Day 28: We Made It!

Congratulations! We have made it to the end of February. In case you hadn't noticed - especially if you hadn't noticed - this has been an excellent way to pass the month of February. February always seems to me like 28 repeated days of winter. They don't change much, but winter keeps dragging on and on... So, if nothing else, joining in this fitness challenge has had one spin-off benefit of keeping us occupied and making February speed up. Like, seriously, where did it go?

Many of the people I have spoken with have challenged themselves and accomplished their goals. Some didn't completely accomplish the goals, but they did more than they would have if they hadn't bothered at all. So, again, that's a "Win" in my books.

I also hope you have become more aware through this challenge of Parkinson's Disease, and of how exercise (including such things as weight-lifting, dancing, and even boxing) has a very positive impact on quality of life for people dealing with Parkinson's Disease.

I would LOVE to be able to say that activity and exercise could reverse the disease, and maybe one day we will be able to find ways to arrest and reverse neurodegenerative diseases. We're not there yet, but talented people, funded by ordinary people like us, are on the case. I am inspired by their dedication to the cause, and that is why I personally want to support research into Parkinson's Disease.

I am also inspired by people like my Mother who has been dealing with Parkinson's for nearly a decade. I know there is not yet a cure, and the disease itself cannot be reversed, but I can tell you that her simple decision a mere 14 months ago to join a fitness challenge, in a way which suited her abilities, has made a profound positive difference in her quality of life. Profound might not even capture it. She hasn't been recruited for the Canadian Olympic Sprint team, but as you may have read in her own story last week, she is feeling so much better. She has reclaimed a lot of ground which had been lost to inactivity and the accompanying process of seizing up.

Thanks, Mom, for your example.

Thanks, Dave and Kristi, for your enthusiasm.

Thanks, participants in the challenge, for your encouragement and support of the cause.

Thanks, Dr. Rajput (and Dr. Rajput), for your research and for your clinical support to all your Parkinson's patients.

Thanks, sponsors, for your financial support.

We'll see you back here next February. Mark it on your Calendar. And, if you'd like to stay in touch with us, sign up to follow us by email!


It's been fun.

Richard

Day 27: Finish Strong!

Good work, everyone! It's been a long four weeks, but in other ways it seems to have gone quickly. And, on the bright side, February is pretty much in the rear-view mirror! Living in Central Canada, putting February behind you means a lot - we're well on the way toward Spring.

If you think of the four week challenge in the same way as a race, the idea is to not come out so fast at the beginning that you run out of gas before you're done. Instead, you work at a good, steady pace and then finish strong. Even if you're not in a race, there's something compelling and very rewarding about finishing strong. The finish is your last memory of the event, and if that last memory is of a full-out, strong performance, you tend to look back on the event with well-earned satisfaction and pride.

I know that many of us don't see February 28th as the end of fitness activities, but, in my case (thankfully), it will probably be the end of Kettlebells for a good long time! Haha. I encourage you to keep challenging yourself with some new activity challenges, or new and bigger goals. Be sure to take a few days off to recover, and then reset your target and head off toward it. You will be able to tnjoy the lingering memory of a February well-spent if you finish strong!

Day 26: Counting Down. . . Three Days To Go

It's been a busy week and the kettlebells have been swinging. After the distant simultaneity the other day, Dave and I have managed to complete our 10,000 Kettlebells. I finished at about half-way through my usual workout yesterday, so I think I'll finish the rest off this afternoon and then do my last scheduled blast on Tuesday. That one is just icing on the cake.

This year, we haven't joined up with any official Burpee challenges (yet), but I really liked and disliked it as a workout. Two months of high-intensity workouts (during the dead of winter) kill the time and, when March is over, you're in great shape for the summer season.

I can hardly believe there are only three days left in this challenge. Getting started can be such a challenge in and of itself, but by week four, anyone who has been plugging along with their activities/workouts/etc., has probably noticed some real progress (adaptation). You are either faster, or stronger (or both), or you can do more in the same time, or do your activity for longer. It is the progress that really makes the difference. You are probably better at your activity. In all likelihood, you are moving closer to your potential physical health, and this improves your overall wellness (assuming you're not sliding in some other area).

According to the general concept of wellness, there are seven basic dimensions of wellness: physical, social, intellectual, occupational, emotional, environmental, and spiritual health. Getting closer to your potential in any of these seven components will improve your overall health (wellness).

As you get ready to wind down this February's "10,000 Kettlebells for Parkinson's" challenge, think about how you have been able to move closer to your maximum potential physical health. Becoming more active is a great start. It has probably laid the foundation for further improvements, such as sleep, nutrition. I also hope this challenge has increased your motivation to continue improving.

Day 25: Four Days To Go...

(Oops - forgot to hit Publish)

I hope you have been enjoying (in a manner of speaking) the fitness challenge this year. By this time, you are probably nearing your targets, or maybe you have even exceeded them. One of the things I have learned, looking back over the past year, is that the adrenaline and excitement (and sweat!) of a fitness challenge can get you pumped up.  When it's all over, though, you can feel a real sense of let-down. That may seem strange, especially if you were pushing yourself to do something fairly intense. You can have a mix of relief (that it's over) and something almost like disappointment (that it's over). It's strange.

What I have learned, though, is that we seem to go through cycles of activity, as opposed to a steady output. We are now into the final four days, so I'm still challenging you to finish strong, but I recommend that you plan to take a few days off when it's over, even if you don't feel you need it. My reasoning is to encourage you to get used to building recovery periods into your activity lifestyle. Do it in a planful way, so that you achieve your fitness goals, but you also take breaks which both your body and your mind need. You might even surprise yourself to discover (after a recovery period) that you want to get back at it.

If that happens, you will know you have achieved an active lifestyle where activity has become your default, and where rest/recovery periods actually stand out and may even feel a bit weird. I can remember being in training for a triathlon and I would get bent right out of shape if something unexpected interfered with a training workout. It had become my routine, and the disruption was very noticeable. [Don't worry - I got over it].

I'm starting to think about what comes next after this fitness challenge. Last year, we heard about a Burpee challenge and so went into that right after February. I didn't feel the "let-down" until the end of March, and then I really floundered around for a while trying to figure out what to do and feeling a bit guilty and very  aimless, almost like I was just wasting time. In retrospect, I think the break after kettlebells and then burpees was needed. NOW (older and wiser) I see the value of those workout breaks. They are much like summer-fallowing a field every so many years to let it recover and replenish itself.

You're almost finished. Stay tough and finish strong! Then take a break.