#2: Not Exactly A Walk In The Park

Turning Back The Years |

There are times like today when I take a look at my life in its entirety but focus on my activity level. I laugh as I remind myself of the years growing up, when I could not wait to get outside and play. It was like being inside was a punishment. Healthy weight loss wasn’t even an issue then. I was made to run, jump and throw. The worst part of any day was nightfall. It got too dark to see things, so that meant that playtime was over.

Isn’t it amazing how time changes things? Now, its an automatic that I would rather be inside than outside. I would rather sit that stand. I would rather drive than walk. I would rather hear about it, than to go there. What happened to the me whose spirit would be crushed if he could go outside and play one more game?

I did not grow up a “fat” kid. I was extremely active and athletic. I needed to sweat. That was a sign that I was doing something! Sweat now can often a peculiar inconvenience, unless I am “scheduled” to exercise. It’s time for me to shake things up a bit and be more active. That’s why today, I decided to go swimming.

My lower back is in a lot of pain. However, it has been my routine to get out on the trail and just endure the pain for a couple of weeks. Now may be a good time to explain that I was collegiate athlete. I played football from the fourth grade through college. It takes a “different” mentality to compete in that sport. Football for me was a parallel for life. It made a lot of what I am on the inside. In my mind, I am the baddest SOB to walk the face of the earth. That’s how I approached playing the game, and that’s how I would approach exercise.

As I grew older, this would get me into a bit of trouble. What I mean is that I would put undue stress and pressure on my body, just to prove a point. One of the hardest things for me to do was to say, I’ve had enough. It’s not always about working until I can’t lift a finger, but working with a purpose and with consistency. That’s where swimming comes in.

Swimming is a low impact, high-yield exercise. I was in the pool today for an hour doing laps. I really can’t tell you how many. My mind tends to drift off whenever I’m in the water. It’s like therapy for me. At the same time though, swimming will bust your butt! I went home and slept for two hours! I’m up now typing this blog entry, but trust when I say, I could crawl back in bed and get another few hours in! I feel really good about my decision to not pound the pavement trying to make myself run. I found something that was 100x less stressful, but highly effective. Did I mention my arms feel like I’ve been lifting weights?

Take a second to turn back the years and reclaim the active part of your youth. Exercise doesn’t always have to be grueling. It can be lots of fun.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I wonder if they make roller blades in a size 15? Where’s that Google Search Engine?

Dreams mean work,