5.06
If you are investing in your wellness lifestyle, in your pantry and your level of activity, you will certainly benefit. I've been investing in my pantry choices for about 8 years, and every year I move the needle in a positive direction.
And my physical fitness keeps improving as well. Just being intentional about wellness will make a huge difference, if we'll simply do the work. Something I pay a bit of attention to is my VO2 max. This is a technical, physiological measure of our body's ability to absorb and use oxygen (measured in ml/kg/min.)
The better your aerobic health, the higher your VO2 max will be. Think of it as the efficiency of your circulation system 'plumbing'. Check out this article from Runner's World for a good explanation:
Runner's World on VO2 max
I've had a FitBit Blaze for a couple years, and it does a fairly good job of approximating things like VO2 max (using heart rate and stamina stats within long periods of exertion). My VO2 max? 54-58, which for an old guy like me is in the excellent (some even say 'superior') category. It simply means I can sustain a long, intense workout without 'hitting the wall'.
What does this really tell us? There are objective results from your wellness journey. Some days you may feel like you're doing all this work and not getting very far. But if you can track some simple parameters (like VO2 max) you're likely to learn that there is good coming from investing in your wellness.
So keep at it. Get to the gym, or out on the road. Stock up on some great food. Challenge the way you've always looked at your diet and your exercise - step it up this week. Register for a great race or workout which will really challenge you. And soon enough, you'll make progress that you couldn't have imagined when you began.
By the Way
There are great charts on VO2 max available online. Check these out and see where you are, and then work on a means to measure and track your own VO2 max (like a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor).
Why I Exercise - charts
5.05
It's time. No more excuses and no more delays
There is an adventure you have been considering and putting off, I know there is. It's time to put it on your calendar and get to it. Research it, sign up, tell a couple dozen people your plans, or gather a team to pursue the adventure with you - do whatever it takes to step up your personal commitment to your goals.
I am in the middle of a great adventure for 2018. I turn 50 this year, and a couple years ago, when I first followed Spartan races and decided to do a Sprint, I had this crazy, huge goal of doing a Spartan 'Trifecta'. This is a combination of a Spartan Sprint, Super and Beast race all in the same calendar year. At the time I thought, what a great goal for when a turn 50... I should do that.
So here we are, and true to my convictions, I'm signed up. I'm thrilled to turn 50 this year, and have decided to enjoy all of 2018 to celebrate. At this point I have the 3 Spartan races on the calendar, and at least 2-3 half marathons. I'm totally psyched!
How about you? You have an adventure right in front of you which you haven't committed to yet. It seems big, maybe too big, and challenging - certainly too challenging to tackle yet... But the truth is, you have everything you need to fulfill this new adventure, thrive in it, and take your wellness further. Who knows, maybe it will turn your life in a whole new and improved direction.
Commit today. Sign up. Train or research or learn whatever you need to. Whether your doing a new purge of your pantry, or tackling new and unique exercise challenges, it's time to get to it. And tell a bunch of people - that creates accountability. If you don't spread the word, you leave a back door to bail out. But once you have shared your adventurous plans with a dozen or so people, you will have created enough social pressure to help you see it through.
Good luck, and feel free to reach out to share your latest adventure
By the Way
While pursuing big adventures, you also have smaller ones. I was out on a great run this morning on a rail trail near my home. The trail will eventually connect our town of Lititz, PA with the neighboring town of Ephrata. I learned this morning that a whole next leg of the trail is now cleared and graded in! While not finished, I enjoyed a mini adventure today of running on this new stretch of trail for the first time.
