My Health Journey

Exercise calendar I made using an excel Template To keep track of my workouts and help me vary it up, I use a monthly exercise calendar I customized using the Excel templates at Vertex42.com . Typically I rotate between three types of activity, like running, weights, and yoga. The calendar helps me sequence them to ensure I have enough days of rest or active recovery. If I am training for a race, I weave my selected training schedule into the calendar. I can then check completed workouts, enter notes about my time, etc. For more detailed notes, I recommend keeping a dedicated exercise journal. A good example I have been using is the  getfitbook .

Boredom is probably the single greatest enemy to persistence in a workout plan. Within weeks, my daily walks helped get me physically and mentally healthier. Just as quickly, however, I realized I needed to vary the route I walked or would sooner quit. The same applied to my runs, bike rides, hikes, and everything else I did outdoors. I needed new trails, new terrain, different scenery, and trails of varying lengths as well. Route created on Google Maps Google Maps quickly became my friend in that regard. I used it to survey the area around me and find routes, and also to measure distances. It is indispensable when it comes to travel. I study my destination for routes and print out maps ahead of time. With that and my running or hiking gear packed, I have no excuses to skip a workout because of travel. Furthermore, running or walking is a fun way to explore and sight-see. You see a lot more than from a moving car. Google Maps  is also indispensable for planning long ...

To help me start my weight training, I got several books on using dumbbells. The one I ended up using most is Dumbbell Training for Strength and Fitness, by Brzycki and Fornicola. It is aimed at the beginner starting with a home gym. The exercises in there are basic but cover all the muscle groups. I like the clear description of each exercise, and the indications on whether to skip it or how to adapt it in case of injury. The last part of the book is a collection of dumbbell workouts submitted by different coaches. It was fun to work through some of them and helps break monotony. The book has a good introductory section about safety practices and general advice. I still refer to it for reminders of the proper form for each exercise, and occasionally for new exercises to do. Overall, if you're a beginner to dumbbells, this is the book! The other popular book, Dumbbell Training, by Allen Hendrick, was useful for finding additional exercises. However, and I attac...

Had a nice one hour walk today around the lake. Under the towering trees shading the trail, I saw a caterpillar climbing a silk thread. Every day that I walk, run, hike, or bike outdoors, I see a small wonder of nature, be it a great blue heron wading in the pond, turtles sunning on a log, or deer almost perfectly camouflaged in the thickets. Last week, I saw a hummingbird hovering near a treetop, and a rainbow patch next to the setting sun. Over the years, I have seen red foxes and beavers. Caterpillar climbing on a silk thread. Every exercise session outdoors is an adventure. Even walking the same trail over and over, you see different things at different times of day, and as the seasons change. It is a refreshing way of breaking the monotony of exercise . For me, it wins hands-down over working out in a gym or a treadmill. Fresh air and Vitamin D are a welcome bonus, and being closer to nature is refreshing and healing. The outdoors often pose a challenge. Trail conditions a...