Avoiding plateaus

If you avoid certain exercises, it probably means the moves involve a weak point in your body. Try hard to spend more time with exercise you don't like. Take control of it and soon enough it will be easier.

I hated doing the downward dog pose. However, I knew it was because my calves and hamstrings were really tight. So I put my time in with the downward dog and soon enough it really helped my lower back and legs feel better.

The added benefit of doing something you really don't like is that it pushes your body past its comfort zone, helping avoid the dreaded plateau. Mixing things up or adding a slight twist on an old move are smart ways to keep the body guessing and adapting to new challenges.

Ballpark franks

Today, I went to a baseball game with two doctors. Both of them lamented that they had eaten too much junk food the previous day went they went to an amusement park. We all ended up eating hamburger and hot dog, washed down with beer. Not the best, but it was fun to watch the hated Mets get hammered and catch up.

I've written about this in the past, but make sure that you don't feel too guilty about eating junk food sometimes. This morning, I had a great workout and most of the weekdays, it's oatmeal, veggies and turkey on whole grain bread. Get ahead of yourself and be disciplined most of the time so when you go to the ball game it can be that treat.

In the end we had a happy Sunday, an enriching part of life and ultimately pretty healthy.

Le Tour

It's been awhile since my last post, but today I watched Lance suffer and fall behind the leaders during the second mountain stage of the Tour de France. Lance, at 38, vowed this would be his last. It has been an incredible run for the most dominant Tour rider ever.

Since his rise to bicycling champ, celebrity and cancer fighter, Armstrong has raised the profile of his sport and his cause. He's become the epitome of a competitor. He still inspires me, running marathons, and just for being a champion for health and fitness.

Seeing the peloton climb today again reminded me, as it does every year, of how fit certain athletes are (regardless of doping). Our time on Earth is limited and we only have one body. It's a shame if you never see how far your body can go.

If you've never been gone from being average to being in shape, it's a worthy journey - to train your body to work, over and over again, to truly maximize its potential. Is there a more sophisticated machine? Our bodies are so intricate, able to do so much.

This post rambles a bit, as I have probably too much going on in my mind. The incredible jousting in the World Cup was also dazzling, as is the amazing pitching duel the Phillies and Reds just completed. There's an athlete in each of us just waiting to shine.

Summertime shape up

It's been brutally humid on the East Coast, and I've been mixing up early morning workouts. The key to working out first thing in the morning is just establishing a sleep schedule and sticking to it even on the weekends. I know, sleeping in is great, but so is getting your workout out of the way.

Aside from a regular weight workout, I've been doing interval running outside. The Hudson river and the views of Manhattan make it very pleasant in the morning. So, it's been a free form run, sprinting towards stop signs and other landmarks. My whole loop takes at most 20 minutes - which I think is just about right for a busy person.

Just running can be boring, so sometimes I'll stop and hop up some stairs and jump over various urban obstacles. This livens up the terrain and forces the body to adapt to challenges.

Get outside now

It's getting hot now on the East Coast, time to shed clothing and get outside. Take long walks, go for outdoor runs, wiffleball, soccer, tennis, basketball - play tag in the park.

Returning to form

Again, it's been too long since I've posted anything. Blame the spring weather. I just feels amazing to be outside rather than sitting a keyboard. Hmm... iPad would be great for this.

Swim suit season is just around the corner and there are lots of articles about how to get ready to bare your body. My advice: Never let yourself go. It's easier said than done, but seriously, it's easier to stay in shape through the winter than trying to feverishly work out and eat "lite."

The key to staying somewhat fit: Do something at least every other day.

Also, forget about the need for high-tech winter gear. Rocky (though fictional) ran through the South Philly streets with a plain gray sweatshirt and sweatpants. That even looks a lot better than some space-aged getup that costs a lot of money. But if wearing one of those makes you want to workout in the cold, then feel free.

Another post on coffee

Coffee is one of my favorite beverages. It's pretty good for you too, except when you add milk and sugar and other things that really take away from the coffee experience. My feeling is that you should only drink coffee straight, black that is. If you don't like it that way, it's probably because you are used to drinking bad coffee.

Wiser Health champions simplicity, and here's a simple way to make the perfect cup of coffee every time. Grab some fresh beans, a conical grinder and a French press and you'll have a lifetime of delicious coffee. If you buy high-quality whole beans, you'll save money and be satisfied with just a cup or two, a key to not getting the jitters and the other negative effects of coffee.

Here's a great guide from Stumptown Coffee's website on how to make the perfect coffee every time.

In case, you need to know why coffee is good for you, check this out.

Another great benefit of enjoying coffee in its purest form, you won't suffer the embarrassment of ordering a "grande skinny vanilla soy latte" at Starbucks. It's so much cooler to say, "Give me a small coffee." Try it. Old women will start smiling at you. People will hold doors for you. Only Starbucks' marketing folks will be upset for not adhering to their asinine sizing lingo.