Category: Exercise

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Exercise motivation

Strength Under Pressure

Cartoon of a girl watching a boy stir with effort. The girl says, "That does it. You need to exercise more."

Physical exercise makes us stronger. When we run a distance, or lift weights, the resistance causes our muscles to strengthen. It prepares us for when we face a physical challenge and gives us strength under pressure.

Cartoon of a girl watching a boy stir with effort. The girl says, "That does it. You need to exercise more."

“If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.”

Proverbs 24:10 NLT

Mental and spiritual exercises do something similar. When we feed our mind and spirit, when we make ourselves do the hard work, it will help us when we face bigger challenges.

Does that mean we love exercise? Hardly! Self discipline can be difficult, especially when we have weak areas that we know needs to be strengthened. When we haven’t been exercising for a while, and we discover how weak we’ve become in such a short time, it’s humiliating and discouraging.

And when conditions aren’t optimal, it can be even harder. We may try to job, but the weather is nasty. Then there are the times we are exercising our minds, but we are tempted to turn on the TV and watch some mindless program. Maybe the kids are loud and demand our attention. Self discipline isn’t easy, is it?

But the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term challenges. When we set a long-term goal, it helps us get over the short-term reluctance.

Few of us are in optimal shape physically, mentally and spiritually. We may be overwhelmed in one or multiple areas. It’s okay! Choose one aspect to focus on today. Start with small steps and know that we will improve in the long-term. Here are some suggestions to tory today.

  • Read something challenging
  • Pray
  • Meditate
  • Journal or do some other form of writing to clarify your thoughts
  • Memorize something
  • Try a puzzle
  • Do some physical exercise

Any of these could be useful when we face pressure. And who doesn’t eventually need strength under pressure?

Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.

Categories
Exercise motivation productivity

Exercise is the key to a Productive Day

Richard Branson is known for his unconventional leadership. An Inc.com article by Jeff Steen reveals his connection between exercise and productivity.

 

“The only reason I’m able to do all the things I do and to keep on top of a busy schedule without getting too stressed is because I stay fit.”

Richard Branson through a CNBC interview

It goes on to say that while exercise has many benefits, it also relieves stress and depression. I have to agree with the article. Exercise has been a part of my routine for twenty years. Between that and my spiritual practices, it has helped me stay active and productive through the good and challenging times. It has also helped me whenever I needed to get the creative juices going!

Our bodies were made to move. We don’t have to do marathons or Iron Man Competitions. You can start where you are. If you haven’t exercised for some time, a walk around the block is a good start.

Wherever you are, make exercise part of your daily routine. It has been a great benefit for me. And it can be for you as well.

Categories
Exercise motivation Running

No One Wants to be Just a Number… or do They?

Man running into a sunrise

Man running into a sunrise

This morning, I did something I know most guys my age don’t do. I ran eight miles. I don’t say this to brag, because I don’t consider myself an athlete. I didn’t run in high school or college. I only picked it up in my thirties when my weight was creeping up on me and my father-in-law poked my doughboy’s belly!

I say it because it is possible to be active in your fifties and beyond. This came to my mind when I read this Runner’s World article the other day:

5 Runners who Prove Age is Just a Number

In this article, it quotes a study that claims people felt they were too old to start exercising after they turned forty-one years old. Yet the article had five runners who began to run between the ages of fifty and eighty-four. Let that sink in! An eighty-four-year-old decided it was time to start running!

We put too many limits on ourselves. We’d like to start something but we make all kinds of excuses like:

  • I’m too old
  • I’m too young
  • I don’t have the money
  • I don’t have the time
  • I don’t have any talent
  • I don’t know anybody
  • The timing isn’t right

We claim we don’t want to be a number, yet do we allow numbers to limit ourselves? Do we give in to society’s expectations that are neither correct nor fulfilling?

Check with your doctor. If he or she gives you the okay, I encourage you to start exercising. It’s made a big difference in my life since I began this good habit.

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Exercise Marketing

How Social Media Marketing Is Like a Fitness Regimen | HuffPost

Source: How Social Media Marketing Is Like a Fitness Regimen | HuffPost

This article caught my eye because it resonated with my exercise experience. I began running after college. But it wasn’t until I took it seriously did I experience positive results. In fact, before I took it seriously, I was consistently gaining weight and had borderline high blood pressure.

I discovered consistency with a plan is more effective than sporadic bursts with no real strategy. This article has convinced me to treat my social media strategy in a more consistent, strategic approach.

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Exercise gag cartoon

Modern Charles Atlas

cartoon of a guy showing off his weak musclesCartoon of a guy saying, “Thanks to an intense exercise program, I’ve gone from a 98-pound weakling to a 100-pound powerhouse.”

People who know me call me an exercise nut. I probably look more like the 100-pound “powerhouse” since I run more than anything else. 

This cartoon reminds me how we view ourselves can be more important than our actual appearance. I’ve seen an average Joe be the life of the party because he had a high view of himself. 

So hold your head high and flex those powerhouse muscles!