President's Council on Fitness

Every now and again, I hear a reference to the President's Council on Fitness. But in truth, I don't know too much about it. So, I checked it out. And you can too.

The website link is here.

Dominique Dawes and Drew Brees are co-chairs at this time, and Billie Jean King is a member of the council.

The organization is far more active than I imagined. The array of programs are impressive, and the resources informative. They have a foundation. They post to a blog and tweet away. Be sure to read the history page. It started with Eisenhower, and each subsequent administration has added to the structure, the programs, the interactions with the public, and so on. Really good stuff.

This is a valuable resource for the American public. Take a look, perhaps you'll find something new and interesting to inform your health and fitness. 

Current Favorite Workouts

My fitness rotation lately looks like the following. I am seeing results and really enjoying it.

1. Row 5K meters
2. HIIT step routine on the 12 inch box
3. Row 10K meters
4. Walk one hour
5. Row 5K and walk 30 minutes

Or some variation of these. Having fun.

On Course

I've posted here in a sporadic fashion. At this point, my goal is to share at least once per week. So to relaunch my quest for good health and fitness -- although I haven't been off course -- I'll give an update.

Lately, I've spent time on the treadmill. Nothing new there. However, I've changed my routine. Instead of steady-state running or walking, I've been walking and adjusting the incline. It's all in the incline. From 3.5 to 4.0 miles per hour -- typically at 3.5 or 3.6 for me -- with an incline that hovers at 6 or 7 but goes as high as 10. Are you breathing hard yet? Yeah.

I don't have a defined routine for incline. Meaning that I don't do say 5 minutes at 6 and then 5 minutes at 7. I mix it up. Keep it fresh. Test myself. Push myself.

Talk about sweat.

I do it for 60 minutes.

I have been pretty consistent. It feels great.

In addition, I've been back to lifting weights, but I haven't been consistent with it due to time. I'll be trying different things and sharing them here. I've also been rowing and stepping. So this is the official relaunch of The Farmer's Walk. Let's see how things go.

More soon.

A Week Off is Longer Than You Think

I was too busy last week. (I know. I know.) So busy, that I didn’t work out. All week.

I fell off the wagon on Monday. I worked out today, Sunday.

A week is longer than you think when you don’t stretch a muscle, break a sweat, or lift something heavier that your cell phone. I’ve learned over the years that if I take off for more than a few days, I need to ease back into my routine.

So today, I thought I’d steer myself back on course with a step-up HIIT program. I also lifted chest and back, and I reacquainted myself with my abs (they had been neglected for more than seven days).

HIIT is short for High Intensity Interval Training, an approach that is intended to increase expenditure while decreasing workout time. It’s the opposite of the slow and steady routine that most of us have performed for years. I like it because it’s quick and it’s a departure from running. In terms of cardio, your heart rate takes of like a rocket. The first time I did it, I thought I was going to scream but I didn’t have the lung capacity.

It got better.

My routine, on a square step box, involves 20 intervals. Each interval is one minute. That means that I step up on the box for a one-minute period and then stop for a break. I rest in between intervals for 30 seconds. Mostly, I focus on one leg per interval and alternate. So it’s 20 minutes of intervals and 10 minutes of rest in between.

It’s a killer routine.

I then moved to chest and back. Lifting 15 and 12 pound weights to slowly wake those dormant muscles. Chest press, flyes, straight up chest press, and seated rows.

It’s my desired goal to do something physical every day, but life doesn’t always afford the time. Unless I’m on vacation – which I was not last week – it pains me if I go more than two days. I feel better when I work out, both physically and mentally, and I find that my creativity is heightened.

This is a new blog, and here I’ll be charting my progress. Fitness, well being, call it what you will. It’s a lifelong journey.