MatureFitness-Mike Greer

Reflections, My Promise

2012-01-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

While I have been a little short on posts for this site I would like to get something logged in for the new year. Since time flies so fast it will be August before I know it. My advice for the new year and resolutions are just go back to my previous blogs and see what it says about goal achievement for the New Year.

Here are some fun reflections on life, that may draw a few giggles:

Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.
I’m not into working out. My philosopy is no pain, no pain!
I’m in shape. Round is a shape!
I’m desperately trying to figure out whey Kamikaze pilots wore helmets!
Do you think illiterate people get the full affect of alphabet soup?
I’ve always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific!
Even notice when you blow in a dog’s face he gets mad at you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?
Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 now and we have no idea where she is.
I have six locks on my door, all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three of them.

Remember exercising the heart is the most important muscle in the body. I promise that if you exercise that muscle 3-4 times per week for 20-30 minutes and minimum heart rate(75% of maximum rate, found by taking your age from 220), you will have done all the exercise you need. There are no less than a 100 ways to achieve this heart rate.

For today,

mike greer

Vitamin D Importance, Aging Can Be Fun

2011-11-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

VITAMIN D: My sources say the hottest new healer now is Vitamin D, yep that same ole vitamin that is called the “sunshine” vitamin. Lack of this sunshine vitamin is linked to cancer, heart disease and diabetes--and at least one third of the population does not get enough. So, how do we go about getting enough of this little jewel?

It is hard to get enough D through food, since there just isn’t much out there except in mushrooms that are rich in D. Fatty fish such as salmon can provide some Vitamin D but when it comes down to it, ole sunshine is the real source. Okay now you say, well what about skin cancer dangers? Well just like anything you can get a good safe dose with 5-10 minutes of midday(10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.) sun on your arms and legs. This will provide you about 3,000 IUs of D to a light-skinned Caucasian. Getting that amount 2-3 times a week is enough for most, but those with a big deficiency may need it daily. Adults up to age 70 should get 600 IUs of vitamin D a day, and those over 70 should get 800 IUs a day. Vitamin D is also available in supplements; however, before getting alarmed check with your doctor to see if you have a deficiency.

UPSIDES OF AGING: Sorry I didn’t realize there was an upside to aging but as I experience this every day and realize that it is inevitable I really enjoyed this information that makes some good points on the positives of aging. For many elders, it says, life past 70 is better than they imagined it to be. It’s filled with challenges but lots of new horizons. Here are some points that were given by a noted gerontologist: ATTITUDE-If your attitude is that you’re still good, you still enjoy life, there’s still purpose in your life, you’ll do well. GREER POINT-now the secret to this is to position your self where you can feel this way. If you hang around aging people who do not feel this way then you are doomed. You must figure out a way to stay in the “main stream” of life, and that is easier said than done for many. EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES-Each decade and each age has opportunities that weren’t actually there in the previous time. They have been joys in each stage of lie. The thing is, people are so afraid of getting old. Don’t worry about it. It’s an adventure. GREER POINT-couldn’t agree more with these statements; however the key to having this feeling and attitude is maintaining good health. So, nutrition and exercise is a key ingredient to being able to maintaining a good attitude. Your health is your true wealth!!! YOU HAVE SAGE ADVICE TO GIVE-As experienced people of this world, part of the aging process should be the ability to share this with younger people. As you age you gather knowledge and experience that should be worthwhile to the younger generation. GREER POINT-While the accumulation of knowledge and experience is correct the ability to share it with the young is more challenging than one might think. Depending on the culture you are in determines how much you can really share. In the culture I happen to be in, which is the one I know the most about, the young do not have the same respect for the elderly. Sometimes they feel you are in the their way to success or they do not have the patience to sit back and listen. With the new electronic means of communicating it has changed our world to instant and continuous communication that many times leads to not getting things done. When I go out to dinner with people in the 25-40 age groups I find that the first thing they do is pull out their cell phones and then they start texting. When I am out with people in my age group 65-75 you never see their cell phones since they communicate the old fashion way, with their minds and mouth.

The real key to healthy, happy aging is to feel good in the age that you currently are. Never wish to be younger but to be healthier as the years go by. Then you have the knowledge and experience to share this with whom ever may want to listen.

Mike Greer

Bad Drink, New Product-Astaxanthin

2011-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since the last posting and I really don’t have any good excuses other than I have been real “busy” and just haven’t paid any attention to this site. That is the bad news, but the good news is that I have some really good stuff to give you today.

Dr. Weil is considered one of the real authorities on healthy aging. I have his book on my shelf and receive his weekly online newsletter. This past week I received some information that I will pass along that is informative and may be helpful. He suggests that to prevent weight gain, and prevent drinking potentially un-healthy beverages you consider eliminating the following drinks:

Coffee drinks, substitute green tea
Summer cocktails, Margiritas(800 calories) substitute Red Wine(60-100 calories).
Juice drinks that are not real juice, but are flavored juices. Go for 100% juice only
Soda-there is no good food value in carbonated soda, substitute water.

While attending the Kona, HI Ironman expo I noticed a new supplement called Astaxanthin(pronounced asta-ZAN-thin). Cyanotech Corporation naturally produces it at their facilities in Kona, HI. It is sold direct or through retail stores that stock it. It is NOT sold by multi-level network marketing companies. It is a thoroughly researched product that appears to have many great features and has proven to produce the following excellent results because of the antioxidants derived from the family of compounds called “carotnoids.” Here are some of the things this product has done for other people and could possible do for you:

Reduce aches and pains from arthritis, joint soreness, etc.
Control deadly “silent inflamation”, that causes heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.
Give energy, increase strength and improve endurance
Work as an internal “sunscreen” and improve the skin’s natural beauty
Improve the body’s immune system
Protect the eyes and brain from damaging free radicals and oxidation
Support cardiovascular health and normal cholesterol levels

Sound too good to be true, well who knows except they base their claims off of actual human case studies. Since they offered an expo deal I bought two bottles and have been taking them, as directed, since October 5. They explained that you will not really feel any dramatic changes instantly and that it could take up to 60 days. I will report back after I finish the second bottle. I am training for three half marathons in November, December and February, so this should be a good test. But, I do want to point out that the product is for EVERYONE not just athletes.

For further information please go to their web site: www.nutrex-hawaii.com.

Got to get out of here and do a long run!!

mike greer

Strong Bones

2011-08-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

When I was a teenager growing up and being a West Texas football player I believed that if I drank lots of whole milk I would be stronger and faster than anybody. So, I drank 1 quart of milk with each of my three meals per day. Whether I was the strongest or fastest I do not know for sure, but I do know I was healthy and had very few injuries through out my 13 years of playing football. I attribute that to my consumption of that pearly while stuff called “cows milk.” It is my belief that it is critical in the early years of a persons life and it has life time benefits. After my recent bicycle crash the doctors tell me that my quick recovery and lack of broken hip bones was attributed to my really strong bones. To me that is “proof in the pudding” as to my early feelings about the healthy benefits I was receiving from consuming milk.

Here are some milk facts to consider: Milk is one of the best sources of calcium and about 72% of the calcium in the U.S. food supply comes from dairy foods. Calcium in soy milk is not as readily available for the body to use as it is in cow’s milk. One cup of milk has the same amount of calcium as 3.5 cups of broccoli. Also, flavored milk offers children a package of essential nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D.

So, as you pass by another dairy during your many travels, how about a little thank you to those hard working black and white Holsteins! Their hard work in producing a very healthy product for the food chain deserves a strong salute of thanks!

Mike Greer

Goal Achievement

2011-08-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

Too much is said about goal setting as opposed to goal achievement. All through my life I have heard about goal setting so it just becomes second nature to think that way. But in reality there is really too much “setting” and not enough “achievement.” After achieving my goal of returning to triathlon competition in the time frame I set, let’s give this a second look and see why it worked:

a. The first step was to set the goal of returning to triathlon competition and this was done the day after the crash. So, it gave my mind instant reasons to start thinking “well” and feeling that healing process going on.

b. The time frame given to me by the doctors was 8 weeks for recovery, so I decided on the Tall City Triathlon since it was 9 weeks out. It also gave me something to visualize since I know the course so well.

c. The sprint distance race was suited for the first time back and was not an extremely long course, so again it was a realistic approach to the come back.

d. As I began to work out I took it very easy to see how the body was going to respond. When I started feeling good in one area, i.e. the swim, I just started increasing the distance in work outs. While the distance did increase the intensity did not, since I did not want to chance more injury to an old injury. My first swim was for a 1,000 yards and it was very painful on the rib, so I backed off the next time in the pool.

e. When the swim, bike and run workouts started to come around with no pain I increased the distance and the intensity. This happened on the bike first, then the swim and later the run(I guessed the run would be the toughest and it was).

f. When showing up for the actual race I went through the normal pre-race warm up agenda for me and it felt good. When the swim started I felt very very normal and well, so full speed ahead on the bike and the run. Bottom line: I felt great and actually beat my time from last year by 2 minutes, with the same course and similar weather conditions.

In conclusion, goal achievement in anything is a step by step process but the following must exist: A goal must be realistic(I would not have chosen an Ironman distance race for the first competition back), and it must be set as soon as possible so that the mind can start visualizing the success or achievement. It should be so rehearsed in the mind that when you show up for the actual competition it just comes naturally.

Mike Greer

8 Weeks is Done

2011-07-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Wow time scoots by very fast, seems like I was writing about my required 8 week recovery from my bike crash and now it is done. So, how is the body and am I ready for the Tall City Tri and the W. man’s home city of Midland, TX. Well, I can say that it has been a full 8 weeks and today I did a brick work out just to fine tune and see if I am ready for the July 30 showdown with swimming, biking and running. I just completed a brick workout of 22 miles on the bike followed by a 4 mile run in the 98 degree temperature. Conclusion and bottom like here is, “I AM READY, BRING IT ON!!”

mike greer

Floating

2011-06-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

How about this for a lead in, “Escape Your Body”, A Truly Euphoric State. Recently I was introduced to this theory of floating your body in a very silent and private room. You put your body into 10 inches of water and 1000lbs of dissolved Epsom salt. When they say float, they mean float. You actually feel like you are on top of the water. The quietness and dark also elevates you to an extreme state of relaxation and meditation. While I only spent one hour in the tank I came out feeling just like the literature and attendant told me I would. My initial motive was to try something new and see if it would help my bruising and swelling of the left hip. Turns out it did help a lot and my body felt even better the second day after the session. To learn more about this go to: www.escapeyourbody.net. We have a great location in Lubbock and I am sure there are many locations in other cities.

Mike Greer

Recovery Mode

2011-06-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well fellow mature fitness friends and readers I mentioned in my last post about the Ironman Texas and the complete dedication it takes to compete at that level. Then in my concluding message I rambled back to that message of remembering the basic aerobic exercise for minimal fitness. Since that time I have experienced a bicycle crash, while not life threatening it was serious and has me sentenced to an 8 week recovery mode before I can hit the hard work out days. So, in the past 2 weeks I have been able to swim twice, a total of 1,500 yards. Since one of my injuries is a broken rib any type of upper body movement is painful. So, I am taking it slow and easing into the workout mode so that I can compete in my next triathlon on July 30, 2011, the end gate to my 8 week lay off. I am depending on my years of aerobic base to get me through it and the fact that I long to feel the completeness of my exercise through swimming, biking and running.

Stay tuned,

mike greer

Ironman Texas

2011-05-22T07:09:00.001-07:00

This weekend I volunteered for the first ever Texas Ironman(2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles of running) and it was truly a spectacle of very in shape people. I am always surprised at how much is spent in time and money to prepare for such an event. The venue for this event was held in up scale The Woodlands, Texas(near Houston)and it epitomized the overall obsession with Ironman racing. Since I have finished 7 of these dudes I know the feeling of commitment that goes along with it.

But fellow Mature Fitness followers please don’t forget that I am still a strong advocate of the minimal fitness exercises done in 20-30 minute sessions at 75% of your maximum heart rate per minute, 4 days per week. It does not matter how you reach this heart rate, just so you do and maintain it. That will give you minimal fitness and much more time to do other things in life.

Happy fitness,

mike greer

Ways To Burn Calories

2011-05-08T07:41:00.001-07:00

Here are five surprising ways to burn calories: Drink your water ice cold(is there any other way?). Drinking it ice cold boosts metabolism. Chili peppers also revs up your metabolism. While caffein is ofter considered a bad boy in also increases your metabolism by 5-8%. Studies have shown that people who eat the most fiber gain the least weight. Last but not least, the calcium in dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, boosts metabolism. Also, my on going theme, “aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week, for 20-30 minutes.” No better way to rev up that metabolism.

mike greer

New Secrets to Living to 114

2011-04-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

During the past week the oldest man in the world died at the age of 114. Walter Breuining of Great Falls, Montana said that his philosophies of life started when he was very young and his earliest memories stretched back 111 years, before home entertainment came with a twist of the radio dial. They were of his grandfather’s tales of killing Southerners in the Civil War. Breuning was 3 and horrified: “I thought that was a hell of a thing to say.” But, the stories stuck and helped him to develop his own simple philosophies that guided him through out his life.

Here’s his secrets of a long life:

Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face, every change is good.

Eat two meals a day, that’s all you need.

Work as long as you can, that money’s going to come in handy.

Help others, the more you do for others, the better shape you’re in.

Thanks Mr. Breuining for the great example you set and for the exemplary words of wisdom.

greerman

More Secrets

2011-03-07T13:51:00.001-08:00

Now that the new year is really getting on down the road I am still inundated with new and dynamic ideas on how to take care of your health or even better the “secrets” to good health and a long life. Well first of all these secrets are not really secrets and have been revealed for many years. While I do realize our world has gone through the time when they really didn’t know the real dangers of smoking cigarettes I think that common sense really revealed that there were bad consequences with this habit. I remember when I quite smoking 47 years ago I did it because I just knew that it didn’t make sense to inhale this alien smoke into my body. The one thing I did know is that it was one very addictive habit, it made everything around it stink to high heaven, it became a very costly commodity, and it causes many health problems. Now researchers say it is actually worse than heroin. While I have never tried the big H I can testify that cigarettes are very addictive and in the end not very enjoyable. So, what I am going to do today is go over my basic “secrets” of healthy aging/living since we are all aging every day that we live on this planet.

Secrets(not):

Exercise-not matter what the exercise is, find one that fits your lifestyle and time available to practice it. Did I say become a marathoner, a dancer, a hunter, a mountain climber? NO!!! I said to find something that fits you, but I would encourage something that not only works your muscles but also works the most important muscle of your body--YOUR HEART!!

A sensible well balanced diet that could be 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, 30% fat. Being an extreme vegetarian is an option many take now and if that floats their boat then so be it. I tell people I am half vegetarian, half my plate is vegetables and the other half is red meat. Again, find a well balance solution that works.

Have an annual physical exam by a health care person that you trust and who has a practice that allows him/her to sit down with you to take the time to talk about your health care practices. Remember, the real responsibility is on your shoulders since the health care provider is just the one that takes care of bad things that happen. Many of them don’t care until something does happen then they put emergency procedures to work. The best philosophy any person can practice is preventative healthy practices.

Supplements-when you get the stuff in the mail that says someone has found these great new all natural herbs in the far off jungles of Africa or Brazil take the time to do some research. There are times when so-called Herbs are just as dangerous as prescription drugs. With the internet and the ability to “google” any subject please take the time to do so. If you have an open minded health care provider you can also get their opinion on alternative supplements. What do I take? Will Juice + is probably one of the most effective supplement that I take. It comes from a very reputable company and covers all of the fruits and vegetable needs that any person will have. Also on my list is Zinc, Vitamin C, Prostate supplements, etc. Recently I agreed to try a new liquid supplement for healthier joints called Elations. It has glucosamine/chondroitin in a 8 fl. oz. bottle and is very tasty. While I have no evidence at this time that it works I have found that in endurance athletics the joints must stay healthy. So, I will give it a try and see what develops. It is noted that you will not feel any difference for at least two weeks. So, I will report back after that. When talking about supplements it is always wise to mention water, since 70% of our body is made up of water we must ensure that we drink plenty of this during the day.

Many times we spend lots of time on our body but forget our mind, so I en-courage everyone to do some form of mind exercise. No matter what it isjust something that gives you some intellectual stimulation. Checkers,cards, writing, reading, board games, chess, cross word puzzles, etc.

Now for a little write it down kind of stuff. Take out a blank piece of paper and draw a big empty circle on it and we will call that a “pie”, then draw five pieces of pie and put each of these topics in it with the percentage of time that you spend on them. Please remember that there are 168 hours in the week with 49 hours devoted to sleeping and 40-50 hours working. If you want to expand on this you could put additional pieces like for hobbies, education, etc. At any rate this gives you a birds eye view of how you are spending your time to put the “secrets” to work for your health. My main goal here is for you to just write something down. Many times this is the difference between thinking about it and then getting it done.

For today,

mike greer

Healthy Aging Tips

2011-02-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well it has been some time since the last post and I do apologize to my faithful readers, if there are any still out there. I have found that with my extreme travel from September until end of December it has been difficult to have the time to do meaningful posts. However, I have been able to accumulate some interesting information during that time frame and will share it now, plus my personal data from 2010:

After celebrating my 72nd birthday on December 16, 2010 I have come to a few conclusions relative to healthy aging and still marvel as to what is possible no matter the age. Some, factors I do know are essential, one, a positive mind set about life, two, new goals, both short and long term, third, sensible aerobic exercise, fourth, sensible healthy diet, fifth, staying active in society(new career, new social clubs, hobby, volunteer work, family, etc.) sixth, healthy sex life. During 2010 I continued my triathlon participation, which also means I continued my swim, bike and run training, participating in 12 triathlons and 3 road races. I finished 2nd in my age group in the 70-74 division of the SouthWest Challenge Triathlon Series. While I had finished 1st in 2009 I felt real good about my finish this past year. I also spent time on my favorite Hog ride, so that took a little training out of my schedule. In addition I spent endless hours on doing marketing work for Athletes Honey Milk and that involved a lot of travel and work on the concrete expo floors. In 2011 that will be diminished somewhat with no more expos and more marketing. Right after the first of the year one of my 7 grandsons informed me he would like to become a triathlete, so some time and attention will be spent on that effort. He is 17 and already in good shape so it will just be a matter of getting him trained on the swim, bike and run(he is already a runner) for the sport. The new year is already passing by and I have been able to run one road race and will do my first triathlon in March. Listed below are some pointers I have picked up from USA Weekend and thought you might like them in condensed form:

While I have never been much to glamorize what the celebreties do for exercise, etc., I noticed a nice article about Jane Fonda and what she does or has been doing for years and now at the age of 73 is still looking mighty hot. What brought my attention to her is that she has not been void of health issues, i.e. replaced hip and knee, osteoarthritis, depression, bulimia, anorexia(when she was younger) but she has been able to control these challenges with her healthy life style. Here are some of those practices: Diet-She eats zero trans fats, no deserts at all, lots of grilled or steamed fish and chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy and the occasional piece of lean, red bison meat. Exercise-It’s the key, she says, involving hiking, walking, swimming, rides exercise bike, and works with light weights. Sleep-she gets 8-9 hours sleep per night. Sex-she finds intimacy, including sexual intimacy has become better because you know more who you are(frequency is not mentioned). Dancing-She uses dancing, every night, as one of her outlets and exercise. She does swing, and hip-hop dance. Interesting stuff that has daily application for all of us and does not require a lot of money. Thanks Jane!!

Next posting will be within a week and will be about some simple ways to break bad habits and live healthier. Not really secrets but said in a different way. Stay tuned.

mike greer

Peepers

2010-12-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

While this site is about mature fitness and anything associated with that subject I sometimes run across points of interest that look worth mentioning. “Protecting Those Peepers”--nine ways to safeguard your vision by Dorothy Foltz-Gray is that type of article and here goes(I will add my own two cents if I think it needs to be there, noted with MG).

Have regular eye exams, rule of thumb from ages 18-60, get an eye exam every two years. At age 60 and older, see the eye doctor yearly. Do the complete tests which are normally done as a common practice.

Wear sunglasses that block 100 percent of ultraviolet rays, also get out your broad-rimmed hat to help shield eyes frm the sun. If you wear contacts then get ones that have UV inhibitors, which also block UV rays.

Wear safety goggles if there is any chance of something polking the eyeballs, i.e. woodworking, racket sports, or rule of thumb is if anything is flying around you then wear safety glasses.

If you’re diabetic, control your blood sugar. That is the most critical component to preventing retinal damage from diabetes.

Never sleep in your contacts, if so the risk of infections increases twentyfold.

Eat an eye-healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, especially dark green, leafy vegetable. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and the nutrient lutein which is very effective in preventing macular degeneration. Also, eat fatty fish, such as salmon at least twice a week.

Quit smoking--Wow I thought everyone had quit smoking, until I go into a smoke filled room. Smoking is a primary risk factor for macular degeneration. All kinds of bad things comes from smoking which is a very expensive and disgusting habit--MG.

Take a computer break. Since you don’t blink as much as usual when staring at a computer screen it is necessary to slip away from the screen for a while and give your peepers a rest.

Don’t rub your eyes since rubbing can damage the eye’s surface, instead flush your eye with water and see your eye doctor.

mike greer

Mirror "Check"

2010-12-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Looking in the mirror can be very beneficial to your long term healthy aging process. While I know on the surface that sounds ridiculous let me illustrate what I am talking about. Fact is this realization just came to me yesterday during a bicycle ride. When I say look in the mirror I am not really talking about a real mirror, I am talking about looking at your parents and using them as your mirror. Now to explain using my own parents as an example of how looking at their health problems and lifestyle practices affected their health drastically could be the same as looking in a mirror for me. But not only will I look in the mirror I will also offer life style practices that will postively affect the negatives that I see. In the case of my father early in life he did not suffer any real health problems but after he turned 40 he did not exercise, ate real unheathy food, gained a lot of weight and then had weight flucuations for years. Later in life he suffered from colon cancer, prostate cancer, open heart surgery, and then senile dimensia. He actually died at 79 in very good health, since everything had been fixed through treatment or surgery, except the dimensia. He also corrected his eating habits and did a little exercise every day. On the other hand my mother’s physical health was always good but she did suffer from some mental health issues, such as depression, and had extremely high blood pressure. She died of a massive stroke at the age of 65. So, here I sit with my 72nd birthday staring me in the face next week and I am in excellent health. At my annual physical my doctor says he would trade his test results for mine any day. Since we are told we have the DNA of our parents and that it cannot be changed it would appear that I am destined for all of these bad things my parents had, and if that is the case it would be one scary life. But,what I have learned is that while we cannot change our DNA we can alter it with healthy lifestyle practices. Now what that means is that for the prostate I can take supplements for that little walnut, eat foods that foster the good health of it and have an active sex life. For the colon I must insure that it is cleaned out and this is done by eating lots of fiber that keeps everything flushed. In the case of the heart again a good healthy balanced diet and exercise practice will help to insure I don’t have heart problems. Now when it comes to the dimensia I have always felt that my father sold his businesses and quit working his mind way to early in life. After he did this he just didn’t seem to have the drive and intiative that he had had when he was active in the business world. On my mother’s side the good news is that many of the lifestyle practices I do for the potential problems on my father’s side will take care or prevent my mother’s issues from happening. At this stage of my life I do not take any prescription drugs to get through the day. This is in complete opposite to both of my parents at my current age and the general population. My parents had a shoe box full of prescription drugs they were taking daily. So, my goal is to stay healthy through a good diet and exercise, and not worry about the DNA factor.

My challenge for everyone is that they take the “mirror” test and then take actions to prevent or heal the ills that may bother you as a direct result from your DNA. In my opinion we can take charge of our lives and live a healthy lifestyle under our own actions. We are responsible for our health and it should not be left up to the medical professional. They are really only good for emergency or repair of what we have screwed up and there are no other choices if we want to stay alive.

mike greer

Unhealthy Beverages

2010-11-21T06:45:00.001-08:00

You know the saying you are what you eat, or maybe you are what you think! But what about, you are what you drink. Since 70% of the body is made up of water this statement is very important and what you drink is even more important. So, there are unhealthy beverages and healthy beverages to consider before just gulping any beverage down. Duh, guess we just didn’t give it any thought even though the bad list seems to be very obvious. Whether you are really watching your weight and watching your intake of food and beverages there are some very important things to consider when drinking. Listed below are some real unhealthy beverages to stay away from or at least limit in your daily hydration:

COFFEE(does it surprise anyone except the Mormons?) that this is on the list. What makes this drink so unhealthy is the added empty calories such as full-fat dairy products, white sugar, artificial flavorings and other extras such as chocolate sprinkles. If coffee is necessary then possibly a better option is a plain coffee with soymilk or, better yet, antioxidant-rich green tea. Most people that I know that drink coffee really don’t drink it for any good health reasons, they just like the taste and the apparent up-lift from this caffeine rich beverage. You get the same lift from newer energy drinks such as Red Bull, which has about the same caffeine as a cup of coffee.

SUGARY COCKTAILS really make this bad list and not to my surprise. Whether it’s a margarita o a pina colada, cocktails pack a double dose of calories due to alcohol and sugar--some can top 800 calories in one drink. Better options are a glass of red wine(60-100 calories) or a light beer(about 100 calories).

NON-JUICE “Non Juice Drinks”, Before buying juice, read the label and make sure it is 100% juice(not just “made with” real juice or real flavor), and also check for sweeteners and calories. Man of these products are no better than drinking sugar water. Even 100% juice can spike blood sugar and promote weight gain, so mix it with plain or sparkling water or green tea to lower the glycemic load.

SODA. There just isn’t anything nutritious about soda, whether it’s diet or regular. If you’re a soda addict, break the habit by eliminating soda as a treat, and stop reaching for it automatically with a meal or as a thirst quencher.

Okay there is hope, in the next report I will discuss healthy beverages, since there are plenty of them out there.

mike greer

Bad Boys of Food

2010-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

While it has been some time since I have posted on the Mature Fitness blog I thought it was about time to get something going. It is not like fitness has taken a stand still in my life or in my priorities. I have just been traveling too much and not really having the time to do two blogs and do them right. It has always been my goal to offer some new thoughts and insights to the idea of “mature fitness” but other things have prevented me from doing that. On the other hand during my travels I have become even more aware of the obesity that exists in our country, especially when I see people who cannot sit in one seat on the airplane and the over abundance of food consumed at the numerous all you can eat places that are available. Funny thing is the all you can eat places have some good healthy food but not in the volume they are available in. There simply is no reason for a person to eat the huge amounts of food that are available, so that is the main problem. No discipline in food choices or amount, no exercise, and eating too much of the wrong things will lead to obesity. Simple as that, so the principle of too much fat in and not enough activity to burn it leaves the fat in the body and then it is really hard to burn off and keep off. The smart approach is to watch everything that goes into the body and use some restraint. In the case of the mature food consumer it is even more important to watch volume and type of food eaten since metabolisms do slow down with aging. Choosing the right foods and especially the volume of food is critical to good health and will help prevent obesity. Recently I saw a list of the 6 worst for you fast food items and was amazed at the calories and fat grams that were in the following bad guys of the fat food category, here they are:

1. Arby’s Roast Turkey & Swiss--looks innocent but it has 725 calories, and 8 grams of saturated fat. Not the worst on the menu but did make the list.

2.Subway Foot Long Sweet Onion, Chicken Teriyaki--yea I know, Subway is well known for the huge weight loss of that young man that is used in the commercials. But remember, this is a commercial and he is being paid to eat right and lose weight. So, take all of this with a grain of salt. He did lose all that weight but he was also paid to do this and was furnished with the most weight conscious food. This foot long of food has 800 calories and 9 grams of fat.

3.Cinnabol Caramel Pecan Bon--1100 calories, 56 grams of fat, and is the real bad boy of this list. Even cutting it in half would not be a good thing. I suggest that you get 3 of your friends, order one of these and cut it in 4 slices.

4. McDonald’s Filet O Fish--this dude kind of drags you in with the thought of fish being a good thing; however, it is fried, put on while bread bun, then smeared with tartar sauce for a grand total of 380 calories, and 18 grams of fat. Along with this you are tempted with a bag of french fries and then the calories really begin to climb. If you took this same Filet O Fish without the bun, no tartar sauce, and broiled it you would cut at least 200 calories from it.

5.Burger King Tendercrisp(means fried) Chicken Sandwich--800 calories, 46 grams of fat.

6.Taco Bell Volcano Nachos--the name says it all and it really is a volcano for your stomach and bad to the bone. It has 1,000 calories, 62 grams of fat, but does also offer you 16 grams of fiber which helps you get rid of this mess from your system.

An Honorable Mention to the this All-Star list of bad foods is the Bread Bowl Pasta from Dominos--1460 calories, and 56 grams of fat. Wonder why it didn’t replace the little innocent Filet O Fish with only 380 calories.

Other funny note is that I have noticed that when people who are obese or need to lose weight they always drink diet coke. This is not good for the Coke folks since it would appear that they don’t work, which they don’t. My solution to this obesity problem is very simple, cut back to half of what you are eating, add 20% more exercise and then make it a life style thing.

Happy and healthy eating.

mike greer

Recovery Drink

2010-05-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

Now days we see a lot about “recovery” after a major surgery, or a major injury of some kind. This could be brought on by an accident or possibly a sport injury. So, “recovery” has become a real big word in the sports field. The reason endurance athletes use illegal drugs is for their recovery from a big race or from a big work out. The only way they are going to get back on the road is by having complete recovery in their muscles, bones, and mind. If they are feeling tired, sore, and just run down they are not likely to hit the pavement in training. So, the temptation to do illegal stuff and that gives them a false impression that they are good to go. The problem is in the long run and as aging sinks in their body will more than likely rebel against this alien bad stuff being put into their systems. A few years ago the female winner of the Ironman triathlon in Kona was looking exceptionally strong and was passing many of the top men. The commentators even mentioned that she was really looking “stronger than ever” and was really “ripped”, a term used for highly defined muscles and shear athletic look. It turned out there was a good reason for that. After winning she was routinely tested for illegal drugs and tested positive for EPO(that illegal stuff that enables you to recover fast and return to the long runs and rides much sooner than usual), and was stripped of the coveted Ironman crown. Funny thing is that was over 7 years ago and even though she is still competing (now clean) she has never won a race since and has not come close to winning Kona. So, I guess the proof is in the pudding!! Funny thing about all this recovery talk is that there are plenty of products to help or even speed recovery in a very natural way. We see athletic drink companies offering all forms of recovery, i.e. Gatorade is coming out with a new recovery drink(in years past they have specialized in hydration drinks), PowerAde is coming out with a new drink as well, the list is endless. Within the past year a new all natural drink has been developed and is now on the market called Athletes Honey Milk. It is billed as a natural recovery drink. The question always comes up,” why is this drink natural?” Well the answer is obvious to me, how much more natural can you get than to combine good ole honest cow’s milk and good ole bee’s honey. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Just go in and check the label and you will find 26 g of protein, 26 g of carbohydrates, 320 mg of potassium (great for day before pre-race drinking also), Vitamins A, D, and Calcium and some C and Iron. Not only that it comes in five flavors to include a light formula with only 150 calories. Go to the website, www.athleteshoneymilk.com and see the facts for yourself. DISCLAIMER: Since I am on the paid team of AHM it is appropriate for me to reveal that. But I will say I would not endorse any product or encourage any person to use it if I was not truly convinced it was good for you. In 2009 I was able to win the Southwest Challenge Series triathlon 70-74 age group Championship by doing a few things right. I trained hard, traveled to many races, had a couple of excellent races that gave me some strategically needed points, and drank Athletes Honey Milk for my recovery drink. Now, I am defending my crown and drinking the original formula for recovery, training as hard as possible, and have plans to stay healthy and fit.

Mike Greer

10 Secrets of Healthy Aging

2010-03-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

The 10 secrets of healthy aging (they are really not secrets):

1. Mythical age or “perfect age”-If you did not know your birth date, how old would you think you are? (mine is 28)

2. Diet-should be balanced with a 40% complex cards, 30 % proteins, 30% Fat, distribution in your daily diet. “Eat to Live, not live to eat.” Always be mindful of your genetics, what did your parents eat and how did it affect them? Remember, you cannot change your genetics but you can control them through lifestyle discipline.

3. Exercise-a good aerobic exercise (keeping the heart rate up for a minimum of 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week) is plenty. Anything above that is for something other than exercise, i.e. Ironman training. This is also a good time to release anger or go into exercise meditation. Anger is part of life but must be released in some healthy form, exercise is an excellent way.

4. Mental exercise-this involves spiritual and being true to yourself, sense of urgency, having a hero or two, a mentor, a role model, etc.

5. Active sex life-WOW thought I’d never get to this one. Just read some interesting thoughts on this by Napoleon Hill. He says, “That sex desire is the most powerful of human desires. When driven by this desire, men/women develop keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence, and creative ability unknown to them at other times. “He also calls it, “the mystery of sex transmutation.” Obviously a deep subject, but we must move on.

6. Balance in life activities or moderation in all that we do-this is probably one of the hardest to maintain since we all want to do what we enjoy and put off what we don’t. But in this process we tend to get very narrow. Balancing the EGO should be in this category, since we can achieve many great things with our ego, but letting it go wild can create great damage in our lives.

7. Passing through life transitions positively-“ask not what another 10 years can do TO your life, but what it can FOR your life.” AS we go through the 10 year increments of life we must view them as what can be accomplished with our new experience and insight. We must be willing to go out of our COMFORT ZONE to achieve our goals and not view aging as growing old. There is a big difference. Or learn to make Plan B plan A, if necessary.

8. Prevent holding grudges-be able to forgive and forget, mend bridges, don’t burn them. Do not let yourself be pulled into others control dramas that you have no control over and in the end can cause lasting hard feelings.

9. Passion-not to be confused with #5, but simply a passion for life and living life to its’ fullest. Our passion can be directed towards our love life, our vocation, and our avocation. Passion is a must!!

10. Embrace adversity-my favorite scripture comes from the book of Job. WOW what a story! Job embraced adversity, overcame it, and moved forward with it. One thing that is interesting to do is to go to the last chapter and the last few verses and you see that through his willingness to embrace his adversity and advance through it he was blessed by God with double what he had in the beginning.

Now you know the “secrets” of healthy aging, which really are not secrets at all. There are probably 20 secrets, if you know more that should be added go for it!!!

Mike Greer

Annual Physical results

2010-03-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

When it comes to supplements to me the truth is in the pudding, and sometimes this is just hard to figure if these things are good for you or not. However, my proof in the pudding came when I got back my annual physical blood test results. It turned out that everything on the list was within the normal readings and there were no alarms going off or scores into the danger zone. There was one reading that was of particular interest to me and that was my PSA reading. On my 2009 results the PSA had gone up from 2.1 to 3.4 and 4.0 or below is desired. But the problem is that it had gone up since the last year so it was a tad bit of concern to me. Even though I know now that the PSA results are not as creditable as it once was, it is still a warning measurement for possible prostate cancer. So, what I did for 2009, after having the reading of 3.4 was to search out a new prostate over the counter supplement that had Zinc in it. The results in 2010 showed a new reading of 2.1 down from 3.4 the previous year. Also, the always “ huge” finger test by the doc agreed with the PSA reading that nothing was going on strange with that little walnut. The over the counter product that I bought is call Prosta-Strong, manufactured by Irwin Naturals and it contains all of those ingredients that are supposed to be good for the prostate. You can find the product at most alternative drug stores or even the traditional drug stores that carry both prescription and non-prescription. Also, make sure that saw palmetto, pumpkin seed are part of the list of ingredients.

mike greer

The Question??

2010-03-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Well I am in Dallas to run the Rock N Roll half marathon on Sunday. This is no big deal but everyone I run into insists on knowing what I am going to run it in. The truth of the matter at this point is that I have a high fitness level but not necessarily for this distance, at this time. My training is based on the time of year and centered on swim, bike and run. So, I am really not truly trained for a rode race of half marathon distance; however, I will get through it and still stand at the end of it. My long distance running has decreased on the past two years simply because the human body has a way of saying, enough is enough. After 65,000 miles of running, 44 marathons, who knows how many half's and many, many 10 milers and below, my enthusiasm for long slow runs has diminished. Not to say that my minutes per mile have increased and what use to feel good at 7:30-8:00 pace is now feeling the same at 10-12 minute pace. So, as I see people here at the race expo and packet pick up everyone will ask me, "what are you going to run it in?" Rather than say, well maybe somewhere around 2-2:30 hrs. I just have them revisit my personal best, while in my prime at 41 years of age(30 years ago) and that equates to a very swift 1:38:31. The rest of the story is that I still got beat by my most favorite training partner by 16 seconds. Ironically I am still trucking along and he has not run in years, so even though my pace is much slower now a days I am still very thankful I can chug along at any pace. So, when you ask my my pace or how fast I will run something in you will get the run around answer.

My real point here is that we should consider our current fitness level as the most important time of our life, since it is now and forward that we should be most concerned about. When I am ask my secret to healthy aging, I explain to 20-30 something year olds that there are no secrets. My comment to them is they must be preparing themselves NOW for the day when they approach their 60's and beyond and not wait until then to began taking care of themselves. A few weeks ago I took my annual physical and everything came out very good, my doctor even suggested that he would trade my test scores with his any day of the week. That made me feel good, but I also know I must really take care now since the body parts have been here a long time and they need daily care and attention. As I look around me I found very few things that are 71 years old and still functioning, i.e. my automobile, my television, my electric razor, by running shoes, my typewriter(now replaced by the computer), etc., etc. So, let's do things in a moderation level that equates to our state of fitness and attitude. If a person walks every day(which is really the best kind of exercise) then keep that routine up and not be obessed with other kinds of exercise that might stress the body too much. Not every one is built to go many miles on their feet, butt(bicycle) or swim. My friend Shanna Armstrong can go many, many miles as a truly ultra-endurance athlete(she warms up for Ultra-Man with an Ironman distance race the week before); however, the same type of training and racing for me would destroy my body. I know what my body can stand and I am satisfied with that level of exercise and competition. Bottom line here is that I will go my own pace tomorrow in the half-marathon and be a happy camper when I cross the line. Will I check to see how I did against the other 70-74 year olds in my age group? Well of course since I am still competitive driven but not really obsessed. I want to be doing what I do everyday at the level that corresponds with my bodies ability.

Remember, prepare for aging NOW because it becomes your partner in life way quicker than you can imagine.

greer

Female Heart Disease, Exercise Your Pet

2010-02-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today I read a great article about one of the few female heart surgeons in the USA. She is Kathy Magliota, M.D. and her not only is her goal to be the best surgeon possible she is also intent on eliminating her profession, well sort of. She is appalled that most women are not aware that heart failure causes more deaths than any other disease, including all cancers. She says that cancer awareness programs are so much more organized and do their job very well. She wishes that the same was true for heart failure. She also says being over 55 is the age is the start of the critical age for this disease. Now here is the inspiring part of Dr. Magliota’s story, she is married to a liver transplant surgeon and they have two children. So, the most frequently ask question to her is “how do you balance all that you have going on in your life and still stay healthy, especially taking care of your heart?” She says that first, she is not 55 yet and she eats lean meat and lots of veggies, second, she doesn’t have a family history of heart disease or diabetes. Also, she does not go to a gym for exercise but does wear a pedometer all day and makes sure that she walks at least 10,000 steps per day. What a gal, keep up the good work Dr. Magliota, you are a breath of fresh air for the health care industry.

On this site I am always talking about your exercise program or how you can sneak in some kind of heart pumping (called aerobic) activity in your life, but I have only touched on taking you companion animal out for some exercise. Here are some pointers for helping to reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease in your pet(s). Plus, you will also benefit with some of these activities:

1. Take your pet on a daily walk or run, which ever fits your current fitness level at this time. The fresh air and regular exercise will be good for both master and pet.
2. Regular vet visits are very important to include the annual physical exam.
3. You should also give plenty attention to your pets psychological needs. With Boston Terriers (our choice of pet they always get their attention since they demand it and are very giving themselves. Cats on the other hand have their own way of affection.
4. Spray or neuter if you don’t have plans for breeding.
5. Feed your pet a vital diet, possibly a combination of canned or dry pet foods.
6. Maintain optimum weight—while our female Boston stay mighty slim our older male Boston is a larger boned dog, so he carries more weight. We do watch him closely and a few times the vet has said that Buffman needs to lose a few pounds. So, we watch his food consumption and get him out for a good run.

Like any exercise program if the pet hasn’t exercised in a while and you decide on doing this for them please make sure that they have a physical exam and they are ready for some sunlight.

Mike Greer

Annual physical

2010-02-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

The annual physical is not particularly an enjoyable way to spend your time; however, I look forward to it each year so I can see if the things I have done during the previous year have been good for me. It turns out I have a very unusual family doctor that really cares about my preventative health practices. He does not want me to have anything wrong and never, never, tries to build a fee by prescribing drugs for me to take. Not only that he will take a minimum of two hours to sit and ask me questions pertaining to my good health. I have always assured him that I feel it is my responsibility to do healthy things for my body that will make his job an easy one. He does appreciate that and works with me to make sure everything is healthy and functioning right. In my father’s generation they just did the things they wanted and then expected the doctors to “fix” it, kind of like have the engine replaced on your automobile, etc. At this time I have not received all of the blood work results from him, but as I walked away from the exam last week everything was fine and healthy. The prostate exam is not especially something we men cherish but the “feel it” test is still be the best way to determine if something bad is going on with that little walnut sized part of the body. We will also have the results of the PSA test that is used by many doctors as the real story within the prostate; however, this testing is not as well thought of as it was when it first came out. So, with the finger check, and the PSA we will know what is going on in that secluded part of the inner workings. Men over 50 should have an exam yearly so you can imagine what it is like if you are over 70. The EKG reading was the same as last year so that tells me that my aerobic exercise is doing the job and I will stay on course with what I have been doing.

For today I would say again, eat right, exercise physically and mentally, take responsibility for your own health(don’t leave it up to the government) and enjoy life. Make it a goal not to just live a long life, but live a productive and healthy long life.

Mike Greer

Walnuts

2010-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Every day I come across something else that suggests we should eat more nuts, berries, fruits, etc. Today I noticed another article about walnuts. They are considered a very healthy food product that sometimes is probably not respected enough. Here are some good things about this “ugly” nut:

1. The walnut has Omega 3 fatty acids, protective fats that promote cardiovascular health, help maintain optimal cognitive function, and tone down inflammation.

2. Heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

3. Ellagic acid, an antioxidant compound that helps support a healthy immune system.

4. L-arginine, an essential amino acid which promotes healthy blood pressure.
While I have no new special recipes for this wonderful nut go ahead and just eat them raw (I ate a small cup of walnuts with water while writing this blog). They are great on hot or cold breakfast cereals. Great for snacks and in green salads. Walnut oil in salad dressing is also very good and you can also use this oil in your pie crust.

Mike Greer

New Year, Again!!

2010-01-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Okay I know the end of the year is now history and we are fast moving along in the New Year. Trust me, time flies whether you are having fun or not. It just seems like a long minute ago I was sitting in my living room in Littlefield, Texas holding up a toast with all my good friends in celebration of my 16th birthday, now I am 71. My mother put that bash on for me and the strongest thing we drank was whole white milk. I had a photo of that day in my scrap book for a long time but now I can’t find it, oh well I know it happened and it further illustrates how we have got to take care of ourselves NOW and not later, because later comes faster than we expect. So here is the deal, I am going to go over some things I have already mentioned through the year that I know will make you healthier and have more fun and possibly throw in some things I haven’t mentioned.

No matter what anyone says, some form of exercise is good for you. You don’t have to run marathons, do triathlons or even exercise more than 4 times per week, but life can be higher quality and healthier if you do. Now again I will keep drilling it in, 3-4 times per week, 75% of your maximum heart rate, 20-30 minutes. Now along with that you are going to cut down on some of the calorie intake, possible staying at 2000-2200 calories per day of good food. Lots of fruits, vegetables, limited red meat and good fish oil (Omega 3), limited sugar, salt, flour or anything of this nature that is solid white. If you smoke then stop since it the most damaging practice you can do to your health. If you drink to the point of being so intoxicated that you slur your speech, can’t walk up right, and just generally make a fool of yourself, then evaluate this in your life. It is probably to an excess that it can be damaging. If you cannot fit in the airplane seat without a seat belt extension, can’t put the arm rest down, or hang over in excess with your fellow passengers then you need to look at yourself in the mirror and do something about it. Now remember anything that is in excess can be damaging to you, i.e. exercise, eating, drinking, lack of sleep, keeping yours in stressful situations, ignoring the annual physical exam, ignoring good advice, not taking advantage of quality time, not allowing for quality time, not keeping a balance in your life. Remember the word EXCESS!!

The other things I have talked about over the year concern the term “anti-aging” and as I have mentioned I don’t believe in this term or that it can be done. I am a firm believer in the practices and philosophies preached by Dr. Andrew Weil. He term is “healthy aging” and also says that there is no such thing as “anti-aging.” This myth is wide spread by those quacksters who try to convince you to buy more of their magic pill. On the other hand you can do many things to have healthy aging. Google Dr. Andrew Weil, MD and you will be enlightened.

You know when you go to a movie and you smell the popcorn and you just have to have some. Well there is some good news here; popcorn is really good for you. Researchers have proven that popcorn and other similar snack foods have the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. Popcorn is a good source of fiber and also contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols, which remove free radicals from the body. My choice is a small regular coke, and small bag of popcorn with no butter. Putting heavy butter on it almost defeats the goodness. If you have to have the butter, just put it on at the top only. Then you have the butter taste all the way down. But, really it is healthier without it. For some home popcorn use the micro-wave oven type. It is very healthy.

Want to eliminate that belly fat (who doesn’t??)? Just start eating smarter by monitoring the foods that affect insulin production: sugar and carbohydrates. There is a new diet program based on this idea found in “The Belly Fat Cure.” You will be taught how to swap bad sugar and carb foods for healthier choices that keep insulin low and promote belly-fat loss. Without buying the book here are three things you can start doing now: 1. Eat no more than 15 grams of sugar daily (an apple has 12 grams of sugar), 2. Get more fiber into your diet, 3. Exercise for the right reasons, i.e. strengthen and tone muscles, relieve stress and to work the most important muscle in your body, the heart.

Now I am off to do a swim!! Happy New Year all year long!!

Mike Greer

Healthy Aging--Power Foods, Active Lifestyle

2009-11-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

All you have to do is order one thing on the internet and then you are bombarded with “new stuff” by the every loving minute. However, I am constantly looking for that new thing that might make my body ache less or make me run faster, or ride the bike like Lance or swim like Phelps. So you could say I am that ultimate sucker. Fact is there is a multi-level guy here in town that has always had me on his what I call the SS list (super sucker) and when he sent me new info on his latest scam I was always the first to buy it. I would automatically order from him and over the years he made a killing off of me. Finally I had enough and I ask him to take me off his lists now and forever. The bad thing is that some really good things do come over the internet and I have tried to eliminate those that I feel are bad and use those that are good. Another source of new products is through expo’s that usually take place at major running or triathlon events. This is a way to find new products and even try them with free samples. Recently I received some very good stuff on protecting your brain and preserving your senses, meaning the ability to see, hear, taste, feel and think your way independently in the world. Steven Pratt, M.D. has authored a new book “Super Health” and it has some great information in it concerning six foods that can preserve your health and fight brain aging, and in turn, protect your senses. Plus, he covers unhealthy lifestyle habits to kick and beneficial mental and physical exercises to adopt to avoid overall aging-related brain and body decline. My personal disclaimer here: Please understand as I have stated in previous posts, there is no such thing as anti-aging since that just happens with time, but there truly is “healthy aging.” We should also take responsibility on ourselves to experience healthy aging. Do not depend on some health care government program to do this, it is your responsibility and don’t forget it. We have more information about the human body, nutrition, exercise, etc., than we have ever had so there is no excuse for not taking on this responsibility. After all, we are the ones who benefit the most from a healthy lifestyle.

Now some foods and practices for good health towards preserving the senses (Note there are none of the current trendy foods (acai berry) listed, but basically old reliables):

Pomegranates-this fruit is known as a photochemical powerhouse since they have two or three times the antioxidant power of green tea or red wine. They also possess anti-inflammatory chemical. This fruit packs a punch when it comes to stellar health and preventing hearing loss (where were you when I needed you?), keeping blood pressure in check and in turn preventing eye disease. Since the actual fruit itself is hard to find(haven’t found it in any of the stores that we shop) it is recommend that we drink one half to one cup of 100 percent pomegranate juice five to seven days per week.

Blueberries-these berries are good brain food and helps protect the brain against oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which play important roles in brain aging. This may lower the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. To get the full benefits eat one to two cups of blueberries on a daily basis.

Walnuts-because of the link between walnuts and eye health it is recommended that snacking on one handful of these powerhouse nuts five times each week is a real good thing. Get them shelled and grab a handful, plus add them to fruit salads.

Spinach-Popeye was a real bright guy and would be proud if we ate one cup steamed spinach or two cups raw five to seven days each week. It is rich in anti-inflammatories, preserves our muscles, protects our brain, strengthens the immune system and prevents cardiovascular disease. Wow, we could almost live exclusively on this stuff. I also like it in cheese enchiladas, but these are real hard to find.

Almonds-It’s is very important to consume foods that are rich in vitamin E, which is excellent for brain, eye and hearing health. Eat one layer of these nuts from the palm of your hand five to seven days per week. We have a bag of mixed nuts, including almonds and walnuts laying close by for an instant snack of stuff that is good for you.

Oranges-This old standby offers a valuable source of Vitamin C. Plus it is rich in folate or folic acid, which is a B vitamin. One medium sized orange or half a cup of orange juice daily should do you a great job.

Here are some life practices that help to provide healthy living and compliment the healthy foods you are consuming. It is a team effort that will equal healthy living and aging. Of course some of this is old hand but never hurts to be repeated, i.e. exercise!

Exercise-any time healthy living is mentioned exercise always comes to mind. To repeat myself for about the 1,000th time I will say again, the most important muscle to exercise is the heart. So, do aerobic (continuous exercise for 20-30 minutes raising your heart rate to 75% of maximum, computed by taking your age from 220 then multiplying by .75). This needs to be done 3-4 times per week and can be increased in duration whenever you feel like it. The type of exercise to achieve this is immaterial, i.e. running, fast walking, power walking, race walking, bicycle, cross country skiing, etc. While it is not absolutely necessary some light repetitious weight lifting (depending on age no more than 20 pound dumbbells should be used for curls) is also good for maintaining strength, but should not be done over 2 days per week.

Mental Gymnastics-this is an absolute must and can come in a variety of ways. Crosswords puzzles, checkers, cards, learning a musical instrument, creating a blog site about a favorite subject. One of my favorite mental exercises is to not change my watch when I go into another time zone. That way I can figure out what the local time is by taking away or adding the number hour’s difference there is between home and where I am. My father started aging real fast after he sold his businesses, thinking that he had to retire at 65 because that is when everyone starts retiring. He also quit playing cards and dominos with his old golfing buddies and after a while he just couldn’t function as well mentally. If he had stayed mentally active I am sure he would still be here and a ripe ole age of 94.

Lifestyle Habits-it has been found that people who socially isolate themselves age much faster than those who do not. Healthy living is equated to continued ties to friends, family and the community. One disclaimer here: you should chose wisely among those people you want to spend time with. A couple of negative thinkers can age you right quick. Being positive and staying positive is a must for healthy aging, so it make require you to eliminate some negative vibes if they exist. Attending culture events, dancing, singing, reciting poetry, and just reading a good book are great lifestyle habits.
Preserving the eyesight and hearing can be done by eating the recommended foods and watching those bad lifestyle habits, i.e. smoking, or being around second hand smoke, since this really can affect your hearing. The eyesight can be protected by guarding it against the bright sun with dark sunglasses and wearing a hat while outside. On the hearing side you should wear noise protection, especially when you are around real loud noises such as motorcycle riding, guns, or even loud music, and manufacturing plants.

Bottom line here is that I feel healthier already and I am doing about 90% of this already. Just got to find the fresh pomegranates or the juice. Let’s have fun while we age!! Now is the time to consider this, not after we have aged and then have to fix everything.

Mike Greer

Healthy Veggie, Resiliency

2009-10-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across some information on a vegetable that I have always liked but wondered if it really had any nutritional value. My reason for this doubt is because it looks funny, has a tendency to leave slivers in between your teeth you must floss to get out, it has no real distinguishing taste, and it has no bright colors. It is basically just a real boring veggie and is always a side kick used for finger food occasions, but I really like it. You very seldom cook it but I like it cut up in little chunks and added to my Chinese noodles that I make every once in a while. I also like to spread a little cheese on it and snack away. Now that I have revealed all of these clues what is it? You guessed it; celery is the favorite side kick of most finger food events and has way more nutrition than you might have imagined. For example celery offers the following: 1. It offers a great source of Vitamins C & K and its active compounds my help lower blood pressure. 2. Celery has long been associated with dieting due to its’ natural diuretic effects and low calorie count. 3. The crunchy green is also rich in potassium and sodium, which is very important in regulating fluid balance and stimulating urine production. 4. Celery is at home in soups, stews, stir –fries as it is in salads or spread with natural peanut butter or some form of cheese. Try it if you haven’t, but better get some floss!!

While I know most people read this blog to get some idea on how to drive the human body towards at least minimum fitness or maybe the ultimate fitness for marathons, triathlons, etc. But my goal is to also add information for fitness of the mind and offer some insight towards healthy aging. You notice I did not say, anti-aging or non-aging, I said healthy aging. All of this stuff you read about on anti-aging is usually not worth the paper it is written on and we must remember that aging is part of life, it happens with each birthday. So, what I like to spread the word on concerning this is the importance of having balance in life for healthy aging and that must involved the entire person, i.e. physical, mental, and spiritual. For today I want to express some ideas on the ability to be resilient, the ability to rebound quickly from a crisis or trauma. Highly resilient people don’t fall apart-at least not for long. They call on their inner strength and recruit outside resources to keep moving forward. In the book the Power of Resilience by Sam Goldstein, he states, “While it is true that some people are just naturally more resilient than others, it is a behavior that can be learned. “ Here are some attributes of resilient people and what they do to cultivate it: 1. They give back-the benefit you derive for yourself is as great as that you give to others. 2. They pick their battles-spend time on those things that you do have influence over and eliminate those that you can do nothing about or have little influence over. 3. They stay healthy-good diet and regular exercise. To be good for others you have to be good to yourself. 4. They find the silver lining-resilient people convert misfortune into good luck (luck is defined as when preparation meets with opportunity) and gain strength from adversity (in my selling days I always said that if the word “no” didn’t motivate me then I was in the wrong profession). They see negative events as an opportunity to better themselves or become better people. 5. They stay connected-Resilient people rely on others to help them survive tough times. This could be done by joining support groups and reaching out to for help and to help. 6. They are optimistic-while we must stay grounded to reality we can have a sunny attitude about life. My point on this is to always have that Plan B in place, sometimes Plan A just doesn’t get there. 7. They are spiritual-this can be defined in many ways but I feel that the important point here is not how many times you cross the threshold of the local church building, but how many times your mind and heart approach the creator of this universe. Religious convictions have proven in the past to strengthen resilience and the feeling of depression did leave sooner. 8. They are playful-resilient people tend to enjoy themselves. They wonder about things, experiment, and laugh. A great laugh is worth a thousand words. AARP magazine had a little resilient test that I thought I would offer to you. How Resilient Are You? Rate yourself on each of these statements using a scale from 1(Do not agree), to 5 (strongly agree), then add up the total score to see where you fit: _____I am usually upbeat, _____I can tolerate high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty about situation, _____I adapt quickly to new developments, _____I find the humor in rough situations and can laugh at myself, _____I learn valuable lessons from my experiences and from the experiences of others, _____I am good at solving problems, _____I am strong and durable, _____, I have converted misfortune into good luck and found benefits in bad experiences. Total score:_________
Scoring: 35-40 Highly resilient, 30-34 Self-motivated learner, 20-29 Somewhat resilient, Less than 20 Poor at handling pressure and probably will not be reading this blog anyway, but it is never too late to learn. Note: Another way to do this is have one of your friends answer the questions as they perceive you from their experience with you. You need a long time friend for this exercise so it has validity.

My score was 37, now that I have exercised my mind I am heading for some exercise on the bicycle.

Mike Greer

Winter Crunches and More

2009-10-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

With the winter months gaining ground on us here are some very conservative exercises that can help maintain a degree of fitness, and most of this is right before our eyes:

Preparing a holiday dinner—Front raises, hold two 14 ounce full cans of anything, one in each hand, palms down. Raise your arms straight out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. Pause, and then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 15 times. The benefit: strengthens shoulder muscles, grip. My question, what if you don't have to cook?

Addressing holiday cards—Chair squats, stand in front of a sturdy chair as if you are going to sit down; raise your arms straight in front of you. Bend your knees and slowly lower yourself onto the chair; lightly touchdown and then stand back up. Repeat 10-15 times. The benefit: Strengthens thighs and glutes. My thoughts, don't go too low or you might not get up.

Waiting for the oven to heat—Hamstring kicks, stand facing a counter (hold on for balance). Shift your weight to one leg, and bring your other heel up toward your buttocks. Hold and squeeze for a few seconds. Return your leg to the starting position, and then lift it straight out to the side, and again back down. Repeat 15 times with each leg. The benefit: Works hamstrings and outer-thigh muscles.

Waiting in line at the mall—Calf lifts, rise up on your toes and hold for 3 seconds. Lower; repeat 15 times. The benefits: Tones and strengthens calf muscles. Balance challenge, stand near a counter for balance, shift your weight to one foot and raise the opposite foot. See how long you can keep your balance. Repeat with the other leg. The benefit: Strengthens and tones the supporting leg and improves balance. Another recommendation, don't go to the mall and have to wait in line.

Standing at the buffet table—Ab flattener: Tighten your abdominal muscles as if preparing to take a punch. Hold and squeeze for 5-10 seconds. Release and repeat 10 times. The benefit: Strengthens abdominal and core muscles. My idea here is to just stay away from the buffet tables.

Bonus calorie burners: Mix cookie dough by hand instead of using an electric mixer. The strengthens your grip, biceps, forearm and should muscles while burning 170 calories. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Ten minutes of stair climbing burns 89 calories, versus 13 for the same amount of time standing on an escalator.

Challenge: Look around you and try to eliminate everything that is done for you and do it for yourself, i.e. electric garage door opener. Not only will you get to lift the door but getting out of the automobile and walking to the door will burn some calories. We are too spoiled to having everything done for us.

Source: AARP magazine. Fitness coaches, Tom Holland, Katie Koch.

Mike Greer

Building That Foundation for Aging

2009-09-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Last year I was doing a bicycle ride in the canyons, with a new friend of mine from Dallas and for the most part I was kicking his butt(no big deal just one of those days that everything was clicking). After we slowed down a bit he pulled up to me and ask me how old I was. When I said 69 he seem baffled and said that he was 38 and was having trouble staying with me. The next comment was fairly typical, "what is your secret to staying healthy, and fit?" My reply is a simple one, especially to someone who is 38, "you start preparing yourself NOW for the age of 69 and and beyond." If you wait until you are 60 to get healthy you may have waited too long. So, I get up this morning and the Lubbock AJ has this great article about "aging well requires building a healthy foundation." My exact words to my friend but this article gives a little more detail, so here goes(Note: if you see MG next to the suggestions, then that means I am offering some added suggestions):

1. Keep your brain active by staying engaged in life and learning something new. Try working Sudoku or learning a new language, or even playing video games, if that is not something you would normally do. MG-my efforts to this suggestion involve my blog sites, my new profession-Life Coaching, my new marketing gig with Honey Milk and my renewed drive to complete 17 triathlons this year with my goal of winning the 70-74 age group division in the Southwest Challenge Series of triathlons. I have found that venturing over into something new is very challenging and makes the brain do some extra work.

2. Stay on top of your mental health. Depression is a problem for many older adults. Know the symptoms and see your doctor if you experience significant changes in moods and habits. MG-good advice; however, be careful on the doctor advice since they really like to pump those pills in you for this problem. I have found that just changing my setting is the best remedy for getting down in the dumps. You can do that through reading a new book, going to a good movie or even a bad movie, change up the work outs a little bit, or call a long time friend you haven't seen in a while. The main thing is to engage in something a little different and it takes your mind away from what may have caused the depression. I have found that listening to the satellite radio POTUS(Politics of the USA) was getting me down, since it would mention all of the things wrong in the USA and most were things I could do nothing about. So, now I very seldom turn to that station and listen to country and western music instead.

3. Get regular physical check-ups. Men are more likely to neglect their health so if there is a significant man in your life, help him to remember to take care of himself. MG-we are responsible for ourselves so I say, take you own life in your hands and take care of it. Again, watch out for the doctor you use, sometimes they can be really negative to good health care.

4. Stay socially active, volunteer, call a friend, visit a neighbor. People who stay engaged in life are more likely to stay healthy--mentally and physically. MG-while I agree with this in principle I might add it is healthier to be around someone you enjoy and picking just any neighbor does not always work. Also, stay engaged with the positive things of life.

5. Find ways to ease tension in your life. Practice yoga, or Tai Chi, join an exercise group, forgive someone. MG--all good advice, just find a good outlet and stick with it.

6. Get some exercise, whether that means taking a walk, gardening, golfing or doing chair exercises. Regular exercise will energize your body in the long run and strengthen your body. MG--after reading this blog site for a while you know my take on exercise. Just find something you like to do that raises your heart rate for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. The heart is the most important muscle to exercise.

7. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and, if you tend to overeat, try to eat a little less. MG--also good advice but much easier said than done for some people. Always evaluate your diet and cut down on those things that happen to put the extra pounds on easier than others. You know what they are, so don't look at me with that surprised look!!

8. Feed your spirit as well as you body. As we age, purpose and meaning in life increase in importance. Spiritual development is an important aspect of overall health and enjoyment in later life. MG--sometimes the tone of these recommendations centered on already being old, not just establishing the foundation for healthy aging. This spiritual thing is very important but I think the best advice is to seek out a spiritual feeling of assurance more than anything. The closer you get to the time to pass on to the next life these thoughts come to you mind more than anything else. So as you prepare for aging, seeking out a spiritual assurance is very important to healthy aging, no matter how you find it.

Last but not least, ALWAYS, find enjoyment in the stage(or age) of life you are currently in. After all there is really nothing you can do about it, so why not enjoy it. At times I reflect back on my teen years, early adulthood, raising my children, building my business, and it makes me real happy to be 70 years of age and still staying very active in life and enjoying it. It also brings home the reality that you must prepare yourself for each stage of aging, then it will be a great time of your life.

mike greer

Product review, New Product, Grinding Schedule

2009-09-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

In the past I have reported on new nutritional products that I have tried and felt they had some good values, i.e. MonaVie, the premier acai berry blend to help with energy and inflammation and Enlyten, also a energy booster and their electrolyte supplement products. While MonaVie is is taken orally at about 4 ounces per day, Enlyten is taken in the mouth and dissolves very quickly. For the past 8 months I have used MonaVie daily and Enlyten for the past 3 months. Both of these products have worked for me and seem to be worth the money. The only complaint I have is that they are multi-level (MLM) products and you have to do auto ship in certain quantities, etc. But I will stick with them as long as they work.

A new product that I will be working with in the future, not a MLM, is a product called Athletes Honey Milk, a recovery drink for endurance athletes and also for any athletes doing sustained exercise. This product is currently sold only through the internet, www.athletesmilk.com, but this will change in the immediate future. It is real low fat milk, with the lactose removed from it, and has a drop of honey added. With 26 grams of protein, and 26 grams of carbs, it is a perfect recovery drink after competition or a hard work out. It also has 230 calories, with only 30 coming from fat. You will also find Vitamin A, D, and Calcium on the nutritional fact sheet. I have been drinking it for 2 months and using it for recovery of the weekly triathlon events that I have been competing in within the Southwest Challenge Series. It is also very good in the morning and has a tendency to keep my hunger level during the day on a low keel. Study the web site and if there are any questions please contact me.

For the past 3 months I have really been on the grinding treadmill of competing in triathlons nearly every weekend. Since I am the very slim leader in my age group I would like to continue to lead and possibly win the division. To do this I must eat and drink right, in addition I must get my rest. Since we drive to all of these events I have found that the road travel is just as tiring as the events themselves, so it is double up on rest during the week, and one massage a week. The other day a long time friend of mine ask me if I thought what I was doing was actually a healthy thing to do and my reply was, “probably not.” But, I know what my body can do and how I need to take care of it so that it will not be totally unhealthy. This schedule I am on right now is not healthy for the person who is not trained and accustomed to this type of exercise. For those it is very unhealthy, for me it is just the norm and I will continue to do this as long as I can. The key is getting the right nutrition and rest when it is really needed. For today I have spent time on my two blog sites, so now I have worked my mind and then I will go to a movie or ride the Hog. There are three events left for the next 3 weekends, so I must complete my goals of winning my age group and if I don’t compete I will not be able to do that. We are never too old to set new goals, and achieve them.

mike greer

New Stuff, 13 Essential vitamins, New product review

2009-07-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Today there was an article in the local newspaper about an exercise that combines elements of martial, dance and healing arts to try to enrich the body, mind, emotions and spirit. Looks very good to me and it is taught by one of my friends, Connie Berlingeri. The exercise is called Nia(neuromuscular integrative action) and is a non-impact exercise. It is done in a darkened area so as to promote self-awareness and remove awareness of other students. It is done barefoot to help center the body and blends three arts: martial arts, dance and healing. The good news is that Nia does not center on just one discipline of the body but promote full body wellness. It also offers something that is really appealing to me in that it encourages participants to move at their own pace and ability, employing a variety of choreographed steps set to music. So, the way I read it you don't have to have a lot of rhythm since you move at your own pace and feel. Connie says that Nia really changed her life and in the process she healed a back injury and her emotions. If you are close to Lubbock you can find these classes at the Lubbock YWCA, Flex 24-7 Fitness and LakeRidge Methodist Church. This sounds very inviting to me and since I have flirted with Yoga only to be turned away from it by my very stiff body and intimidating instructors. I think I might just try this Nia(also found on the web site). Also, for the complete story go to: Lubbockonline.com under the Local heading, and the article is-Healing Moves.

Just so everyone knows this there are 13 essential vitamins that the body needs, and if you are eating a very well balanced diet you are probably getting them. But everyone tells us we are not doing that so we need vitamin supplements. Just beware since some are water soluble and flush with your urine but others are not and can be toxic. So, before pursuing the vitamin pill I would consult a vitamin expert, not your local doctor since they generally don't know squat about this, with rare exceptions(my Dr. Gray being one of the exceptions). One vitamin in particular can be very toxic and that is Vitamin D, which is naturally delivered from the sun rays. But if one does not like to get out in the sun then a supplement may be in order for this vitamin but must be done with professional recommendations. The following represent the 13 essential vitamins needed by the human body: Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B6-B12, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin and folate. A good multi-vitamin will supply all of the above and always eat a balanced diet. Plenty of fruits and vegetables are always recommended in a good diet, plus Omega 3 fish oils. Salmon is always high on any list for healthy foods and can be eaten as many times as the desire is there. Vegetarians must be careful to replace the vitamins that are provided by meat alone, i.e. the B vitamins are mostly found in meat. With a deficiency in B-12 the body has a tendency to become exhausted much quicker. Again, consult a health food consultant and now a days there are plenty to talk to.

For the past two month or so I have been experimenting with a new exercise supplement called Enlyten. While it has 4 main products(electrolytes, antioxidants, melatonin, and energy) I have only tried the electrolytes, and energy during exercise and competition. I have found them to be very effective having used them during training and in triathlon events. The energy strips(put between you gum and cheek for rapid delivery to your system) really work and for a long period of time. For a sprint distance triathlon that can take up to one and a half hours I take two of the strips and they last through out the competition. The electrolyte strips have completely eliminated the calf cramps I was getting when going from the bike to run transition. So, I am really sold on these products. The only complaint I have is when my hands are sweaty and I try to put one in my mouth while on the bike I have a tendency to remove more than one, so I am working on that. The web site for this product is: enlyten.com and you can find out all of the details on these products there.

mike greer

Miscellaneous Health Tidbits, Preserving Mental Function

2009-07-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a long time since I have posted on this site and for good reason. The month of June is consumed with our largest event of the year, the Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3 triathlon. This was the 20th year anniversary of the event and it really went off with a bang. Our numbers were the largest in the history of the event and the competition was world class. We appreciate the 42 states and 13 countries that send us these great athletes. These folks are fit and ready and even read this site every once in a while.

Tidbits: It's time to double up on your whole grains, a recent study shows that fiber-rich foods can give you a longer lease on life, so says USA Weekend. A recent study that followed 14,000 adults ages 45 to 64 over a 13 year period found that those who consumed just one extra serving of whole grains- such as cereal, oatmeal or whole-wheat bread- each day reduced their chance of heart failure by 7%. How they determine this is really kind of a mystery to me unless they just compare the intake of fiber rich foods in each of the 14,000 adults in the test. So, that is 980 and I would want to be in that group. Just cut out that white bread, substitute some whole wheat bread and a piece of fresh fruit to your daily diet and you could end up in the lucky 980.

Exercise study: Researchers evaluated 2,205 men who started exercising at age 50. They surveyed them again at ages 60, 70, 77 and 82. Guess what? No surprise that the ones who exercised the most lived the longest. It didn't mention what the form of exercise was but I would bet it had to do with exercising the ole heart muscle. You know, 3-4 times per week at 75% of your maximum heart rate, and no matter how you get it there it is a good thing.

Just recently a good friend of mine, who is only 43, suffered a stroke. Not only is he young but he is also a supreme triathlete, so heart muscle exercise is his middle name. Regardless of that it did happen to him and due to his fitness level he will recover completely. But, the one thing his doctor told him was to take 2 children's aspirin per day for the rest of his life, and that would provide some good insurance to never having a stroke again. So, take note of this and consult your family doctor before swallowing those little white pills.

In all the cases I know of personally that have Alzheimer's or dementia they have one thing in common, they quit working early and quit thinking at the same time. I am a firm believer in keeping the thinking cap moving and shaking. While I am not a believer in early retirement, sometimes shifting gears to another profession altogether is a good thing. When you do that you need new training, meet new people and really have to think more than just staying in the ole status quo situation. I have started a new profession in Life Coaching and I have met new people, have taken certification courses, and now have my business plan put together to start the practice. This has required a whole new mind set and has really been great to keep me on my toes and be thinking outside the box on a daily basis. Recently I found some interesting dietary and lifestyle changes that might also help against these dreaded diseases. Dr. Weil of "Healthy Aging" fame has put together seven supplements that might help against these two afflictions:
1. Daily multivitamin-we take a good one from E-Caps, but most health food stores can recommend one.
2. Ginkgo-extracts of ginkgo tree leaves increase blood flow to the brain and have shown to slow the progression of dementia.
3. Phosphatidyl serine, or PS-This naturally occurring lipid is considered a brain cell nutrient and may help concentration and memory.
4. A daily low-dose aspirin-here we go again with this recommendation, must be a good thing or it wouldn't keep coming up.
5. DHA-This Omega-3 fatty acid, is essential for normal brain development and has been linked to healthy cognitive function.
6. Turmeric-A natural anti-inflammatory, this spice may have a specific protective effect again Alzheimer's disease.
7. Acetyl L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid-When combined, these micro nutrients promote improved mental alertness as well as increased energy.

There you have Dr. Weil's recommendation for fighting the Big A and the little d. I am off to the health food store tomorrow, since some of my supplements do not have all of these items.

mike greer

Pampering Ourselves, Super Foods, Manage Food Cravings

2009-03-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

On my 70th birthday back on December 16, 2008 I was treated to some special pampering as a gift from my very special massage therapist, Winnie. She said Greer come prepared to be pampered for 3 hours and turn that cell phone off before you come in. Since she gives me a weekly massage I knew what to expect from her, but the rest of the pampering was of a different variety. She lined up the pedicurist, and the facial person to make my feet feel good and then take away all of my many life lines, etc. As usual the massage was wonderful and took care of a lot of stiffness and muscles pains from a long training day the day before. Then I went into the facial treatment not knowing what to expect, but I am happy to report that it felt refreshing and healthy, so it must have been good for me. But, lo and behold the lines were still there and I am glad since I have worked hard to have them so don't take them away. The pedicure came as a grand finale and it certainly made my feet and calf muscles feel very good. So, I recommend that you take the time for this pampering thing as often as you can. Here are some other little activities that will help you maintain a healthy body: frequent chiropractic adjustment, ionic cleansing(in just 20 minutes you can rid your body of toxin's that you didn't know you had, and watch it do this right before your eyes). Your feet or hands are lowered in warm water with the device that removes the toxin's and you actually see them in the water. The color of the water determines where the toxin's come from, i.e. yellow-green is from the kidneys, bladder, urinary track, etc., while orange comes from he joints, and black is from the liver. I have been doing this with my massage each week. An annual physical exam is essential, with eyes, ears, and nose being looked at very closely. On a daily basis we should be consuming plenty of super foods and they are easy to get, i.e. oily fish--2-3 times per week eat either of the three fish--salmon, herring, mackerel, to prevent prostate cancer. Sunflower seeds with stave off gray hair since it is high in copper. Apples are great natural anti-inflammatory foods, while olive oil prevents premature skin aging. To thicken your hair eat tofu or take the supplement silicia(I take this and it works real well). The memory loss thing bothers just about everyone so grab up a handful of blueberries and they will enhance your memory capabilities. To rev up your metabolism eat those chili peppers and to maintain muscle mass eat lean protein, eggs, chicken, or lean cuts of beef. Eat carrots for the eyes and always drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. I drink 20 oz. in the morning and then 20 oz. in the afternoon, unless the work outs are in very hot weather, then the sky is the limit on the amount of water I will consume.

Here are some tidbits that will help you to control your food cravings and in turn help you stop the out of control eating. Keep control by doing the following--Identify and minimize the factors that trigger overeating, such as specific foods, social settings, routines or intense hunger. I have found that I can over come the urge to eat chicken fried steak by just thinking about eating it to the point of going into a fantasy trance and I can smell it, taste it, etc., but I don't actually eat it. Just the short time that I do this fantasy takes my mind off of the actual eating of the chicken friend steak. Another little trick I play with my taste buds and hunger alarm is to tell myself that I can have a foot long hot dog once a quarter, but no more, nor can I accumulate my quota. If I don't eat it say the first quarter then I can't carry it forward and eat two in the second quarter. Last year I didn't eat one foot long so I guess it worked fairly well. Social settings are very dangerous zones for over eating, especially if you are with people who live to eat. I find myself more in that setting now that I bowl and ride a motorcycle, since that is what they do more than any group I know. So, I have to be careful in this setting. In your home set up the same place to eat your meals, especially if you don't eat at the dining table. That way your hunger brain associates with that one area for eating. Serve yourself small portions and then when you finish a portion wait for 15 minutes. This way your brain gets the message that you have eaten. Do your best to eat at the same time each day, and wait until you feel the hunger pains in your stomach. Never eat a meal if you do not feel hunger pains. Also, make substitutions such as fruit for say a candy bar for your sweet tooth, or if you crave salty foods eat microwave popcorn or baked tortilla chips. Excellent healthy snacks are whole-grain-and-protein snacks, like peanut butter on whole-grain bread, because it will fill you up and rid your body of the hunger pains and you will eat much less.

Don't forget the exercise routines I have discussed in previous posts, to accompany the above tricks of the trade to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Have a great week,

Mike Greer

Water Exercises, New Electrolyle Product

2009-03-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

Many times when I go to the pool for a swim workout I see people doing non-swimming aerobic exercises. It looks real boring and non-eventful, but I am told by the people in the know that these are very good, easy to your joints exercises. Water exercises are excellent for people with arthritic hips and knees--and also for people without arthritis, including athletes who are recovering from injury. The water buoyancy removes stresses on the knees and hips. Generally you get the most joint protection from water that is chest-high. Water aerobics would be a good way to start the water exercising program. Most pools have these classes you can enroll in, I know I see them exercising in the pool I swim in, and have an instructor guide you through the numerous exercises, then you can do them on your own if you like. Remember my previous harping on aerobic exercise and the benefits the heart and blood pressure get from this form of exercise. In water exercise the large muscles, like leg muscles, are kept in constant motion to raise the heartbeat and keep it elevated for 20-30 minutes(remember, this the same time recommended for running, biking, etc.) or more. You must build up to this if you haven't exercised in a while, just like any form of exercise. You'll do the same kinds of motions you would do on land but, in most classes, the exercisers stay in place. You can also do resistance exercise in water. Resistance exercise is muscle-building, just like on land, and strengthening exercise. Just contact your nearest YWCA/YMCA/Local Health Club with a pool/University swimming facility, etc. They all have classes with reasonable price tags. EXERCISING THE HEART MUSCLE IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR HEALTH!!

There is a new product out that I will be checking out tomorrow night. This product is a strip you place in your mouth to replace electrolytes much faster than any other delivery(other than an injection). It is placed on your tongue and dissolves very fast and enters your body more efficiently. They also have antioxidant, and energy strips that do the same. I will report back to this site after I learn more.

Have a great day,

Mike Greer

New stuff, exercise, diet, etc.

2009-02-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Well after posting the fasttwitchmind to this site I decided to let it rest a few days, then get back on some fitness/healthy lifestyle stuff. One of the periodical fitness/healthy newsletters that I subscribe to is Alternatives(For the Health-Conscious Individual) and on a monthly basis it really gives me some new, interesting information. The March issue came in while I was sending fasttwitchmind stuff your way, so now I can really fill you up with some current information from Alternatives. While I get all kinds of weird stuff in the mail this newsletter happens to be one that I have a lot of confidence in and I feel good about providing my readers with some of the information I get from them. I have felt for a number of years that alternatives to the synthetic drug use is a great idea for our body and health I have also felt that there was not enough real professional information out there to tell us what to take or how much. Since just about anything can be toxic if you take too much or take the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, I felt that more professionalism should have been applied to herbs or so-called natural healing medicines. So, what has happened is a lot of medical doctors are venturing into the natural medicine applications and or actually telling bad things about the possible toxic affects of pharmaceutical products. It is a known fact that over 100,000 deaths occur each year, in our hospitals, due to poorly prescribed drugs. So, I am a believer in investigating the alternatives to see if they may apply.

Since aging happens on a daily basis everything we do affects it, good and bad. Also, I have found that on a daily basis I am ask what is the easiest and single most important thing a person can do to stay healthy. Funny thing is there are a couple of key things people can do to stay as healthy as possible, but the two things that are a must are the two things that most unhealthy people are really guilty of: 1. Unhealthy diets, 2. Lack of exercise. Since cardiovascular disease is the number-one cause of death in the US, and accounts for 30 percent of all deaths worldwide there is certainly awareness of the dangers associated with abusing this part of your body. Along with this major killer is the associated partners called, high blood pressure, heart attack, angina, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, kidney disease, fatigue and shortness of breath. Man this makes me ill just writing about it. Today I will touch on the exercises that will help combat these dreaded killers and you have heard it before, but I am going to keep harping on it till it sinks in. The two forms of exercise that will help us live healthy is aerobic and musculoskeletal exercises. While I have been talking about the values of aerobic exercise since the beginning of time you will find it very repetitious, but not boring. The most current study resulted from a group that exercised 15 minutes per work out, 3 times per day, 3 days per week at 65% of their maximum heart rate. Remember, to get your maximum heart rate take your age say 70(mine) from 220 equals 150 then multiply by .65 for 98 beats per minute. While most fitness coaches now use the blood test method of determining your maximum heart rate this less sophisticated
method will work. Also, the three times a day is not realistic for people still active in the world but was used for this test period. I suggest the 3 times per week, at a time you will most likely feel like exercising, going 30 minutes each time. As you feel stronger you can increase the amount of time you are out there, but do not add anymore than 10% any given time. Now that we have the cardiovascular motion going let's do some musculoskeletal exercises to give us a little strength but not Arnold looks. Resistance or weight bearing exercise is good for the body if done is smaller doses. Possibly some light weights, maybe 5-15 pound dumbbells for the arms, and small small weight resistance for the legs. If you don't have actual dumbbell weights just go to the pantry and get out some large cans of beans, or similar products. They work just as well and don't clutter up the room. A couple of strength exercises were also mentioned for home exercises: LUNGES--This exercise strengthens the muscles in your upper and lower legs, knees, and lower back. Stand with your feet together, then take a long step forward with one foot. Be sure that your toes are pointing straight forward on both feet. Lower your body slowly by bending your knees, until the knee on the front leg is just over the ankle on that leg. Don't go any further down that that. Slowly return to an upright position by pushing with the heel of your front foot. Do five of these, resting for a couple seconds between each repetition, then return to a standing position with your feet together. Repeat the same with the other foot, see that is not so bad and can be done anywhere in your home. SQUATS--The squat is undoubtedly the best exercise for the muscles of the lower body. It will strengthen the muscles in your legs, knees, and buttocks. Here goes, stand in front of a chair with your feet spread should-width apart. Keep your back straight, and your arms extended in front of you. Slowly and steadily lower yourself until your are almost sitting in the chair, hold that position for a couple of seconds(longer as you progress), and then slowly come to the upright position. Do this exercise for 10 repetitions, with a couple seconds between each repetition. Work your way up to three sets of repetitions, with a minute or two of rest between sets. You can also lean flat against a wall and accomplish the same thing while giving your back some support. As in any new exercise always take it easy to start with since these muscle groups have not been worked in a while and will have a tendency to feel weaker and get sore. If soreness sets in then give it a day of rest, but try to do these exercises at least 3 times per week.

Last but certainly not least Alternatives had some food tips for some healthy grub. This little number is called "one of the most delicious heart-healthy foods you can eat comes from the pure, clean water of Portugal."--Dr. David Williams. Now get ready for this since we all have our misconceptions of this little fish. It is the sardine of all things. All I can think of it those little flat cans of little fish coated together withs some kind of slimy wet substance and the real fishy taste. BUT, wait a minute the sardines that Dr. Williams is talking about come from Portugal and are really healthy. He says that these little powerhouses are filled with bone-building nutrients, and are a great source for Vitamin D, which is necessary for bone growth and immune function. This little dude also is rich in calcium and enhances cellular metabolism and energy production. Now you ask, "well how do I get these little bundles of health and energy since what I see on the market shelves just doesn't seem to fit these descriptions?" The answer is simple, Alternatives has a way that you can order the "from Portugal sardine," so I will order some and report back to you on how they look, smell, and taste. Sounds like a little saltine crackers, some Tabasco and I am off to healthy eating.

My closing comment would be another simple suggestion, if we all just adopt eating and exercise habits that become our lifestyle, instead of doing these things as an after note to our lifestyle, it would so much easier to live a healthy fun life.

Mike Greer

Sorry about that!

2009-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

The current post concerning nothings, movie reviews was posted to this site by mistake. It should have been on the fasttwitchmind site, but some how was sent through cyber space and landed on maturefitness. For those of you who were eager to see the latest maturefitness posting, which will be some time today, will have to either ignore this post or wait until I figure out how to get it transferred to the other site, or if you have nothing else to do you can read it.

greer

Nothings, Movie Reviews

2009-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Most of the time when I write on this site I have something really hot and world changing to say, i.e. JD's bar, the latest on Big O, or maybe the latest concerning the w. man, or how riding a motorcycle compares to sex, etc. But, today I am going to wing it with nothings. Nothings consist of really nothing that makes sense or even has anything to do for the improvement of mankind. It also illustrates that I resigned myself, for today anyway, to not try and change the world through my site. Every time I write something I want to present the point of the writing and then try to draw a conclusion from it, maybe something that will change the world of professional football, i.e. quit paying these jokers so much, or why does JJ continue to ruin the Dallas Cowboys and their worth continues to go up, or why they continue to call them the Dallas Cowboys when they have been in Irving for over 30 years and now are moving to Arlington? I read the Cowboys daily up date and it is full of a bunch of nothings, so I am not the only one that is guilty of writing nothings. One time a few years ago I was ticked off at USA Triathlon so I spent over 6 hours substantiating my points of frustration only to find that no one was listening or even cared about my frustrations. So, it is a pleasure today to share my nothings with my reading patrons and try to prove that rather than label these nothings we will certainly not call it rambling(we did that subject some time ago) even though I am in the age group that is eligible and has the life time license to ramble if I want to. However, I believe that rambling is truly saved for the senior living centers and those folks who really don't want to make sense so they just ramble with good cause and sometimes enthusiasm. Last night we went to a piano bar in the heart of the Depot District of Lubbock and enjoyed another phase of our population that I had a little trouble figuring out who they were or where they came from. The Depot District usually has a large portion of the Texas Tech student body on hand to drink of the adult beverage(I have been told that if they are not 21 they just have a fake id made so they can buy these precious beverages, and enjoy the entertainment. But, this crowd was definitely a diversified bunch ranging in ages from 21 to 70(do we know anyone 70 that would be handing out amongst all this fun?). The piano bar guys were great and really presented a different piano bar presentation that I had ever seen. They were excellent musicians and had a sense of humor to boot, while bringing in the crowd during every song. As an amateur psychologist I always have fun studying the new crowds that I may be exposed to, so I was having a great time looking this crowd over. Of course it also made it easy to look when the young women all had on low cut, breast exposing, tantalizing dresses( I had to make note of this for the writing). To add to the diversity there was a platoon of gays(gals and guys) right next to us and they were having a great time. Needless to say we got a little frustrated since it was a non-dancing place and when you hear music you just want to dance. So, we moved on to the only C & W dance hall we could find and wrestled with the real cowboys for a spot on the floor. When you get there late you really run the risk of being rolled over by the drunk cowboys on the floor or not being able to dance because of the drunk cowboys on the floor. Yep folks, there are still cowboys in West Texas and no there are not any Indians to speak of in West Texas. Seems as though they were captured and run out of the canyons many years ago, never to return. Ooops, I forgot to mention that before we got to the C & W joint we stopped in a bar that was predominately Chicano, Mexican American, Latino, or whatever the political correct definition is today to test out the band and the dance floor. We found a very good band, small dance floor, but no one danced. Also, it was one of those places that if you went ahead and danced anyway you would probably be tarred and feathered by dawn, and left to be plucked by the coyotes. Since we are Scotch Irish Americans we decided to move on and knew that the music and dance floor would welcome us at the Chances R(really a meat market, you know meat as in girls and boys looking for that next opportunity of true love, he he!!). Turns out we had hit the jackpot with a larger dance floor, great C & W music, so our dancing toes took over and we wore out the sawdust for about 2 hours. Now before I conclude these nothings I will say that the rest of the day will be spent in some kind of exercise mode, while trying to get out all of the smoke, adult beverage and anything else that creeped into my body while my twinkle toes of the midway had their fun. Enjoy the day since it is the beginning of the rest of your life.

Movie Reviews: "The Wrestler", *****, Wow what a movie, in the beginning of it you just have to be a little patient and realize that the back shots of Mickey Rourke, playing Randy "The Ram" Robinson is just the style of this cinematographer. The story revolves around "The Ram" in the seedy world of grade B professional wrestling. But you will learn very fast that this movie is not just about wresting. It also is about barriers put up by lonely people, and the painful risks that go with taking them down. An Oscar nominated performance by Rourke and very well done movie. On the tail end of his career, Ram survives a heart attract and emergency bypass, and the he struggles to pursue desired relationships with his estranged daughter and possible girl friend. But in the end the power of being the athletic performer as a professional wrestler just gets the best of him. Go see, dynamic conclusion that possibly only an athlete of any sport will understand. Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity(a rear entry sex scene for starters), language and some drug use.

"Pink Panther 2", *, Terrible movie, boring and misuse of one of my favorite actors, Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. I give it one star because Martin was in it, but it is really a waste of money. Rated PG for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action. BORING!

"He's Just Not That Into You", **, First of all the title is too long, but I feel the movie is worth a bargain basement price or wait till it comes out on cable. It is definitely a girlie movie, I only saw 3 other men in the fully packed house. It concerned four on going love, like, or lust stories concerning four women. A great cast with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, and Scarlett Johnsson. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language.

greerman

12 New Developments to help you feel fit

2009-02-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

Now here I go again with the some new steps to feeling fit and good. But, these come from Mr. Stephen R. Covey, a noted author of "The Seven Habits of Successful People". Since he is a guy I have followed for years and admire his work I thought I would list these with some of my comments, if need be. Mr. Covey is probably close to 80 years old, and raised 8 children. He is still very active and healthy, the last I heard. Here goes:

1. Eat right, breathe easy. This advice can vary with each person; however, the most important guideline here is to eliminate trigger food that cause indigestion or heart burn. Eat smaller meals, and be real careful as to the prescription drugs you take. We do not need as much food as we actually eat, in most cases. There are too many eat all you want venues in the food industry. Eat to live, not live to eat(my stuff, not Mr. Covey's).

2. Boost your fitness with food. HDL the good cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease and limits the damage of LDL(the bad stuff). Foods high in monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts, avocados and olives are recommended. Berries are very good for you and now the power berry is the "acaia" berry, and the "bilberry".

3. For energy, move it with simple and easy exercise program(okay go back to my previous posts, remember, 20-30 minutes per day, at recommended heart rate. That is all you need.

4. Sweat it out--I love this one since I love to sweat. I believe this is one of the most effective things you can do for good health. You sweat it out with aerobic exercise. If you don't like to sweat then get over it and learn to like it, it is a healthy thing to do(from me not Covey).

5. Ditch depression--positive attitude is a must to be healthy. Help this along with Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin. Omega 3 fatty acids are also strong allies to help fight depression.

6. Get soles--It has been said that when your feet hurt you hurt all over(I changed this a little when I had some tooth problems and it seemed that when my tooth hurt I felt it all over my body), but at any rate make sure you have a good fit with comfortable shoes.

7. Go from good to grape--again juice sippers can enjoy the health benefits of grapes the same as their wine drinking buddies. This is a very healthy fruit, even with all the new power fruits coming on the market the grape is holding its' own. Seedless, or not, green or red, it matters not. Along with the energy boost there is also plenty of fiber. Juice + is the best supplement you can buy to get all your fruits, including grapes. I take one each of the three Juice + capsules, daily.

8. Sleep on a soft bed for more restful sleep. I know hat hard beds have been prescribed by some, but now they are finding that softer is better. Good sleep is essential to a healthy, fit life.

9. Make like a fish and swim--take up swimming if you have the facilities for good low impact aerobic exercise. Now my 20-45 minute swims are the high light of my exercise during the week. After a long bike ride or run the swim feels great. You can also reduce joint pain with a 500-1500 yard swim work out.

10. Network your way to happiness--this means staying away from negative people and environments. When someone starts talking negative, just say, "sorry I have to go." Makes it hard some times when it is one of your loved ones, but do it, it works.

11. Pop some pine bark--short for looking into herbal supplements. These are sold over the counter and would very seldom be recommended by medical doctors. After all they don't get a kick back from them and they consider this stuff magic pills or poison. The biggest challenge I have found with with herbals or alternatives is finding someone who really knows something about these supplements, but I have and I use them frequently.

12. Look(out) for the salt--my practice is not to add salt to anything I eat. With the salt already present in most foods that you eat you really do not need anymore than that. No more than one teaspoon of salt should be added to you food per day. Leave this stuff alone, it does increase you chances for high blood pressure.

These are all excellent tid bits to make your life more fit and healthy. Well the proof will be in the pudding since my annual physical with be this coming Tuesday. I will report back on the results.

Off to do a bicycle work out! Happy Super Bowl weekend, we are for the Cardinals since they are the Cinderella story.

Mike Greer

Blood Pressure stuff

2009-01-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

Since I come from a family of high blood pressure folks and my mother died of a massive stroke at 65, this ole thing called "high blood pressure" has always been of interest to me. Since I have been in some kind of athletics starting at the age of 10, exercise has always helped me condition my system to have normal normal blood pressure. Since normal is considered 120/80 I have always been able to stay very close to those numbers; however, I have found that since the aging process has set in a little, my blood pressure will many times measure above that(I just took it before writing this and it was 127/77). Not bad but still a tad bit above the perfect reading. I have also learned that taking your blood pressure should be done at least three times to get an accurate reading. It is also said that if your blood pressure reads high on the first try but then goes down you really do not have high blood pressure. Another extreme example is when I go to the dentist and they take my blood pressure it is way higher than normal. Duh!! With all of the pain I have had while in the dentist chair is it any wonder that my blood pressure shoots to the moon? Now to my point! I just read an interesting article by a medical doctor that recommends ways to prevent and control your blood pressure without taking a bunch of drugs, fact is you will not have to take any if you follow this advice. 1. If you are overweight, weight reduction can bring down pressure by five points. 2. Salt restriction lowers pressure for most. Salt restriction isn't just not adding salt in cooking or at the table. Only 10 percent of our daily salt intake comes in those ways. Most of our salt is found in foods to which salt has been added before it arrives in our homes. Reducing salt intake lowers pressure by five points. 3. Stick to a diet consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables, grains and low-fat dairy products. That kind of diet reduces pressure by about six points. 4. Exercise(see I knew we would get to this one sooner or later) is another effective way to get pressure down. The goal is 30 minutes(where have you heard this before?) on most days of the week. 5. Finally, increasing your daily potassium can take four points off blood pressure. Foods rich in potassium include baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans(white, lima, and kidney), prunes, squash, bananas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, oranges, and orange juice, and milk. Doing all of the above should put your pressure in normal ranges without medicines(and you can stick your tongue out at the drug companies, and increase your savings account all at the same time).

Go for it, the formula is simple,

Mike Greer

Live Longer #26, Exercises to Avoid

2009-01-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

During the week I received a phone call from one of our faithful readers, Mr. Steve Moffett, and he suggested that our growing list of "how to live to be a healthy 100" needed number 26 added to it. His point concerns the practice of diversifying your friendships and interests. He mentioned that in his hobby of aviation he has met many different type of people ranging in ages from 19 to 80 that have given him new insights to life and made his life more enjoyable. When I put some thought to this point it took me through my many interests(profession, athletics, writing, business, hobbies, etc.) and I found the same feeling. For example I have people ask me all the time why do I take the time to bowl, since I am a triathlete and they have no similarities. Well that is just the point, since all of the people I bowl with are not triathletes I have the opportunity to meet some different type people with varied professional backgrounds and philosophies towards life that I don't always meet amongst my triathlete friends. This point will also fall under the heading of "balancing" your life and keeps you out of the ruts of life that create boredom and complacenty. The more I think about it the more I get enthused about it, thanks Steve, keep 'em coming!!

Here are some exercises "not" to do, or you may suffer more hurt than gain. They have proven over the years to be more inefficient, ineffective and unsafe for your body: 1. Sitting on a weight bench lifting weights with the quads being used almost exclusively. This causes an over use of the quads and over development. Making them subject to injury. Squats and lunges are much better. 2. Sitting on the weight bench and pulling weight down BEHIND your neck as opposed to pulling down the same weights in FRONT of your body. This can do damage to the rotator cuffs and should muscles. The remedy to this is just to simply pull the same weight down to your chest. 3. Setting your cardio workout too slow or in the same zone each time you exercise. A variable heart rate with some anaerobic and aerobic heart rate is better for you. 4. Set ups with feet locked in front of you, either with bent or straight legs. This is hard on the lower back. While this works your mid-section very, well it is better to sit on a large medicine ball with feet flat on the floor and then do the touch elbows to knees, at least 15 times. 5. Nix the inner/outer thigh machines since they put you in an un-natural position. Instead hold a weighted medicine ball and do lunges & squats(10-15 repetitions. 6. Waist twists and side bends do not work and probably do more bulking up of the middle than anything you do. Simply stand up straight, tighten abs and rotate back and forth 10-15 times. 7. Deep squats will cause knee pain and injury. Use the above mentioned quad exercises with no squats. 8. Touching toes(especially if you are not warmed up) is not a good exercise. It strains your lower back and pulls the upper leg muscles in a stressful way. If you want to touch your toes then do it in a gradual way, i.e. go down to knee first, then progress by 2 inches each time until you gradually reach your toes. DO NOT BOUNCE! Another good way to touch you toes is to cross your legs and then gradually go down. This method will prevent you from pulling any muscles and will accomplish what you expect out of this exercise. 9. Do not do high repetitions with lighter weights, i.e. dumbbell curl with 10 lb. weight 100 times. It better to do 10-15 reps with 20-25 lb. dumbbells. High repetitions tend to create fatigue in the muscles that can result in injury. We are not looking for injury here or even cosmetics, but simply increasing your body strength. Also, these exercises should be done 2-3 times per week along with your cardio work out or on alternate days that you do not do cardio.

Now the New Year is here, let's get it done!!

Mike Greer

Living Long Life cont.--#23, #24, #25, How It Feels Question?

2008-12-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

And the list continues to grow concerning how to live to be 100 years of age. In my previous posts I started with the 20 lifestyle points that could enable a person to live to be 100, and then at the suggestion of my readers the list grew to 22. Today I will be adding 3 more that just seemed to have popped into my mind. Here goes: #23--Personal hygiene is a very important aspect to living healthy and staying healthy, so it has to be an important part of living to be a healthy 100. While some around my household have said I have an obsession with washing my hands I would rather say I just like to have clean hands. This has been on my list of to do's since I was a kid so maybe it was or is an obsession. Then I read about this practice and find that it is always recommended that you wash your hands with warm water and soap three times a day. If I am handling my pets I will wash them each time I touch them, not an obsession just a practice that could result in good health, or I am doing some kind of physical labor I always wash my hands as soon as possible when finishing. Of course it is always recommended after using the rest room and I shudder every time I go to a public rest room and see the people leave the rest room area without washing their hands. I read where Donald Trump has a very strong obsession about clean hands and he does not like to shake hands because of the germs he may get while shaking. It is very concerning to me when I am at a restaurant with a group and I have to shake hands before eating, way too many germs. Ooops, now this is sounding like an obsession so I must move on. Part two of good hygiene is the daily bath, which in some cultures is not daily. But regardless of the culture a daily bath is a very good thing. I read an article about the woes of the homeless and how they have to fight disease on a daily basis simply because they are not able to keep themselves clean. Bottom line, stay clean and you have a better chance of staying healthy for a long time. Let's move on with #24--in the first 20 we mentioned having a positive attitude was a great attribute to have for living longer. How about eliminating negative thoughts as another point towards longevity? There is nothing more damaging to your day than to listen to negative conversation or engage in it yourself. So, eliminate negative thoughts and have positive thoughts for a longer healthy life. The last point for today will grow the list to #25--which is simply the will to live. I can't figure out why it wasn't on the first 20 but I must say that this commitment must happen before a long life will happen. How many stories do we read about people overcoming tragedy, illness, life threatening accidents, etc., and the will to live is always mentioned. Well I think that regardless of how many challenging things are offered to us in life we must have the will to live a long healthy life. It is amazing how this list continues to grow and that is a good thing since we can continue to add to it for as long as we wish, maybe even until we are 100!!!

Since turning 70 on December 16th I am now getting the question of "how does it feel to be 70?" I can honestly say that it really feels no different than being 60 or maybe 68, but a hellava lot different than 30. The key to answering the question is that I can say I feel great and enjoy life very much. On 12.16.38 I reset my goals for the next 20 years with the intent to accomplish more than I have accomplished in the first 70, and the goofy thing about it is I am convinced I can do that. The secret to doing this is to stay healthy and active, plus use my life experiences to help me achieve my new goals. The starting line was established on my birthday and commenced at 6:38 a.m. in the morning of the 16th. I have written this down and will add to it as I see new things I want to accomplish, it is a never ending to do list that will grow daily.

Also, if any of my readers want to contact me by my e-mail, please go to mikeg82617@aol.com. Some have told me that they have problems contacting me through this blog site, so feel free to go directly if you wish. I want your comments since they help me grow personally and assist me in writing this blog.

For today,

Mike Greer

Living Long Life Point #22, More Inspiration

2008-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I mentioned the 20 lifestyle points that are recommended to insure a long and healthy life. At the end I added my own extending the count to 21 points. Now one of our faithful readers, Ironman Greg Hogan, has sent number 22 and thought it should be included. I agreed with him completely and even wondered why it wasn't on the original thoughts list. So, point #22 will be faith as one of the ingredients to a long and prosperous life. As I talk and visit with people much older than myself I find that faith is one of the main topics they relate to their longevity, plus a trust in God. While Webster talks about faith as an unquestioned belief in a religion, I would like to expand on that a tad bit and say that faith with strong spirituality is a must in a long healthy life. I have found that religions, since they are founded by man and administered by man, have a tendency to overlook spirituality as the perfect sidekick to faith and therefore let man's actions create stress to its' members and defeat their purpose. Bottom line here is faith/spirituality are perfect partners for a long life. After all, as the song says, "everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there," exemplifies the need for a strong faith in our lives.

Prior to the White Rock marathon in Dallas I came across a very inspirational article about a woman who, after years of obesity lost 178 lbs. and became a marathon runner. At 43 Ms. Pat Metcalf is half the woman she once was. Since 2003 she has lost 178 pounds and completed a marathon(26.2 miles). She is also healthier than she's ever been. This past weekend she volunteered to be a pacer for a group that was running their first half-marathon(13.1 miles) in Dallas. The pacer for this group was to keep this inexperienced running group on a pace to finish in 2 hours and 30 minutes. She did a great job of doing this and she has related her story of obesity and weight loss as she pursues her goals of doing more races across the country. Metcalf says that she doesn't remember not being overweight, even as a child. As we see obesity running wild within our young people no one would be surprised at this statement either. Five years ago and the advice of her doctor it was recommended that she have gastric bypass surgery. After this successful surgery she started to lose weight, so she now wanted a way to keep herself in shape so she decided to take up running. At first she didn't like it but then got into a routine, made new friends, and it became part of her lifestyle. Typically she decided to do a half marathon and completed two within three years after her training started. She actually got to a point of enjoying running so much that she experienced that ever loving runners high. Along the way she enjoyed the running community and even found she could eat a chocolate or two and not gain weight, as long as she trained. She also has enjoyed helping others get started in a running routine, plus she is much more active and energetic. She says that she sleeps better, no longer has high blood pressure, high cholesterol or hypertension. The other things that she can do now are reach down and paint her toenails and she doesn't have to squeeze into a theatre seat. She continually reminds herself of the past 342 pound person that she no long resembles, by looking at a past photo taken at her brothers wedding. She really enjoys her current lifestyle and looks forward to each new day. Here is what we can learn from Ms. Metcalf: she recognized her problem, set her realistic goal to do something about it, achieved her goal, and now lives every day with a great attitude, lots of energy, and is a great role model for taking charge of your body for good healths' sake. Congrats Ms. Metcalf, you are an inspiration to all of us.

Mike Greer

20 Lifestyle Habits To Practice for a Long Healthy Life, Plus One

2008-12-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

Recently I read an interesting article about living a long life, fact is the article actually was titled "20 Ways to Live to Be 100." While this subject did get my attention I decided to take the original points and add some of my own ideas to them, since I felt that as they were written they were a little shy of being a complete explanation. These points will be listed 1-20 but are not considered in order of importance, since they are considered a synergism of good things that would insure a long and healthy life. While I do agree with all of them I felt that there needed to be a little further explanation of the points. So, my take on these points will be added for your viewing pleasure:

1. Get married(My take--and stay married if at all possible)--statistically it has been proven that people who are married actually live longer. My take--statistics are just a bunch of numbers and I think that the real key for marriage to extend your life is if you are a happier person while being married and if you can grow together as marriage partners. The statement, get married is just not enough for me.

2. Laugh out loud--laughing seems to release some bent up stress that if held in tends to make you not feel very good, so laugh out loud a lot and you will release this tension. My take--no problem on this point and I need to laugh more myself, but not a horse laugh.

3. Buy a pet--pets offer companionship you don't get from any other source, since they always welcome you home, are very forgiving and love you unconditionally. My take--pets tend to give a person another sense of responsibility to something else other than themselves. So, caring for a pet and having them for companionship is an important part of life.

4. Quit smoking--enough said. My take--after smoking for 5 years of my life I gave them up for good, it has now been 46 years since I quit and I know it has helped keep me healthy.

5. Exercise--enough said. My take--moderate exercise 3-4 times per week is what I recommend; however, if you are going to run a marathon I have other ideas.

6. Give your brain a workout--any type of workout for the brain is good, i.e. chess, card games, writing blogs, cross word puzzles, staying active in work activities, etc. My take--the people that I have been close to that have stopped using their brain, as they aged, died much sooner than they should have or became very unhealthy.

7. Limit sun exposure--enough said. My take--the only way you can get the proper amount of Vitamin D is through sun exposure, so lay out some and use sun screen. It is healthy if you do it in moderation.

8. Visit your doctor regularly--My take--only visit your doctor if he is interested in preventive health, so you will have to shop for that kind of doctor, since medical schools are famous for not teaching with this philosophy. Take the responsibility for your good health into your own hands, just like you do when you have your automobile serviced. Also, find a doctor that will take the time to talk to you.

9. Eat fish twice a week(15-20 oz.)--Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to good health. My take--not just any fish, but salmon happens to be the best source of Omega 3. Catfish won't get you there!

10. Eat lots of fruit(two or three helpings per meal)--they supply plenty of anti-oxidants. My take--also take some supplements, i.e. Juice + is a good one.

11. Share a hug--enough said. My take--I am not much of a hugger but when I do I enjoy it, especially with women who like to share the hug. Men are a little stiff and uncaring!

12. Limit alcohol--enough said. My take--statistics also show that a person who has as many as 4 drinks(12 oz. each) per day will live longer than one who abstains. I do not encourage anyone who does not partake to run out and start drinking just based on this statistic. Who knows if it might trigger alcoholism in the abstainer? But if a person does drink they are better off with the 4 drink recommendation per day, but don't get up tight if you miss a day.

13. Sleep--a minimum of 6 hours is recommended. My take--there is a difference between sleep and restful sleep, so what I am recommending is that we get restful sleep for 6 hours. Otherwise you drag through the next day. You know if you have restful sleep if you get up feeling fresh and rested, enough said.

14. Stay positive--couldn't agree more since this reflects on everything we do. I am also a firm believer in always having a Plan B and moving into it very quickly. We will always stay more positive if we are moving upward and forward and realizing that Plan B can become Plan A.

15. Low fat diet--along with exercise these two suggestions go hand in hand. I also recommend a little exercise I use to satisfy my fat foods desire, sometimes called a sweet tooth or the desire for something your know is not of good food value. I play a game called "Fantasy Food" eating. It goes this way: I pick out a type of food that I know tastes real good, but is not the best for me, and I decided that I will eat one serving of it each quarter of the year, i.e. a chicken fried steak dinner will be eaten once each quarter, and if I don't eat the dish in a quarter I cannot carry it over. So, that way I can only eat four a year at the most. This enables me to think that I will eat it without guilt and enjoy it, but if I don't I am just that much better off. What I have found is that I can fantasize all I want to about chicken fried steak and almost feel it in my mouth and then the desire for it leaves. For the year 2008 I have had chicken fried steak one time prior to this fourth quarter. So, if I want I can have it one more time in 2008, but probably won't. What I have found is that if you play games with yourself many times you will guard yourself from foods that can harm you.

16. Go to a good dentist--this is a real biggy with me, since I have had a "bad" dentist episode and it really caused me some pain and troubles. Flossing, brushing and water picks should be a daily ritual.

17. Manage stress--this one can't be discussed in just two words, but I recommend that a method be adopted in your daily lives that reduced bad stress. Positive stress can be a good motivator but bad stress can be a killer.

18. Go back to school--this also comes under the using the brain heading: however, if you are moving out of your comfort zone and growing with schooling you will continue to have a purpose in life.

19. Take vitamins--on your annual physical exam your doctor can determine what vitamins you may need to take. Then take them on a daily basis.

20. Drink tea--green tea is very good for you, and is a good replacement for coffee(which really does nothing for you except give you a temporary high).

Bonus point not given in this article:

21. Active sex life--My take--while this may come under the "give a hug" point it was really not mentioned. But I do believe that an active, good sex life is essential to a long and healthy life. Frequency is not as important as quality, when ever the frequency happens..

Thought for the day,

Mike Greer

End of Year Stuff, Same Old Story

2008-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

With the end of the year coming very soon it is a good time to think about the new year and what we can do for our health. While I always center my thoughts on the fitness side of our health let's not forget that everything we do has some kind of affect on our health. Also, since we are aging daily I like to think about what Dr. Andrew Weil preaches in his "Healthy Aging" philosophies. Recently I took a look through my library of nearly 500 books, on many diverse subjects, and I found some older books relative to aging. What I found is that some of the so-called new ideas on aging that we are reading about now were mentioned and written about nearly 20 years ago. For example Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote the book on aerobic exercise in the latter 60's and it still stands true and is practiced daily when aerobic exercise comes to mind. He also wrote the book, "Antioxidant Revolution" way back in 1994. Now just about all we see is subjects on antioxidant supplements and super foods. All of this is not really new but is being presented in a new way, that makes it sound a little more trendy or believable. Dr. Cooper talks about establishing a "your antioxidant game plan" through lower intensity exercise and a specially mixed antioxidant cocktail. The lower intensity exercise program centers around the 20-30 minute, 3-4 times per week aerobic exercise plan, at 75-80% of your maximum heart rate(ever heard this before?), while the cocktail centers around the three major antioxidant vitamins--vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene(amounts determined by your age and how active you are). Again, this is not a new concept but is being presented as a new thing by the alternative doctors of the day. Dr. Cooper was way ahead of his time, generally because he thought way of the box as a medical doctor. In the case of Dr. Weil he also thinks outside of the box as a medical doctor and even includes the spiritual well-being as part of healthy aging. I recommend that these two books be on your shelf for daily reference.

Here are some checks that you need to have your doctor to consider as part of healthy aging. Now I know some doctors do not like to have their patients tell them what to do and when this happens I suggest you change doctors. After all it is your body and mind that he is treating and we know our bodies more than anyone I know. My doctor is a very experienced medical doctor who is very open to communication with his patients, he even encourages us to research our symptoms on the Internet if we want. So, don't be shy with your doctor on asking questions about anything that has to do with your health or aging. Health Schedule Checks: Test-fat & muscle, heart(twice a year), Sex steroids(men and women) twice a year.

Just noticed an article labeled, "Boomers are Looking Good"--better eating, exercising and lifestyles all have helped. It talks about the moderate exercise that I have just mentioned plus the antioxidant-packed foods, like broccoli(I just ate some raw broccoli, cucumber, carrots, and yellow squash while writing this) and blueberries. It mentions that these are super foods and should be eaten daily. Foods rich in Vitamin C and E can help prevent skin damage and provide anti aging protection. Also, I just noticed another article about stimulating the production of growth hormone by taking ghrelin mimetic and it did increase HGH and muscle mass. While I have tried similar recommendations in the past, to boost my HGH, I found that it could induce mood swings and was not the best thing for me to take. So, I would be very guarded on this type of recommendation. Again, check with your opened minded doctor and see what he has to say. As we age we do lose muscle mass, but more importantly we lose our strength. A light weight work out is always recommended to go along with the aerobics.

Okay enough of this talking, let's get out there and do some huffin and puffin, and eat that green, yellow, red, brown, vegetable and stay away from the white stuff. Let's get ready for December 16, 2008 since that will be my 70th birthday, and I have big plans for the next 20 years. Fact is I am setting goals for the next 20 years to accomplish more than I have the in the last 70!! It can be done and will be!!

Mike Greer

Joy Johnson New York Marathon Results

2008-11-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Just received the results of the New York City Marathon for 2008, and Joy Johnson did win the 80 year old age group. Her time was 6 hours, 5 minutes and 58 seconds. While her goal was to break 6 hours and win the age group she was happy to have a great day and the win. Her closest competitor was a little over 7 hours in finishing.

Congrats to Ms. Johnson and thanks for setting a great example!!

Mike Greer

Inspiration for Mature Fitness Readers

2008-11-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Recently I received a very interesting article from one of my faithful readers, Dr. Greg Hogan, Lubbock, Texas, concerning an article about an 81 year old woman's continual exercise program. Actually the story of Ms. Joy Johnson, 81, from San Jose, California is not just about any old exercise program. This story covers just about all the different aspects of life relative to a positive attitude and how to achieve any goal. While the story centers on her quest to win her age group in the New York City marathon, it really reveals much more. Let me go through some of the points brought out in the story and I think you may agree. The good news is that even though this race has over 39,000 ordinary citizens running in it annually, it is not all about the mighty Kenyan long distant runners who skoot around the 26.2 mile race in around 2 hours. After all these guys are born to run for very long distances and do it with the grace of a swan and don't seem to breath hard doing it. But, their story is for Runners World, Running For Fitness, and all of the other magazines that cover the slowtwitch, genetically gifted long distance runners. The story I find the most interesting concerns Ms. Johnson and what she brings to life everyday of the year. She is not just an 81 year old person who runs the New Your City Marathon to win her age group, she is a ray of hope and inspiration to all of us. As I have mentioned in the past on this site, to be 80 and active, we must start working on that goal when we are much younger, not one day decide we want to do something about our physical and mental fitness at 70 and then hope it works to that end. To exemplify what I am talking about let's look at some of the things Ms. Johnson has done over the years and how this has prepared her to be as she is at 81. First,(GOAL SETTING), she is continually setting her exercise goals to correspond with what she wants to accomplish, never a hit and miss. Second, (WORK ETHIC), she applies her strong work ethic to her exercise training program to accomplish her goals. She will add new exercise routines to work parts of the body that will give her more strength in her running. Third, (POSITIVE ATTITUDE), her attitude when she wakes up in the morning is simple, she always says, "It's going to be a good day." In addition she continually smiles and some have said she will be running when she is 100. Fourth, (TRAIN SENSIBLE), while she does work out daily she trains sensibly. For example, instead of starting a training run out with a fast pace, she starts with a walk for a block-and-a-half then she starts her running. Fifth, (INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH), "They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Ms. Johnson has told her friends that if she passes on during a long run or marathon just leave her be and don't connect her up to any machines, since that is how she wants to go. In other words, "don't mess with mother nature, bub!!" My disclaimer on this story is that I am not and have never encouraged an exercise program to grow beyond the recommended aerobic exercises, that have been mentioned on this site, and I still don't. But, this story has so many great teaching points about how to make your life a better place I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to share them. Note: When I find out how Ms. Johnson did in this years event I will pass it along. After reading this story I am reminded of my good friends, Jim Ward and Bill Bell. Jim didn't start competitive traithlons until he was 65. He very quickly became a winning force in his age group in races from sprint to ironman distance triathlons. After many victories and accomplishments he went to the big tri in the sky while on a bicycle training ride at the age of 83. Some friends who were with him that day say that he was taken into the ER with his biking shoes on and all decked out like he would continue his ride later. Well, he probably is since the heavens are far and wide. Now for ole Bill Bell who has done the Hawaiin Ironman 25 times, and the Ultra-Man triathlon 6 times and more marathons than we can count, is now 85. I saw him last month in Kona, HI and he was talking about his next race. These guy's have towed the line and set the example for us all to look up to. Bill is still very was positive and looking forward to much more out of life. What a pleasure it is to have been able to share some fun times with them.

Let's go do some exercise, remember--20-30 minutes, 3-4 days per week, at 75% maximum heart rate. That is all you need to do, I promise.

Mike Greer

Power food, Outside the Gym

2008-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well it is great to be back and spread the mature fitness word to all my faithful readers. I have received a note or two asking why I don't post more often, and all I can say is that once a month is about all the time I can muster up. With my travel and other interests, to include my blog site http://www.fasttwitchmind.com/, plus the research I like to do before posting, time just runs out. But, with all of the previous posts concerning mature fitness there should be lots of ideas and challenges when it comes to fitness. The subjects today are going to be very good ones and can be put to use immediately. My concern is that everyone should find the time to exercise in some way and eat right along with it. You don't have to become a marathoner or ironman triathlete, but just good old common sense exercise by getting that heart rate up and sustaining it for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. The eating guide lines given in the past should be followed along with this exercise, i.e. eat moderately, with a 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein. Always leave your plate with something left on it, NEVER clean your plate even though you mother probably told you to do so when you were younger. Never eat the same thing every day, and while you are not encouraged by me to count calories the normal calorie intake for an adult is around 2,000 per day. I have given guides lines in past posts about reading the labels on the purchase food stuff and if you can figure it all out, good luck. Another reminder is that most of the bad food stuff is actually white in color, i.e. flour, salt, sugar, etc. Again just general guide lines and with the advent of the the Internet just a simple google on a subject will tell you a lot. But, in the mean time you can come to maturefitness and get the skinnies according to Mike Greer and pass it along to your friends.

Every time I flip on my e-mail I have a bunch of messages from only God knows who, that proclaim the latest and most potent power food. Now the power food is the acai berry and it is being presented as the power food of all power foods and will cure and prevent most anything that is out there to get you. The claims of healing and prevention of this berry are beyond reproach and in one product, Mona*Vie, they are including another 18 fruits to go with it, then they package it in a wine looking bottle and ask you to drink 4-8 oz. per day, in the morning and evening. As I have mentioned in the past I drink the stuff every day and have seen some difference in my hands and arms, plus more energy in my daily activities and in triathlon competition. As far as the long term affects I won't know until the long term, so the jury is out on that. Besides, I know from experience that there will be other power foods to come in the future so I will sit by patiently and see what that happens to be. The other thing that happens is what I call the resurrection of old power foods that have been here since Adam partook in the garden and never go away, but just become a little forgotten while we mess with the new berries like the cute little acai. This week I noticed where you can get more muscle from eating the banana, of all things. I can just see Adam plucking this dude off of the tree, peeling it and watching his muscles grow. It has always been the belief that muscle building came from protein but now studies show that older Americans(I hate that term) should be eating more potassium-packed fruits and vegetables. Typically, muscle mass declines after age 50. But seniors who ate lots of high-potassium foods were apt to have 3.6 more pounds of lean tissue mass than those who had half as much potassium. Good sources of potassium are: bananas(you will always see bananas at endurance athletic events unless the race director is brain dead), dried apricots, cantaloupe, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin(lots of these are available this time of year), legumes, avocado, orange juice and tomato(good for the prostate also) products. Another separate report gives prunes a very high mark in helping to build stronger bones. Researchers suggest that eating prunes could benefit people at risk of osteoporosis. Prunes also have more protective antioxidants than any other fruit, plus they are loaded with fiber(we all know what the results are from the fiber action within our body). By adding lots of fruit to our diet we are less likely to have the dreaded wrinkles that come with aging, plus this is better than cosmetic surgery.

The one thing you will find on maturefitness is that I encourage variety in exercising so there is never an excuse that, "I don't like running so I will not exercise!" Well running isn't the only exercise in life, there are many other things you can do to get that heart rate up. The other thought that you have to go to a work out gym to have a decent workout is just not the case. You can be innovative in your choices of where to work out and how to get that heart rate up. In the book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss suggest trying out-of-gym" exercises, like sprints on the beach or squats at home." Be on the look out for bike shops, health food stores, or any other type locations that might give you ideas of how to exercise outside the gym "box". What I do encourage is doing something that actually "works." When I see a person who is 100 pounds over weight(this actually happened this week) and they say they are walking for their exercise, I am thinking "this is not working for them and they should consider something other kind of exercise." But, of course I don't say it, I just think it. Kind of like when I see very obese people drinking "diet" coke and I never seem slim people drinking them. Oh well, to each his own; however, lack of exercise and improper eating are the villians in the obesity problem.

Okay, the end of the year is fast approaching and we will all be a year older, no matter our birthday. So, let's start thinking of what we will do for the new year and how we will dedicate ourselves to "getting that heart rate up, and eating the proper foods to guarantee a healthy life."

Mike Greer

Bike ride, Never too late, Labels-what do they mean?

2008-09-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Now that I am back from a nice 23 mile bicycle ride topped off with two bowls of home made potato soup, saltine crackers and 2 light beers I am ready to tackle this mature fitness business. While I have no clue as to how many calories I burned off during the ride, I also don't have a clue on how many calories I put back in. But, I do know I stayed within my philosophical opinions on eating and drinking. I did not eat to taste but to satisfy my hunger after the exercise. When I got full I quit, not even drinking all of the second 12 oz. light beer. I did satisfy my sweet tooth hunger with 4 Oreo's, yes that Oreo that is milk's "favorite cookie." Now I will go into the Cowboy's game tonight with my hunger pains numbed and all of the energy I need to pull them through another victory.

In the current AARP newsletter I noticed some comments from Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon general. In it he states that no matter how old you are it is never too late to quit smoking. I once knew a brilliant businessman that was very addicted to cigarette smoking. When he developed emphysema, around the age of 55, he chose to continue smoking, even to the point of inhaling on a cigarette with one hand and placing the oxygen mask on his face with the other so he could continue to breath. I have sat through meetings with him when he actually did this. It was very hard to watch since he was such a good person and an exceptional business man. This man died at the age of 61 and I have always wondered how long he would have stayed with us if he had stopped smoking when he was diagnosed. While it is a known fact that smoking is more addictive than cocaine or heroin, it is just not a matter of will power. There are many aides out there now to help people quit. When I quit my 2 packs a day habit 44 years ago I remember it like it was yesterday, and I will never forget it. While some would say I quit with sheer will power, the truth is I quit by changing some of my daily habits and adjusting my mind to the fact that I wasn't going to smoke ever again. To this date that is the case; however, I must add that any day I think of smoking I feel that little twinge in the back of my lower teeth reminding me of the nicotine taste. Trust me, it is a terrible habit, not to say how costly it is. I challenge everyone who has this habit to reconsider your choices and do whatever it takes to lay those legal weeds down, forever.

Labels that appear on food items are everywhere now and sometimes they seem to be a little humorous. For example, when my sweet tooth is begging to be satisfied sometimes I will go by the 7/11 and get me one York dark chocolate peppermint pattie. It says that it has 140 calories with Calories from Fat @ 25. Then on the front it says, "as always" 70% less fat! Now I wonder, 70% less fat than what? It doesn't really explain what that means but it has it in bold white against a bright red background. So, that is really all you see. Regardless for me I still eat them since it takes care of my sweet tooth craving. My Oreo's carton is somewhat different than the rest, they don't claim any good healthy values, they just come right out and say, "Oreo's are milk's favorite cookie." No claims to low fat, less this or less that. They are my hero cookies!! Then there is the Smucker's "Natural" creamy peanut butter. While it looks life peanut butter, smells like peanut butter, it does not taste like it. It has a large fat content and just doesn't compare to Jif creamy peanut butter. So when I want to satisfy my peanut butter desires I go to Jif. Then I wonder, what does "Natural" really mean? In the mornings I like the Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats and I notice on their box they list the calories, total fat, sodium, sugars, fiber and magnesium. So, they get quite technical and I imagine no one really reads this. I don't since I just want to satisfy my early morning hunger and move on with life. One advantage to the Mini-Wheats box is that they have an Indiana Jones DVD offer. I really don't know what that has to do with nutrition or food value but it is there. On the Quaker Quick Grits box they just say, "smooth and creamy," enriched with hominy. Now this is catchy to me since I like hominy, but I really never noticed this until I started doing this post. The really healthy box of food stuff in our cabinet is the, "Heart Smart" Bisquick pancake and baking mix. It has the following with yellow checks on each one: low fat--check, Og trans fat--check, Naturally Cholesterol free--check, Excellent source of Calcium--check. Then it has a red heart and the top of it with a white check on it, from the American Heart Association. On the back cover it says, "heart healthy recipes for 2!" What a deal. To round my samples out I have chosen the Post Selects Banana Nut Crunch Naturally Flavored Banana Nut Whole Grain Cereal. Wow, what a description but it is there all over the front of the box. On the back it describes the life of a banana in the rain forests and then they bake the real bananas into their crunchy multi grain clusters, etc., etc. So, what is the bottom line here? Never have we been given so much information, much of which we really don't understand, just to fulfill our bodily needs for life saving food. My recommendation is to make a study, in laymen terms, of what all of this means. Listen to your body as to what works for you in regards to how you feel, how your body responds to weight gain or weight loss, and if necessary go to a real expert on nutrition and follow their advice. But, if what you are currently doing is working to the optimum for you then why change. Now, what happens is the chain smoker reads this and says, "I feel good, I look good, I am good, so following your advice why quite smoking? My reply would be, because we now know that it will ultimately ruin what good health you have now and this reason enough to quit. Plus, at $5.00 per pack or more you save that every time you don't smoke a pack.

Remember, "eat to live, not live to eat." Exercise 3-4 times per week, at 75%-80% of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes.

Have a great week,

Mike Greer

Miscellaneous Thoughts-Vegetarism, Exercise

2008-09-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

In my fathers generation and all generations before that, I think, there was very little thought given to the "proper" diet for optimum good health. They just basically went by the idea that you eat what tasted good and that made it alright. Basically meat was eaten three times per day with little regard for how it was prepared and how much the quantity was. Just eat till you pop, but must certainly you had to "clean" your plate of all the food that was placed on it. In just the opposite direction of that era we find more information than we can possible "digest" whether it be from the newspaper, tv, Internet, or the latest book to be written on diet and exercise. In consideration of the perils of eating too much meat or say beef and dairy products, I kind of blame God a little on this dilemma, since he placed the cow on the planet for no other reason that to be fatten and slaughtered to be fed to humans. After all the cow is not a good pet, it doesn't have hardly any brain cells, it can't run fast so there are no cow races or derby's to go to, and it just does 4 things in life(eat, poop, pee, and sleep, unless it is a bull then you have to add that fifth activity of creating new little calfs to be raised, fattened and slaughtered for human consumption). So, we have this creature that provides us with the tasty rib eye, t-bone, sirloin, and hamburger steaks that are real hard to resist, and then it gets blamed for all our ill health. Well, based on this the cow has also taught us some good lessons on proper eating, since it is a true vegetarian. Have you ever seen a 1500 pound cow sit down to a 16 oz. medium well done rib eye, baked potato, and salad for a dinner? No, what they do is eat grass, feed, and special supplements provided to them so they will gain weight and be real tasty. While there have been vegetarians in existences since the beginning of time(Adam and Even were the first actually) it has no come full circle and is looking better every day. I have observed our household diet change to the vegetarian style over the past year and the results are looking good. The master mind of all this around our household is my wife and she has gone 100% in that direction and I would say I am 50% there, since I have to have at least 12 oz. of lean rib eye steak within a week. Other than that I am moving closer to the vegetarian diet and liking it real well. When I venture to JD's bar and grill on my motorcycle I find myself eating the beyond delicious famous hamburger that they prepare, but I do not do the french fries and then will limit my other meat intake during the rest of the week. Last night the meal of choice in this house was pinto beans, butter beans, green beans, and rice. This morning for breakfast a special very healthy biscuit, watermelon, grapes, and grape jelly. To throw in the breakfast scent I ate 3 extra crispy lean bacon strips with water to drink. Now you say, but I don't know how to cook a vegetarian diet and get all of the proper vitamins and minerals I should get. Sorry, but that is no excuse in this day and time. Too much information is out there to miss it, but here are two good books that have some great recipes in them: "Skinny Bitch", yep that is the name and is authored by two former fat ladies who are now skinny because of the vegetarian diets they now follow. I don't have their names right in front of me, but it is a best seller, and beware there is some rough language in it, but great ideas. "Vegah Planet", written by Robin Robertson with some great recipes. Try it, you will find these meals tasty, filling and good for you. Do remember though, that most of the "bad" foods out there are white, with a few exceptions. So, always think darker is better when choosing your foods at the next out to dinner excursion. Also, when you open the frig you should see greens, reds, purple, and the only whites should be onions, hominy, some beans, etc.

Exercise-While I will never venture too far from exercise as one of the best things we can do for ourselves I must always consider the diet factor as mentioned above. While there is also all kinds of exercise information out there I still insist the exercise calling for sustaining aerobic exercise keeping your heat rate to the 75-80% of maximum for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week is the best way to maintain minimum fitness. There are also augmenting exercises that can target certain areas of your body that may need them more than others. In men it would be the stomach muscles, that tend to graduate to the "pot" belly if we don't watch out. Many time this happens because of food or beverage intake, i.e. the "beer pot belly", even though it is just the area that tends to loose itself over a period of time. In the ladies we have the rear end and upper thighs that tend to get out of normal shape with aging. Why this happens is any one's guess even though many theories are out there. But, there are exercises that will help these two problem areas, i.e. setups for the men and stair steps for the women. Other thoughts along this exercise subject are fairly simple, 1. Keep exercise goals realistic, 2. Do some deal making with you mind and body, i.e. swap a coffee break for a brisk walk, 3. At a social function(party), move, dance, mingle, etc. 4. If you are going to the 3rd or 4th floor for a meeting, walk the stairs. 5. During a business meeting break drink water, eat fruit instead of the coffee, and donuts.

Since politics has been in the news lately it will be interesting to see what the diet of Mr. McCain's running mate is. Gov. Sarah Palin, is 44 with five children and looks very healthy and energetic. What is her secret? Well I haven't found out yet, but I will. With the awesome schedule she must follow, even though she says she is "just a soccer mom", she must be very disciplined to do all that she does.

Mike Greer

Quote for a life time!

2008-09-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I attended my high school class reunion. While we had our 50th anniversary reunion last year I thought that a year later was way too soon for another one. I suggested every 5 years but got voted down on that idea. Everyone said, "we may all be dead by that time." My reply, "well we had the 50th and many of us had not seen each other since we graduated 50 years ago, so what does it really matter." Plus if we die and we have been good we will go to a better place as promised by all of the Christian ministers, and whatevers. At any rate I did attend about half of the functions and voted again for every 5 years and I really don't know what they decided. But I did decide for myself that I will go again in 5 years if I am in town. What I did come away with from this reunion is that yes, we have all grown older, with the average age around 69 and some are healthy and some are not. But, I did notice that there was a lot of thought put in to what, when, and how much we were going to eat, with little regard for how much we were going to burn off. So, I came up with me quote for a life time in regards to eating, "we should eat based on the hunger in our gut, not through our taste buds!" We should always do the math on calories in and calories burned. While I have never been a big calorie counter I am silently aware of what I am taking in and how much I am burning. Kind of like my Explorer that has a capacity of 22 gallons in the tank and approximately 440 miles of driving range on that tank. Our bodies are similar and when we have a glut of calories going in with only the minimum burn, we have excess fat in our systems and then obesity.

For today,

Mike Greer

Super Foods, Yoga

2008-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't get an e-mail from the super food God's that proclaim they will save the world, if the world will just listen. The latest and current super food is the Acais Berry. It is sold in pill form and liquid form. While the pill form is easier to store and travel with, some people do not like to swallow pills, plus the body will only absorb about 20%(at the most) of the pill. This could of course vary with each individual, but is normally accepted as a fact from the medical and health community. So, there is the liquid form that when taken, is digested much easier with a 90% factor of absorption. While I am not aware of all of the brands that the Acais berry is offered in, I do know that the Mona*Vie product offering 19 Super Fruits with the Acais Berry as the star of the group has worked well for me and I have recommended it to my friends. The only DISCLAIMER I would have on this product is that I am a distributor for it and would get some form of commission if the purchase of this product was made through me. But, regardless I would not recommend any product if it had not been tried by me and/or if it did not give me some form of relief. Since I had some very extreme inflammation in my arms, legs, and hands, as a result of an abscessed tooth I do know that Mona*Vie has given me relief and continues to do so on a daily basis. Here are the 19 fruits found in Mona*Vie: white grape, aronia berry, apricots, lychee fruit, blueberry, acai berry, pear, camu-camu, cranberry, banana, prunes, purple grapes, nashi pear, wolfberry, pomegranate, bilberry, kiwi fruit, acerola cherry, passion fruit. Here are the areas of the body where these super foods do us good: BRAIN-blueberry, passion fruit, bilberry-SKIN-camu-camu, acerola cherry-HEART-banana, nashi pear, pomegranate, white grap, apricot, bilberry, kiwi fruit-JOINTS-acai, aronia berry, bilberry, passion fruit-EYES-apricot, bilberry, kiwi fruit, blueberry-DIGESTION-bilberry, pear, nashi pear, white grape, lychee fruit, acerola cherry-ENERGY-acai, camu-camu-IMMUNITY-acai, camu-camu, lychee fruit, acerola cherry-ANTIOXIDANT-acai, prune, white grape, cranberry, pomegranate, aronia berry. As you can see this covers every aspect of your body and when all of these areas are in good harmony you will remain healthy.

As our body ages the one thing I notice more than anything is the diminishing amount of flexibility I have. While I have never been very flexible to start with, and have participated in sports that were not conducive to flexibility I have tried to stretch enough to offset this deficiency. Over the year many people have encouraged me to take up yoga, for the mind and the body. I did attend one yoga class but was so intimidated by the instructor and my lack of flexibility that I never went back. Of course that was my loss and I should return. By writing this post I feel I will be able to accomplish my goal and doing yoga in the future, since I know that I need it very much. The Core Program: 15 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life," is authored by Peggy Brill and is published by Bantam books. The beginner's core workout is: DEAD BUGS-lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the mat. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight, raise your arms and make a scissors motion, alternating your arms back and forth for 30 seconds. Then life your knees to a 90-degree angle and repeat the arm movements. CROSS EXTENSION-Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs extended. Lift your right arm and your left leg 3 to 6 inches off the mat, keeping your toes pointed and your head in line with you body. Hold for 6 seconds, then relax. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do the exercise 6 times, 3 times each side. LYING SPINAL TWIST-lie on your back with your knees bent toward your chest and your arms out to the sides. Slowly move both legs to the left side, without touching the ground, while gently rotating your head to the right. Hold for 6 seconds, then bring your knees back to your chest. Repeat on the opposite side. Do 4 twists, 2 on each side. THE COBRA-lie on your stomach with your hands flat on the mat at shoulder height and your head back(taking care not to overextend your neck). Slowly arch your spine while straightening your arms. Hold for 3 seconds, then descend. Do the exercise 6 times. DOUBLE KNEES TO CHEST-lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the mat. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight and your lower back pressed into the mat, slowly lift your knees and pull them toward your chest. Hold for 6 seconds, then lower. Do the exercise 3 times.

Now I know it would be easier to visualize those exercises if there was some form of illustration, but I think you can get it. Please buy the book for all of the answers, this is a start to saving your back, easing some pain, and strengthening your middle muscles. HEY, ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY(AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK!!)

Mike Greer

Exercise values, again! Pie of Living-Six points

2008-08-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

For people who do not exercise I am sure that another study on the values of exercise will create another big yawn and a "whatever" comment. However I have just read about a study that was conducted by a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard. He writes about brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein that builds and maintains the brain's cell circuitry. And guess what increases BDNF levels in the brain? Yep you got got it, exercise. The connection between the brain and exercise is very real and is another good reason to have some form of exercise program in place. But what really amazes me about all of this(not speaking as a scientist, since I am not) is that the common sense approach to the body would tell me that every part of the body has a tie in with each other. A few years ago a scientist told me about his magical software invention that would monitor the heart in harmony with the brain and that there was definitely synergistic activity between the two. He stated that cardiologists were very hard to convince of this principle since they approach the heart as a function all of itself. Again, my common sense tells me that each part of the healthy body works in complete harmony with each other to propel us through the ever day tasks of living. The study further revealed that exercise affects things like improved memory, academic performance and executive function at work. Of course we always have to consider how the social aspects of life will affect this proclamation and what if, "we just don't like to exercise and refuse to?" I had a very intelligent friend tell me a few years ago that he searched and searched for a doctor that would tell him he did not need to exercise to be healthy, since he hated the thought of it. Lo and behold that guy is now in his 80's and living a very good life. Since I believe that we all have our choices of how we want to live our lives, I do respect every one's choices. The only exception to that is if their choices affect my health adversely, i.e. inhaling second hand smoke is not something I like to do. My conclusion here is that this is another study that does prove that exercise has positive value to a healthy lifestyle. It also states that as our population ages, we will be concerned about preventing neurological disorders like Alzheimer's(actually I thought we were concerned about that now) and exercise has a role. It also brings up our youth and how important exercise can be for their further. Well, in addition to this exercise will fight the extreme obesity that is going on in our younger generations today.

In my "Moving Out of the Comfort Zone" motivational seminar I use what I call the pie of life graphic to emphasize and point out what we do in our every day lives, i.e. work, play, family, exercise, etc. I try to emphasize that the slices of this magical pie should be as equal as possible. This is also a way to see how your time is actually spent and what you can do to increase your quality of life. Now after reading some interesting stuff from Ms. Jan Montague I have created what I call the pie of living and the six points associated with it. These are points of living that exist in the everyday life without exception. In my book, "Mind Management" I emphasize three facets of life, being: physical, spiritual, and emotional, while Ms. Montague takes it a little further. The six dimensions of personal wellness, or living are: EMOTIONAL-Go to http://www.fasttwitchmind.com/ and read my recent post about our ego's and you will see how emotion fits into our daily lives. Our emotional feelings reflects the degree to which an individual feels positive and enthusiastic about oneself and one's life. Recognizing this dimension will give us the ability to copy with the stresses and challenges of the day, plus it enables us to accept our selves unconditionally. In most cases, except for the egomaniac, we have a tendency to be our own worst critics. Our self talk should always be positive in nature and not talking to ourselves in a negative tone. INTELLECTUAL-The intellectual phase of our lives promotes the use of one's mind to create a greater understanding appreciation of oneself and the rest of the world around us. It should involve a person to think creatively and rationally. The key here is determining just exactly what the intellectual capacity is and how to apply it. Some people will have obvious gifts, i.e. mathematics, music, science, etc., while others will have to search for their intellectual gifts(kind of life finding those hidden presents at Christmas). PHYSICAL-(Here we go again), The physical dimension promotes participation in activities for cardiovascular endurance, muscular strengthening, and flexibility. My thoughts are that we should find what we like to exercise in for minimum healthy fitness. If we find ourselves obsessed with competing then that adds another dimension to physical, but that is up to the individual. SOCIAL-The social dimension is humanistic, emphasizing the creation and maintenance of healthy relationships. This is the ability to add positive notes to the society that we live in, while developing our own individual social grace. SPIRITUAL-This dimension is totally an individual choice, in my opinion, and does not have to be based on any certain religion, philosophy, or group. It is up to the individual to find their own peace of mind as to personal values and ethics. VOCATIONAL-Everyone should have some form of vocation and it is the responsibility of the parent to guide their children into some for of vocation. There is a popular movie at the movie titled, "Step Brothers", and the theme revolves around two mature adults falling in love and getting married; however, they both have sons 40 year of age still living with them. These guys have never held a job and still act like adolescent children. The point here is that they were never taught and encouraged by these two parents to move out and move on with their lives. While it was a comedy it really had some realism in it for many parents of today. Happy ending, THEY GOT A JOB FINALLY!!

Now I guess my readers will be saying, "let's get away from this deep stuff and get back to EXERCISE." We will of course, but I believe strongly in the pie of life(living) and it affects every aspect of our lives and health. Go get that physical if you haven't!!

Mike Greer

How to Be Younger, Longer, part II

2008-08-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I gave some tidbits on being younger, longer, etc. I promised a list of 10 terrible aging foods and 10 to anti-aging foods. Here goes:

The good news first: 10 top anti-aging foods-

1. Apples, 2. Blueberries, 3. Spinach, dark leafy greens, 4. Salmon and sardines, 5. Whole-grain cereals, 6. Popcorn, unsalted, 7. Legumes, including peanuts, 8. Green tea, 9. Nuts, notably almonds, walnuts, 10. Extra-virgin olive oil. Note: the bonus food now being placed on every list is the Acai berry. Grown only in the Amazon of Brazil. It can be consumed by pill form(only 80% of the pill form is actually absorbed) or liquid form(most of the liquid form is digested). The most popular brand for the Acai berry is Mona*Vie. It is packaged in a bottle looking like an expensive wine bottle, and it is good. I take it daily.

The bad news: 10 terrible aging foods-

1. Bacon, 2. Hot dogs, 3. Potato chips, 4. White bread, 5. White potatoes, 6. Corn oil, 7. Sugary processed cereals, 8. Sugary soft drinks, 9. Red meat, 10. Doughnuts. Note: from this list we see that most foods that are white in color are bad. While I can testify that I have eaten everything on this list at one time in my life I have been able to eliminate/and or cut down on these baddies considerably. All are very easy for me except the read meat, so I limit myself to two times per week and no more than 7 oz. at a time. After replacing white bread with wheat I have found it impossible to eat white bread again. The other items that I still eat are done on a very limited, moderation basis, i.e. bacon, hot dogs(once a year), potato chips, doughnuts, etc.

Aging is fun if you are healthy, and if you are not I can't imagine how dreadful it would be to face the day without feeling good. Remember, eat to live, not live to eat!!

Mike Greer

How to Be Younger, Longer(so they say)

2008-07-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article that said, "what you eat can dramatically influence how fast your body ages, according to mountains of research." Not that we really didn't already know that, but it is interesting to see what this research suggests in healthier eating and how it reduces aging and fights chronic disease. Here are some to do things for our diet:

GET PLENTY OF ANTIOXIDANTS: A leading cause of aging, experts say, is "oxidative stress," which results when cells become dysfunctional over a lifetime or die because of attacks from internal and external chemicals known as "free radicals." Consuming lots of antioxidant-packed foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, boosts your cells' power to resist attack. In addition there are now some real cool supplements that I feel are very good and provide you with the required antioxidants. Juice + on a daily basis provides all of the fruits and vegetables one would possible need, in a three pill cocktail. The only draw back to this type of supplement is that the body only absorbs about 20% of any pill type application and takes time to get into the system. What I do guarantee, from my experience, is that Juice + really works your digestive system and provides all of the fiber action anyone would need. For the past 3 months I have been taking MonaVie and since it is in liquid form it gets into your system much faster. This product is becoming very popular and is showing some great results, especially for fighting inflammation and increasing energy. The anchor of the MonaVie formula is the acai berry in addition to 18 other fruits. On a daily basis I take 2 oz. in the morning and 2 oz. in the afternoon or night. There is also a 1 oz. sport pack that I found worked very well for me on my most recent triathlon competition. This pack is also very good for traveling and easy to maintain.

INFUSE YOUR BODY WITH OMEGA-3: Chronic inflammation speeds up aging, promoting heart attacks, arthritis, skin diseases and Alzheimer's, while reducing memory, immunity and muscle function. Omega-3 oil in fatty fish, such as salmon, dampens chronic inflammation, studies show. Red meat promotes inflammation. Since salmon always gets the high marks for this healthy oil it makes it more of a challenge for me, since I cannot stand salmon. So, I do take a pill form of Omega-3, knowing that I only get minimum benefits from it since of the low absorption of pill form supplements. I am trying to like salmon and may learn to love it, who knows.

CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR: Eating foods that spike your blood sugar and keep it chronically high leads to cell changes that promote aging and chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, gallbladder and heart disease, Alzheimer's, and breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers. What spikes your blood sugar: white bread, white potatoes, most white rice, processed grains and sugary cereals. The key here is the color "white", since it seems that everything in food stuff that is white seems to be bad for you. So, if you are color blind have someone help you with the proper colors of the food you eat. It is almost impossible for me to eat white bread and I never do unless I pick a piece up out of habit. All of our bread around the house is now brown wheat bread with some nuts laced throughout the loaf.

MAINTAIN A NORMAL WEIGHT: Obese people are more apt to have type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc., etc. Other research finds that heavier adults harbor higher brain levels of toxic amyloid beta, a protein involved in Alzheimer's. Duh, I think it has to be obvious to all concerned that obesity is bad and it is now starting with our youth. We are not waiting to grow old to get obese, we are bringing this dreaded aspect of life into our adulthood from our youth. Our parents of today are lazy and lackadaisical about how they feed their children and are not doing them any favors by stuffing the fast food stuff down their little darling mouths, into their stomachs and ultimately causing them to be very fat before their times. WAKE UP PARENTS AND DO THE RIGHT THING BY YOUR CHILDREN IN FEEDING THEM PROPERLY. Yesterday, while waiting for my plain in the airport, I watched a mother feed her young son a McDonald meal of hamburger and french fries and it made me want to grab them out of their hands and dump it in the trash. This eating education needs to start at a young age and become a part of a healthy lifestyle.

On the next post I will discuss the 10 terrible aging foods, and 10 top anti-aging foods. But, always remember aging starts immediatley with birth, so to properly fight aging the combat should start immediately.

See you then,

Mike Greer

Stressful days, Movie Reviews

2008-07-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

The 19th annual Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3 is now history and the stress level around this house has diminished. My squinched butt is now at ease and life is good. Even though the Irongirl Texas triathlon is coming up on July 20, nothing compares to Buffalo Springs. This year the stress was increased to the max since the weather had to take charge and take names, plus our numbers had increased by 30%. Since the weather patterns throughout the year had been so weird I knew something was up for June 29, but I really could not predict exactly what was on the agenda(I did know that rain was going to be on the agenda though). God was tricky on this one and threw us some curve balls just to let us know he is in charge. I knew that rain would be in the picture but I could have never guessed it would be an Alabama rain lasting for over 3 hours. I hard started watching the huge black cloud to the North East laced with violent lightening around 2:30 a.m. and I knew if it came our way we would have to make some real hard decisions concerning the race. But as I watched it seemed to move to the Southeast and was not heading our way. The most it might do to us was do some damage in the Horshoe Bend Canyon to our direct East and about 10 miles from the transition area. As the start of the race approached I knew we could get it started but then wondered what we would do if it turned bad on the bike course. Then the rain started in the canyons and commenced to wet us down for over 3 hours. The athletes loved it and it turned out to be a smooth, easy going rain with no violence, very uncommon for West Texas. Usually our rain will come along and be so violent, for 15-20 minutes, that you think the world has come to an end. But this rain had a complete cover of clouds and just came down and down. Some bikes went down, without serious injury, and others had flats. But all in all the athletes loved the 66 degree weather, rain and even the 25 mile an hour wind didn't seem to bother them. Triathletes have a resilience to them that always amazes me, they just get it done when the going gets tough. We are thankful to all who were here and look forward to the 20th anniversary next year.

Forgot to mention in the opening, I have had computer problems and blogger.com problems so that is the reason I have not posted sooner. Every time I look at this computer I can see Bill Gates just sitting there counting his money and grinning. This computer world has it made and every 6 months just sticks it to us. One day I will take an axe and just split this baby right down the middle(won't matter anyway since it will be out of date), and get the last laugh in. Oh, for the good ole Royal manual typewriters(I typed 81 words a minute on one of those things in college typing class), carbon paper, I can depend on those dudes to get me through without losing my cool and saying real bad words. I mean real bad words, and then ole Gates just grins some more!

Movie Reviews: "Get Smart", ***, Steve Carell is the perfect choice to bring Maxwell Smart to the big screen. He does a real good job and gets some laughs. My local critic took the movie too serious and criticized the screen writing, etc. With this kind of movie, just sit back and enjoy the obvious routes it will take and let the actors have their fun and let the audience enjoy it. Ann Hathaway is a great agent 89(I believe) and they have fun together. Go see, but buy the matinee ticket(I get the Senior ticket so it doesn't matter what time I go). Rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.

"Hancock", ****, Will Smith is a very good actor and does a great job as the confused, alcoholic, destructive, super hero. Smith portrays Hancock, introduced as perhaps the first hated alcoholic superhero, destroying property while saving lives. He is actually hated and booed even when he saves lives and puts criminals behind bars. Jason Bateman is the PR agent determined to help Hancock change his public image. And Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife, who has her own surprising strengths. Entertaining and well done, go see, no matter the ticket price. Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language.

"The Love Guru", **, Not a real good movie but it does have its moments of humor. At times Michael Myers leaps over the the lines of good taste while seeking laughs as the Guru Pitka. Of course he is brought in by a team owner of a major league hockey team to straighten out the star player(who happens to be black, which is not common in the NHL). It has some laughs, but is not prime time movie stuff. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence and drug references.

"Wanted", ****, A very entertaining movie about a fraternity of assassins that have been going on for thousand of years. The star of the movie, James McAvoy is chosen to make the major kill that will save them all, while Angelina Jolie puts those puffy lips out for all of us to see, and uses her tremendous sex appeal to keep the new hero in line. Note: This movie has one of the neatest endings you will see in a movie this year. It is unique, humorous and so appropriate(not just for the movie, but for today's society). If nothing else just show up for the ending. Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.

greerman

Healthy Lifestyle, McCain's Other DNA

2008-06-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I noticed in our local newspaper the headlines(on a back section of Section A), "HEALTHY LUBBOCK DAY stresses importance of healthy choices." The article goes on to say that it is never too late to start living a healthy life. As you may recall in my last post I mentioned that in our youth we should start living to prepare us for our latter years. In other words make everyday living a healthy lifestyle early in life and I promise you will not face aging in such despair, as some I know. The organizers of this year's Healthy Lubbock Day hope to teach people of all ages how to make better choices to improve their health. "The choices you make early in life and in midlife really have a tremendous impact on your senior years," said Julie Toland, an organizer for Healthy Lubbock Day 2008. While I couldn't agree more, and have stated that in the past, I also encourage this activity to gather the parents of very young people in our city and encourage them to start teaching and practicing healthy lifestyle activities while they are young and then it will become a habit. Changing obese children after they learn the bad habits that make them obese, is the real hard way to do it. Seeing this event being held in Lubbock is very encouraging and I hope I would see the same in newspapers throughout our great country.

To vegetate or not to vegetate? Since I live with a convert vegetarian, meaning one who was not vegetarian until about 12 months ago, I have learned to eat these vegetarian meals and really enjoy them. While I still have to have some of that ole red meat about two times a week, I have found that the vegetarian way is very refreshing and energy building. Even when I eat read meat I only limit it to 6-8 ounces and very lean. Rib eye is my favorite steak so I do get some fat juices when I eat my red. While I don't seek out vegetarian when I eat out I watch my partner and she makes a vegetarian meal out of just about any menu or any type of restaurant. My goal is to keep fooling around with this way of eating and I know I will benefit from it. The funny thing is, cows are vegetarians but we pay good money to eat select pieces of their tasty meat. Go figure!

The age issue is truly a campaign issue for John McCain in this next presidential election. When ask about it he always says, "well my mother is 96 and still real active, so I guess that answers you questions about that." But, remember that is only one side of the DNA. He also had a father, so what about his fathers current state of health? What I found is that Mr. McCain's father died at the age of 70(one year younger than McCain is right now) and his grand father died at the age of 61. Now, Mr. McCain, what do you have to say about that? I think it is ironic that we only have two choices for president, one youngster with questionable experience and one senior with experience to burn but still will be 72 when he enters the office of the presidency. I don't like to say he is too old, I just like to say that the stresses and strain of being president of the United States is really too much for a 72 years old. Just look at the photos of all of the previous presidents before they entered the White House and then how they looked 4 or 8 years later. The aging process seems to be accelerated while in that office. While I do admire Mr. McCain for his current state of health I just know that I would not want this burden at the age of 70. But, if he gets it we will all have fun watching him and lead and he will be our hero of the "Seniors!!"

Mike Greer

Five Points of eating, + My comments

2008-05-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Eating can be a real bummer to a healthy lifestyle if you do it for the wrong reason, no matter your age. As I noticed the practice of eating while around others it amazes me how the body is stuffed with unnecessary food or with food that is of no value to the system. It just tastes good, so cram as much in as you can. Also, we now have so many of the “all you can eat” type food establishments that encourage you to eat till you’re stuffed. Recently I was travelling by auto for a considerable length of time, 29.5 hours from Washington D.C. to Texas and I happened to have stopped in a convenient place to eat. I did not recognize it as one of those “fill your gut till your pop, for $6.95 type restaurants” until I was already inside. So I decided I could just get want I wanted in the quantity that I wanted and be out of there post haste. While that is exactly what I did, I still couldn’t help but notice the extremely obese people that were there eating and how the look of passion and desire for the food in front of them totally consumed them. Not only that but as they went back for seconds they could hardly walk because of the obesity that covered their body. It made me want to throw up and get out of there as quick as possible, and even 3 weeks later I still have it on my mind. While there are countries in this world that have starving children, the US of A has restaurants that will stuff your gut, help a person put way more calories in their bodies than they need, and then only charge $6.95, is beyond me.

While I realize the name of my blog is Mature Fitness and most would think all I am thinking about here is exercise that is far from the truth. Along with proper fitness you must have a proper attitude about the fuel that gets you going each day and continues to supply your body the necessary vitamins and minerals that not only give your energy but keep you body full of antioxidants, and fights disease. My philosophy relative to eating is simple, “I eat to live, not live to eat.” I try to keep a variety in my daily intake of food (not to be confused with something called a diet) that gives me all that I need to have energy and fight disease. I also take a variety of supplements that I feel give me that extra edge, since I still continue to compete in triathlons and I must maintain my energy and strength. After experiencing some inflammation in the elbow and hands after a bout with infection from an abscessed tooth last year I have found that a product called Mon A Vie does a great job in fighting inflammation. Seems as though the little acai berry they put in this magical liquid formula does wonders for my inflammation problems. Recently I found a very interesting article about psychological eating, written by Rhonda Fine, a clinical sexologist and psychiatric nurse practitioner at Miami Institute for Age Management and Intervention. Her points are very good ones and if I disagree with any of them I will comment: Five things you didn’t know (her assumption here is that you don’t know these five things, but on the other hand you might) about psychological eating. 1. Too much food-People generally eat beyond what their bodies need. (What did I say about the, all the you can eat restaurants?) More than two-thirds of US. Adults are either overweight or obese, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The extra weight puts them at risk for heart disease, erectile dysfunction, diabetes and other conditions not suitable to a healthy lifestyle. My comments: All you have to do is look around and see how the above is put into practice everyday. Most of the obese actually eat for taste, not thinking about how much or what they are eating. I watched two obese people eat the other night in a fine dining restaurant and they had enough food and drink(wine)for Cox’s army(not really knowing how many soldiers were in that famous army). My belief is to eat moderate helpings and always leave something on the plate. 2. Two hungers exist- psychological and physical. Physical hunger is the bodies request for a certain amount of good, healthy food. This hunger builds gradually and after eating it goes away. Psychological hunger is the mind saying, “I want that.” My comment: I do agree with this and a couple of my eating rules are to never eat anything until I feel hunger pains, and never eat food by the way it smells or looks. I also eat with variety in mind, to include color. 3. No satisfaction- Psychological hunger emanates from the same system associated with other forms of abuse—excessive gambling, illegal drug use, addictions. It’s a response to a trigger even if the subject ate five minutes ago. It can build rapidly and there will be no real sense of satisfaction. Instead there will be guilt and shame. 4. Bad choices-Diets (I don’t like this word at all) attempt to change what we eat, and exercise improves stamina, but the decisions made with regard to food are what keep the majority of the population fat. People make bad food choices for cultural and social reasons. Some just don’t know better (or use that as an excuse), some eat because they’re sad or lonely and some have always viewed food as a reward. Also, there are women who believe, “If I’m heavy, I don’t have to have a boyfriend.” My comment-that is a funny assumption that I have never heard, but again this came from a psychiatrist with lots of experience. I thought most women wanted boyfriends, and vice versa, or a life mate regardless of gender. Oh well, live and learn! 5. Healthy attitude-There’s a strong correlation between a good attitude and good eating. Those who really want to change their eating habits will accomplish it. You have to restructure your thinking and habits to fit your goals. My comments-well done article and the 5 points are excellent. Hope we can practice some of these, the healthier we are in our country the less it will cost us in health coverage, food, etc. But, what I have learned over the years is that in the USA we have an abundance of too many things in all that we do, food, entertainment, automobiles, houses, clothing, professional sports, etc., etc. We have no real discipline in our life and that is one of the reasons our obesity is out of control. Just push back from the table, but first get some discipline from the discipline shop first!!

During the past week I have done some bicycle riding with people much younger than me. As we road and talked, one 38 year old said, “I can’t believe you are nearly 70 years old.” My reply is simply, “neither can I but I am determined to live with it.” Then the next question, “what is your secret?” While there really are no secrets I did suggest to him that my strongest recommendation to anyone in his age group or younger should start, NOW, in preparing for being 70. In that I am referring to all that we discussed in the article above. I also mentioned to him that he should become aware of his parents status in life now and remember that you can make healthy lifestyle changes that will fight and reject the almighty DNA you gathered from your parents. Also, remember that your have you own share of DNA that is rightfully yours and you are responsible for developing it. Another philosophy I have been instilling in my mind over the past 6 months is my goal of making the next 20 years my most productive. Fact is I want the next 20 years to be more productive that my last 69. Impossible?? No, since I will simply take what I have learned over the past years and put it to more efficient use, and accomplish more than I have ever dreamed of.

Mike Greer

Picking a health/fitness club pointers

2008-04-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

While I have never been very big about joining health or fitness clubs I do know that many people enjoy their memberships and use them very effectively. My advice about fitness and working out is simply do it in the atmosphere that makes you feel good and if a health club is the place for you then do it. In light of that advice I would also offer some advice on how to choose a club.

My first piece of advice would be to chose a location that is a near to your home as possible. With the cost of fuel these days it should be cost efficient to travel to the work out area. Also, the site might be close enough that you could do a short run or bike to the club to do the rest of the work out, i.e. weights, yoga, steam room, massage, etc. Like anything else I would encourage you to visit more than one health club so you could compare what they have to offer, the costs and how each compare to each other. In years past there were not as many to choose from as there are now, so the choice is yours and take the time to seek them out. When shopping for these facilities be sure to go during their prime time so you can see just how busy and crowded they may be. This can tell you if you will have to wait for a long period of time before using the work out area, i.e. weights, treadmills, etc. It will also give you an idea on how the staff treats the customers during prime time. On membership costs always ask if they have a free trial program and then what is the cost after that, plus check to see if they limit the number of members they will take at any given time. Most clubs sell memberships with no limit, then they hope that they will have many no shows. Many clubs now offer the 24 hour open feature, and I would certainly consider that as an option, since it gives a person more flexibility and can fit any work obligations. The contract that is offered must be properly presented and signed by all parties concerned. I have noticed some clubs offering a “no contract, no obligation” deal and I would stay away from those. If you enter into some kind of agreement here with no obligation than how do you do anything about poor service, etc.? In writing agreements spell out the obligations of both parties and are very appropriate, in my opinion. Some clubs will also offer financing plans, and I would say to just check out the interest rates and cancellation policies. Another credibility check for a club would be to see if they are registered with the Secretary of State’s Office in you state. In most states the club will have to have an operator’s certificate of registration and post a $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 security deposit with the SOS, depending on the size of its’ membership. In a nutshell; location, availability of services, cost, and professional registration with the state are the most important things you can look for in a fitness/health club facility.

Happy clubbing,

Mike Greer

Walking, aerobic exercise questions?

2008-04-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Walking is by far one of the best exercises that anyone of any age can do; however, I feel that to get the most out of your walking you should focus on what the purpose of the walk is. For example, if you are just going out in the neighborhood to make chit chat with some neighbors you might not get as much benefit out of this activity as you would imagine. While I do agree that some exercise and movement from the couch is better than none, I would like to see that heart rate go up to 75% of maximum(discussed in previous blogs) for about 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. There have been some questions come to me asking how many steps it takes to make a mile. Of course the answer to this will vary with each individual since everyone does not have the same length of legs so the strides of each individual would be different. Rule of thumb is that 10,000 steps should equal 5 miles, and it is estimated that most people take 5,000 steps in their everyday normal activities. So, to gain additional exercise for the heart one should take the extra 5,000 steps, for a total of 10,000 steps to guarantee a good aerobic workout. Regardless of how many steps you take it is safe to say that 2,000 steps will give you a mile of walking. There are other ways to measure your walking, i.e. you can count your steps with a pedometer, a gadget that you clip to your belt and it counts the steps for you. The other way to measure your walking is by counting city blocks, 12 city blocks will generally equal a mile, or the other way is simply by time. Go out and walk for an hour and you will get the desired distance for sure.

Another question came in concerning a 57 year old woman who participates in aerobic exercise classes three times per week along with lifting weights, Pilates and yoga(WOW this is the same as a balanced diet of food). Her question: Since she had been doing this workout schedule for over 2 years she wondered if she would stay at a plateau without any more improvement. The good news answer here is that this is an excellent exercise routine for heart’s health. Even if she is on a plateau, it’s a good plateau to be on. In regards to the strength question a person does have to make new demands on the muscles with greater challenges if they expect to make progress in strength and muscle growth. My thoughts would be to consider if any of the muscles have begun to deteriorate because of the plateau and if so then add 10% to the weight training and possibly alter the exercises that are being done first to last. In other words if you are doing curls first and then bench presses, change this around in order. Also, you can increase the number of repetitions by 10%. As a safety measure I like the conservative 10% increase and remember, Rome was not built in a day(while I really don’t know how long it took to build Rome) and exercising should become a life style habit in your life.
Off to do a bicycle ride,

Mike Greer

Stay with it 3-4 days per week

2008-03-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Okay since my last post I have given you a little time to reflect on the past mature fitness revelations recorded in this blog site. Now I am going to drive home some important facts of life and reiterate some of the things I have said in the past. On Friday I went on a 200 mile motorcycle ride out in the Yellowhouse canyons, ate fried catfish for lunch, got back home and then went on a 25 mile bicycle ride, then topped the day off with a healthy vegetarian meal and two domestic beers. Then on Saturday I got up early, did some office work, and then went out on a 40 mile bicycle ride with 2 of my male friends and my wife. All of these training partners are people I have spent a lot of time in the saddle with and one of them will be doing an Ironman Triathlon in June, while the rest of us will be doing some form of running and triathlon competition over the course of the summer. The point to my story, first, all of these folks are 20 years younger then me, second, we learned the importance of doing some form of fitness workouts throughout the year, not just in the summer months, and fourth, each of us determined what we have to do to bring up our fitness level. I want to emphasize to everyone that a consistent 3-4 days per week of exercise throughout the year is very important. One of our training partners on the Saturday ride had not been able to train since late last summer or early fall. So he suffered throughout the day, while the rest of us, having exercised throughout the year, had a reasonably good day with no ill effects. Now please understand that I am not using this example to shame anyone or to suggest that everyone should achieve Ironman training fitness. For sure our Ironman training partner for June was in a higher degree of fitness level than the rest of us, even though we all completed the ride feeling strong. Our friend who was not able to train to any degree for the past few months was not feeling well, experiencing leg cramps and just general fatigue. But, with him being a former college athlete he was determined to get his program started for this year, and the next ride he will show progression towards this goal. My concluding point here would be to stay consistent, and ALWAYS do something 3-4 days per week. I remember when I first started swim training for triathlon and I worried about missing a workout, I was told to get in the water no matter how much time you had. So, if my workout was usually 2-3,000 yards and I only had time for 500 yards, do it anyway. It would be better than doing nothing. I encourage everyone to those 3-4 days of exercise in, no matter what.

Another point I would like to make is that while I know there is a big deal about senior or mature fitness diets, workouts, etc., I don’t think there is as much difference as the guru’s want us to think. While I do know that the volume of workouts do decrease and there are factors involved with aging that affect fitness levels basically we can continue to do what we please, as long as we feel like and have the desire. While some aspects of exercise may even be eliminated and replaced for another type of exercise, it matters not as long as that most important muscle, the heart, is properly exercised.

Have a great week of work, fun and exercise.

Mike Greer

10 Ageless Living points of Life

2008-03-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

While I know the name of this blog site is maturefitness I don't always have to stay on the hard party line of drop down and give me 10 push ups, or if there is no pain there is no gain, or if you don't sweat every once in while you are dead meat. So, what is my point and where is this heading? To answer that I would say that what I am really looking for, above and beyond that is a little common sense philosophy that fits within the fitness dialogue. With this in mind I will refer to a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few years ago while we were having lunch. She ask me how I stayed young in feeling, appearance and attitude. While I was flattered that she would ask I really had never given it that much thought but when she challenged me to do so I came up with my initial 10 points to answer that question. Since then and within the last few days, while on a bicycle ride, I discovered the 11th point and so it will be share for the first time in this post. The funny thing is that the first 10 were written down on a paper napkin in a restaurant in Albany, GA.

Eleven points of ageless living(involving philosophy, physical, and spiritual): 1. Mythical "perfect age"--If you did not know your birthday, how old would you think you are(mine is 28, and this should be determined by the first number that comes in your head). 2. Diet-this should be balanced with a 40 complex carbohydrates, 30 protein, 30 fat breakdown. Eat to live, not live to eat. Always be mindful of your genetics, what did your parents eat and how did it affect them? Remember, you cannot change your genetics but you can control them through lifestyle discipline. Look at your parents as a mirror of your self and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. 3. Exercise-guess you thought I would never get to this one. As has been pointed out in this blog on previous occasions find a good aerobic exercise that keeps the heart rate up for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. That is all you need for a sound exercise program. 4. Mental exercise-this involves spiritual, being true to yourself, sense of urgency, having a true hero or two, a mentor, a role model, etc. 5. Active sex life-WOW, thought I would never get to this one. I just read some interesting thoughts on this by Napoleon Hill. He says, "that sex desire is the most powerful of human desires. When driven by this desire, men/women develop keeness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence, and creative ability unknown to them at other times." He also calls it, "the mystery of sex transmutation." Obviously a deep subject and one that could be discussed for hours and days. The ironic thing about the sex drive is that it was given to man from God to both give him/her happiness and pleasure, but in the same token it was given to challenge our self control and restraint along the same lines. Yea, Adam did it when he just couldn't resist that red delicious apple and the sparks began to fly when he discovered that thing between his legs. Now on to the other points. 6. Balance in life activities or moderation in all that we do-this is probably one of the hardest to maintain since we all want to do what we enjoy and put off what we don't. But in the process we get very narrow. Balancing the EGO should be of utmost importance, since we can achieve many great things with our ego(in tact), but letting it go wild can create great damage in our lives. 7. Passing through life transitions positively-"ask not what another 10 years can do to your life, but what it can do FOR your life." As we go through the 10 year increments of life we must view them as what has been and can be accomplished with our new experience and insight. We must be willing to go out of our comfort zone to achieve our goals and not view aging as growing old. There is a big difference. 8. Prevent yourself from holding grudges--use the Golden Rule as the rule of life, be able to forgive and forget, mend bridges, don't burn them. Do not let yourself be pulled into others' controlled dramas, that you have no control over and can cause hard feelings. 9. Passion-not to be confused with #5, but simply a passion for life and living life to its' fullest. Our passion can be directed towards our life, our vocation, and our avocation. Passion is a must!!! 10. Embrace adversity(one of the most important facets of these points). My favorite scripture dealing with this subject comes from the book of Job. What a story. This guy was chosen by God and Satan to have a little contest to see if he could hold up under the pressure of having everything life could ask for and then losing it all, while settling this little debate between Satan and God. Through his faith and belief in himself he was able to overcome all of the adversity and move forward. Even after losing family, material possessions, and respect in the community he was able to gain it all back, through his faith. What a story and example for all of mankind. Please remember at this time this concludes my initial top ten of ageless living points, but while on a bicycle ride the other day I thought that I could add number 11 to this list. 11. Just simply FORGET you age and not let it enter your mind. Now that is a hard one and is not the same as number 1. Since we live in an age of time that our age seems to be the center of conversations everywhere I think we need to just forget our age. I know that at times when I am not reminded of it by others I really can do that. Think about these points and get off that couch!!!

Mike Greer

Stuck on the Couch-Time magazine

2008-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

In the most recent Time magazine there is an interesting feature article pertaining to exercise or lack thereof by the American adult population. Most of what I post today will be from that article, since it is possible all of the adult population does not read Time, plus my added tidbits. It is my feeling that when you see something that makes sense then why not repeat it a little bit, but give credit to the author and publisher and not be an illegal copy cat. Fact is, most everything that is printed is a repeat of some kind, but maybe presented in a different format to make it more comprehensive. At any rate I have given credit where credit is due, now on to the rest of the story. The article points out that in America 60% of the adults do not exercise regularly and more than 72 million are obese, and almost everyone of them would like to shed some pounds. But, they say this and then do nothing about it. Just continue to stuff themselves with the same diet that got them there in the first place. So, a change has to come about for there to be a change, i.e. sensible diet and some exercise. It should always be pointed out that you don't have to become a skinny marathon runner to have some form of reasonable fitness. Just following the guidelines I have posted in the past will get you there. But, back to the article and some of its' very good points. It is pointed out that becoming a couch potato is a learned habit, since most healthy youngsters, starting with a two year old, are very active. This activity actually stays with a person until they reach the college years. Then the active life style starts to diminish and by the first professional job the 60% figure mentioned above takes over a persons life. It is pointed out that when we go through the transitions of life, i.e. graduate from high school, enter college or for go college and start working, these transitions seem to offer some kind of excuse for not exercising. The excuse is, "I just don't have time to exercise." This pattern then carries forward through the other major transitions of life. Marriage is a big transition, then having children is another. Another theory presented by psychologist Roy Braumeister at Florida State University, suggests that self-control is like a psychological muscle--one that can simply become exhausted. Spend your day trying to maintain your composure with a willful toddler or a demanding boss and you may not have enough discipline left later to stick to your fitness routine. Even though it has been proven that this exercise thing is an excellent outlet for releasing tension.

Never fear here are 3 simple tips to staying active: 1. Have a specific commitment to jog three days a week, for example, that is better than a general resolve to "exercise more." NOTE: jogging is only used as a sample exercise here, just insert your form of exercise, but be specific. 2. Stay firm with your commitment, i.e. a life change like a new job or a new baby is a great excuse to quit exercising. Don't fall for it, just adjust your thought processes and continue on. That is another reason I always suggest that a person find something that is easy to do no matter what the situation is. 3. Don't over do the use of a trainer, if you can afford it. Again I believe in simplicity and the over use of a personal trainer can make you lazy and hinder your self starter tendencies. The use of a trainer will have a tendency to make us too dependent on some one else and diminishes our self-efficacy to follow a plan on our own. We can establish a blue print for exercise from our trainer, then move on to exercising on our own initiative.

Okay gang, after reading the above, get off that couch, NOW!!!!

Mike Greer

Is exercise over emphasized, for any age?

2008-02-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I had a mature person of the female gender ask me how I do the exercise thing on such a routine or consistent basis? My answer to that is simple, but really takes a little explanation that can't be done in just a few words. First, I have a lot of respect for this person who ask me that question and I hate to see anyone compare themselves to anyone else, whether it be physical exercise or mental exercise. This person happens to be a very healthy human being both physically and mentally. But, what usually happens in this ole life is that we compare ourselves to others simply because that is just the way we are. It also seems that physical exercise is more enviable than mental exercise, so it just seems natural to look at those six packs, or slim waste and want that, NOW!! My experience tells me that the exercise thing is broken down into three categories: 1. Those that like to exercise and do it because they like it, not necessarily doing it for appearance or bulding muscles. They just like to sweat and the results from this happens to be the icing on the cake. 2. Those that discipline themselves to exercise because they do want the appearance thing to be there, but they also get the icing on the cake from exercising their heart muscle and gaining favorable results from that. 3. Those that say they want to exercise, plan on exercising, read all there is to read about it, maybe even try it for a while but just don't stick with it. Or they maybe reach certain heights with it, then back off to nothing. Over the years I have seen that in running, with people even going to the lengths of training for marathons, doing one, then dropping back to nothing. 4. Those that just say no way and people who are obsessed with exercise are stupid and into themselves. I don't like to sweat or even think about it. It is my feeling and always has been that all four categories are fine and if someone wants to be a 4 or a 2 that is their business. But, then when I see people get sick or have something wrong with them that they could correct with just a little change of the diet or exercise I get a little perturbed. Our country(USA) is not in good shape physically since the obesity level is around 40% for our children and not much different for adults. Mentally we are in equally as bad a shape with all the electronics taking over our life and no real thinking going on. I represent a company now that has all the electronics for communication you can imagine, but they have lost the skill of communicating. If one of their gizmos break down they are lost and can't figure out how to communicate.

Bottom line here is that I feel we should all sit back occasionally and re-think our position on exercise, look ourselves in the mirror and if we are happy with what we see then so be it. We now have more information on maintaining good health than ever before and in spite of ourselves the average age has grown in leaps and bounds. In the stone ages when man exercised everyday and maintained a vegetarian diet he lived to be about 26, now with all that we have in abundance of food and drink, little exercise, we live to be an average of 77. On a recent survey I did I found that I should live to be 92 while another site I did a similar questionaire it was 84. Regardless of which one it is I am committed to living life to the fullest, including exercise both physically and mentally. I will continue to do triathlons, bowl, ride the motorcycle, write this blog, work as a consultant and write at least 3 more books(minimum), before the opportunity comes for me to go on to the next life. I want a quality of life, not necessarily quantity.

Have a great week and ponder the above advice closely.

Mike Greer

USA Weekend points for maturefitness readers

2008-02-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have been ask the very personal question, "are you wealthy?" While I don't think that is anything someone should ask another, my candid reply is, "yes." Now wait and listen to the rest of the story before you proclaim me a braggart. While I have always been blessed with an abundance of material things in life and a nice profession, the wealth I am referring to is my health. I have always said that the greatest wealth in life is good health, which I have been able to enjoy. On a recent trip to the doctor for an annual check up, the little form I had to fill out ask when the last time I had surgery or when the last time I was hospitalized? My last an only surgery was in 1947, at the age of eight I had my tonsils out. The last time I was hospitalized, one of two times in my life, was in 1962 with a fairly strong case of Hepatitis. On my last physical the doctor made the point to tell me that if he didn't know my real age he would say I checked out 20 years younger than my actual age. Then the question always comes up, what is the secret to ageless living, good health, and a sound body? To that question I have created my 10 points of ageless living, but I must add they are no secrets. In a later post I will share those 10 points, but for now I am going to share some insights from Mr. Stephen Covey, the infamous life/work expert, and father. Mr. Covey wrote the bestseller, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", check it out on stephencovey.com, and is an authority on human habits and life in general. In a recent USA Weekend publication he shared some recent findings relative to good health and life. You will remember in the previous maturefitness post I discussed weight lifting in detail, well Mr. Covey is backing me up on that with the revelation that only an hour a week of light weight lifting can make you feel 15-30 years younger. Strength training has been shown to decrease insulin resistance, decrease resting blood pressure, reduce arthritis pain, and even improve memory. There is an article in Aarp magazine that covers the weight workouts that could help you to improve your health and enjoy the above mentioned attributes. Go to
aarpmagazine.org/health/free-weight_workout for the details. Another strong point made for increasing a healthy lifestyle is the point of how crucial drinking water is to your health. This I have learned the hard way since I have never taken in enough water. So, I have had to re-educate myself, and self discipline myself to drink more water. How much is enough, well the rule of thumb is to take your body weight, divide in half and drink that many ounces per day, i.e. 200 lb man divided by 2 is 100 ounces of water per day. That is a lot of water but you will feel the benefits almost immediately. Since our body is made up of 70% water we must replenish it daily. More details on water can be found on prevention.com using search words, "drinking water." Walking is always mentioned when considering any form of exercise. In this article it also mentions the use of the pedometer to determine how far you have walked. While I like to use time as my measurement in running/jogging/walking I see how the pedometer would be a great motivator and would give you the exact distance you have gone. My feeling is that whatever helps you or motivates you to exercise is a good thing. For more details on this subject go to med.stanford.edu, search for the word "pedometer." The next point made is the choice of food that mature adults should take in. There is now a modified food pyramid that emphasizes the special dietary needs of people over the age of 70. This plan stresses the importance of fiber, calcium, vitamins D, B-12, as well as regular exercise and fluids(water). Go to nutrition.tufts.edu under "Publications," click "News." Of course exercise was mentioned, but I have spent so much time on that already I will just say, exercise in any form you see fit just using good common sense and the guidelines already mentioned in previous postings. Good sound, restful sleep is one of the points made for healthly living. No matter our age we need the same amount of sleep for good health. It is recommended that we go to bed about the same time each night and rise in the morning about the same time. It also recommends a nap in the middle of the afternoon, up to 30 minutes if possible. Sometimes we get plently of sleep by measurement, but it is not always restful. I suggest that the following points be explored if you are not feeling rested upon rising in the morning: make sure the room is completely dark, mark sure the temperature setting is comfortable when covered up, make sure that you end the day on as calm a note as possible(for example if I post on this site at night the stimulus from writing will make it hard for me to go to
sleep). If I have trouble going to sleep I can generally read from a favorite book or periodical and then fall asleep within 15 minutes. For more detail go to mayoclinic.com/health/sleep.HQ01387. Last and certainly not least researchers have found that a pet's love adds years(at least three) to your life. They have found that those who care for a dog are healthier and live longer than those who do not. One of the reasons for this is that most dog owners take walks with their dog, fact is they walk 79% farther in an average week than people who do not own a dog. The book, "100 Simple Secrets Why Dogs Make Us Happy," by David Niven reveals some interesting facts on having a dog as a pet. His site is, davidniven.com.

Happy health for today and remember, "your health is your wealth." It works every time!!

Mike Greer

Mike Greer

Shrinking muscles!! What to do about it!!

2008-02-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I mentioned some of the various exercises we can use to achieve and maintain minimum fitness. At the conclusion of that post I very lightly touched on the aspect of using some form of weights in your fitness program. Since that post I have done some research on this and have found that as the body ages so do the muscles, in appearance but mostly in strength. My source says that muscles actually shrink with age, partly because the aging process which slows the rate of protein synthesis. This factor is also increased due to disuse, which is something that can be remedied. Muscle size starts to dwindle in the 30's and between 50 and 80 there has been a 40% shrinkage from their peak size. Such loss has some serious consequences, some being: loss of balance, contending with the daily life activities such as carrying groceries, getting out of a chair, walking any distance, or climbing stairs.

Resistance exercise--lifting weights--keeps people strong, and benefits can be attained even when people reach their 90s. Since I have been on some form of fitness program all of my teenage and adult life I do not notice the appearance factor of diminishing muscle mass as much as I feel the reduced strength. Probably other people see it more than I would or maybe I am too vain to admit it, but I do know the appearance of muscle is still there. Even to the point of being invited to participate in a masters body building competition. But, I know that my strength is not the same and I do feel the weakness brought on by age.

Remedies and/or guidelines: The amount of weight to lift is the amount a person can handle in performing 10 consecutive lifts. Even if that weight is only one pound, that is enough for a start(remember about Rome, it wasn't built or re-built in a day). Lift that weight for one set of 10 repititions. Take a one to two-minute break and perform a second set of 10 lifts. If your are up to it, after another break, do a third set of 10 lifts. Every two weeks, add a little more weight to the dumbbell or barbell. One other point is that if you don't have dumbells or barbells, then go to the pantry and get out some canned goods. They usually weight around 1-3 lbs. and they can be used instead of the mentioned weights. Just so you have the resistance and stay around this weight and repitition you will get some good out of it. This is a basic program, but it is great start towards giving those muscles a work out and regaining some strength.

Please note the above mentioned fitness programs that are advertised on this site. They have some good ideas and also give you some references to various programs.

Let's get to lifting!!!

Mike Greer

Excuses for not being active, Some forms of exercise

2008-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

In Dr. Weil's book on Healthy Aging(I recommend this book to be on every one's shelf or by your bed side), he makes some points about the excuses he hears from sedentary folks when he asks them why they are not active. Here are some of them and his reply: 1. I don't have time for it. His reply-Physical activity is one of the most important investments you can make in a long-term health and healthy aging. It has to be a priority. The actual time you need to spend is not that great. Thirty to forty five minutes a day or 3-4 times per week is sufficient. 2. I am too old to start. His reply-At whatever age you commit to regular physical activity, the benefits will accrue. It is never too late to start. Just start sensibly. 3. I don't know how. His reply-Read books, watch videos, work with trainers, take classes. You already know how to walk and stretch. All of the forms of activity described above are easy to learn. 4. I just don't like it. His reply-Most people who are not in the habit of exercising have to fight initial inertia. The inactive body can be lax and sluggish. Most people who stick with routines of physical activity soon find them rewarding. They make you feel better physically and emotionally, in part perhaps, because of endorphin release and changes in metabolism. You really do not have to like it, just remember at all times that you will benefit from it and possibly even learn to like it.

While I have talked about the same formula as mentioned above, I would also like to add the following forms of exercise that will make it easy to reach the aerobic capacity we mentioned:
1. Walking/jog/run-while I feel walking is one of the best means of getting the heart rate up there it is just not practical for some. If it is please walk at a brisk pace, and be sure to get some good shoes before going out. If you progress to a jog or run then take particular care not to increase any of your activity beyond a 10% increase, i.e. you are doing 20 minutes but want to increase, don't increase over 10%. 2. Swimming-great impact resistant exercise, but sometimes hard to find facilities to swim in. If you don't have your own pool you can join fitness clubs, the local Y, or swim in the ocean or lake. Swimming is good for the joints and gives you a good aerobic work out. As you age you will find that swimming is very easy on the joints. So, try it you may really like it. 3. Cycling-this could be done on indoor trainers, outdoor mountain or road bikes, and offer a great aerobic workout. The comfort on the bike is the most urgent concern, especially in the seat area as to cushion and height setting. Too little or too much of either can cause a problem. But, you did get a great work out with out impacting the joints. 4. Exercise machines-again any form of aerobic activity that gets the heart rate up there is good. It may be the treadmill, rowing machine, or eliptical trainer. Regardless of which machine you chose they are all good forms of aerobic exercise. 5. Strength training-to compliment this aerobic activity you should do some form of strength training with very light weights, no more than 5 lbs to start with, then maybe increase to 10 lbs when you feel like it.

In conclusion for today I would like to encourage everyone to accept the challenge of making your life healthier and more enjoyable by making exercise part of your life style.

For today,

Mike Greer

Some other great information on this thing called "fitness"

2008-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hey fellow maturefitness readers, we are honored to have an outstanding fitness guru and motivational speaker join our editorial staff. In the future Michael Giudicissi will be offering tidbits to this site, plus you can contact his web site directly for more detailed information. Listed below are some interesting and useful tidbits on this thing called fitness, I really like the answer to Question # 2:

Question 1 - Is being on a diet the same as being fit?

Giudicissi - NO! In fact, I'm of the mindset that people shouldn't "diet" as that term is pretty restrictive and generally leads to failure. I'm much more inclined to help people learn better ways of eating rather than putting on a plan with specific foods. Take me for instance. I travel quite a bit for business and if I was on a diet, I'd have a difficult time finding the foods that fit my "plan" when I am forced to eat out. Instead, I know what "good" choices are and what "bad" choices are. If I'm making more good choices than bad ones I'm doing well! Also, fitness is a physiological condition of your body.......and has only part to do with your eating habits. I know many people (especially in triathlon) that are considered overweight but are VERY fit. On the other hand, I see lots of people walking around with thin bodies that are far from fit and far from healthy. As Greer has written, eat well (and often), get some exercise and do things that feed your body and mind......that's the secret to long lasting fitness.

Question 2 - Isn't gaining weight inevitable when people age?

Giudicissi - Nope....not even close. What DOES happen as you age is that your body naturally loses muscle mass....about a pound a year...and that is generally replaced by fat if our weight is consistent. The key to remaining strong and vital is to reverse that trend with weight bearing exercises and resistance training. There is no need to join a gym to workout with weights if you don't want to (but go for it if you do!), you can use regular items around the house like soup or juice cans, gallons of water or buy some inexpensive resistance bands. If you're working your muscles against some resistance you ARE weight training and building your muscles.

Question 3 - It's easy for you...you've always been in shape...right?

Giudicissi - Well, you're going to get a different answer from Greer....but for me the answer is no. I was always active as a kid and young adult....but after I got married I started to slow down. I went from the kid who loved to play to the adult that loved to lay (on the couch that is). I woke up one day in April of 1998 and looked at my 240 pound self in the mirror and decided I needed to do something about it. I began running and making small changes to my diet and got some good results. I continued (to this day) making small changes and now I'm about 180 pounds, fit enough to do Ironman Triathlons (rather slowly of course) and at 44 years old, I'm in the best overall health of my life. When I started...I literally couldn't run to the end of the block...and now....I can do things that most people only dream about. I have no special physical talents or gifts...just stubborn I guess!

Question 4 - I'm overweight....I should lose some weight before I start working out...right?

Giudicissi - I'm not a doctor....so I'm sure there are a few people that might need to medical guidance before starting an exercise program. For the rest of us, we need to use our bodies every day for things they were designed for. If you want to weight because you are intimidated to go to a gym.....I can understand that. As I mentioned above, you don't even need to go to a gym to workout....you can walk, jog, swim, workout at home...etc. If you are healthy enough for moderate exercise...please don't wait another day....get to it! You'll find a lot of people rooting for you......just like I do. When I see someone who doesn't have a "perfect body" working out (and Lord knows, I don't) I'm always thinking...."You Go! You're one of us...and we're all out here doing it rather than sitting home!"

Question 5 - The more I workout the quicker I can lose weight....so I should exercise as much as possible...right?

Giudicissi - No way. You didn't get to your current level of fitness (or lack of it) in a few months...right? Give yourself permission right from the start to only be a tiny bit better tomorrow than today. It might take you months or years to lose the weight you want and get as fit as you'd like.........but who cares? If you are a TINY bit stronger, fitter and more healthy tomorrow than you are today..won't that feel good? Ride that wave of good feelings for years and you've developed a lifestyle rather than simply going on a diet and exercising. I have lost an average of 5-7 pounds per year for about the last 9 years.....and yes, I gain some weight back in the winter, but I lose it (and a bit more) come the Spring time. Take it slow, take it easy...but keep moving.

For more updates from Michael Giudicissi please view his web site at:

www.powerofgoals.com

It's here--2008, go for it!!

2008-01-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I read a very good book by one of my favorite "leaders", Lee Iacocca, titled, "Where Have All The Leaders Gone?" While this book was not about physical fitness, it was more about fiscal fitness and just outright leadership or lack thereof, in our great country. One of the chapters was devoted to his nine(9) C's of leadership. While I will encourage everyone to buy his book and read these nine C's, since I will not go into them on this site; however, I will simply say his 9 C's prompted me to come up with my own 14 tips to read prior to embarking on any fitness program.

Now that the new year is here and you want to establish a new you, let's explore my 14 tips with an open mind and enthusiastic spirit:

1. Please note my previous recommendation of getting a thorough medical checkup. Even if you are not over weight and appear to be somewhat fit, remember the heart muscle may have been sitting idle for some time. So, find a good doctor and one that is open to exercise and fitness. Also, if you meet resistence from one of these characters, change doctors!! Unless of course it is a true medical problem that can be substantiated.

2. Make a committement of at least 12 months to my fitness program, since I feel that you really will not get the results you want from anything less. Remember the ole saying I mentioned earlier about the building of Rome. This 12 months will also give you the time to make this a healthy lifestyle decision and will integrate it into your daily life. It will become a matter of habit that will benefit your health for the rest of your life.

3. If you happen to battling obesity, it is very imperative that you consult with a dietitian, and possibly a coach(beyond me). When I say obesity I am not saying just a few pounds over your recommended weight, but when the scales go way over, like 40 lbs or more. In the case of obesity you are talking some serious problems that your body would go through, including the stress on joints, your heart, etc.

4. My training plan of 2-3-20 will get you started and then you can vary from that, add to it, or consult with more sophisticated plans. When I first started with triathlons(triathletes are made not born) I used the do each discipline 3 times per week for 30 minutes, to start with. But as I progressed I needed more in depth training. I then consulted a triathlon coach and he gave me some very detailed workouts. So detailed that I had trouble understanding what I was doing and it took all the fun out of it. Since I wanted both aspects of triathloning, to be fit for the sport and compete I also wanted to enjoy it. Consequently I took the complications out of training and adopted the programs to fit me and still gain in the sport.

5. Making yourself accountable in your fitness program is very important. Make the committement for the 12 month program, write it down and make a contract with your self to do this for whatever reason that will motivate you to start and stick with it. Remember it is your life you will be enhancing. The new year is the time, do not procrastinate.

6. Good nutrition should be part of this new fitness program. You say, "well I don't know what is good for me and what is not!" I think that is a bunch of bull and real good common sense will tell you not to eat fried foods all the time, and the elimination of fruits and vegetables is not a good thing. The most common diet among endurance athletes is the 40-30-30(40 carbohydrates, 30 fat, 30 protein) with some variances to that. Remember that your body has to have fuel and it gets the fuel from what you eat and drink. Water consumption is very important since our body is 70% water and must be replenished. It is also felt by many experts that water is great brain supplement and by taking one half of your weight will give you the total number of ounces of water you should have a day, i.e. 160 lb person needs 80 oz. of water. It should be noted that you should be taking in this water while on your walk, run, treadmill, bicycle, etc.

7. When going out for the 20 minute exercise always check your heart rate and keep it below the suggested 75% of maximum. This is called pacing and should be taken seriously. As you gain more experience at this and have the feeling of your body it will become more second nature. The main thing I would like to emphasize is that you don't go out too fast and get discouraged. Take it easy, then as you gain physical strength you can increase the pace.

8. While I feel that you must rely on yourself to get this fitness program done, some will find that training with a friend or even in a group is more fun and will make you committ. If that is the case then do it by all means. Go to a fitness club, a social club or maybe you play bridge and your bridge partners might want to get started in something. Sometimes the numbers game of more the merrier is a sound program. But, the down side is that others can discourage you and maybe not show up when you have something scheduled and it encourages you not to do the workout. So, beware and be comfortable with how you embark on this with others. Rember it is your life style we are concerned about.

9. At some time I would like to see some cross training in your program. While building the heart muscle is the most important part of training I would also like to see some cross training, i.e. light weight training for the muscular and skeletal systems and thereby providing harmony to the whole body. Possibly some Yoga could be added, but this will all be added at a later date and no earlier than after the 6 month of your 12 month program.

10. One of the most important tips I think in any program of life is to write down what you have just physically accomplished, i.e. after your first 20 minute exercise please write it down in a daytimer or note book. This will be the beginning of your healthy fitness lifestyle and must be reccorded. Do this everytime you exercise. No big long dissertation, just, something like, "20 minute walk, felft great, weather wonderful, noticed things in the neighborhood I have never noticed before, etc."

11. While you are doing your fitness workouts you are establishing self discipline. This self discipline can have application all through your life. Remember the biology guy who I helped lose all of his weight to retain his military commission, well he established some new self disciplines in his life that helped him to finish his advanced degree. Congratulation you are on your way.

12. Alternate your area of exercise if you go outside, i.e. if you chose to walk/run instead of going out of the house to the East each day, change and go West just for a change of scenery. If you go to a gymn and use the stairmaster, change side of the room if possible. Go for some variety if possible.

13. Always listen to your body, if you have some kind of pain in the ball of your foot take particular note of it. Don't just ignore it and gut it out. There is a difference between pain and injury. Generally pain will stop after your body gets warm, but injury will persist during the exercise. If the pain persists it might be necessary to consult your exercise friendly physician. First aide for any painful area could be treated with ice, heat, massage, chiropractor, etc. Just stay tuned!!

14. The proof in the pudding will be how you feel during this transformation and how you look after the initial 12 months. Yes, please note this is the first 12 months of the rest of your life. I will want to know how you feel about yourself, how you feel physically, how you are approaching life, and has this new 12 months of exercise made a difference?

Go for it!!! It is your body!!!

Mike Greer

It is getting close

2007-12-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

Well the first of the new year is getting close, so be thinking about the 3-4-20 rule of exercise. But first think about the physical exam I had mentioned in my previous post. Since what I am recommending for the start of this modest exercise program is a real natural thing I believe that even if you don't do what I ask on the physical you will be alright. As you will recall my story of the friend of mine who was going to lose his commission in the Army if he didn't lose some weight, well he ended up running some actual races and really enjoyed the idea of being in some kind of shape. Funny thing is that all I told him to do the first time out(he chose walking/trotting/running for his exercise to stimulate the heart muscle) was to put on his running shoes and make himself go outside for 20 minutes. I told him to just sit on the curb for 20 minutes if he wanted to, but just go out. So, he would go out sit on the curb and then finally started to walk for 20 minutes. Then he would increase the pace and the time out. Bottom line is, he enjoyed the exercise and especially enjoyed losing the weight he had gained.

Remember, anyone can do the program I am suggesting and no one needs to feel intimidated. It is your body, and your health we are talking about here. There is a fitness facility here in our city that caters to people who have had open heart surgery, and other surgeries, and I feel it would be better to prevent this type of damage than to repair it. The re-hab is similar to what I am suggesting in the beginning, so let's think prevention as opposed to repair and re-hab.

For tonight,

Mike Greer

Weekend thoughts

2007-12-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

While I know you haven't had the time to get that physical I recommended in the previous post possibly I can give you some pointers for the up coming New Years weekend. While I know it doesn't happen until Monday night at midnight I have the feeling that with it being on Tuesday it may really start this weekend. So, my suggestion would be to take it easy, float in moderation and enjoy the whole 4 days. This would be a case of pacing yourself and not getting too carried away right in the beginning by drinking and eating way too much. Of course I realize you will have the New Years resolution(very wasteful energy in my opinion, unless it really works for you) thing you can pull out of the hat and wave the magic wand and feel good about it. But, really just drink in moderation(if you consume alcohol), eat in moderation(I know you eat), dance in moderation, exercise in moderation, and then take the time to relax. This will put you on the right path for entering the New Year, with a great attitude and feeling about your self.

Remember the 3-4-20 formula that I mentioned in the initial post. Also remember that I am talking to people who have not exercised in a while, not the hard core marathon or triathlon type. I want you to think, 3-4 times per week, 20 minutes, sustaining a 75% of maximum heart rate. What is your maximum heart rate question can be answered in a simple way by taking your age, let's say 55 from 220 would be 165 x .75 for a target heart rate of 124(rounded off). So, to maximize the 20 minutes of exercise you must keep within this zone. See what I meant about how easy this can be if you set your mind to it. Trust me, this is the way all beginners should start out. About 8 years ago I had a young lady contact me wanting to know how to get started in the sport of triathlon. I told her to get a bike(she borrowed one of my old ones), find a pool(not hard for her to do since she was from swimming to start with), and get some good running shoes(the part she dreaded the most). I then told her to do each event 3 times per week, no less than 30 minutes per event. Then I told her that when she got bored with that extend the time to 45 minutes, then when she got bored with that, consult a professional coach since she was probably going past my expertise. Since she was a very natural athlete she took to this sport like fish in water and started doing sprint triathlons. Within 3 years she was doing Ironman trathlons and this past November she won the Ultra-Man triathlon(371 total miles in Kona, HI) plus the Race Across America(RAAM), 3200 miles on the bicycle, solo race. Needless to say this is not typical and I am not even advocating this type of exercise I am just saying do not sell yourself short on this exercise thing. But, I do emphasize the moderation thing and after you get the feel for it do whatever is comfortable.

Have a great weekend, and stay tuned!

Mike Greer

Some initial thoughts on Mature Fitness

2007-12-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

While I will still be speaking in generalities at this point I would like to emphasize a few things about getting started in this fitness thing. First, remember the ole saying that Rome was not built in a day(actually I don't have a clue how long it took to build Rome) and your physical condition did not get in its' present form in a day. Depending on your age it could have taken a matter a few short years or maybe it is a long term, up to 15 years, time frame. I do know of collegiate swimmers who come out of doing 10,000 yards of swimming a day to doing nothing and gain 40 pounds in just a few short years after finishing college. I know of many college athletes in all sports who do the same thing. The mistake they make is continuing to take in the huge amount of calories while they don't need this much caloric intake to make it through the day, in addition they don't have a coach pushing them. It has always been my feeling that we should picture in our minds(visualization exercises will be part of my program so be ready to shut your eyes and gaze) our body as a manufacturing plant. We take in the food to provide us with energy and fuel to get us through the day and night. Be thinking, burn baby burn, when you think of caloric input and the proper utilization of this fuel. Second, unless you are still an active athlete or have had a recent physical exam within the last 12 months I want you to take the time to go to your favorite doctor and have a complete exam. Also, I want you to tell him/her that you are planning on embarking on a fitness program and what your goals are for that. If your doctor says, no way should you be doing a fitness program then walk out of the office immediately and find another doctor. Third, after completing your exam with your old doctor or new doctor then continue to read this site, since I will start to go into specifics of what to do to get started. A number of years ago I was ask by a friend of mine who was a fellow officer with me in the US Army Reserves to help him lose some weight. While preparing to finish his PhD in biology he had let himself get way out of shape and over weight. He was so far gone that he was about to lose his officer commission. Of course I accepted his request to help him and the first thing I ask him to do was to go home after we were released from duty that day, strip off his clothes, stand in front of a full length mirror and see if he liked what he saw. If he did then we had a bigger job to do than I had bargained for, if not then we were on our way to success in saving his commission. Thankfully he came back the next day stating that he looked disgusting and what could we do to get him in some kind of shape and lose the extra pounds. I gave him the formula(you will get it later) and within 90 days he had lost 26 pounds and retained his rank and commission in the US Army Reserves. He later retired as a Lt. Colonel and I was really proud of him.

Now, go get that physical and we will talk some specifics in future posts.

Mike Greer

Welcome to Mature Fitness

2007-12-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

Since this is, December 26th, 2007, the day after Christmas I thought I would start something new and innovative, so here is some good news concerning a market of fitness that concerns mature adults. Well you ask, what exactly is a mature adult and I can say I have no written definition or magic age group. While I know that society, the government or some other organization has taken it upon themselves to determine this definition, commonly referred to as "Senior" I am going to be so bold as to originate my own definition. Since my age just became 69 on December 16th, 2007, I consider myself somewhat of an authority on the matter of age and aging. While I am not a medical doctor like Dr. Weil who wrote the book, Healthy Aging, I am just as much an authority in my own rights relative to the psychology and physiology of the mature adult fitness idea. Besides I originated this term and it is mine, unless someone claims to have written it before me. Then if it is proven I will simply say, "thanks" and continue to use it anyway.

Since this is just the introduction of the subject I will not go into real deep detail during this writing but I will give some ideas possibly of what is to come. First, I believe that some form of fitness is essential to a healthy and happy life style. But I will be the first to say that I don't think everyone should be a marathoner, an Ironman triathlete or some ultra-endurance person that loses all senses of moderation and becomes obsessed with this thing called "exercise." I believe that the most important muscle to exercise is the ole heart muscle, using aerobic means to exercise it. I also agree with Dr. Cooper who created the word aerobic exercise in the mid 60's, that anyone who runs over 3 miles is doing it for reason other than fitness. The idea is to exercise the heart muscle for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week at a reasonable heart rate, have a varied moderate diet, don't smoke, drink moderately, and have some fun. Of course I realize this is very simply stated and most will say it is more complicated that how I have presented it, but really it can be this simple. Now, what will happen is that you will have the life long natural athlete who does all of this stuff as a matter of lifestyle or you have the person who nearly killed themselves early in life bad habits and no exercise and then reformed to stay alive.These people sometimes come from open heart surgery, strokes, cancer or other diseases that the doctors were able to repair, so now they want to adapt their lifestyle to a more constructive way of living. Then you have the more mature population that has decided late in life to exercise for a change of lifestyle. I am not critical of any of these folks since they have their reasons for how they have lived, but they are more of a challenge. Then I have the small problem of being in the category of being athletic all my life and have stayed in competition condition up to this point in my life and expect to continue to do so until going into the next life. One of my good friends in Florida died a couple of years ago while on a bicycle ride and I think of him quite often. There were no tears shed about his death, he died like he wanted to at age 83 while out with friends riding, talking, sweating and enjoying life. He was one of the legends in the sport of triathlon, but literally died doing what he wanted to do more than anything.

So, gang let's buckle up and get ready for some good stuff and be prepared to feel good about yourself and life in general. Be thinking, 20 minutes, 3-4 times per week!!

Mike Greer