Thanks for the Mentoring!

I ran into one of my high school football coaches last week.  I hadn't seen him in...oh...I don't know.  Maybe 30 years.   

  

It didn't seem like he had changed much.  He had long ago lost a lot of weight--well over a hundred pounds while I was away at college.  I had seen his new, svelte self but, like I said, it had been a while.  We were both at an Upward basketball game for our grandchildren. 

In the brief moments that we were able to chat, I tried to tell him some of the things that he had done for me.   People kept interrupting (in a nice way).

I was able to introduce him to my daughter and a couple of the grandkids and shared something with them that he told me when I was a senior in high school.

We had just lost a really tough game that likely would keep us out of playoff contention (it did).  I was broken hearted and he came up to me, put his big arm around my shoulder, and told me that he was proud of me.  That I had given it my all.

I doubt that he realized what an impact that he had on me with that.  Sure, I remember the game.  At Cleveland.  Final score 28-35.  The player that I battled most of the night was already headed to Kentucky.

But I can feel his arm on my shoulders and hear the words he spoke even now.  And this is 45+ years later.

It was a lesson in effort.  And pride.  And maybe even perspective.

I really hope that coaches and teachers and other adults in positions to influence and lead teenagers understand how much impact their words and actions have on those in the midst of what surely is their most impressionable years.

I hope that teenagers stop to listen to the wisdom and counsel that is coming their way, sometimes in rare and special moments. 

I've already told you here (several times really) about my high school coach who remarked "if he works at it, he can be a good one" when asked if I was any good.

That comment transformed me from an underachieving slacker into someone who truly believed that if I worked hard at something, anything, that I could accomplish it.  I took that initiative, that work ethic, on to several college degrees and a career that has been maybe somewhat successful.

Don't pass up any opportunity to thank those that have been a positive influence on your life.  Coaches.  School teachers. Sunday School teachers. Scout leaders.  Maybe just the nice guy next door.

You never know when, if at all, another opportunity might arise. 

Thanks, Coach Dutton.

The Exercise Manifesto

Let's talk about exercise a bit.

There are more misconceptions about exercise than there are about pretty much everything.  Except dieting.  And that's for another day.

You've got your joggers.  Life is running. 

I used to run.  It's easy and cheap.  A good pair of running shoes is all that you absolutely have to have.  What you wear is most of the time irrelevant.

I was never a "runner." I never had to get my run in.  The only runner's high I ever had may have been due to a beer after a run.

But still I ran.  Until my knees forsook me.

You've got your weight lifters. 

The worst of the kind spend hours in the gym.  They spend more time resting between sets than they do actually exercising.

You've got your cardio kings (or queens).

They have their favorite cardio equipment in their favorite gym that they do regularly in what I suppose must be their favorite time of day.  Wearing their favorite gym duds.

I've seen people on the same piece of equipment regularly for years.  Nothing ever changes.

Some people have got to play something.  If there isn't a competition to it or some kind of game, they just won't do it.  My thing used to be basketball.   I LOVED playing basketball.  I was a Basketball Jones.

For some people it is tennis.  I used to play that too but life got in the way. 

OK, so I'm going to do something that will seem really odd.  Something that will violate every code of creative writing ever written.

I'm going to offer you the conclusion in this, the middle of the piece.

Here it is:  The best exercise program is the one that you do.

You may have discovered the most perfect exercise program in the world.  You may have found exactly what works for you.

But if you don't do it, it won't help you a bit.

Everybody is different.  And every body is different. 

What works for one person may not work for you at all.  You've got to find their niche.  Your "thing."

Oh, there are certain basic principles that you've got to folllow.

You've got to do some things that get your heart rate up.  I'll not get into the argument right now about target heart rate and how high your heart rate needs to be in order to derive benefit from the exercise but do remember this--from time to time, you've got to exercise hard enough that you can't carry on a conversation. 

Not every time.  Not all the time.  Sometimes.

Of course that depends on medical clearance and all that.  If you're past 40, make sure your personal physician approves.  (Oh...you don't have a personal physician?  Well goodness gracious, get one!)

You've got to do some things that put some stress on your muscles.

I am of the strongly held opinion that you don't need to do strength training of just one muscle or muscle group. 

Your strength training needs to be multi-joint and it needs to be functional.

What does it mean to be multi-joint?   It means that you need to be doing exercises that involve more than one joint.

A good example is the power clean.  Great exercise.  It engages your legs, hips, back, shoulders...pretty much your whole body.

A bad example is the biceps curl.  Or the bench press.  And goodness knows that the machine where you just sit and kick forward is a waste of time.

Why do we lift weights?

We lift (well, most of us anyway) to make sure that our body is strong enough to do the other things that we want to do. 

Some people lift to train for a specific sport.  For some, it is important for their job (think firefighters and EMT's).   For a lot people, we lift weights because we sit at a desk in front of a computer for long periods of time every day.

Strength training is the best (and I could argue ONLY) way to combat that.

I don't know of many people any more that lift weights just to look good.  No doubt that is true for some but then you get past your teenage years and then what is the point?

Get the picture?  We lift for solid, functional reasons.  

We lift to combat aging.   We lift so we can climb the stairs.  Or carry a child out of a burning building.  Or even play with the kids (or grandkids).

There are a million reasons that we exercise.

We exercise to be healthier, happier, and live longer.  When you get down to it, that's about it.

Why do you exercise?

Or maybe I should ask...why don't you?   

Why I Ride

I ride a bike because it is good for me.

There is no doubt at all that exercise is good for you.  Good for your heart.  Good for your health. 

Exercise reduces your blood pressure (a problem for me).  It helps to control you weight (which can lead to all manner of health problems).  Exercise gives you the strength to tolerate the burdens of every day.

I lift weights and do CrossFit but for my main method of exercising, I choose the bicycle.

I ride the bike because it helps me stay young.

If you're honest with yourself, doesn't everyone really want that? 

Let me tell you about walking into my grankids' basketball game a couple of weeks ago.  It was chilly outside so all the other grandparents were bundled up with scarves, boots, and toboggans.

I arrive on my bike after spending the morning riding around south Blount County.  I had stashed shorts and a sweatshirt in my wife's van.  I slipped those on over my bike outfit.

So I walk in with all these other grandparents and I've got on shorts with leg warmers sticking out below them (looked like leggings), a hoodie, and a ragged baseball cap. 

Get the picture?  I didn't "dress my age" at all.  Or at least by most definitions.

I don't think my grandkids were embarrassed by it at all.  They're probably used to it.  My wife has learned to expect it.  But why do we have to be concerned with all that? 

I refuse to allow candles on a birthday cake define who I am or what I do.  I believe in the pursuit of happiness and if that means riding a mountain bike faster down a hill than you think a man "my age" should or climbing Buttefly Gap on my road bike, then so be it.

I ride because it helps me do my job.

Really?  Yep, really.  Regular exercise helps keep us sharp mentally.  Studies have made that clear.

I suspect that's what you expect from me.  I know that when one of your children are injured playing sports, you want me at my best.

I ride because it is fun.

Ever ride a roller coaster?  Coming down Allegheny Loop Road is a lot like that.  Mountain biking a flowy trail?  Same thing.  Ever ride a motorcycle on The Dragon?  Fun, huh.  I find riding a bicycle much like that.

I don't ride because I have a death wish.  I know the dangers out there from riding on the same roads with vehicles that would kill me if we're in a collision but I fear teenagers texting and driving far more than any of that.

I don't ride to make you late for wherever you are going.  Those 20 seconds that it costs you in waiting to pass me safely will not change your life.

I ride because I love it.

Let Your Kids Play Everything!

When I was growing up, we played everything.  Everybody could swim.  Everybody rode a bike.  Baseball, basketball, dodgeball,  kickball.  Three-legged races.  Sack races.  Not organized sports.  We just played.

The only organized youth sport available was football so we all played that.

And despite being completely out of our demographic and without a single public court, a bunch of us played tennis.

Those people that knew me between the ages of 15 and 25 would not believe it if you told them that I didn't even own a tennis racket today.

My history with tennis goes back even before that.  When I was 10, we borrowed some old tennis rackets from Fred Chaney's grandmother (who lived next door to Little Bill Miller) and got permission to play at the McPeake's house, which was actually one of only two tennis courts in my hometown.

The other belonged to the Greer family and actually had lights.  We were able to play at both of them as long as we were quiet.  We were good kids so they knew we would be OK.  We could even use the lights at the Greer's as long as they were off by 9.

Pretty soon we were playing all the time.  I can even remember one day sweeping snow off the court to be able to play. 

About the time I got to high school, the city built a park with two tennis courts.  Needless to say, we were regulars there.  Tony, Bill, Ronnie, Teddy, Joe.  If all of us were there, we just rotated one in.  Always doubles.

There was no tennis team, no instruction.  We learned the rules from the few older guys that played.  But we couldn't get them to play us because we always beat them.

It wasn't until I left for college that the city built a swimming pool and four tennis courts across the street from my house.  Go figure.

Those people that knew me between ages 25 and 55 would not believe it if you told them that I didn't own a basketball.

I used to play all the time.  Lunchtime games on Tuesday and Thursday.  Sunday evening games.  

Pickup games at Sandy Springs Park.  I was a true "Basketball Jones" (if you remember that Cheech and Chong classic).  My last game was at age 59.

I guess I gave up tennis because of family responsibilities.  My knees took away basketball. 

Football was always my sport and I played it as long as my skill levels would allow.   Oh, I played in a couple of flag football leagues once out of college but it was never the same.

My kids did lots of different things.  Snow skiing.  Rock climbing.  Whitewater canoeing. Backpacking.   In addition to the usual youth sports of baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, and yes, football.

The point of all this?  Let your kids play everything.  There's a lot of good discussion right now about sports specialization--focusing on only one sport.  The consensus opinion is that it is a horrible idea.

I'd like to issue an Amen to that.  Let them have fun.  Let them try different things.  Let them develop athleticism by running, throwing, hitting. Playing tag in the back yard.  Or Red Rover. Playing Who-Can-Hit-That-Can-With-A-Rock.

Give your children the latitude to find their own sport; not the sport that you want for them.  Given the chance, their natural abilities for one sport or another will emerge.  

The Rotor Cup (Rotator Cuff)

Rotator cuff problems hurt.  There.  I've said it.

I have a lot of people tell me how high their pain tolerance is  For most of them, it is quite the opposite.  uBt when their problems involve the rotator cuff,I can believe them.

I know...I've been there.  I had surgery on both shoulders to solve what was basically a rotator cuff problem.  Dr. Eric Morgan did one and Dr. Todd Griffith did the other.

Let's go over the rotator cuff a little bit.  The name really throws people off.

Think about the cuff on a shirt.  Ok, I know...most shirts don't have a cuff anymore.  But think of a men's dress shirt.  The cuff at the end of the sleeve  if unfastened looks sort of like a horseshoe, circling around the wrist but open on the end.

That's pretty much what the rotator cuff looks like. 

And it's made up of four muscles that form that cuff.   The Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, and Subscapularis.  (Don't worry about remembering those--there won't be a pop quiz at the end of the column.)

Those muscles may be small but they play a hugely important role in shoulder function.  Without them, the big muscles of the shoulder, the Deltoid, the Pectoral muscles, and others cannot do their job. 

It's sort of like "when momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  If the rotator cuff isn't working well, you've definitely got an unhappy shoulder.

Injuries play a big part in rotator cuff problems.  Shoulder dislocations and partial dislocations (most often called subluxations) certainly can damage the rotator cuff.  So can falls.

Posture can be a huge part of chronic shoulder  problems.  Basically the upper arm bone (the Humerus) sits too far forward in the shoulder socket in bad posture and can pinch on the rotator cuff.   That's also where the term "impingement" comes from--it's another name for pinching.

If that goes on long enough, it will do damage to the rotator cuff.

Dr. Shane Asbury is an orthopedic surgeon at Maryville Orthopedic Clinic. In his practice, Dr. Asbury sees a variety of shoulder problems, some of which need surgery. 

According to Dr. Asbury, "most rotator cuff problems are best managed non-operatively with NSAIDs, PT, and steroid injections. Only after conservative treatment fails should a person be considered for a surgical intervention (the exceptions being younger patients and some traumas)."

Exercise is a big part shoulder rehabilitation, regardless of whether surgery is performed or not. 

But if surgery is necessary, the outcomes are good.  You can expect full function and a pain-free shoulder.  I can personally attest to that.

Parenting Success 101

I am a keeper of lists.  Grocery lists.  Lists of chores that need to be done. 

Lists of things that I need to do around work.  A revolving list of people that I need to reach out to.  

Things that I need to do on a personal level like say thank you more and think of things from the other person's perspective more.

I've got several lists that I've gotten from others about being a successful parent.  No, I don't have small children but being a good parent doesn't stop just because your kids are adults.  The game is just a little different.

One list that I saw recently that I liked enough that I copied it down was one titled "Parents of 

Successful Kids Do These Things."   I've changed the list around a bit and tweaked it a bit to maybe make it more appropriate for my inclinations.

So here goes.  Successful parents:

Make their kids do chores.  What?  Really?  Oh yeah.  Specific tasks that belong to them.  And most assuredly don't "pay" them for doing those chores.  You give them an allowance? That's OK, but their chores are the price they pay to live under your roof.

For my kids, a lot of it was farm chores.  I don't think they ever thought there was anything positive that could ever come from mucking out stalls in the barn but I'm betting that it taught them the value of work (and it allowed them to own horses).

Teach their kids social skills.  Positive, affirmative social skills.  You make sure they offer a firm handshake.  And make eye contact.  You don't let them retreat into their own world when in the presence of others.  You teach them to build others up, not tear them down.

Have high expectations.  Shoot for the stars.  Aim low and you'll get it.  Aim high and even if you miss, think of all that you will have accomplished.

Have healthy relationships with each other.  Make time for each other.   Your kids won't die (or even suffer) from spending an evening with a babysitter.  Respect each other.  Show affection for each other in their presence.

Teach their kids math early on.  And good grammar.  Nothing in life will hold them back as much as not being able to communicate effectively. Or the ability to balance their own checkbook.

Do things with their kids.  Even before they would seem to be old enough.  

I can remember that we used to take our small children to really nice restaurants.  Sometimes they misbehaved.  Oftentimes they spilled something.  But what they learned was how to behave.

Value effort over avoiding failure.  Reward effort.  Losing a game is not failure.  Failing to be in the arena is failure.  Failing to put forth the effort is failure.

I still don't believe we should reward simple participation.  Life keeps score.  We should too.  But games are games.  They're not life itself but life lessons.

Exercise as Lifestyle?

This is the month of resolutions.  This is the month where the gym is full.  Next month?  Eh...not so much.

I've said it here before.  Many times.  To truly be successful, you have to make exercise a part of your lifestyle.  But what does that mean, really?

It means that you do it every day.  Seven days a week.  Something.  Anything.

Walk.  Jog. Swim.   Go to the gym.  Ride your bike.  Paddle your boat.  Do that exercise video thingie.

It means that you do it regardless of circumstances. 

You exercise even when you feel bad.  You exercise after you stayed up too late. You exercise when it is inconvenient.  You exercise when you're just not in the mood.  You exercise (maybe especially) when you're having a bad day.

You don't exercise just to have a second piece of pie.  You don't reward yourself by indulging in junk food just because you worked extra hard at the gym today.   You really should disconnect eating and exercising anyway. 

Eating is a separate issue.  Nobody enjoys good food any more than I do and yes, I do indulge in some things that I shouldn't from time to time but most of the time food is simply fuel.  Fuel to get through the day.  Fuel to get me around on the bicycle.

Good fuel.  Tasty fuel. You don't have to eat cardboard to eat healthy.

For sure, you never count the calories burned in a workout and then try and match that with calories consumed at the dinner table. 

If you're going to do anything about your diet, cut back on your carbs.  America consumes way too many carbs.  I know I did...until October of 2014 when some vascular testing prompted me to finally cut way back on the carbs.  If it has white (refined) flour or white (refined) sugar in it, I generally run and hide.

I don't have much trouble following that one and fully expect to eat that way the rest of my life.  Following a low carbohydrate diet has become part of my lifestyle. 

So let's look at that term "lifestyle" a little more.  Webster (for the old folks) defines lifestyle as "the typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture."

Wikipedia (for the young folks) defines it as "the interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations of an individual, group, or culture."  OK.  About the same thing.

I would think that lifestyle is what you do consistently.  Things that you do that are part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth, going to work, bathing. 

If it is part of your lifestyle, then you do it without pain or regret.  It means that you don't really think about it, you just do it.  It really isn't something that you make a conscious decision to do or not do--it's just part of your day.  Part of what you do.  Part of who you are.

If you want to live longer and live healthier, you will make exercise part of your lifestyle.  And that is no resolution.