Day 19 - The Red Zone

It's Friday, the sky is Blue and Grey and I've done 19 work outs. That is some kind of a record, hey Guinness, write me up. The fat man who actually worked out 19 times in less than 40 days. And, if you want to make this world shaking event even more impressive, I accomplished this amazing feat of human determination in the middle of the Christmas & New Year celebrations, kids visiting, and even getting sick for a week. OK, so it's nothing special and I'll get awards from imaginary people. It is still an achievement for me.

Now comes the real test of my determination. I think I mentioned in an earlier Blog that I usually reach a point where I cannot work out anymore because my pain climbs too high. For the last 20 years that threshold has been reached in the 30 - 60 day window. Since I have already been doing this program for a month, I am officially in the red zone. I have actually been nervous because of the historical experiences, don't they usually act as good indicators of future potential? Look at the Farmers Almanac, that book is highly accurate at predicting weather for the entire planting and harvesting year. It is based on historical patterns.

I also know that living, thinking, emotional beings tend to be controlled by their past. They go through life using past experience to determine behavior in the present. Some people call this living within a box or learned behavior. It's like a dog that has lived on a chain for 10 years. Cut the chain, they will still operate within the boundaries of the chained area. My goal is to break that pattern and create a new pathway for my self. I am determined to learn from my past and to create a new future.

I have a multi-step plan in place.

1. When I get the fears in my mind about the 30-60 day exercise limitation, I change the subject and tell myself that I am different today and I will have a new future.
2. When working out I will hold myself back and prevent pushing so hard that I cause an escalation of pain. I have time, I can accomplish my goals slowly. No need to rush into problems.
3. When working out 1 hour a day 5 -6 times a week I will concentrate on being relaxed and releasing my tensions. By letting go of my stress it no longer causes me to tense and tighten.

There are more, but this is part of my plan. I have thought through my last 20 years of struggle and one thing that was consistent throughout, was my management of stress. I held things in and it caused me to tense up. I also pushed myself to the limit every time I worked out. I now see that those things were key elements that spelled failure.

Does that mean that everyone who starts a workout program should behave like me? That would be silly. I think Dr. Call's suggestion of exercising 1 hour a day 5-6 times a week is a perfect formula for renewed health, vigor, and extended life. What people do in their workout's is a personal choice. If they have a problem of starting and then giving up, that is where they need to focus. Make a change that will help to assure continuation.

What happened today? I worked out and felt pretty good after. I was able to do my routine without great difficulty. In fact, I actually did three sets today. When I first started I did one set and a little more. So I feel that finishing three is great. It took about 10 minutes more than an hour.

Dad was not able to do his program today. He had life get in the way. He did mention to me that he has noticed some nice side effects from his workouts. Being a diabetic he has curculation problems in his legs and feet. The skin is dry, scaly, and tender feet. He also bruises easily and heals slowly. I know that many diabetics end up having such poor circulation that they have to have toes or more amputated. Dad has been seeing better circulation in his feet and legs. The scales on his feet are disappearing, his feet are not as tender, and his skin color is improved. He is able to walk better and with less discomfort. A large part of this improvement is from doing the water walks.

After talking to my Father I could not stop thinking about what this could mean for other diabetics. What if they also went to the water and walked for an hour a day. Of course they would have to start out small at first. Dad only did a few laps and rested in between many times. In fact, his first few work outs were only 20 minutes. He has built up over time and now does almost an entire hour without needing to stop and rest. What if other diabetics did the same? If they are not comfortable in the water, they could wear flotation equipment.

For me, and Dad, the great benefit in the water is the ability to move freely with little or no stress from gravity. It allows me to move around easily without getting tired or hurt. Also, it is improving our overall health and stamina. I'm excited, I am looking forward to tomorrow, it is day 20, that is going to be a really great day.