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.
How much fruit do you eat? If you are thinking about improving the quality of your life fruit can be a very important part of the plan. A diet rich in fruit offers many health benefits and you can’t beat the taste!
I consider myself a pretty healthy person. I try to work out 4-6 days a week, keep my weight under control and eat a diet that is low in total fat. I also avoid fast food whenever possible. But, my consumption of fruit is way too low and I know it. I have some orange juice with breakfast most mornings but other than that I had gotten in the habit of not eating much fresh fruit the rest of the day. Recently I have made a concerted effort to eat more fruit. Here is some good information on the benefits of fruit. The USDA, as part of their food pyramid has fruit as one of the key components of a healthy diet. There are many advantages to eating fruit. Here are just a few:
- Consistent energy- The sugars in fruit provide long lasting, high quality energy. Your energy won’t crash 30 minutes after eating fruit like it would if you ate a cookie.
- Fiber- Fruit contains a healthy dose of fiber which helps you feel full while eating less, the perfect recipe for losing weight.
- Portable- Most fruit (watermelons excluded) is small and portable making it easy to carry with you wherever you go.
- Lots of vitamins- Fruit is loaded with all those important vitamins and minerals that you body craves. Try getting that from a bag of cheese puffs!
All of us probably know that we should be eating more fruit but how best to do it?
- Make it convenient- Make sure that fruit is easy to “grab and go”. Have a stash of fruit on your kitchen counter ready to go at a moments notice. That way it is easy to grab a piece of fruit and drop it in your lunch or take with you.
- Start with what you like and expand from there- If the only fruit you like is bananas because they are sweet then start off eating lots of bananas. There’s not a rule saying you have to like every fruit imaginable. Start off with what you like and then try a new type of fruit each week. Pretty soon you will be eating every type of fruit there is!
- Replace your snacks with fruit- Instead of eating the donuts sitting in your company’s break room eat an apple. It might be hard at first but I guarantee you will feel better and have more energy after eating the apple. Your body will love you!
If you are looking to improve the quality of your life through diet, fruit can play a big part. Plan ahead when at the store, buy some fruit and get in the habit of eating a little every day. Your body, and your mind, will thank you!
You know you need to exercise more but you “just can’t seem to find the time”. In most cases, “lack of time”, is just an excuse for not exercising.
If you are serious about exercising you can find the time. It just takes a little creativity. Take a look at your typical day and you can probably find the time to get some exercise by building the exercise into something else you are already doing. Here are some ideas:
- Exercise while watching TV- Most of us spend hours each day in front of the television. Why not improve your health while you watch? Set up your exercise bike or treadmill in front of the TV and watch the news while you work out. You can vary your workout to keep things interesting by speeding up or slowing down during the commercials. I do a lot of bike riding on the indoor trainer during winter months and I use a few bike specific workout videos to keep me motivated.
- Take the steps instead of the elevator- You can integrate exercise into your daily routine very easily by just doing things a little different. Take the steps instead of the elevator or park your car a little farther away. A great way to relieve stress and refocus during the workday is to take a walk during your breaks or lunch hour. Studies have shown that a little bit of activity a few times a day can be just as good for you as one continuous workout.
- Cut back on the TV and do something else- Instead of just sitting on the couch watching TV get up and move! Oftentimes we think of watching TV as a way to unwind and relieve stress. I have found that doing a mild workout is a better way to relax and settle my mind. Something about having my body in motion and having to concentrate a little on the effort I am putting out really frees up my mind. During the workout I am able to think about the day with an open mind. I often do some of my best thinking during a workout (as long as it’s not too intense). After the workout I am better able to relax and my body is actually refreshed.
- Schedule your exercise- If you are the type of person that lives by their appointment book then schedule an appointment with yourself! What can be more important than taking care of and improving your health? Find a time of the day that works for you and block out that time to workout.
- Get up earlier or go to bed later- Extend your day just a little bit and you may find that there is now enough time to exercise. Thirty minutes is all you need to get a meaningful workout in. One tip- don’t workout right before bed as it will probably result in lower quality sleep. Give yourself at least an hour after exercise to get settled before sleep. For example, if you normally read for 30 minutes before going to bed at 10PM workout earlier in the evening (say 8PM) and read for the same 30 minutes before going to bed at 10:30. Try both morning and evening to see which one works best for you.
- Get the whole family involved- Spend some quality time with your family. Get everyone involved in exercise by taking a walk together or go for a bike ride. Exercising together as a family is a great way get your children, and you, on the road to lifelong healthy habits. Start off slow and make it fun for everyone. If you are a “hardcore” exerciser use these family “workouts” as a way to keep loose and active or maybe as a recovery workout. The important thing is to spend time with the family doing something that is fun and healthy.
Sometimes it is hard to find the time to exercise but if you employ a little planning and creativity you can usually meet your objectives without taking away from the really important parts of your day.
How do you make time to exercise? Tell us about some of the creative ways you fit your workout into your busy day.
