Careful to Not Be Careless

My dad used to call it "being all stoved up", meaning he felt stiff and sore. He'd stand after sitting for a while and moved stiffly around until his body complied with where he wanted to go. That was usually after working in out in the yard or in the garage or whatever the physical activity was, including walking the dogs and/or walking with my mom. He didn't really exercise otherwise, but after the stroke he had right after he retired from the police department in 1994, he did the best he could to take care of himself and stay active until he passed in 2012. 

I'm thinking of him because his birthday is right around the corner. He'd be 93 if he was still alive. Mercy me. I'm also thinking of him because I've got a big birthday coming up later this year and it includes the numbers 6 and 0. Mercy me, again.

My wife Amy and I are gratefully healthy and exercise regularly, and yet are both north of 50 years old. Amy, who's almost six years younger than me, is much more flexible than I am, but gets just as "stoved up" after sitting down to work for any length of time. Since we both work from home, we'll both be sitting and working away after our morning workouts, and then when my watch reminds me that it's time to stand, I can feel and hear my bones creak and pop as I do so. Same with Amy. We'll both moan and laugh, but we feel it all. 

Which is why we're careful not to overdo it when working out and careful not to trip and fall when walking or hiking. Our two teens don't play sports anymore, but they are both active. Our oldest Beatrice uses our home gym a few times a week and our youngest Bryce, well, doesn't -- but sometimes walks the dog with us at the end of the day. They'll be starting high school this year and both will be in theater and choir, so there will be some physical activity within those activities.

Our teens are still young and spry, as they should be. Amy and I are not. Healthy, though, and grateful to be so, both of us with positive and balanced body images. Balanced as in "a little fit / a little fat". In fact, Amy saw a t-shirt with that on it, and we promised we'd get one for each of us. Stay tuned for that.

Now that I'm almost 60, I want to ensure that I'll always be active and able to do the beach workouts that I do each week, or to just be able to take walks with Amy along the water or in the redwoods when I'm 90+ (and she's 84+). And to stay healthy and active for our kids and grandkids someday. Of course, you never know what could happen in life, when you're going to go, or what you might break, even just working around the house, which is why we're careful to not to be careless no matter what we're doing. 

Blessings to the old-ish folks. Stay as healthy as you can, kids. 

Cross-training with Baby (feel the burn)

I love to exercise. Whether it’s weight lifting, jumping on the elliptical (and actually using it), hiking or running – I love to exercise. The endorphin-vanity smack is a high I just can’t resist. My wife and I both are very active kids.

After high school, very many years ago, I left myself go to hell and a hand-basket. I was overweight, a smoker – basically the barely breathing/walking dead of America.

Very many years later I changed all that, but I’ve always been a plain-jane trainer. And then the women of my dreams and I had a baby.

And then the cross-training with Baby began. Rock on.

You know what I mean daddies:

• The Jogging Stroller Stroll – This one’s pretty straight forward. Take baby on a short run in the jogging stroller. Run for at least 30 minutes or until she’s crying uncontrollably for mommy’s breast (you know, the way you cry uncontrollably for mommy’s breast).
• The Airplane – Carrying baby sprawled flat on her stomach, right arm under baby, left arm supporting back and shoulders. Then you run around the room yelling “zoooooooom!” Or something like that. Do 3 sets of 2 minutes each and switch sides and arms.
• The Silly Daddy Lunge – Baby plays on the floor while you lunge, alternating one leg at a time, at baby making silly daddy noises. Be careful not to be too aggressive as you may make baby cry and mommy mad. Do 3 sets of 10 lunges each leg. For an additional workout, pick baby up after each lunge and push over head.
• The Bouncy Bounce – Simple yet highly aerobic. Place baby in portable doorway bouncy and jump along with baby’s attempt at River Dance. Do in 5 minute intervals or until baby is all done.
• The Backpack Jack – Go for a hike with baby in backpack. Simple enough. But, when baby pulls your hair and that one Terminator nail that just can’t be trimmed or filed digs into your back, shoulder shrugs and deltoid flies are free of charge. Hike for 30 minutes or until baby fall asleep and drools down your spine.
• The Raspberry Curl – This is a fun one. Hold baby across your arms, lift in a curl and blow raspberries on her belly. Do 3 sets of 10. Mommies will dig the love guns.

These are just a few examples. If you have any more baby cross-training exercises, please share!

Happy Fatherhood Friday! It’s a hip place at Dad-Blogs.com for dads and moms to share stories, ideas, photos and movies with one topic in mind – fatherhood. Good times.