8. refuse to sit for hours on end if it's within your power to do so - a few hours a day at the gym or even a bunch of hours of weekend activity does not counteract hours and hours of sitting. Stand while you're on the phone, for example; stand at meetings (I'll bet you'll have shorter meetings if everyone stands) and while you're at it, stand tall with your feet in parallel (yes, look to see if they really are) and weight evenly distributed - a bit of awareness can result in a lot of comfort

Well, that's it for today but I'd be willing to bet you can probably add another 5 ideas without thinking too hard at all - so stand up and call a friend and get some more ideas!

Stay active, stay strong.

With gratitude - Jack Lalanne: 1914 - 2011
Jack Lalanne was a fixture in my home when I was growing up - a constant reminder of the need for fitness, not just exercise. Did my folks want to join in as he exercised? Hell no! But he did inspire me and eventually set me on the path I walk (and run) today.
Despite his phenomenal mind-blowing feats of strength, Jack constantly spoke of finding balance in your life so that you exercised well, ate well and slept well.
Did you know his Dad died at age 50 from a heart problem? Jack himself lived to be 96, perhaps because as he put it, dying would be bad for his business.
So go on and honor Jack by pushing away from your desk, standing tall, running a few flights of steps and finding time in every day to be more active and more loving towards your body.
Jack will be smiling in my mind, in my memories for all my days.
We'll miss you Coach.

The secret to succeeding with your new fitness goals? Just one thing...

Remember the Billy Crystal movie “City Slickers”?

Along the trail Jack Palance asks Billy Crystal, "Do you know what the secret of life is?"

Crystal responds, "No, what?"

Palance holds up his index finger and says "This".

Crystal says, "Your finger?"

Palance says, "One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean (bleep)!"

Crystal, puzzled, says, "That's great, but what's the one thing?"

Palance smiles and says, "That's what you've gotta figure out".

Well, I’ve been hearing the usual resolutions from people about how they’re going to get fit (since we are starting a new year) and I cringe at the intensity of the regimen they lay out for themselves - yeah, I’m gonna get up an hour early every day and run 10 miles and work out 5 days a week at the gym and eat only lean poultry and swear off alcohol and, and,and…

And wind up quitting in about 3 weeks in most cases because they’ve set themselves up!

Don’t get me wrong - I’m all in favor of setting high goals but I’m also in favor of reaching those lofty goals.

So back to Mr. Crystal and Mr. Palance - you want to get fit this year? Great! Go for it! But do yourself a favor and add some strategy to your goals. Consider one thing you can change, or start doing, or stop doing for that matter, and get that one thing started - today.

Once you’ve got that in place,  have met success for a while and the new behavior becomes simply a part of you, add (or subtract) another thing and then another…you get the idea. 

You don’t take on the next challenge until you’re ready, but the cumulative effect can be tremendous.

So maybe one vegetarian day a week will help you realize you can be strong and fit without steak 7 days a week. Maybe adding one more workout each week will help you break through that plateau you’ve landed on. Maybe simply changing your routine so that Monday isn’t always chest day (as it seems to be for 95% of male gym-goers) will shock your body into greater change. 

Give it a shot - do that one thing - and have a rewarding and successful New Year.