Exercise – “The Fountain of Youth”

Last fall we were staying with our good friends Pete and Deb from up North and I wrote this blog while visiting with them. They have a great spot in a gated community in Fort Myers, Florida(and are amazing hosts!).

Our first morning,  I went for an easy run to get the cobwebs out from flying the night before and not consuming my regular diet due to the flight. It was over 80 degrees f and a gorgeous sunny day. I hadn’t been for a run in 2 weeks so I just wanted to go really easy and make sure I didn’t over tax my torn hamstring.

I went through my typical mantra(thought process) while running.

1. Being present in the moment – feeling the air, the  sun, my breathing, and enjoying all the beauty around me
2. Giving my thanks and gratitude for everything. My family, my living(this is always a big one for me as I almost died 15 years ago), my family, my friends and for what I was experiencing right then.
3. Thinking of all the people that I love -(living as well as those not with us anymore).My family, my mom and dad, brothers and sisters, the kids, and life itself.
4. The Future is bright. Thinking how great the future is and all the great things that are still to come in my life. My belief is “do good” and the future and the universe will look after me.

While running I thought of some other things that I wanted to share:

After listening to Rich and Julie Rolls podcast on the plane, it got me thinking how every moment we live is instantly gone. The importance of living and enjoying every moment in life as it is gone in an instant. It is tough to think about  but the moment right now is gone and will never be here again.

So….enjoy every single moment as the moment I write this(and you reading this) is now gone ….forever.

The other thing I loved was the flurry of activity that I saw in the morning while running. There were a lot of very active people in the gated community and I  noticed 2  types of people:

1. Those elderly people that were out being active, walking, riding bikes, running etc. Our friends Pete and Deb start out every morning with 60 minutes of exercise around the park. It seems that many of these people started fitness and paying attention to their health in later years. My thinking….how healthy and how  much easier would it be for them if they started with a fitness regime earlier in life.
2. The other group are those that unfortunately that couldn’t  do any activity due to an inability to do so because of health issues or physical restraints. These people were out riding their golf carts and cars. Once again  I ask, how would their lives be different if they were able to be active, mobile and healthy. This gets into another topic….”living”  vs. “existing” old age which I will write about in a future blog.

Remember – Exercise is the “Fountain of Youth”

Have a great, Happy and “love life” day, Kev

Health Tip of the Week – How to ensure you have energy to Workout

Often people ask what they should consume prior to doing exercise? I typically work out very early in the morning and much of the year, I do so in the dark prior to work. It is important to have some “quick” energy in order to ensure your muscles have the glycogen required to provide the energy for the workout. One of the quickest (and my favourite) ways to provide energy and top up glycogen levels prior to a workout is to consume a few dates or a banana. These are 2 of the quickest ways to provide energy prior to your workout. Another item I use almost daily is Pre Workout Vega and sip that prior and during my workout. I find these provide the energy and ongoing energy that is required to have a good workout.

Also, remember to have a piece of fruit or some healthy carbs after your workout in order to restore the glycogen stores in your muscles. This will really assist in your recovery from your workout.