On Exercise Physiology

This one could easily have come under the heading "More I Don't Understand...." Can someone explain to me why a person can stand for hours without noticing much more than sore feet, can squat down (baseball catcher style) for several minutes with only minor discomfort in the knees, yet when taking a pose somewhere in between find their muscles screaming within seconds?

To play along... Sitting in a chair, extend you arms directly above your head, lock your elbows and clench your fists. (If you prefer, you can also clasp your hands together.) Now, lift your butt about three inches off the chair and hold this position until you begin breathing hard or feel discomfort in your legs. Some of you who are in better shape will surely be able to do this for a longer period of time than I, but I can just about guarantee you can't hold this position for as long as you stand upright or squat fully. Why is that? What is it about this body position that makes it so much more difficult to maintain?

Some of you may know this as a yoga pose (the Chair Pose, though the book I've read refers to is as the Power Pose). If you think yoga is only about relaxation and breathing, think again. Holding yoga poses not only stretches your muscles but gives them a heck of workout as well.

Look for more of my adventures in yoga in coming "Healthy Heedings" entries.

Get a Big Pencil

I've long known Scott Adams to be very astute at capturing the daily challenges of corporate life. Little did I know that he also had a knack for our daily personal struggles.

There is little doubt that writing down every morsel will help us to be cognizant of what we are eating and will likely result in our eating less. Writing down other details - our mood, where we were, special occasions, etc. - may also help us to see developing patterns. Do you eat every time you get down but not when you are with friends? Knowing that may encourage you to surround yourself with friends whenever you may be feeling blue. Perhaps more helpful is writing out a menu plan in advance and sticking to it.

And hey, if you have a really big pencil, the workout won't hurt either.

They say "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (More accurately, Lao-tzu said it, and many have quoted it since.) They - I believe a different "they" then the first - also say "The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time." Over the course of my life I believe I have mastered the latter. Now, it is time for me to embark on a better journey - one step at a time - and master the former.

I've embarked on this journey multiple times before.

Each time I've walked hundreds of thousands of steps and shed tens of pounds. But each time I've found reason to turn around, tired from the trek, hail a cab and ride, stopping at every greasy spoon and five-start restaurant, collecting all that I had left behind and picking up a few extras along the way. This time must be different.

I will no longer make this journey alone. My wife will continue to help, my sons will see to a certain level of activity, and I will have recollections of activities already missed. I will have you - my readers - who can hold me accountable and ask me how things are going. But most importantly, I will have the help of another, based on one final saying...

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26, NIV)

In this passage, Jesus was explaining how difficult it is for the wealthy to get into the kingdom of God. (In his day wealth was often shown through a bounty of rich foods.) He suggests that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. While I know this is not meant literally, I can't help but think if I am to pass through the eye of a needle, I must first take this journey.

If you are someone in need of a similar journey, I invite you to follow along. We can journey together. Share your thoughts; I would welcome the support and accountability. And I promise to share some encouraging words, a cartoon or two, and a few forced analogies along the way. I won't post everyday, but will aim for a minimum of once a week.

My own sense of social decorum and humility preclude me from including "before" pictures (no one needs to see that). Over time perhaps I'll be brave enough to share a few numbers, but otherwise, the entries here will be about the ups and downs of the journey itself. I hope some of you will find them helpful.

Gracious God - I humbly turn my journey over to you. I've tried repeatedly on my own, only to find short term success and reversion to old habits. But I trust that with you all things are possible. Please lead me to a full understanding of the importance of this journey. I pray through my sharing others may be helped as well. I ask these things in the name of your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

[Note: I considered a separate blog for this journey, but instead will use a common label for all related entries - just search for the entries marked "Healthy Heedings." I still had to stick to my pattern.]