Five More Fitness Secrets
(and how you can use them…)
Through the years, I have often been asked what I do to stay in shape. I usually answer that my secret is that I don’t have a car. In my last post I shared five of my fitness secrets; I have a few more I’d like to share.
6. I love kale. Really, I can’t get enough of it. I would honestly rather eat kale than candy, ice cream, cookies, chips, cake or any other sweet or salty junk food. My parents have a terrific vegetable garden, and I grew up eating fresh vegetables. Now I visit local farmers’ markets and start each trip to the supermarket in the produce section.
What you can do: Eat more fruits and vegetables. The more nutrient dense foods you eat, the fewer calories you will have to eat. Vegetables in general are the most nutrient dense foods available. Find some you like. Eat them. Find some more. Eat those. Introduce a new fruit or vegetable into your diet each week.
7. I have good feet (and knees and ankles and back and…). I never lose toe nails or get blisters, and believe me, I test that theory every day. I wear the same old dirty cotton socks running again and again without washing them. I go barefoot as much as possible, often walking across dirty blacktop parking lots in July…or December, for that matter.
What you can do: Take care of your feet (and knees and ankles and back and…) If you are prone to blisters, be proactive about finding the best shoe and sock combination for you. The fewer health problems you have, like shin splints or blisters, the more you will feel like working out again. Consistent workouts over years and years is the secret to lasting health and fitness. And really, don’t be afraid to go barefoot. Maybe toughening up your feet is not such a bad idea.
8. I have a bullet-proof immune system. Not only do I rarely catch cold, I routinely eat old food others have left out on the counter all night. I don’t believe in expiration dates, cooties, the 10 second rule, or refrigeration. I believe in my body to fight off anything and everything. I was brought up to love dirt and mud, and I still do.
What you can do: Refuse to be sick. Look, I’m not going to tell you to eat expired food or to gobble up other people’s leftovers. But we are afraid of germs entirely too much. If you believe as I do that you will never get sick, you will be right a lot more often than wrong.
9. I hang out with younger friends. And I work out with them, because young people have more energy and recover quicker than I do, so they are always challenging me.
What you can do: Find a good workout partner, preferably in better shape than you are.
10. I like to suffer and I have a high tolerance for pain. If riding 80 miles of hills is fun, riding 80 miles of hills in the rain is more fun! If a 90 minute power lifting session is the highlight of my day, let’s make it at 5am, so we don’t have to wait for it, and let’s wake up at 4am, so we can run to the gym!
What you can do: Challenge yourself more, and have fun doing it! Create measurable, (barely) achievable goals and go for them. Make it fun, make it more than just a workout, tell people about it, and enjoy the results!
Fitness Tip #9
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