Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Mother Nature Fitness Incentive


Over the holidays, I was able to enjoy many invigorating times with my family and friends. I believe that fitness is everywhere and during my holiday vacation I lived it. One day we received a significant amount of snow. It took me about an hour to shovel. Then I went sledding with my kids for 2 hours. Next I decided to hike in the deep snow for an hour. At the end of the day, I added it up and realized I just got 4 hours of solid fitness activity in! The best part was that I was back to nature. 
Moving around outside is a real treat, even in the winter when we have a natural tendency to stay indoors. For me, if it's 25 degrees or above and the sun's shining, I'm outside. I take a page from my kids. They don't care how cold it is, they just want to go out and play! As adults we need to open our minds to this same sense of exploration and freedom.
The other activity I was able to experience with my kids on vacation was ice skating. This is something I have not done since I was 12 years old. We have a pond near our house which makes it great for them to learn. From my ankles to my core, I felt it the next day.
I begin the new year with my wife and 60 other people at a 10pm to midnight hot yoga practice. Believe it or not it was better than going out and drinking! The endorphins we received after that session were incredible. It was quite the experience and I plan on doing it next year as well!