Stay Ready

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How do you handle time off? Perhaps that's a ridiculous question because you don't take breaks or vacations. Maybe resting is what you do best.

One part of us sees every day as an opportunity to push dreams and goals forward. But we also possess an inner voice that tells us to appreciate what we have and to take advantage of every comfort in life.

We are full of contradictions.

Seasons dictate our resilience to either go for more or stay content. The current forecast does not support more of anything. Sundays will soon get occupied with the NFL. Fall, winter, and desire will encourage staying indoors for at least one game over the next four months.

After the Superbowl, it’s back to the daily grind. We will embody the "You ain’t gotta get ready if you stay ready" mentality every day. That’s what we tell ourselves, but we hate to get behind in work.

I hear the struggle inside you because I also don’t do well with breaks. With the exception of reading, meditating, or watching a movie on date night, I avoid sitting still. Sure, I take vacations, but often to do something else.

The NFL season does not distract me. I prefer to play sports rather than watch them on a screen.

Given my recent injury, I should probably learn to sit still more often. But, then again, a neurosurgeon cleared me for exercise without restrictions last week. He said the herniated discs in my neck and lower back may heal without surgery or an injection.

How do you think I responded to the doctor’s clearance for physical activity? On Sunday, I celebrated with a 19 + 1. Yes, I jogged for 19 miles and then stopped at the house to pick up the dog for one more to make 20 miles.

Is there something wrong with me?

Probably. I do coach individuals with interests in gaining more craziness in their lives!

I will run a marathon in September and an ultramarathon in October.

Would you like to exercise more but don't know where to start? Begin with making it a priority. It's possible to eliminate soft excuses with one firm decision to act.

Please sit down if you're injured or unable to because of a physical or mental health challenge. Consult a physical therapist or other medical professional before beginning new workout routines. Once approved, take a class or invite a friend to join you for a walk.

Make exercise social before or after work. Fit fitness in your schedule.

In the book, Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel Lieberman, he suggests that humans evolved to do as little as possible. Movement was only deemed necessary for our ancestors when they needed to hunt, reproduce, or fight to survive. Due to the many advances in technology, many of us only exercise when there is peer pressure, or we receive an alarming diagnosis from our doctor.

Read Lieberman’s book. It might convince you to continue making movement a priority.

When you watch one of the three games on Sunday, download the Nike Running Coach and Nike Training Coach apps to your phone. I use them for guided runs, yoga, strength workouts, education, and to help track fitness progress.

I just gave you more activities to do in your downtime!

September is here. In addition to the NFL's return, children went back to school.

To help the kids maximize their summer vacation and to give my wife a break, they completed daily academic assignments and swam with me on Saturday mornings. We invited some friends for the swimming practice, and I shared basic Capoeira movements with the group.

My children’s friends’ parents acted as our valuable lifeguards. They stood on the dock and guaranteed no one drifted away in the current. One of the fathers led the group in pre-workout prayers to ensure we had no casualties.

Watch the highlights of our capoeira/swim series below and extend this current break from your work for five minutes. Subscribe here for more resources to help you stay ready.