Entries from January 2008 ↓

Just how flexible are you? No, I’m not asking about you ability to adapt to new situations (that’s the subject of another post to be) but rather your ability to touch your toes or lift your leg without pulling a muscle. Seems like a strange question, but life is more fun when you are healthy and in shape. Flexibility is a key component of overall health. Exercise is easier and you have a lower risk of injury. I am probably as guilty as many of you when it comes to a lack of flexibility. In fact, my lack of flexibility probably contributed to my recent injury.

I have committed to becoming more flexible this year and so far I am doing OK but I have a ways to go. Stretching is something that takes time, you can’t improve a lot overnight. But, if you work at it on a regular basis you will see definite improvement. So, how do you get started? Well, there are plenty of resources available to you on the internet. This site is a good place to start, along with the Wiki Page on stretching. If you are a fan of the “Dummies” books, as I am, they have one for stretching.

You don’t have to spend hours each day stretching in order to get the benefits. As little as five to ten minutes can make a big difference. If you exercise, make stretching a regular part of your warm-up and cool-down. Your risk of injury will be cut down and your performance will increase. Even if you are not a workout fiend you can benefit from regular stretching. You will be able to perform regular day-to-day activities with less stress and strain.

So, put on some workout clothes, load up your Ipod, or, if you want to see the original “Rubberband Man”, watch this video of the Spinners on Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special from 1976 and start stretching!

What do you do for fun? If you answer “well, I don’t really know” that probably means that you need to stop taking life so seriously. You know what they say about “all work and no play”, right?

Seriously, having a hobby or pastime outside of your regular work is an important part of life. We all need diversions from the day-to-day in order to relax, unwind, and enjoy life. Finding a hobby you enjoy will have a positive effect on your entire life, including your work.

Your hobby can be anything that you enjoy doing, or want to do better, or just want to try. There are no right or wrong hobbies. You can have one or many. But, whatever you do for your hobby make sure it is something that helps you relax and refocus, and maybe even learn something. By relaxing I don’t mean sitting in a chair watching TV, that is just a way to spend time. A hobby helps you relax by challenging your mind or body in new ways.

I have had numerous hobbies over the years. Most have been relatively short term because I either wanted to try something different or I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. I don’t feel bad about the hobbies I have left behind, I learned something from all of them. I have come back to hobbies I have “abandoned” in the past and enjoyed them more the second time around. Right now my hobbies are home brewing, road biking, reading, blogging, and barbeque/grilling. I like the mix that I have, especially the road biking, as that allows me to barbeque and home brew more!

If you are wondering how to find a hobby take a look here, or take a quiz to find your hobby here. There are other resources online to help you, just Google “hobby” or “finding a hobby”. There will be lots of possibilities for you to consider.

So, if you are looking to expand your horizons and enjoy life a little bit more, take up a hobby. There’s nothing to lose and who knows, you might actually have some fun.

What are your hobbies? Tell us about them in the comments.

As I sit here with an ice pack on my left ankle I review in my mind where I went wrong. Two weeks ago I was starting off the New Year on a roll. I was ready to ramp up my training and have a great year on the bike. Then my ankle tendinitis, which I have been battling off and on for a couple of years, flared up seemingly overnight. There was no other alternative but to take at least a couple of weeks off the bike to get things back in order.

I’m making progress but it will take some time to get back on the road riding again. At least it is the coldest part of the year and I won’t lose too much fitness. But, I probably could have prevented this unintended break from training if I had been smarter about my health and not taken it for granted. Where did I go wrong, and what can be learned from my mistakes?

• Listen to your body- This is something I did not do, at least not very effectively. My ankle had been a little sore for a while. It wasn’t getting worse so I basically ignored it. It wasn’t that painful. I could have cut back on the time I was training, without stopping, and helped my body out. Instead I kept on going.
• Warm Up And Cool Down- When I really looked at the last few weeks I realized that I got out of my routine of warming up and cooling down from my workouts. Maybe it was the hectic schedule of the holidays. Nope that wasn’t it. I basically just got out of the habit of stretching before and after my rides. Never again will I forget.
• Increase Your Workout Load Gradually- I had a great Fall and early Winter mileage wise but when I look at it I probably increased my workout intensity/load a bit to fast. Combine that with less stretching, etc and I was asking for trouble. There is a rule that says don’t increase your workouts by more than 10% a week. I think that is a little conservative but I did increase my intensity the first few weeks of December quite a bit.
• Acknowledge Your Age And Plan Accordingly- I have to admit it, I am a few years over forty (although if you ask my wife she will say I act like a 2 year old). With age comes a certain amount of increased time for recovery. Also, injuries don’t heal quite as fast and can happen a little quicker. I honestly think of myself as eighteen but my body tells me otherwise. Getting older doesn’t mean you have to slow down but it does mean that you need to take extra precautions to prevent injury. Things like stretching, warm up/cool down are a lot more important. Pay attention and take a little extra time.

The bottom line is that I ignored some obvious signs from my body to slow down a little and prevent injury. I was so focused on working out that I failed to do the easy and simple things that would have prevented an injury. Don’t do what I did. Pay attention to your body, take time to warm up properly and workout sensibly. If you do, you will enjoy your workouts and get healthy at the same time.