DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: Milestone 4 - The Finish Line!

We are coming up on the final milestone in our February wellness challenge. If you have ever been part of an endurance race - a triathlon comes to mind - you will know the surge of adrenaline you get when the finish line finally comes into view. You realize that you are almost done. You begin to hear the crowd cheering. Excitement builds. You pick up the pace for one final finishing kick.

February 28 marks the completion of the challenge. We have passed all of the mile markers, including the final one, and we are DONE! I hope you reached (or came close to) your wellness goals, but even more, I hope that investing in your own wellness has become more of a lifestyle habit for you. I would be lying if I said I "enjoy" swinging kettlebells, but I certainly enjoy how I feel after I've finished the workout.

This challenge, though, is not just about physical activities; it is about wellness activities. Now that February is finished, I hope that you will continue, or maybe even expand whatever you are doing to be more well. It is an investment with great returns!


My final thoughts as we wind down this year's challenge:

1. Congratulations on your wellness accomplishments!

2. Thank you for participating.

3. Please consider supporting Parkinson's research. We would love it if you would consider making a donation to the DR. ALI RAJPUT ENDOWMENT FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS RESEARCH..  Click here for details.

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DAY TWENTY-SEVEN: Disappointments and Setbacks, and Failure

It's one thing to make plans; it's quite another to execute them successfully. For a variety of reasons, plans don't always work out. Quite often, but not always, those reasons are completely outside of our control. At any rate, here is the question: if we made a plan, but it didn't work out, did we fail?

Be careful how you answer that.

Certainly, on one level, not executing a plan properly or complete is technically a failure, so there's that. That concept of failure is quite simple, and we can reduce it down to not succeeding, or not doing something we are/were expected to do.

If our idea of failure or success is binary, meaning we have either failure or not-failure (success, or not-success), then we sort of paint ourselves into a corner; if we didn't succeed at something 100%, then we failed 100%. There's not much room to draw anything positive from a new or challenging experience if that's our outlook.

I propose that we re-evaluate how we think of both success and failure. In my view, these are not binary, but fluid, and certainly not mutually exclusive. I am thinking about this today because I have spoken with a few folks who did not accomplish all they set out to. We may have only partially completed our February wellness challenge, but I would argue that we were still at least partially successful. The parts that did not get accomplished are data, no more, no less. They tell us that perhaps our targets were over-ambitious, or that our effort was "sub-optimal" (how's that for a euphemism!?). Or - none of the above! Life may have crashed in on us and, through no fault of our own, our opportunity to participate was taken away by a setback.

So, to quote The Dread Pirate Roberts (or Westley, the farm boy), "Get used to disappointment..." It happens. We don't always accomplish our goals. We are often disappointed. What is most important is how we respond to it. My recommendation is to affirm what you have been able to accomplish, and be proud of that. As for the things you didn't accomplish - the empty checkboxes on your chart - we still need to acknowledge them, but is it really that big a deal? My advice: take down the chart! Immediately. Charts "motivate" us by pointing out what we have not yet accomplished. We might do better with a Success List, where all our small successes get posted.

I did say I think the things we didn't get done - our unaccomplishments - really serve as data. We can possibly use these data another time, in another challenge possibly, but we need to get over any tendency to feed and coddle our disappointment and see it as a failure. We should be honest and acknowledge our disappointment, but not focus on our unaccomplishments; we need to focus on and celebrate what we have accomplished.

February is almost over. My hamstrings have been at least a little bit sore since about January 25th. I'm looking forward to the calendar flipping over to March tomorrow at midnight, when 2019's 10,000 Kettlebells for Parkinsons challenge will be over. I'm proud of what we have accomplished, and I'm not going to lose any sleep over any unaccomplishments. They're over-rated.

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DAY TWENTY-SIX: What I learned At University Besides How To Spin a Cafeteria Tray... (Part II)

...Continued from yesterday's blog

Neurotransmitters tend to follow their own specific pathways in the CNS, and this fact links directly to Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Disease is the result of a degradation of the Dopamine system. The actual cause of this breakdown is not known, but the effect is that Dopamine production and nerve transmission along the "Dopaminergic" pathways - nerve pathways which use Dopamine to communicate - decrease. As Dopamine levels drop, the coordinated and well-organized neural system begins to malfunction. In the case of Parkinson's Disease, motor-control is compromised, leading to symptoms such as tremor, slow movement, muscle rigidity, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements and speech changes.

For me, personally, the "Aha!" moment came when I first heard the words "Parkinson's-like symptoms" in my university class... Compromised dopaminergic pathway → gradual loss of motor control → Parkinson's symptoms. I realized that I was studying EXACTLY the neural mechanisms underlying Parkinson's Disease. I began to understand what, at a neurological level, some of was happening for the gentleman I had been working with.

The not-so-good news is that treating a disease like Parkinson's is not a simple matter of a pill which kills a "bug". The problem is a loss of Dopamine resulting from deteriorating dopaminergic neural pathways; the nerve cells are dying and the pathways losing their ability to transmit information. As yet, there is no reliable way to rebuild a broken neural pathway. Medications can boost the amount of Dopamine, but if the pathway is not functioning, eventually even that no longer helps.

The good news is that researchers around the globe are working to better understand the causes of this disease in order to develop more effective treatments and, ultimately, preventative measures or even the ability to reverse the damage.

I hope this blog will be your "Aha!" moment, when you think of someone you know who has Parkinson's Disease, and you realize there IS something you can do to help: you can learn more about Parkinson's Disease, and you can contribute to Parkinson's research. I am personally grateful to Drs. Rajput (there are TWO of them - father and son). They have not only made a world-class contribution to the global understanding of Parkinson's Disease and other movement disorders, but they have also provided very kind and professional medical support to my mother who, as you know, also struggles with Parkinson's Disease.

Here are a few of the reasons I am asking you to financially support the Royal University Hospital Foundation:

1. There are people you know who have, or who will develop, Parkinson's Disease
2. This funding supports world-class researchers
3. I have completed my 10,000 Kettlebell swings (actually, I'm at 11200) 😀

Click Here to Donate

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DAY TWENTY-FIVE: What I learned At University Besides How To Spin a Cafeteria Tray... (Part I)

Sorry, Mom, if I hadn't told you about this... but one of the most impressive and lasting skills I learned at university was how to spin one of those fiberglass cafeteria trays on one finger, like a basketball. I also got reasonably good at foosball. And waterfights. And how to sneak a bit of milk onto the seat of a (white) cafeteria chair...

On a more practical note, though, by the third year of my psychology degree, I realized that I quite enjoyed the biological side of psychology. I began to concentrate on what we at the time called "Physiological Psychology." I became fascinated by the fact that our nervous system is not just random connections, like a wiring harness in your car, but much, MUCH more purposeful and organized. In fact, as I have learned through my professional career as a psychotherapist, it is precisely that very purposeful organization which enables animals to function.

I'm referring here to mammals and, especially, to primates. Developmentally, the animal's prenatal and early development results in the exponential growth of their central nervous system (CNS): a spinal cord with "a region of lateralized anterior cephalization" (a brain, with two distinct, but connected, sides).

Left to unfold without interruption/disruption, this CNS builds and organizes itself, increasing in complexity over time. A key element, however, is "without interruption/disruption". Disruptions during that neural development act like a large stone dropped into a moving stream - the water which was previously flowing straight is suddenly cut off and forced to flow around the disruption. Turbulence is the effect; disorganization, at least on the short term, is the result. In many cases, small disruptions are bypassed and the developing system simply reorganizes itself and continues its forward progress. The more severe the disruption, however, the more severe and lasting the impact on the developing CNS. An early disruption can result in a profound reorganization of the CNS which can be life-altering.

That is just at the front-end, during early (first few years') development. The second key element is "organization", which results from an orderly, uninterrupted development. Assuming that early CNS development is not disrupted, the CNS will be organized, efficient, adaptable and functional. A well-organized CNS allows a person to execute motor functions efficiently and to manage a variety of cognitive (thinking) and emotional (feelings) tasks.

So, what I learned about as I studied neuroanatomy and neural function was the critical importance of the CNS working in an organized, coordinated fashion. Information is transferred throughout the nervous system by chemical messengers (neurotransmitters). There are a number of these, but common ones include Acetylcholine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin, Dopamine, and GABA (gamma Aminobutyric Acid).

Continued in tomorrow's blog...

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DAY TWENTY-FOUR: He Never Forgot My Name

Strange as it may seem, I only recently connected two experiences from my younger days to the awareness aspect of our wellness challenge. The challenge is about increasing awareness of Parkinson's Disease. Now that I reflect on them, those experiences probably primed me with an awareness of neuro-degenerative diseases in general, and Parkinson's Disease in particular. Today's blog is about the first of those experiences.

So what happened? Well, the first experience came in the form of a part-time job which I did for several months one summer. An older friend of my parents approached me to see if I would consider being a night-attendant for her husband once a week on weekends. She explained that her husband had Parkinson's disease, and she briefly described the symptoms. My job would be to come to the house overnight and look after her husband for that night if he needed anything. There were a number of different people who came through the week, but, looking back, I realize that this lady essentially cared for her husband all the days during the week. The other attendants and I were basically spelling her off for the night so she could sleep.

I have very fond memories of that time, brief though it was. Every evening, she would have snacks for me, and books and magazines (she had been a teacher). And I became a good friend of instant coffee! I read about Parkinson's and as I got to know this gentleman, I caught a glimpse of the battle which was slowly advancing and stealing from this man and his wife. To that point in my life, if I had seen a person struggling with mobility issues, I just assumed that it also affected their mind. I felt uncomfortable and more or less avoided contact. The time I spent with this wonderful couple - her in the evenings and early mornings, and him periodically through the night - completely unraveled my assumption.

The gentleman experienced tremors and muscle weakness, and his speech had been affected. He could talk, but mostly just a word or two at a time, and it was sometimes difficult for me to understand. But I suddenly realized one night as he called for me that, even with all the different night attendants, he never forgot my name. Not once. Not ever. He was sharp as a tack.

Even though I didn't fully appreciate the experience at the time, I look back now and I realize that it was truly a gift given to me by this wonderful woman and her husband. I had the privilege of making life more comfortable for two people who needed my help. I will never forget that.

DAY TWENTY-THREE: How Dance Improves Wellness, and How Excellent Dancers Inspire

[Special treat today - another guest blog]

My dad knows I am a dancer, and challenged me to write about how dance improves wellness, and how being around excellent dancers inspires me.

Here's a short background about how I got into dancing in the first place. I've always loved being active, keeping fit, was obsessed with everything tropical and for years dreamt of going to the South Pacific some day. I was involved in school pep rallies, Christmas and Spring school productions, and my own class performances. I also attended many Zumba classes at our Recreation Center and danced to my Wii Zumba games. Fast forward to Summer 2016 when I moved to do a DTS with Island Breeze - that's when I learned the Hula and got a taste of South Pacific dances, which birthed my love of and passion for Polynesian dance.

So, how does dance improve one's wellness? Personally, I think it brings me lots of joy and makes me feel incredibly happy because I love it! It's also a great work out and makes me feel accomplished. The endorphins (feel-good hormones that you get after a good workout) I get from that paired with feeling accomplished motivates me to be more productive and get things done - and I'm more focused doing them. I also feel better about myself because I know I'm taking care of my body. Dance is also a great, healthy and fun way to express oneself. And for me it was a confidence booster, because I was so shy, but after getting so many chances to perform with the team in front of people, I'm not as afraid and now love performing!

My dad talks a lot in his posts about how being involved in a challenge with others can help you inspire others, be inspired yourself, encourage and keep each other accountable. I'm part of an amazing Island Breeze team that has the same principals when we dance and in practice: we encourage, are accountable to and inspire each other. My team inspires me because they all put so much energy, enthusiasm, hard work and effort into our practices despite whatever else might be going on. In our practices, they push themselves so they can get better and stronger which motivates me to do the same. So in essence, dance can improve one's wellness by increasing happiness, productivity, fitness, self-image and confidence (as it's done for me). All this creates a positive outlook on life. Happy dancing!!

- Kristi

DAY TWENTY-TWO: Oops! Almost Missed it!

The last two days have been really busy for me, so I nearly dropped the ball and missed posting the blog. Here's why...

I had a busy day at work, and an early evening meeting scheduled. I was a bit stressed about how to fit in my intended workout, as I was hoping to finish the last of my Kettlebell swings in that workout. I had to split the workouts around the meeting, doing one right after work, and the other after my meeting. I ran into some glitches, though. First, I forgot my phone at work, so had to dig out my old 2013 phone. Of course, it was dead (why I got the new one). So I tried the charger and it took a bunch of time to even start up. I eventually gave up on it and got my stopwatch out.

Did a few sets with the stopwatch, then the phone woke back up. So I switched to it, programmed a new workout, and off we went. Until the phone went dark a few rounds in, and... where was I at? Was that three more sets or four... DARN! House rule: If you forget your count, you have to go back to the last place you knew your count. Arrggghhh. Back to the stopwatch. So I think I did seven sets in the first round, but I couldn't be sure, so rather than eight sets for the second round, I had to set up for nine more. At that point, my meeting started, so I plugged the phone back in and left. At least the movie had worked.

When I got back a couple hours later, everything worked okay, but it seemed like a long round, because I'm pretty sure I did extras! Anyway, the movie was great, the swings got swung, and the countdown got closer. And then I was on the last set of 100. I was on auto-pilot by now. The final 20 came, then the last ten, and then... it was over!  10,000 Kettlebell swings in the book!

It would have been easy to pack it in for about five reasons yesterday. But I felt more persistent than usual for some reason. I think I was competing with myself to see if I could actually pull it off early.

I am pretty sure that the only reason I was able to do this was that I have grappled with the challenge FOUR times now. I have learned some things, as you will recall if you've been following along in the blog. At the end of the day, I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do the Kettlebell swings, and I am thankful for that. As I have often said, I am just an ordinary person, and if I can juggle work and life and a month-long wellness challenge, I'm sure you can. I still have three workout days scheduled, so I'm planning to keep going (but ramp down a bit!).

Tomorrow, for the blog, you will get to hear a dancer talking about wellness, and the challenge and inspiration of dance. I had scheduled it for today, just forgot to hit "publish"... better late than never.

DAY TWENTY-ONE: Milestone 3

Alright! February is zipping along and we are already three quarters of the way to the end of the February challenge! Think of it as the start of the fourth quarter. By this time in the "game" (or challenge) we should have a pretty good idea how we're doing. At the start of the fourth quarter, the game is not yet won or lost, but it should be pretty clear what is happening. By this point, the game's character will have been revealed and all will know if it's close, or if it isn't.

So, by now, you will know whether you are tracking along positively with your wellness targets, or if you're ahead or behind. If you're behind your target, the first thing I'd say is, "Hey! You had a wellness target - that's awesome! You wanted to improve something, and you thought it out enough to set a goal."

Goals are targets. That's it. They are what we are aiming for. When you don't have a goal, you are - literally - aimless. Without aim. If you're telling me you're in the third quarter and you're behind your target, I'm quite encouraged because I know you know where you want to get. Maybe this is the first time you've tried something like this. Expect to do better next time around. I hope you get a taste of the idea, "Maybe I could actually do this..."

My vision of this wellness challenge is that we first take the risk to try it once, and then we realize that we are capable of on-demand change; we begin to recognize that we can set a goal and strike out in that direction. By definition, motion in a direction (toward a goal) HAS TO move us closer to our goal. I wanted to propose a new word, "aimful", to represent our basic attitude of moving deliberately toward a goal. Unfortunately, someone beat me to it.*

I hope you have experienced the same kind of reorienting that I have experienced over the past four years. This February wellness challenge has become part of my life, and the wellness activities I enjoy** have expanded throughout the whole year. My wellness vision has been continuously expanding. I hope yours has too!


*earliest use found in Aaron Hill (1685–1750), writer and entrepreneur, according to the online Oxford Dictionary (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aimful).

**"enjoying" Kettlebell swings is a stretch...

DAY TWENTY: Positive Support System

[Special treat today - a guest blog]

I used to work out with a WOD (workout of the day) crew, but since my life altering concussion, I've had to do solo workouts. It's been a lot harder to motivate myself to exercise without friends pushing alongside me. It was always great to see friendly faces and hear words of encouragement as you push through your final set/rep. It was also fun to raz those who were sticking their butts up in the air while planking 😏.

As much as I miss the WOD crew we do keep in touch. A few months back, some of us did a 30 day plank challenge "remotely" since we all live in different cities now. None of us had ever planked for 5 minutes and some of us were questioning if it were possible, but we were up for the challenge.  I'm happy to report, we successfully completed the challenge! It was great to hear positive encouragement along the way and to be able to celebrate our successes 😎. 

I now have a different support system. I'm now on my fourth monthly challenge with a friend six hours away from me. It's proven to be more successful than me trying them on my own. We agree to a challenge and text daily to hold ourselves accountable. The support is especially welcomed on harder days where we are sore, busy, or having difficulty completing the daily challenge. It's also been a great way to keep in touch 😎.

Other people in my support system include my daughter (who is currently doing a handstand challenge this month) and work colleagues who are trying to lose weight. It's been great having someone join me for walks out in the cold, to share tips with, and to motivate me to continue my journey to a healthier me. 

The annual Feb challenge is also a positive support system. I look forward to participating each year and reading the daily blogs. I especially enjoy hearing about Marilyn's progress as well as others.

Continue to build a "healthier you" positive support system. It makes life much more enjoyable and fun. There can never be enough positivity in your life. We're into the final 10 days of the challenge.....keep up the great work everyone! The finish line is almost there!

- Rebecca

DAY NINETEEN: How To Motivate Yourself, or The Premack Principle

This may be very difficult to imagine, but there are times when exercise or other good-for-your-wellness ideas are not, strictly speaking, enjoyable. It is true that you can actually come to enjoy those activities, although I don’t think I could guarantee that physical exercise, for example, is always fun. It is exertion, and exertion is work, and work is… well, WORK. It requires effort, and most of us would probably avoid effort if we could get away with it. Well, that is an assumption, but I think it's a fairly safe assumption.

So here’s a question that I have faced many times, and I am sure others have experienced it: how do I motivate myself to do a workout [or other wellness activity] that requires effort? Unless we have amazing self-discipline, we may find that self-motivation difficult. That is where the Premack Principle comes in.

Named after Psychology professor, David Premack, “The Premack Principle” basically says that you will be more likely to engage in a less-desirable activity (e.g. a physical workout) IF doing that activity means you will get something else that you really want (a reward). Put another way, if getting the reward is contingent (dependent) upon doing the workout, you are more likely to do the workout. Anyone who has fed a smallish child ought to recognize it now… “of course you can have some dessert, just as soon as you finish your vegetables.” The high-reward item (dessert) increases the likelihood of the child engaging in the less-desirable activity (eating the vegetables).

Does this always work? Nope. Is it a sure-fire thing? Not a chance. But the important part is that it increases the likelihood that the child will do the less-desirable behavior. And let’s be honest, we as adults are not much different. If we could dodge the less-desirable things and go straight to the dessert all the time, who wouldn’t? I have observed that many of us want to be different, but few of us want to change. We may wish we were skilled at a sport, or that we were chiseled and buff like a body-builder. How willing are we to put in the time and concerted effort to develop the required skill(s), or to build and tune our physique? I think this is what we refer to as "wishful thinking." Our thinking is full of wish and empty of effort.

I'm going to take a wee liberty here (apologies to the pure behaviourists reading this). The Premack Principle would suggest that, IF we want to motivate ourselves to do activities like exercise or other tasks which we know are good for us (yet which are difficult or unpleasant to do), THEN we need to find something rewarding and only let ourselves have it when we have completed the task. If we can be disciplined enough to apply the Premack Principle to our own wellness activities, we WILL increase the likelihood of engaging in that good-for-us-but-not-so-fun activity, even though we know it is good for us.

Behavioural science is on your side here.

DAY EIGHTEEN: Sled Dogs

It's Family Day, and a much-needed long weekend! Our winter carnival is on, and we have had some great weather (for February in Northwestern Ontario). I watched two sled dogs taking people for rides, and I was impressed when I got up close enough to see them - because the dogs weren't nearly as big as I had expected. They all looked about average size - I guess maybe 50-60 pounds. As they approached the loading area and were called to a stop, each musher threw a great big hook down into the snow and stomped it in. The sled stopped and the passengers started getting out. And the dogs lay down quietly and took a rest.

NOT! In fact, not even close. When the sled stopped, the lines stayed tight as the dogs jumped, yipped, barked and tugged on their harnesses. One of them was doing a sort of wheelie with his front paws up in the air and his back legs digging as if he was trying to unstick the sled. Another kept yanking forward, which sort of tossed him up in the air a bit, and I thought he was going to get completely fouled in his lines. Nope. And the musher didn't pay the dogs' behaviour any attention.

When the new passengers were loaded, the lead musher signaled, the hooks were pulled up, and off rocketed the two teams and their passengers. And the jumping, yipping, barking stopped. Within seconds, the dogs were doing a fast trot which looked both energetic and relaxed at the same time. Comfortable. They seemed totally content. These dogs were made to pull sleds, and they appeared to be completely loving it. I am, of course, making an assumption here, but I have taken our grand-dog for walks (he is about 85 pounds, and LOVES to pull).

Even though this is (IMHO) a cool story, a few elements also apply to us. For starters, it's easier to put our weight into something when we are passionate about it. It may be anthropomorphic to call a dog passionate, but I would swear those dogs were passionate about pulling their respective sleds. They also worked as a team. Sorry, Internet - I've never heard of a team of cats doing anything...

Clearly, there had been training and preparation for the dogs to be able to complete this task. Training, preparation, discipline, instruction, guidance, coaching, hardship - these all play a part in performance training. It is precisely with these factors that we as humans often struggle. I have said it before, but discipline is almost never enjoyable. In fact, it is sometimes painful. However, accepting and even embracing discipline enables us improve across many facets of our lives. One of the key areas of improvement is our actual performance; discipline teaches to us perform better. I would challenge all of us to think about what we can learn from sled dogs. They seem to thrive when they are harnessed in and working as a team to pull their sled.

In our February challenge, I hope we can be inspired by inspiring examples wherever we see them. Whatever you are tackling to boost your wellness, tackle it like a sled dog: work with others, pull hard, listen to your trainer, allow yourself to get restless (once in a while), and take tremendous pride in what you accomplish!

DAY SEVENTEEN: And Now For Something Completely Different...

[I wrote this yesterday for today’s blog]

I’m sitting here out on the lake ice fishing. I thought I’d try an experiment for the blog today. I brought my Bluetooth keyboard to seeing if I could do the blog from the ice shack. We’re sitting here out on the lake next to two small islands, on top of three feet of ice and twenty-some feet of water. Proof of concept!!

It’s a beautiful sunny day. You can feel the sun's warmth (well, not like you can in, say, Hawaii). There is no wind and the temperature is -20C. I could be at home doing Kettlebell swings, but, for the sake of my own wellness, I went fishing first. Never put off ice fishing when opportunity knocks, I say.

In one way, today's blog is just something completely different: writing the blog while ice fishing. But in another way, it may not be so different after all. I think I could make the case that today's little ice fishing adventure seriously improves my mental health - ergo, my overall wellness [this challenge is all about wellness, just to restate the obvious]. I should mention that we are sitting here in a homemade ice shack with the wood stove on and we actually just cracked the door a bit because it was getting too warm. Oh, the travails of ice fishing...

As I said, it’s a great day for investing some time in wellness. I realize that is not always possible, for a variety of reasons, so, when you have the chance, seize the carp. I mean carpe diem - seize the day.

The second half of our wellness challenge is well under way now, and I hope you feel like you are on top of things. Have a great day tomorrow. Where I live, it is the Family Day long weekend, so enjoy yourselves! Keep up the good work. Gotta go - there’s fish showing on the sonar...

Sent from my iPhone

DAY SIXTEEN: What I've Learned...

The first time I tried the Kettlebell challenge, one of the biggest difficulties (aside from sore hamstrings) was counting. I kept getting lost, and the house rule is if you lose count, you have to go back to the last place you remember being... ouch!

A year or two ago, I got roped into a burpee challenge, and that - ask anyone - is simply unpleasant. I kept having to stop to catch my breath, which seemed like cheating. Somewhere in my travels, though, I came across an article that talked about Tabata, which combines a 20-second burst of very high-intensity exercise with a 10-second recovery interval - repeated 8 times. I realized that the brief recovery window actually allows you to maintain those high-output bursts for at least several minutes (four minutes is often the Tabata round). This is often referred to as HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training. What a great name!

Also, a few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of "dropsets", which involve weights and resistance. I believe the "pure" format involves starting with a reasonably heavy weight, and doing the specific exercise to the point of muscle failure (i.e., you can't do any more). At that point, without really taking a break, you use a slightly lower weight and continue the exercise again to the point of muscle failure, at which point you go down to a yet lighter weight and continue the exercise again to the point of muscle failure.

All of this got me thinking...

Here is the problem I had been trying to solve: how can I do a fairly rigorous workout which also involves a lot of repetitions (and, a BONUS would be that I can keep track of the numbers fairly easily).

So... what if I applied a variation of HIIT and dropsets to my Kettlebell workout? Sounds crazy enough, it just might work. So I tried it. And it seems to work! Here's what it looks like:

A "round" is five minutes long, and has 100 kettlebell swings (proper form, of course - not using lower back to lift). The first set of 20 swings I use my heaviest kettlebell. Then I move to the next-heaviest kettlebell for two more sets of 20. Finally, I move to the next-heaviest kettlebell, and do another two sets of 20. Whatever is left of my five minutes is my recovery interval. When the timer beeps, the round is over and it's on to the next round. That makes for 100 swings per round, so the math is easy. It is also pretty high-intensity, so the recovery break is necessary. This is neither pure dropsets nor pure Tabata, but it is a hybrid which respects both intensity and recovery - well, it also respects the fact that I'm not 25 any more!

What is important here is not so much my numbers as the process. I've done this (February challenge) three times now. I should think I would have learned a few things about myself... And I have learned a lot about my own personal limits and about incorporating activity into my lifestyle. I've learned how to assimilate information about exercise principles. And I've learned how to come up with a workout plan that is both doable and challenging.

None of this is because I'm some kind of know-it-all exercise expert. I would more likely see myself as a pretty ordinary person who has been inspired by the examples of other ordinary people. And the pivotal decision that I made - and which I believe anyone can make - was to shift from being a spectator to a participant. If I can do that, anyone can.

That is what I have learned.

DAY FIFTEEN: What Keeps You Going?

Hey, everyone! It's been a busy two weeks so far. I can hardly believe February is half over.

I hope you are feeling good about your wellness efforts so far. If you're taking part, you should be proud of yourself already. I'm not a big fan of the participation ribbon idea, but I am a HUGE fan of recognizing and affirming effort. So I'll be the first one to say thanks for your hard work. Whatever wellness goal we are working toward, I believe the effort we invest results in growth.

In my view, making an effort (or trying hard, or pushing yourself - call it what you will) changes us on the inside. It shifts the source of our motivation from outside ourselves, to inside ourselves. Making an effort and seeing results, teaches us "a thing or two" about who we are. My vision for us is that we become people who are motivated from within.

To illustrate this, consider the opposite: external rewards only work as long as they are available. For example, if we like to be recognized, and that recognition makes us feel so good, and it motivates us to try harder... what happens when people don't stop to recognize our effort. If that would cause us to lose motivation and maybe quit, then our motivation was external. I'm not saying all external motivation is bad, but I am saying it will not sustain us.

The challenge here is to consciously, deliberately develop internal motivators - thoughts, feelings, beliefs inside of us - which are much more within our control. Spoiler Alert: internal motivators are usually not shiny and glitzy and eye-catching (interestingly, all of these things are like a parade, and you know how I feel about parades...). Internal motivators are often plain and simple and unassuming. Perhaps we don't notice them because they don't jump in our face. I suspect they quietly accumulate over time if we let them, so our internal motivators can become stronger with time. But they aren't fancy; they are functional. They are thoughts like, "I am going to finish this set (of exercises, for example)." "I finished that task the other day - I can do it again." They highlight for us our achievements, and bring them into view. They are the raw data that simply points out that if I completed a project (a workout, a wellness objective) once, I can probably do it again.

If I'm honest, I can't finish this blog without saying that there are a few external things which can motivate me, at times. For example, a bit of competition will often do it. Or trash-talking from someone who has earned my respect... [Dave...]

I challenge you to build your portfolio of motivation. The more you can develop your own internal motivators, the less you will need to rely on the external ones. That will make you more self-directed. It will put you in a better position boost your wellness, and boost your accomplishments. Go for it!

DAY FOURTEEN: Milestone 2.

It's Half-Time! I was going to go with a Valentine's Day theme, but I decided instead to mark the occasion as Half-Time in the challenge, which it is. At any rate, we are half-way through February already, and if you live in Ontario like me, you have experienced your share of cold and snowy weather this month. I'm not complaining, but, rather, stating a fact.

Here's my "spin" on that fact. February is half-over, meaning we have made it half-way through one of the (usually) coldest and wintriest months of the year, at least in Canada. So having half of that in the rear view mirror is awesome, I say. My experience over the past four challenges is that February literally ZOOMS by and then, as quoth Shakespeare, "...is heard no more..." We go straight into March and then before you know it, Spring has sprung!

My suggestion for today is that you head to the figurative locker room, regroup for your challenge activities, get some refreshment, and enjoy a few moments to unwind a bit. Of course, since it's Valentine's day, be sure to celebrate the day in a special way.

Here is your final half-time coaching message:

• stay hydrated
• stick to your game plan
• do your best
• keep pushing your bar higher
• keep doing what is working
• make adjustments if you need to (stop doing what's not working)
• encourage a friend to do something to improve their wellness
• get out there and have a great second half!

DAY THIRTEEN: Three-Minute Warning

In CFL Football, there is a Three-Minute Warning, given (not surprisingly) three minutes before the end of the first and second halves of the game. That warning simply defines a relatively small, but not insignificant interval within each half of the game. During the first 27 minutes, you execute your game plan, responding to challenges and pressing any advantages you discover. That is the normal flow of the game.

When the Three-Minute Warning is given, though, you enter a defined zone. Teams in professional sports practice various three-minute scenarios, such as defending or retaking a lead. You play differently once the Three-Minute Warning has been given, because the half (or the game) is nearly over. It is now GO-TIME. Do-or-die time. You want to finish well.

At the risk of going overboard with my analogy, I draw this comparison. DAY THIRTEEN of our challenge is essentially a Three-Minute Warning. It is a short, focused opportunity to assess how we're doing. Are we on-track with our wellness goals so far? Have we "played" a good first half? The game (challenge) is not over yet, but it's always better to head to into half-time knowing we have made the best effort we could. Try to finish well.

Tomorrow marks the half-way point of our 2019 February Challenge. It's going to be half-time! I hope you have pushed yourself, and that you have seen some stretching and growth. I hope you have had some challenges to overcome, and that you made a solid effort to overcome them. If you made that effort, I am proud of you, and I think you should be proud of yourself as well. If, when you think of your first half, you realize your effort wasn't where you wanted it to be... I would say that realizing that fact allows you to now make a different choice. Use the Three-Minute Warning to learn from your earlier successes and failures, go out there, and DO YOUR BEST!

DAY TWELVE: Need Some Inspiration?

Yesterday, I needed a bit of inspiration. The best kind - you know, the kind where someone else inspires you by their enthusiasm or performance. When I need a jolt of enthusiasm, I like to talk to my two nieces.

I have to listen fast, because they usually talk fast, but I'll tell you -  they are ENTHUSIASTIC. I learn about school, swimming, skiing, snow day, the budgie, the coach bus one of them got to ride on, their friends, how their February challenge is going. We usually exchange a bit of trash-talk, or at least some teasing. And after I get off the call, I feel inspired to keep on going myself.

Each of us have a few sources of inspiration that are probably within easy reach. But sometimes, we have to actually reach out and make contact with those who inspire us. That is today's challenge: don't wait - take the initiative to inspire yourself.

On one level, this might seem a bit simplistic. I would argue, though, that if we simply wait passively for inspiration to land in our lap, we might not be standing on that exact spot where the inspiration lightning strikes. My point is that we need to take an active role in seeking out inspiration.

Active role - good; passive role - not good.  Active - yes; passive - no.

If you find yourself short on inspiration, running low on enthusiasm, down to fumes in your motivation tank... GO AFTER IT YOURSELF! Talk to someone who is enthusiastic. Watch an expert do their thing. If you can, surround yourself with people who strive for excellence. It rubs off, AND (IMHO) it challenges you to raise your own bar of performance. You will try harder and perform better as you learn from these people about effort, performance, and motivation. I can't promise that you will always be more successful, or that you will accomplish every goal you set. But I am quite confident that enthusiasm is infectious, and observing somebody exerting a good effort is inspiring. And when we are inspired, we take our game to a whole new level.

Nearing the mid-point of our February challenge, do you need a bit of inspiration? I think you know what to do. Take the initiative. Look around yourself. Find the people who make an effort. Watch an expert at work. Let their enthusiasm rub off on you.

DAY ELEVEN: Not Feelin' It

Wow! It's been a busy month so far. I realize we're only eleven days into the challenge (more than a third of the way), but it feels like it's been longer than that. I interpret this to mean that my challenge activities have filled up what I usually use as down-time. And of course there's always the old line, "Time flies when you're having fun."

Except I'm not sure it's all that fun. This is usually the point in the challenge were the fun has worn off and you have to rely on something else to motivate you. I'll just be honest and say that I'm not feelin' it. The shine has faded. The "New Car Smell" is gone. The hard work is making me tired. I'm  missing out on some things. Time for a pity party, I guess.

NOT.

Let's just normalize this. It is completely normal to run out of enthusiasm by this point in a month-long wellness challenge. Expect it. In fact, that may have happened a week ago! It should not be a surprise, because making an improvement - any improvement - is, by definition, a change. Change, for creatures of habit such as ourselves, is difficult.

What separates those who can pull it off from those who give up is something that psychologist Angela Duckworth has identified as grit - "perseverance and passion for long-term goals."  Duckworth and colleagues came to the controversial conclusion that the trait of grit was an even better predictor of success than IQ.¹

I seriously encourage you to read some of Duckworth's work. Her thinking on this topic is both challenging and motivating. And if you haven't figured it out by now, I'll just tell you: I am super-intrigued by how to challenge and motivate people.

It's a safe bet that there will be more on the idea of "grit" in later blog posts. For now, though, I'll sign off with a final challenge: invest six minutes and eight seconds in learning about grit from a TED Talk given by Angela Duckworth back in 2013.

View the TED Talks video (I included the URL below in case this link does not work automatically)

Reference:
¹ Duckworth, A.L.; Peterson, C.; Matthews, M.D.; Kelly, D.R. (June 2007). "Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 92 (6): 1087–1101. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087. PMID 17547490.


URL for TED Talks video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en#t-81188

DAY TEN: Perturbed? Part 2

Today's blog picks up where yesterday's left off.

Remember, perturbations are external influences which cause a moving object, such as a person, to deviate from its normal path. Walking, for example, is actually a fairly complex motor task. It involves standing and balancing yourself, leaning yourself off-balance, moving a leg and foot under your new center of gravity, and then regaining your balance. Try it and see for yourself.

Walking is a motor skill generally learned in the first year or two of life. As long as the motor control and balance centers of the brain operate normally, you are able to walk efficiently. If you think about walking, and why that might be difficult for a person with Parkinson's disease, think about it this way. Walking is generally straightforward process for well-bodied persons, even with the odd slippery floor, or sudden change of course to avoid something (those would be perturbations, by the way). For a person with Parkinson's disease, though, the walking itself begins to require more and more concentration, and any distraction or non-walking-related thought can result in motor errors which can easily accumulate, overwhelm balance, and result in a fall.

Getting back to the research on physical activity and motor control in people with Parkinson's Disease... I kept encountering the term perturbation in the literature. A variety of researchers study the impact of perturbations on things like a person's balance. Sports medicine researchers, for example, might measure a person's ability to maintain balance on a wobble-board, for example, or a roller table. This research is relevant to both performance training and rehabilitation from body or limb injuries which impact standing and walking.

Neuroscientists, study whether people with neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson's who have already lost some balance or motor control can regain some of that function through perturbation-based treatments. As an example, they might investigate whether balance and walking speed can be improved by practicing walking in a setup which has mild perturbations built into it. The quick scan that I have done so far indicates that some types of perturbation treatments can improve motor function to a degree in people with Parkinson's disease. The effect is diminished, though, if the person not able to concentrate fully on that specific activity. Think of the person walking across a room to get something. The phone on the other side of the room rings. Suddenly, their focus on walking is now split - "Do I stop, turn around, and go back to get the phone?" "Will I be able to get there before is stops ringing?" That does not even consider the related thoughts about who it might be on the phone, what they want, or, "Where did I leave the phone?"

Parkinson's disease results from the deterioration of specific neural pathways in the brain which carry information that governs motor control - how you move your body. Scientists continue to learn about what causes these sorts of degenerative diseases, but the answers are not all in. Treatment can slow down the onset of symptoms, but cannot yet cure this.

As we have done from the beginning of our wellness project, we encourage you to support research into Parkinson's disease by making a donation to fund Parkinson's research.  Click here or visit our "How to Donate" page to see how you can donate to the Royal University Hospital Foundation fund.

DAY NINE: Perturbed? Part 1

What?

What kind of question is that?

Until one sunny day in university biology class, the only time I remember even hearing that word was in a cartoon, and I got the idea (from the "perturbed" character's angry facial expression) that it meant being upset. What has this got to do with anything here, you may ask?  Fair question.

I was trying to find some current developments in Parkinson's research for the blog (still working on that). Specifically, I was looking into research on impacts of physical activity and exercise on motor control in individuals with Parkinson's disease, or PD, as the literature represents it. Among other interesting things, I encountered the terms "perturbations", "perturbation training" and "repeated perturbation training (RPT) therapies". It took me back to the "cyclic perturbations" referenced in my biology class...

Okay, so big deal about biology class. However, what I discovered was that one definition of perturbed lies in the direction of being anxious or upset. It was the other definition which finally rang a bell for me: "a deviation of a system, moving object, or process from its regular or normal state or path, caused by an outside influence." [from the Oxford Living Dictionaries Online].

Imagine you are standing in a smallish boat (I hope it's not a canoe - bad idea). Another boat passes nearby. The waves washing out from that boat hit your boat and, essentially, destabilize the deck you are standing on. It oscillates up and then down, the effect first increasing and then decreasing. That is a perturbation. And you have to react properly to it or you will lose your balance (and possibly go for a swim). Regular, rhythmic, patterned perturbations such as waves are fairly easy to adjust to and may actually cease to become perturbations and simply blend into the background on a choppy lake.

To really get the idea, think of riding off-road in an old bouncy truck (or zooming across a frozen lake on a snowmachine). You are constantly being jostled and pushed aggressively in multiple directions. Those pushes are perturbations. If you are not hanging onto something, you will almost certainly lose your balance and fall (or smack into something), most likely injuring yourself.

There's a lot of information to digest here, so I am going to continue in tomorrow's blog. I would challenge you, though, to think about how much of your day is spent performing complex motor functions - walking, skating, not falling on the ice, typing, playing a sport, climbing, carrying things, fixing things, playing an instrument, building things, and so forth. These are motor skills governed by extremely complex and interconnected neural pathways in our brain and central nervous system. I mention this because we almost don't even notice it. We take it for granted. Let's appreciate the motor abilities we have and become even more mindful of the precious gifts these abilities give us. And if I could ask for something, I would ask us all to reflect on how we might be able to support others whose motor abilities have been compromised, either through disease or injury. That is my request.

DAY EIGHT: Start Of The Second Quarter

If you follow sports, you will recognize the idea of the "quarters" of a game. North American football, for example, plays four quarters, with a half-time break after the second quarter. The start of the second quarter represents a check-in point where you can evaluate the situation in real-time. It's one thing to have a single great play, or, for that matter, a terrible play. Those plays do not define the game (usually), or even the quarter, because there is the whole rest of the game to consider.

The start of the second quarter is a brief moment when we typically change our vantage point (change sides) and can reflect briefly on how the first part of the game has gone. How well is our game plan working? Are we executing properly? Are there things we weren't prepared for? Do we need to make adjustments?

The start of the second quarter is not usually the time to panic if things are not going as intended ; it is time for initial judgments on our performance and initial decisions to stick with or change the game plan. At the start of the second quarter, there is time yet to fix things that aren't working as planned.

The start of the second quarter is where we find ourselves today in this year's February challenge. It's our opportunity to look back at week one and make any necessary adjustments. Or, if we're right on track, of course, we keep on charging ahead. At the start of the second quarter, we should expect to consider adjustments are required.

Clearly, though, all of this is simply an analogy. The reality is that we are working our way through a month-long wellness challenge, and that is not is something to be minimized. I'll just lay out my perspective clearly here: the worst-case scenario is one where a person does not engage in the challenge at all. Everything else is at least a small win.

Trying something new to improve your wellness is a WIN. Trying and failing is still a WIN, because you tried. Since we're only at the start of the second quarter here, it's too early to call the game anyway. If you are somehow feeling that you have pooched out or failed already, I'm just going to say that the game isn't over. In fact, the half isn't even over. You have time to make a few changes and try new things, or different things. What I don't want you to do is just sit on the bench and pout if you blew a play or had a mishap in the first quarter.

What I do want you to do is shorten your memory and look forward instead of backward. It's the start of the second quarter. Get out there and do what you have planned and prepared for, as best you can. The best-case scenario is that, when you finally look at the month of February in the rear-view mirror, you will see yourself having tried, and tried, and continued to try. My vision is that you will experience an entire month where you set a challenge before yourself and, on balance, engaged in an effort to complete it.

It's too soon to call the result, because the second quarter is only just starting. But be proud of your effort and keep it up. There are three quarters to go.

DAY SEVEN: Milestones: Milestone 1

"Are we there yet?"

What parent travelling with kids hasn't heard this before? Repeatedly.

I suggest that this question reflects a key aspect of human nature: we want to know where we are. We innately orient to our environment. We need to know what is happening around us. When we travel from one location to another, we need to know where we are in relation to where we are going. These days, technology takes the guesswork out of this spatial problem. In the old days, however (like the '90s), we used maps when travelling. In the really old days, stones were used to mark distances along travel routes so a traveler could determine their location and gauge their progress. These stones were called as milestones.

Let's draw on that concept of the milestone to illustrate how these progress markers can guide us along our wellness journey. To be effective, we need enough milestones that we don't get lost between them, or simply or abandon the journey altogether. We need short periods when we have left a known position and are navigating on our own - but they need to be relatively short. We need to see the next milestone in the distance, and to experience the reassurance that we are, in fact, on the right path.

When we have learned what to expect along the route, we can be more prepared. Using this travel analogy, we know at which milestone we can get food, lodging, fuel, etc. Alternately, we know at which milestone we need to take another path.

In our wellness journey and, in particular, in a month-long challenge like this one, we need regular milestones to help keep us on course. My suggestion for this year's challenge is that we initialize four Milestones to help us gauge our progress:

Milestone 1 - DAY 7. You have completed a quarter of the challenge

Milestone 2 - DAY 14. The half-way mark!

Milestone 3 - DAY 21. Three-quarters - the finish is in sight

Milestone 4 - DAY 28. DONE! Time to celebrate

Congratulations. You're at Milestone 1. You have made it a quarter of the way.  Great work!

DAY SIX: Day of Reckoning

I reckon we need to reckon our performance every so often. That was cheesy, I know, but I like a little word play now and again. And I stand by what I said. Translated, I mean that I think we need to evaluate how we're doing periodically.

Today is as good a day as any to do that. Personally, I have a graph which has two lines. The first line shows a roughly straight line from 0 KB swings on Day 1 to 10,000 KB swings on day 28 (I usually start off with a smaller number of reps, and then build it up). Line One represents my target numbers. Line Two shows my actual daily KB swings as I do them. A quick glance at the graph shows me how I'm doing relative to my goal.

Reckoning. Counting. Calculating. Seeing how we're doing. Without this, we are flying blind in terms of whether or not we are on track to reach our goal. By contrast, I can see immediately from my graph if I'm on-trend, behind, or ahead. I can "reckon" how I'm doing.

You don't have to create some elaborate scheme to do this. If you can operate a pen and paper, you have the basics. The whole point is to be able to "reckon" whether you are where you planned to be (or not) at any given point in time. From there, you can make adjustments as needed. Small, frequent course corrections are easier to manage than large, drastic ones. For example, if I just realized on DAY 21 that I was at 1350 KB swings, it may be too late for me to complete the remaining 8650 KB swings in the remaining nine days to salvage my goal. So, I owe it to myself to know as quickly as possible if I am off my intended track. If you have ever traveled by air, you will appreciate small, frequent (AKA, "smooth") course corrections instead of large, drastic ones.

Typically, the connotation of "a day of reckoning" is bad; we have fallen short of expectations and this will be clearly pointed out, often in public...  That is an unfortunate image, and it is a scenario to be avoided if possible. I would argue, though, that a day of reckoning is actually something to be welcomed. In fact, we should probably have more of them, in order to: a) get used to the idea of being evaluated, and b) stay true to our intended plan.

This presupposes that we actually have a plan. If not, we will struggle to know whether we are succeeding or not. I am pretty confident that investing effort into a project without a plan is a waste of effort, yielding only sporadic and non-reproducible success at best.

For now, embrace days of reckoning. Use them to your advantage!

DAY FIVE: Enter The Excuse

[Caution : This post adopts a tougher tone than usual.  Read only if you can tolerate being spoken to directly.]

It's DAY FIVE.  Have you heard the excuses yet?


"I don't feel like it."

"I'm sick."  (well, this one could be legit...)

"I don't have time today."

"My gym clothes are in the wash."

"It's too cold out."

"It's too hot out."

"I have to get groceries."

"I can't find my shoe."


Let's be up-front about it; if you are trying to get more physically fit, or are starting a new wellness habit, you will be your own worst enemy. Yeah - I'm talkin' to YOU! Well, and ME!

YOU, and I, have to find a way to overcome whatever our normal routines and habits are if we are going to make any positive changes. This process will definitely interfere with how we currently do life, and so I'm going to be that guy - that guy that just says, "Deal with it." To quote one of my buddies, "How do you like me so far?"

No apologies for that. Today's blog is about dealing with the reality that we can throw an almost infinite number of smokescreens in the way of our own progress. But how often do we actually admit it? If you're like me, the answer is probably "Not very often." It's easier to let an excuse influence our decision-making, and sway us OUT OF doing our challenge activity. I'm not taking about valid reasons here, such as a legitimate physical illness, condition, or injury. Or an unplanned event which barges into our planned schedule. Those things happen, and I'm not going to be that guy (the other that guy) who exercise-shames. I have no use for that. I applaud anyone who tries to better themselves. Truth be told, I am more interested in the effort a person makes than in their actual results.

What I am trying to put in the cross-hairs today are those excuses which interfere with our intentions. Intentions are great, but they're about as useful as an empty toothpaste tube. [Remember that visual image when you hear an excuse coming out of your mind...]. Unless we find ways to operationalize our intentions - to make them happen - they are just nice thoughts or words. Don't you just love it when you're around people who always make lots of promises that, somehow, just never get fulfilled. And there are probably lots of "reasons" (sarcasm intended) that make it all so unfortunate but understandable...

Classroom teaching sensitized me to excuses, because every time you ask students to do a task, you will hear many excuses for why it didn't happen. I used to roll my eyes and scoff and get all bent out of shape about it, but then I began to notice times when I would make excuses. Not my proudest moment. It's hard to be critical of someone for doing the same thing you do yourself, eh? And at the root of it all, I believe, is the idea that, somehow, if the excuse is good enough, I won't be responsible for my failure to achieve. It won't actually be a "failure".

I am trying to get better at detecting my own excuses, and then not allowing myself to hide behind them. I know people who have pretty good reasons for not doing things they committed to, and yet they still accomplish the task. That is inspiring. I'm not sure specifically why that is, but there is something admirable about a person whose word is solid and reliable.

So don't fall into the habit of making excuses for sub-optimal performance. Make a plan. Give the best effort you can muster. Expect the excuses to flood in as you try to accomplish your February challenge. But now that you know better, don't give in to them. Stay the course!


P.S. If you have (or have heard) a great excuse - email it to me.  If I get some good ones, I'll compile a list.

DAY FOUR: The Rest Of The Story

The late Paul Harvey was famous for his short radio segment known as The Rest of the Story. What I recall was the suspense I felt listening to each story, knowing that the ending would have some kind of twist.

Strange intro for a blog, perhaps, but there is a point. It is easy to lock into a particular view of things early in the game, so to speak, and then shut off our critical-thinking. I believe we often to this to our own detriment (realistic), if not to our own peril (dramatic).

I refer here to how we think about engaging in a wellness challenge such as this one. I don't know exactly how to best categorize it, so you'll notice that I don't make a big distinction between wellness and fitness when I refer to our 10,000 Kettlebell Challenge for Parkinsons. Regardless of the term(s) I use, though, I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking it's all about the activity: 10,000 Kettlebell swings; 20 pushups/day; spending more time outside; increasing our social contact; and so on...

The challenge today is mostly in relation to physical activity challenges. However, you can decide whether this applies to your situation if you are doing some other type of wellness challenge. Improving wellness comprises activities in at least seven different areas (physical wellness is just one), so there are LOTS of ways to boost your wellness. Regardless of you chosen activity, here is the challenge:

Rest. Take a break. Build occasional inactivity into your schedule, or maybe even a snooze! As far as what "rest" means, The Oxford English Dictionary has several definitions. The most common (and familiar) ones include the dual elements of stopping something you were doing and recovering or regaining strength. These elements are clearly connected; you intentionally stop the activity in order to recover.

Don't get so caught up in any wellness-improvement plan that you actually wear yourself out. It is critical that you stress your physical system in a strengthening regime, but equally important are the recovery periods in between periods of exertion. In fact, the strengthening effect takes place during those recovery periods. That, literally, is what the recovery is.

The message here is simple. Set goals for yourself. Take on challenges, and work hard. But don't forget to rest. You need it. So, to quote Paul Harvey, "...now you know the rest of the story."

DAY THREE: We're Into It Now!

I had planned to do up the post ahead of time like I usually do, and then schedule it to publish in the middle of the night. And then it warmed up and it got snowy. The super-cold deep freeze over most of Canada lifted a bit. When I saw that weekend temperature blast way up from -35C into the mid -20s, I knew it was time to go FISHING!

So that's exactly what I did. Saturday morning at 7:00am (-26C, FYI) I fired up the snowmachine, loaded up the gear and headed to the ice shack for the day with my oldest son. We had an awesome time, and found three cooperative pickerel who were willing to share their day with us (we'll enjoy them later).

Along with that warm weather, came the snow - a truckload of it. When I got back from fishing, I "got to" clear the driveway; twice - once last night and again this morning. That delayed blog-writing a bit, but didn't prevent it.

I'm trying to do more things that invest in wellness, and take on opportunities a bit more spontaneously. The upshot of that was that the DAY THREE blog will be a wee bit "fresher" today than usual, because I didn't write it ahead of time.

Someone looking for a silver lining would point out - "Hey! You're already warmed up for kettlebells!"

True. Not sure I'm thrilled about it, but it's true. I'm warmed up. I have a kettlebell window, and I think we're going fishing again this afternoon.  Better get at it if I'm going to get those KBs done.

Blog OUT.

DAY TWO: Feeling It...

I'm glad I started getting ready for the challenge before we got to February. I was able to do my DAY ONE workout as planned (well, almost as planned). The only ill effects I'm experiencing are that my legs feel tired. Last week, I was stiff. But that's to be expected as I don't usually swing kettlebells during the year, so I'm not accustomed to it.

The toughest part about yesterday's workout was getting my movie going. Who knew that older Wii
consoles stopped their Netflix support... on JANUARY 31ST - the very day our challenge started. So it took me half an hour to find a device that would hook up to the TV.

I suppose the optics of this are not perfect; it seems like I was more interested in my movie than the workout. Okay, true. I was looking for the distraction, because kettlebells can become a bit monotonous.

In the final analysis, though, does it really matter? Nope. I did my workout as scheduled and, to be honest, I enjoyed the movie. Nothing like a good shoot'em up when you're trying to distract yourself from tired limbs.

So, if you need some distraction for your workout here or there, go for it. Good that you're doing the workout! Keep up the good work.

DAY ONE: Welcome to Day One of our Fourth Annual Challenge!

If you're joining us for the challenge this year, congratulations! Over the month of February, we hope you will take your wellness to a new level. And not just by doing an activity for a month. The big idea, really, is that the experience will cement the idea of WELLNESS into your thinking - all the time.

So, your challenge needs to be at least a bit fun, and it should be a challenge that pushes you a bit out of your comfort zone. It should be difficult enough that, when you look back on it, you will be able to say you accomplished something.

I may have said this in the past, but I really believe we don't get our self-esteem from participation ribbons; we get self-esteem from accomplishments, from achieving something. Our mission should be to always be working to achieve something meaningful and which just exceeds our grasp, to paraphrase Robert Browning. So if I were to sum it up, it would go like this:

Accomplishment requires effort.

Effort requires motivation.

Motivation requires determination.

Determination is guided by attitude.

Attitude is a decision.


I hope that through this February challenge, your attitude will point toward taking your wellness more seriously. 27 days to go!