Over the past 5 years, there has been a strong movement towards people accepting themselves regardless of how they look.  There has also been a lot of press regarding whether or not one can be "fit and fat."  As more and more studies are published in national newspapers indicating that just because a person is overweight, doesn't mean he has high blood pressure and cholesterol, this enables people who could stand to lose 20 or 30 pounds to think "that's me.  I don't have high blood pressure.  Therefore, even though I am a little bit overweight, I am fit.  I am healthy."

I don't think the number on the scale is the best indicator to how healthy someone is.  I think a physical measuring things like fasting glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol does a much better job.  However, I am afraid we are sending a message that if you are overweight, you are healthy.  This is not the case.  With healthcare costs rising at an alarming rate, and more and more people forced to choose between paying for health insurance and paying for other expenses of everyday living, I think it is important for the American population to do its part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and trying to avoid things like type 2 diabetes, blood pressure medication, Lipitor.  I also think it means avoiding things like joint issues.

A study published in Runner's World magazine about a year and a half again was hoping to dispel the myth that running ruins your knees.  It examined 593 runners and 423 non-runners over a 21 period.  The non-runners had a higher incidence of osteo-arthritis than the runners.  

It should be noted the runners averaged 60 minutes of running 5 days a week.  These weren't people that were doing exceptionally high mileage and they incorporated recovery days.  It should also be noted studies have repeatedly shown extra weight causes far more wear and tear on joints than anything else.  Carrying around even 20 extra pounds is hard on the knees, hips, and back.  

So, in my opinion, all of these studies published all over the country heralding being fit and fat are ignoring the side effects of the extra weight that aren't heart related.  Having knee surgery is expensive, for a number of reasons.  Not only the surgery, but the time off work for recovery, the amount of physical therapy that should be done to heal properly, and the time off work to go to the physical therapy appointments is quite an expense for the individual and the insurance company.  I am not suggesting we all take up running.  I am just encouraging people to look at the big picture before rationalizing the 15 pounds they have to lose.

There are very few things I like about swimming.  This is highly unfortunate since I am a triathlete and the three events in triathlons are swimming, biking, and running.  I think I would probably do much better in my age group if the events were biking, running, and movie watching.  Regardless, I love racing and I enjoy almost all of the training with the exception of the endless laps spent in the pool.

It starts with the locker room.  For some reason, locker rooms are a place where people get naked and stay naked.  I have never quite understood this.  It's great to be comfortable with your body, but the rest of us don't need to be comfortable with it, especially if you decide that being naked is the perfect time to teach your three year old how to tie her shoes.  

Next, of course, is the swimsuit.  Now, generally, if I am having a hard time motivating myself to run, I simply buy a new pair of running shoes.  I then get so excited to wear them, I go running right away, and it almost always feels like the best run ever.  Swimsuits do not elicit the same sense of elation.  In fact, I cannot think of a single person I know who gets excited about buying a swimsuit.  I never buy swimsuits in a store; instead, I order them online, and hope I guess the right number.  (Speedos do not come in traditional 4, 6, 8; instead they come in numbers like 37, 39, 41...  I am still not sure what size I wear).

And, speaking of speedos, they leave far too little to the imagination.  Men of all ages do not look good in them, not the 60 year old with the weathered skin in the lane next to me or the 30 year old with 4 percent body fat doing push ups on the pool deck.  I am not suggesting everyone switch to board shorts, but I do think the jammers are a little more flattering.

Then, there is the actual swimming part.  I know quite a few people who find swimming relaxing.  They tell me "it's a nice stretch."  These are either people who have been swimming all of their lives and have an efficient stroke, or people who do a modified breast stroke thing and never put their head in the water.  For someone like me, who didn't learn real stroke mechanics until I was in my early twenties, swimming is hard.  It's the one form of exercise where you can't assume the lady who is 8 months pregnant in the lane next to you will go slower than you.  In fact, due to her extra buoyancy, she will probably kick your ass during a 500 free.  Not only that, since there is no where to look while swimming other than down at the bottom of the pool or to the side while you are breathing, you will be able to count how many times she laps you during the 500.  This will result in irritation, especially when you stop and watch her swim.  During this time you will think to yourself "wow, she is moving quite slow."  This, of course, will make you wonder what others think of you.

Swimming is monotonous, there is no change of scenery, and, as previously stated, I am not very good at it.  However, I recently discovered that, while I may not be motivated to get in the pool because of a new swimsuit, I am quite fond of new goggles, particularly if they are red.  For some reason, I found the reddish tint they gave the world quite interesting.  For the 40 minutes I was in the pool that day, I felt I was escaping real life.  For the first time, I was able to tune out my surroundings and think about putting one arm in front of the other.  The world melted away, and the water became welcoming.  I often suggest to people when they are having a difficult time exercising, buy a new exercise outfit that you can only wear to the gym.  It's a great way to bribe yourself when you are hitting a mental wall, which we all do at one point or another.  Who would have thought my new outfit was disguised as red goggles?

In the summer, I live in the coldest, most expensive, prettiest place in California.  There are other places that are colder (Humboldt), places that are more expensive (Santa Barbara), and places that are arguably prettier (the Big Sur coastline, Napa Valley), but I can't think of a single place that manages to embrace all 3 like Monterey in July.  It is a place where, when one looks out to see the ocean, it is difficult to discern the gray color of the water from the low fog bank.  It is a place where the high for the day might not break 60 degrees.  And it is a place where I get depressed.

Most people get SAD during the cold, dreary days in the winter when the days are short and the sun doesn't shine.  For me, SAD usually sets in after the fifth day of fog, with temperatures hovering around 58 degrees.  I get bitter, sad; my usually happy self becomes weighed down like the fog hovering outside.  The solution to this, interestingly enough, is to get outside.  I have found if I sit around inside, or do my workouts at the gym, the depression deepens.  Being inside on these days is the worst thing I can do for myself.  It is necessary for me to go for a run or bike ride to break out of the funk that threatens to settle in.

Generally, the first 20 minutes, I am angry, irritated that I had to wear 3 layers of clothes just to stay warm.  Then, gradually, as my legs warm up and I start to sweat, my thoughts change.  I look around and notice the ocean and the trees.  I think about how I can ride for hours without hitting a stoplight, and there are plenty of hills.  Endorphins are a powerful thing.  If I am lucky, the thoughts fall away completely, and my mind is silent.  Until a tourist stops and asks me for directions.

Seriously, though, I have never quite understood "gym rats;" people who insist on doing their cardio workouts staring at a wall, not going anywhere.  I find the fresh air therapeutic, the ever changing scenery peaceful.  Exercise is for the mind as well as the body, something which is easy for us to forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Exercise is supposed to help you sleep better and reduce stress, probably in the reverse order.  I would assume because one is less stressed, he would be able to sleep better.  My theory towards it is if I physically exhaust myself, I won't have any energy to be stressed, and I will be so physically tired, I will be forced to sleep well.

This works about ninety percent of the time.  The other ten percent of the time, I feel like I have been cheated.  Falling asleep is never a problem; it's the waking up at 2:00AM and not being able to fall back asleep that I take issue with.

Dr. Youngstedt from the University of California, San Diego, points out there is little scientific evidence that exercise effects sleep levels in good sleepers; however, in people that suffer from insomnia, there is evidence to suggest moderate aerobic activity might help people with insomnia.  Another recent study at the Federal University of Sao Paulo at Brazil suggests moderate aerobic exercise, as opposed to heavy aerobic exercise and strength training, increases total sleep time as well as reduces anxiety.  

The Mayo Clinic is quick to point out that any form of exercise helps with stress reduction, including tai chi and walking, primarily because exercise releases endorphins and, as Reese Witherspoon points out in Legally Blond, "endorphins make you happy.  Happy people don't kill their husbands."  I have often wondered what would happen if all of the world leaders who are currently fighting other countries took up a jogging program.  It might be the solution to world peace.

The point is, exercise has many psychological benefits as well as physical.  In fact, the psychological benefits may very well outweigh the physical at the end of the day.  And hopefully, it leads to a good night's sleep.

According to Colorado State University, approximately 9500 elderly Americans die as a result of falling.  Falling can result in hip fractures, sprained ankles, low back pain, and can cause psychological trauma among people age 70 and older.  Falling is the result of a variety of factors, some of which can be prevented, such as lack of physical activity.  While we don't have control over things such as environmental factors, often the fall that results because one trips over something on the floor would be prevented if the person had better balance and coordination.  This comes not only from strong muscles, but from practicing balance in a controlled setting.  

Balance is something young people take for granted.  Standing on one leg is easy, and we can do it with our eyes closed.  An interesting thing happens when you ask a 65 year old man to stand on one leg.  He looks at you like you are crazy, lifts up a leg, and starts to wobble.  The response is always the same: "I didn't think that would be hard at all."  Because it's not practiced in our adult lives, we assume it will be as easy as it was when we were 16.  Like everything, our ability to balance decreases as we get older unless we work on it.

That's the bad news.  The good news is balance improves quickly if one starts practicing it regularly.  When incorporated into a fitness regimen, people generally notice their balance improving within 2 weeks.   Some experts suggest that if you are looking to achieve optimal fitness, you should be able to stand on one leg with your eyes closed for at least one minute each side.  If you are able to do this, your chances of falling decrease.  Your brain will be able to right your body if you trip over something.  Working on balance is possibly one of the easiest and most important things a person can do, yet for some reason, it's often ignored.  Maybe because working on balance doesn't make your body shape change or burn extra calories, people put it on the back burner.  However, as corny as it might sound, working on balance might someday save your life. 

Winter is chewing on my slipper.  "Nooooooo," I say, as annoyingly as possible, hoping to elicit some sort of response.  He looks at me, drops the slipper, and walks slowly over to the water bottle by the couch.

Before I have a chance to respond, the water bottle is in his mouth and he is across the room.  "Drop it," I say in my most stern voice which, to be perfectly honest, isn't that stern.

He looks at me again, knowing full well he is faster than I am.   I get up, prepared for the inevitable.  He gets ready.  As I start to walk towards him, he sprints with the water bottle down the hall.

Winter is a 2 year old pomapoo.  He weighs 11.6 pounds, and is generally fairly well behaved.  However, when we (my husband and I) aren't good owners, he acts out by chewing things.  We learned early on if we wanted to save our flip-flops, he needed to get out regularly.  

This particular day, we had just gotten back from a weekend trip.  I mistakenly thought Winter would be as tired as we were, and decided not to do anything with him after work.  It wasn't working out very well.

The rest of the evening was spent chasing him down the hall with various items that didn't belong to him (Uggs, socks, underwear...).  Eventually, it was time for bed and he reluctantly stopped trying to get us to chase him.

The next day, he and I went for an hour run.  The look on his face as he loped along next to me was priceless.  I know dogs don't show emotion in their faces, but his mouth was open wide and his tongue was hanging out as though he was grinning from ear to ear.  Once we got back, he drank some water and curled up in a ball to take a nap.

We all need to get out of the house and get some fresh ear to keep us sane.  It's easy to forget, and even easier to ignore, but it improves attitude and reduces stress.  It might even keep us from destroying things.

I went to a birthday party for a 1 year old this weekend.  There were children of all ages there, ranging from 12 months to 12 years.  What struck me about the whole experience was the adults hovered by the food, interested in eating and drinking, while the children played with each other.  The playing consisted of running up and down the stairs, playing hide and go seek, and what appeared to be some game involving a ball.  They didn't stop moving.  The older girls were heavier, and would probably be considered overweight, but that didn't stop them from participating; quite the contrary.  They seemed to be instigating some of the chasing games.  

According to a recent article in the LA Times, 1 in 3 children is considered overweight.  The thing is, kids want to move.  So why are our children getting heavier and heavier?  Is it because of diet?  Or is it because of external sources, such as TV, game boys, and computers?  If we take these away, kids will amuse themselves in a much more traditional mode of play.  

Not only are children getting heavier.  I think we have all seen newspaper articles suggesting diseases related to obesity may soon be the number one killer of adults.  Recent data from the CDC suggests 30% of all adults are considered obese.  Obese is defined as 30 pounds or more overweight.  What are we going to do?

The obvious answer is we need to start moving more and eating less.  Unfortunately, moving more is associated with work.  While I was watching the children play this weekend, I couldn't help but ponder the fact that as a child, movement is synonymous with play.  As we become teenagers, this starts to shift and we see movement as work.  It loses it's allure, and it becomes easier to find things to do sitting down that occupy our time.  We need to change our perspective a little bit so once again movement is the equivalent of playing, it's something that is freeing and feels good.   Maybe then we would be more likely to WANT to do it.  I can't help but notice how many people will find every reason possible not to exercise, when it should be something we look forward to.  We should celebrate the fact we can move and our bodies are healthy.  We need to find modes of exercise we enjoy so we can start to get healthier as a nation.