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.

The Stress Effect and Your Health

By Don Otis –

I was having dinner recently with a friend who works for our local power plant. He told me that half of his employees are on anti-depressants. Pharmaceuticals have become a way of like for many, if not most Americans.

When I went in for a treadmill test last year, a nurse asked me to fill out a form explaining which medications I was on. After I turned it in, she said, “Excuse me, I think you missed a section.” I didn’t miss the section; I just didn’t have anything to put in there. I asked her if this was unusual. She said, “Everybody is on something these days.”

Stress is a killer. Stress will tear you down physically, emotionally and spiritually. According to a new book, The Healing Code, stress is directly linked to 95 percent of all illnesses. Stress is linked to cancer, emotional disorders and even heart disease. The long terms effects of stress are enormous. As Christ-followers, we may believe that we should be impervious to stress. I disagree. As humans, we live in a fallen and broken world where stress predominates. The question isn’t whether we will have stress; it is how we deal with the stress.

If stress is prolonged, it weakens our immune systems. When our immune systems are unable to perform as God designed them, our physical defenses are unable to ward off sickness, disease and viruses.

Many of us live in a continual state of fight or flight, grabbing breakfast on the run, driving to work in stressful traffic, working through our lunch breaks, running kids to school or sports, committee meetings, small groups–you name it. We live hurried and harried lives. This lifestyle takes a toll on us. It saps us of our energy, keeps us from sleeping soundly and can even put pressure on our relationships.

Over time, this stress leaves us vulnerable to disease. But what can we do?

First, as followers of Christ, we lean into Him and on Him. He says, “Come unto Me all, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). He knows we worry and stress over life and He gives us hope in Himself.

The second thing you can do is to become active. I remember years ago when my father was in such depression that he was curled in a fetal position inside a room in my house for days. The room was dark. He refused to eat or to get up. One day I finally said, “Dad, I’m going to the running track and you’re going with me!” He did. I ran and he walked. It was the turning point for him. All of us feel overwhelmed at times. We just want to run away or medicate ourselves into numbness. Don’t.

When we exercise, we combat the stress in our lives, build our immune systems, and send oxygen-rich blood to our brains and extremities. The stress-effect will destroy us while the exercise-effect will help cleanse the impurities from our bodies. The more we elevate our heart rates through aerobic exercise (walking, biking, swimming, running, hiking), the more we build our heart and lung muscles. We also send the cleansing stream of blood pulsating through our bodies, which helps clean out our delivery systems.

Life is tough. Stress is toxic. God has given us avenues to overcome.

Don S. Otis (don@veritasincorporated.com) is an 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.

Going Solo

By Don Otis –

I set out on a mountain bike ride recently on the back side of Pikes Peak in my home state of Colorado.  It was atop this behemoth of a mountain that Katherine Lee Bates wrote “America the Beautiful” in 1893, first as a poem. The peak dominates the west side of Colorado Springs and is the easternmost 14,000-foot mountain in the United States. Read more

Beating the Heat of Summer

By Don Otis –

I can remember the first time I flew into Miami from Los Angeles. It was 3:00 p.m. and time for a workout after sitting on a long flight, right? What a big mistake! Read more

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