Exercise and Religion

A long time ago, a really smart fellow told me to stay out of religion and politics in this space.   For the most part, I've heeded that advice (I've been writing this column for nigh onto 28 years).  

Not so much today. So here goes:  I've come to the realization that exercise and religion are a lot alike.  You're going to have to bear with me on this one for a minute.

I see a lot people that seemed to have "discovered" exercise.   They become obsessed by it.   If they aren't exercising, they're thinking about what they're going to do the next time that they do exercise.  Or what they will wear.

They can tell you what their VO2 max is while bragging about their percentage body fat, their latest PR, or their resting heart rate and belong to not one but two gyms.

Often they extend that to their diet as well.  One day it's burgers and fries and the next day it's bean sprouts and tofu.  And if you were with them yesterday enjoying that burger, well today you might get a lecture on the sins of fat grams.

I see some religious converts act the same.  They've gone from a life of doing lots of wrong things to one of sanctity and piety.   Now, don't get me wrong, that's definitely direction that they should have taken and it is far better sooner than later.  

But they are totally consumed by this new-found religious fervor.   They'll tell you all about it without being asked (which, again, is not necessarily a bad thing).  And their life is consumed in converting you to their way of thinking (which might very well be a bad thing).

They've not really changed but they've found an "answer" to everything in their life.  See where I find the similarities?

I think there is a better way.  A middle ground, if you will.

About a month ago, I gave the advice that if you would exercise daily and remove the one single worst thing from your diet, that you would be healthier and live longer.  That's what I'm talking about here:  not a radical change about everything you do but substantive, important changes in the basics.

There isn't one single way of exercising and eating that works for everyone.  Some people run marathons.  Others need some sort of competition to stay motivated.   You've just got to learn what works for you.

And it will only work for you if you do it.  If you cannot sustain it, you need to move on to something else.  No one has found "it," that perfect exercise (or the perfect life, for that matter) that works for all.

As for food, I find that those that deprive themselves completely from too many things end up with a whole new set of problems.  Sure, there are some things that are healthier than others, but you can get to the point to where the only thing left to eat is cardboard and melba toast (which are about the same thing anyway).

Besides, if you just wait around, the food that is bad for you today will be found to be healthy for you tomorrow (although I've been waiting for bacon to be found to be healthy for a long, long time).

I also believe that The Golden Rule is a too often forgotten message about how we should live our lives.  I don't have to always agree with you about religion and politics, although too many people live their lives that way.   My late father-in-law was that way.  You could either agree with him or you could be wrong.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you-- to me means that if you want to be treated with understanding and kindness that you need to always treat others with understanding and kindness.  You don't wait for someone else to be nice to you, you get to go first.

And if that understanding and kindness are not returned to you, well that just has to be OK too.   Do not be consumed with revenge or retaliation.   Those twin criminals will consume you.

If your kindness is not returned with kindness, just move on down the line.   Your reward is going to be found somewhere else.

Look up. Get up. Don't ever give up.

At his induction ceremony into the NFL Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin offered these words of wisdom to those facing trials and tribulations:  "Look up.  Get up. And don't ever give up."
I really like that.  I like all that it implies. 
Keep in mind that Michael Irvin didn't always enjoy the best of reputations.   He made more than a few mistakes.  His prowess on the football field is inarguable but his life off the field left a lot to be desired.

"Look up."  

In her book Sum It Up about dealing with Alzheimer's, Pat Summitt describes an episode in a losing locker room when she insisted that her crying players look up, to look her in the eye, to focus on the good things that the just ended season had produced.

There is a spiritual side to "look up" as well that I like. 

Back when I coached youth sports, when I spoke to a team, I always started by saying "eyes and ears," which meant I wanted both.  There's something about looking someone in the eyes that improves communication.

I know that's what my son does with his daughter when he really wants her attention.

"Get up."

All of us have had problems at some time, some much worse than others.  I'm reading a book called Tell My Sons by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Weber about his terminal illness and the messages he wanted for his three sons. 

The book is so emotional that I find that this father can only read a few pages at a time.  But the underlying story is to not wallow in self-pity.  Get up and fight the fight. 

"Don't ever give up."

When I was a teenager, I had the poem Don't You Quit on the wall of my room.  Actually, I had it decoupaged (remember that?) on a wooden board.  It travelled with me for many years and I'm pretty sure it is still in a box in storage somewhere in the house.

To pull from parts of the poem:

    When things go wrong as they sometimes will

    When the road you're trudging seems all uphill....

    Rest if you must but don't you quit....

 

    ...stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

    It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

  

 Look up.  Get up.  And don't ever give up.

Pretty good advice.

PED's

There was an article in last Sunday's Daily Times about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's) and the Tour de France.  It asked the question had the Tour lost its luster because of drug use. 

Most of the conversation about PED's centers around steroids.   Steroids certainly have important, even profound medical purposes but steroids used to enhance athletic performance are bad news. 

Premature death, impotency, a wide range of medical complications and side effects--those and more are what steroids can do for you. 

You don't have to read this column often to know that I ride a bicycle.  To say that I'm enamored of all things bicycle is a reasonably fair statement.  I ride frequently and often long.  A bicycle is just a great way to experience the beauty of East Tennessee and these mountains and valleys.   On a bike, we're slower and quieter, allowing us to see, smell, and feel our surroundings.

Too often, we focus on getting from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible without really appreciating how blessed we are to live here.  I'm reminded every morning as I drive into work.  When I turn off William Blount Drive onto Highway 321, heading toward Maryville, the view of the mountains is that constant reminder. 

I even built my house high on a hill with a view of the mountains.   If so inclined, I can wake up to a view that many people travel to see. 

A story to tell you about me and my love of these mountains:  When we built our house, the builder wanted the house to be squared to the road.  I wanted it squared to Chilhowee Ridge, which would put it at an odd angle to the road.  I won.

The article last week also mentioned Lance Armstrong, whose confessions to Oprah didn't so much taint the sport as it did to reveal how widespread drug use is in cycling. 

So let me burst your bubble:  The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, or PED's, is far, far more widespread than you could imagine.   No sport, no arena, no venue is spared.

Maybe the worst perpetrator out there is the NFL.   College football is not far behind.   But I've yet to find a completely "clean" sport.   Rowing, gymnastics, basketball, track and field...heavens, it seems like baseball has a new steroid scandal every week.

There will be those that say that the NFL can't be that bad because, after all, players are subject to sophisticated and frequent drug testing.   If the Lance Armstrong fiasco proved anything, it proved how easily drug tests could be fooled.  

Before his confession (and the handwriting on the wall that preceded it), I'm the one that defended Lance Armstrong by saying that he was the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport yet had never had a single positive drug test.

Now, I'm going to be the first in line to say that even the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport can still be using Performance Enhancing Drugs and getting away with it, avoiding detection. 

Am I defending cycling a little here?  I don't know.  It's still a beautiful sport.  And I love football and basketball and most events where human performance is on display.

What seems a shame though is that our young folks too often believe that they must resort to PED's in order to stay competitive.   That somehow maybe it is allright because their sports heroes do it.

That's the really bad news.

Preventing Falls

Maybe it's all those candles on the birthday cake but geriatric concerns are quickly becoming joeblack concerns.  Maybe it's the nature of my work too.

Anyway, I do know one of the greatest fears of those that are older is a fear of falling.  And it's a legitimate fear, with over 2 million people falling every year in this country alone.

One of the tragic consequences of a fall is a broken hip.   For those with already compromised health (the elderly are chief among those), that can be bad news.   Probably 25% of those that break a hip will die within a year of their injury.

 So what can be done about it?  Can we really do anything to prevent falls?

Oh yeah.  Lots. 

First up is staying physically active.   Not only does this give us stronger bones and muscles, it gives us better balance (but more on that in a minute).   Staying active means staying engaged in the community, staying active in your neighborhood, and exercising regularly.  Your exercise regime should include strength training.  I've said many times, it is more important to lift weights at 70 than it is at 30.

Osteoporosis is a really problem as we age, especially for women.  Weightbearing activities (running, walking, hiking) can have a huge impact on the development of osteoporosis.   One of the side effects of that is that if you do fall, your bones are stronger and can maybe withstand a fall without breaking.

Get rid of the vanity.   I strongly recommended to a patient not long ago that she begin using a cane.  After a series of falls and health issues that guaranteed more, it just seemed prudent.   Her refusal was quick and adamant.   A cane would not fit in with her "image."

Having something, anything to aid in balance might just prevent a fall.  It's not that much different from the hiking sticks that folks of all ages carry.   Maybe I should start recommending hiking poles instead of canes for some folks.

Bifocals (or progressive lens or whatever it is that you might have) contribute to falls.  The bottom of those lenses are made to allow you to see things up close.   The ground or the floor is blurry when you look down through them.   I don't wear mine when I go hiking.   I need to see the ground below me.  

The solution?  Maybe smaller frames so that you can see below your glasses.   Or just consciously looking below the lower rim.   In any case, the visual input of seeing where you are stepping is a huge assist in falls prevention.

Finally, balance can be trained.   If you are at significant risk, there are falls prevention programs available at many physical therapy clinics.   Those programs really work. 

But for most, a few simple exercises performed daily at home, can help your balance.   Start by standing on one foot.   Sounds simple but time yourself--how long can you stand on one foot?

Or stand with your eyes closed.   Be sure and have a family member available and some way of stabilizing yourself if you start to fall, such as a handrail (don't depend on furniture).

Next, stand on one foot and close your eyes.   Or maybe stand on one foot and swing your arms from side to side.  Get the picture?   Put demands on your balance system and it gets better.  

Stay sharp.  Stay active.  Stay balanced.

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day.  For those of us blessed with children, I'm not sure that we have a more important role in our lives than to be good parents to our children.

I've said many times that I don't see many bad kids but I've seen way too many bad parents.  Anybody that's been around sports as much as I have has seen the worst of the worst.

Like the dad that didn't want to go to his daughter's games because she wasn't going to get to play anyway.  My sermon was that he needs to be there more if she's not playing than if she is.

Or the dad who was so overbearing that his child couldn't enjoy the basketball game because of the constant criticism that was being offered from the sideline.   That child ended up quitting the game they loved because of it.

I've listened to dads in the stands yell at their kid, coaches, referees, and opposing players.   One of the worst would criticize everyone on his son's team but his own son.  Loudly.  Bitterly.

I want to tell you about a couple of dads that I think got it right.

Logan Winders was a standout  on the 2012 MHS football team that made it to the state championship game and an important part of the 2011 team that won that same championship.  His brother Zane, who just completed his college career at Maryville College (where Logan will matriculate this fall), did much the same.

Their father, Joey Winders, has coached a variety of youth sports teams around here but is most widely known as the Head Coach of the Maryville Southerners, a Pee-Wee team in the Parks & Recreation football league.

Joey's efforts on behalf of youth sports in this community are almost beyond compare.  Long before his boys were playing, he was coaching.  Baseball, basketball, football.  I don't recall that he coached other sports along the way but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he did.

He has been such a part of the fabric of youth sports around here that if he had tried to be heavy handed with the high school career of his sons, few would be surprised.   He coached them pretty much all the way up to high school, and it had to be hard to step aside and turn Zane and Logan over to other coaches.

But that's exactly what he did.   Sure, he worked behind the scenes, doing whatever parents could do to support the WHOLE team.  Like feed them, before and after games.  Come early and stay late to do those things that need to be done.

He lifted his kids up when they were down and stood to the side and let them live in the glory when they thrived.  For my money, he was a really great dad--an example of how that role should be played out.

Nick Myers was the quarterback of this same football team.  Few would argue that his performance from game 1 through the championship game wasn't a big reason, maybe the biggest, for this year's success. 

His dad Don Don was also a youth sports coach but what I will always remember about him is that he was at football practice pretty much every single day of Nick's high school career, quietly observing from the periphery of the practice field. 

As far as I can tell, he never tried to coach or criticize, and I honestly never heard a negative word come out of his mouth, even when his son was battling for a starting position or having a bad day.

Joey & Don Don:  Good dads that understand that these days passed too quickly yet made the best of them.

Well done guys.  Happy Father's Day.

Choose To Be Happy

"The Lady Who Cuts My Hair" has accused me on a couple of occasions of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses (if that's a metaphor that you don't understand, Google it up) but I'm capable of getting down too.

Like just the other day.  I was really, really tired.  As in, dinner-is-over-are-you-ready-for-bed-yet tired.  There had been some tough issues to deal with at work and I hadn't slept real good the night before and I'm getting older but you already knew that.

I was beginning to think that maybe those birthday candles had finally caught up with me and I was definitely feeling sorry for myself.  Anyway, I was walking around looking like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.  My wife noticed and asked about it. 

And then I saw this video clip of the little girl throwing a baseball to start a game because her daddy was in the middle east fighting a war that seems to be more than half a world away from us when the catcher popped his mask off and it was that same daddy come home.

And I stopped to think about my new friend and former patient whose dog just died and that dog and the one this guy lost last year were just about the best things going on in his troubled life.

I look at a lady that I know that is a retired "lunch lady" (cafeteria worker) that has remained one of the most enthusiastic high school sports fans know despite steadily declining health.  And one of the nicest people too. 

She was concerned with paying a $10 bill because she had just spent her last $10.  No mention of eating or other expenses.  She wanted to make sure she could meet her obligations.

Then just yesterday, I was behind a vehicle traveling down 321 traveling so slowly that other cars were backing up behind it.  The driver then pulled off and began driving down the shoulder to let cars go by, but he kept moving.

I'm gonna bet that this vehicle was probably going as fast as it could go.  The driver and his young family were maybe headed home, maybe having gone to the grocery store or to the doctor or something.  I know I'm jumping to some conclusions here but I believe I may be guessing correctly.

If all that is true, then it would be easy to then assume that he couldn't afford to get his vehicle fixed.  But it was probably their only means of transportation and so off they go.

Can you imagine how embarrassing this would be for this young man?   Trying to make ends meet and put food on the table and yet driving a vehicle that would barely get them around?  How powerless that situation would make him feel?

I'm in good health, the only time I'm hungry is by choice or neglect, and my truck starts when I turn the ignition every morning.  

So what possible reason could I have for feeling down?  What burdens do I carry...really?

 

Simplifying Weight Loss

Weight loss is a topic that I've tackled in this space many, many times.  Some might offer  too many.

It's just  that a lot of the health issues that we face today are because of obesity.  Diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, even certain types of cancer.  And we know that obesity makes it hard on your joints. 

Obesity is the #1 preventable problem facing Americans today.   And notice the "preventable" part of that.  We can do something about it.  

Throughout time, there have been more diets than...well, you can imagine or I can describe.  I've looked at many of them.  The Adkins diet.  The Watermelon diet.  Paleo.  South Beach.  The detox diet.  The grapefruit diet. 

But the main conclusion that I've reached is that the simpler the weight loss program, the more likely it will be that you will stick with it.  That the easier it is to live with, the less self-control that you will have to use   That the better you stick with it, the more effective it will be.

So I've adopted a very simple plan that most people can follow.  A path, if you will, to better health.   I believe that you need to look at doing two things:  Exercising every day and eliminating that one "worst" thing from your diet.

That every day exercise thing is important and is probably the most daunting aspect about this whole concept.  Studies distributed by the American College of Sports Medicine have indicated that to achieve fitness, you should exercise at least 4 times a week.

Notice the "at least" part of that.  I don't believe that is enough.  If your exercise is going to affect your metabolism (and it can in very important and profound ways), you've got to do it every day.

The exercise doesn't have to be vigorous but you do need to do it every day.  Walking is a great start but you'll find that if you do it daily, pretty soon it won't be enough.  Swimming is great if you've got access to a pool.  Most people know of my love for everything bicycling and CrossFit. 

You've just got to find something that you can stick with.  I would suggest that it should be several "somethings."   Strength training should definitely be in there part of the time.   Interval training and cardio are important too.   But if you don't do something that you find fun, you won't be able to sustain it.

And I can tell you from years of experience in working with people pursuing fitness, you've got to sustain it.   You've got to be in for the long haul.  A commitment to the lifestyle change that this requires is not something you can do for 6 months, see great gains, then move on to something else.

You have to build it into your daily schedule.  If it's Tuesday, it must be cardio day, or something like that.  Have a plan and then stick with it until it doesn't work anymore and then change it.  It helps to have exercise partners.  Being accountable to anyone makes it harder to miss a workout.

And the best time to exercise is in the morning.   Even light exercise will change your metabolism (for the good), with the net result being that you burn more calories the rest of the day (another good thing).

The other part:  remove that one worst part of your diet.  Not everything, just the worst thing.

I used to have a secretary that brought a 65 ounce jug of soda to work every day.   And she refilled it at least once every day.  She didn't really have a weight problem but she had a lot of health problems that were likely the result of all that sugar. 

What is that one bad thing for you?  Identify it and cut it out.  It really is that simple.   No wholesale changes to your diet and definitely no "diet" to follow nor calories to count.