Seven Keys to Living Longer

By Don Otis –

As a young boy I remember my mom watching this guy on television who wore an odd looking jumpsuit. He did jumping jacks and calisthenics. His upbeat demeanor and encouragement were part of his routine. While I didn’t pay much attention to him, he seemed to be having fun. By now you probably guessed that it was Jack LaLanne, a man who was indisputably way ahead of his time. He died recently at 96 but in the overall scheme of life expectancy, he lived twenty years longer than the average male in the United States.

The Bible gives us no guarantee of years or longevity. It gives us only the hope of eternal life through faith in Christ. Our physical prosperity comes from a number of factors; genetics, diet, attitude, and activity, spirituality, environment, and personal habits. Each of these ingredients has a proven track record of determining how long you will live.

Your genetics play a key factor in susceptibility to heart disease or certain kinds of cancers. If you have a history of breast or prostate cancer in your family, you already know that taking steps to eat healthy or have regular medical tests is vital.

Diet is another key and it is not just about how much you eat but what you put into your body that makes the difference. Would you put corn syrup into your new Toyota? Probably not. Yet many of us continually put harmful substances into our bodies and wonder why our “engine” begins to break down or is sluggish.

Attitude can be a factor for heart disease. A high stress type-A person is far more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke. We call these people “high strung” and wonder why they don’t chill out. There is a health benefit to not sweating the small stuff of life.

Our activity level, as LaLanne proved, plays a pivotal role in how blood flows throughout our system, how food is digested, how muscles and bones grow or support us. Exercise is crucial to healthy living and longevity.

For fitness fanatics everywhere, one of the missing links is spirituality. God has made us as with body, soul, and spirit and when we neglect any one of these we see the negative results. People with a vibrant faith are healthier, happier, and better adjusted than those without faith.

Our environment can be lethal. Ask anyone who lives near a toxic waste facility, has worked around asbestos, or suffered the effects of breathing contaminated air or drinking polluted water. We can mitigate the effects of environmental factors by being aware of these and protecting ourselves from pollutants.

Personal habits you choose such as smoking, heavy drinking, or engaging in risky behaviors will eventually catch up with you. The consequences may take years to surface but they will destroy your health some day.

We have far more control than we realize. The one area where we don’t have control is genetics. Yet even here there are choices we can make to lessen the negative effects or risks. God has given us the power of choice, the power of life, and the power of health. Choose life.

Don S. Otis (don@veritasincorporated.com) is a certified personal trainer, runner, climber, and author of five books. He runs Veritas Communications, a publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado.

Back to Basics

By Don Otis –

What do you want to achieve in the New Year? In fitness language, setting goals and maintaining them is called adherence. As it is with anything in life, your goals determine your behavior. We don’t stumble into good health any more than we do ill-health. It takes intention. Or, in Christian terms, we set our heart (will) toward a goal.

In the past several articles, we have talked about how easy it is to fall off the wagon, so to speak, when it comes to adherence to our goals. We have discussed the importance of consistency, cross- training to break up the monotony, and having definable objectives. We have discussed fat-burning cardio exercises and what works best. This means intensity over duration. In other words, it is better to increasing your intensity on a treadmill than to walk slowly for 45 minutes. We call this quality or quantity. Some people think they have to spend a lot of time to get satisfactory results. Not true.

This weekend I had an hour of sunlight left and wanted to get a mountain bike ride in on the Santa Rosa Plateau in southern California. I met up with a Christian chiropractor and we took off at a breakneck speed (there is a reason they call it “breakneck”). We finished ten miles on single track trails just as the sun set. I had resolved to work out that day, even if it was challenging to do it before the sun set.

Here are some of the questions in the Exercise Confidence Survey asked by fitness trainers who want to access the resolve of new clients.

Do you get up early, even on weekends, to exercise?

Do you stick to your exercise program after a long, tiring day at work?

Do you exercise even though you are feeling depressed?

Do you stick with your program even when you have household chores or social obligations to attend to?

I would add many of my own questions to the survey, like “Are you willing to turn off the television or stay off Facebook long enough to exercise? The biggest distracters are our schedules, family obligations, vocational responsibility, or fatigue/depression.

For me, one of the ways I stay motivated is to document what I do. It is simply writing down what I have done for the day on a 4 X 6 card. I have hundreds of these from decades ago. I know, for example, how much slower I am today than twenty years ago. Although my miles are slower, I keep moving and setting goals. This year will end with 1700 miles logged! Whatever your goals are, write them down, check on your progress, and persevere.

The most critical period of adherence to exercise is the first three to six months. This is one of the reasons I encourage a slow, methodical approach that helps people maintain a lifestyle of God-honoring, healthful living. Another reason for the slower approach is to avoid burnout or injury. If you are older or heavier, start with low-impact activities.

If it is helpful, write a contract–even if it is between yourself and God, or yourself and your spouse. Include a series of goals (make these reasonable) and determine to adhere to them–to “show up” even when you don’t feel like it.

Don S. Otis is am ACE Certified personal trainer, the author of Keeping Fit after 40 and Whisker Rubs: Developing the Masculine Identity. He is the president of Veritas Communications, a Christian publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado. You can contact him at don@veritasincorporated.com.

The Reason Many People Fail to Reach their Goals

By Don Otis –

I have this running joke with some of the men I see at the gym. It is easy to spot those who are faithful with their fitness routines. I typically ask, “Hey, Michael, didn’t I just see you here yesterday?” The point, of course, is that getting in shape or staying in shape is a process that requires consistency. It is part of a daily routine.

We have seasons of life when we can’t get to a gym or stay consistent with our workout activities. It may be an illness, family crisis or change of job. While I believe we can usually find time to walk, run or climb a stairwell, sometimes we have to go easy on ourselves and focus on other life issues. But this should be rare. Consistency is something we have talked about before but as we approach the cooler months of the year (when many of us gain weight), it is definitely worth a reminder.

The biggest impediment to not reaching your goals is lack of consistency. If you were taking a class, would you regularly take days off or ignore your homework assignments? Success at anything is a combination of effort, time and right action. Have you ever wondered why people with addictions relapse? Whether it is weight loss, substance abuse or exercise, the challenge comes back to choices you make daily.

God has gifted you with the unique ability to choose. It is with this power that you make healthy choices or unhealthy ones. No one can do it for you. Your mate can’t do it, your parents can’t make you, and even God isn’t going to stop you from eating that next big bite of chocolate cake or ignoring your trip to the health club. So use this power to make right choices to improve your health. Your body, as well as your spirit and your mind, are made to honor God. The best way to honor God with your body is by caring for it.

According to recent estimates, 30 percent of the American population does not engage in any kind of leisure time activities. Meanwhile, only 25 percent of us are involved in recommended levels of physical activity. The drop-out rate for beginners is more than 50 percent. How can you avoid failure? For me, and millions who are successful, one of the prime ingredients is to do it regularly. If you have goals that are measureable and reasonable, you will be more inclined not to give up. An important aspect to your goal-setting is to keep your goals reasonable. I start with small, achievable goals with clients and then revise these as they successfully meet them.

There is nothing wrong with having big goals but it is easy to become discouraged if you are not meeting these. For example, when I speak with a client who wants to lose weight, I ask them how long it took to become overweight. In most instances, it has been a process that has taken years. As typical westerners, we want instant results and these rarely occur. A patient, plodding approach with goals and regular benchmarks almost always works with those who are motivated.

How do you stay consistent? Send me a note and let me know.

Don S. Otis is the president of Veritas Communications and the author of Keeping Fit after Forty. He is a Certified Personal Trainer, runner, climber and mountain biker – www.veritasincorporated.com

Dress Rehearsal for Fall

By Don Otis –

The summer is over and that’s good news for some of us and bad news for others. It’s time for gathering wood in the northern climes, battening down the hatches, and checking for air leaks around doors and windows. The cooler months of fall can be the best time for fitness. You aren’t battling exhaust fumes, heat, or bicyclists. As the leaves fall with the temperatures, it’s time to get outside. The autumn months are also a season to plan races—5 or 10 kilometers or further.

The cool air is invigorating and I always feel better after coming back from a run when it is cool. It is tempting to stay indoors but if the elements permit, get outside.  Through the years I have run in just about every type of weather- –wind, rain, snow, hail. The key to enjoying your outdoor experience is dressing properly. The cooler it is, the more important it is to wear a hat and gloves, and an outer shell you can zip down if you get too hot. As a lifelong runner, I like the light polypropylene mittens which cost next to nothing. Most fitness stores will sell nicer gloves but you don’t need them. I learned the hard way during the Boise Marathon a few years back that cotton gloves don’t do well in the rain! If you know it is a dry day, but a bit cool, cotton gloves from your local hardware store work fine.

During a mud-slog half marathon in southern California this spring, I had the right gloves for the rain and cold and it made the difference against the driving rain and wind. Aside from slushy, wet snow (I won’t run in it), my least favorite condition is wind. Since I grew up where the Santa Ana winds blow in California, I came to loathe the headwinds. During the Snake River Half Marathon several years ago, we went out with the wind at our backs on a turn-around course. Yes, our pace was fast but I knew in the back of my mind that as soon as we turned around, the headwinds would be brutal, and they were!

In most of North America, fall is the relative calm before the storm of winter. Embrace the former while preparing for the latter. If you don’t have adequate clothing, invest in some for the cooler days. A hat can serve several purposes, to keep the sun from blinding you and for keeping your head warm and dry. If you sweat a lot like I do, a hat will keep you from losing too much heat. Likewise, if you tend to wear shorts, purchase some sweats or long runner’s tights. If your shoes get wet during a run, make sure you pull out the inserts and let them dry before the next outing. Better yet, rotate shoes—which means you need two or more pair.

I realize that when Jesus and His disciples were walking between the Galilee and Jerusalem or down to Jericho, they didn’t have Nikes. They probably used leather sandals even in the winter months. And yes, it snows in Jerusalem. We live in an age where comfort is preeminent. The least little heat, and on goes our air conditioning. The least nip in the room, and on goes the heat. Our bodies can, and do, adapt to the temperature and environment if we allow it. The cooler the temperature, the harder your body works to keep itself warm—which means burning calories by not turning on as much heat.

Whatever the temperature where you live, have a “dress rehearsal” for fall and choose your clothes carefully so you can exercise in comfort.

Don S. Otis is a certified Fitness Trainer and author of Keeping Fit after Forty. He is the president of Veritas Communications -www.veritasincorporated.com.

Fitness and Risks

By Don Otis –

This past week has seen me in the ER twice for activities related to fitness.

I reached the summit of 14,005’ Mt. of the Holy Cross near Vail, Colorado recently, but ran into trouble on the way down. I fell on a steep ridge while descending and split my head open. God in His mercy had two EMTs there within minutes with a triage kit to stop the bleeding. What are the odds of such care well above 13,000 feet? Seven stitches later I was ready to board a flight to Spokane the next day. Within 48-hours of landing I was completing a 12-mile mountain bike ride in North Idaho. Then, unexpectedly, I was attacked by a pit bull. A second trip to the ER as the dog bit deep into my calf muscle.

If you run, walk, hike, or ride you know the risks posed by dogs that protect their territory. In general, they are territorial and will leave you alone after you pass their property. You learn to avoid certain breeds, not the least of which is Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. You would be foolish not to. But the majority of risks we face are not from falls or dogs.

There is an old saying about life, investments, and relationships. I have quoted the adage, “No risk, no reward,” many times. Still, there are risks every time we venture outdoors. We also risk injury each time we get in our car or take a flight. We accept the risks as part of life. We also accept certain risks if we want to remain healthy and fit. If we are wise, we do everything we can to mitigate risks. Sometimes, no matter what we do, something unexpected happens along the way.

Nancy is one of my clients. She is 69-years-old. Nancy and her husband were ranchers in Arizona before she was thrown from her horse and partially paralyzed. It happens. She is now doing what she can to remain healthy. She says, “I hope one day I can throw these crutches away!” I like her attitude. She doesn’t give up in spite of the trauma she faced that changed her life.

When I was first learning to drive, my dad used to tell me to drive like a coward. Driving defensively is something we learn. We don’t really expect to put ourselves at risk by walking or riding through our neighborhoods. If you venture out, wear protective clothing that makes you easier to see. Avoid dusk or after dark if possible. Be aware of your surroundings. Unless you are at a gym, don’t wear an iPod or other music device. You put yourself at greater risk by doing so.  If you are hiking or biking a longer distance, carry an emergency kit. Even if you are running, walking or hiking in a nearby park, avoid dogs that are off leash. Stop, move off the side of the trail or walkway and give them plenty of space.

As I think about the attack, I should have dismounted my bike and used it to shield me. In general, dogs like to chase. Avoid neighborhoods or parks where dogs are off leash or vicious. Call your local law enforcement or animal control to report loose dogs. You may be protecting a child or elderly person by doing so.

We can stay inside the safety and comfort of our homes, but it is so much more fun to get outside and enjoy nature. Finally, if you do you exercise outside; it is always best to have someone with you. Stay safe. Stay smart.

Don S. Otis is am ACE Certified personal trainer, the author of Keeping Fit after 40 and Whisker Rubs: Developing the Masculine Identity. He is the president of Veritas Communications, a Christian publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado. You can contact him at don@veritasincorporated.com.

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