*Originally posted on FathersofMultiples.com I tend to exercise alone whenever possible. I don’t change everything I do so that I can be a part of the next great health fad. I’m someone who just likes to exercise and stay healthy. The result of this behavior? I’ve become a jack of all trades and a master of none in the realm of exercises. I know how to exercise – I just don’t know the details about certain things that it seems like every other person in the world knows how to do. They join in the fads, they know the lingo, they wear the gear. This makes wanting to workout solo a vicious cycle, you know, to avoid embarrassment. You can’t give up, though, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Keep that as your mantra as you venture out into the world of the slightly known as a regular guy trying to be healthy yet not joining in on every new health craze and fad. All of this is to say, I’m particular about how and when I workout and most of my workouts are, therefore, solo because who can really keep up with each and every new thing out there? Here’s what I DO know: Gyms I’m not a fan of the big gyms where the huge guys are parading around in tank tops and Jamz. See? Jamz. It may have been a long time since I participated in a gym membership, but seriously, these guys were wearing Jamz decades after everyone else. Then, there’s the old guys in the locker room. You know the ones. They’re undressed and don’t care. Plus, they have no concept of personal space. In a locker room with naked dudes, your personal bubble should be at an all-time high, yet these old guys are in your bubble…dangling, with not a care in the world. So, I put in a home gym and use it regularly. I also go to the gym at my work, which is usually empty unless there’s a crossfit class. Now, crossfit I like. If I’m doing the same silly movements everyone else is doing, fine. If, however, I’m squatting and thrusting, looking foolish, in front of someone on a treadmill, that’s a no-go for me. You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Biking First of all, it baffles me that your average Joe has to look like he’s sponsored in the Tour de France just to go on a bike ride these days with logos on their shorts, shirts, and helmets. Plus, they travel in packs always getting in the way of traffic, usually me in my car. That’s intimidating to want to join in on. I also…can’t really ride a bike. It’s sad and a bit pathetic, I know! I was learning as a kid, then my parents got a four-wheeler, and I never looked at the bike again. It didn’t help that I grew up in the country and didn’t have many places to ride except the streets. Years later, I taught my roommate how to swim in return for him teaching me to ride a bike. In my defense, if you can’t ride a bike? You walk. If you can’t swim? You could die! So, I became decent on a bike. I could go really fast…just couldn’t stop. I have the same problem on roller skates, even once taking a kid out who stopped in front of me. It wasn’t pretty, but I made sure I took the brunt of the fall. I was the one bleeding at the end of it, the kid skated away and said, “learn to skate, loser.” He may not have actually said that out loud, but that’s what I heard in my brain. It’s the same with bikes. I bought my wife and I matching bikes a few years ago and found that expression “it’s like riding a bike, it comes back to you” is a big fat lie. The level I’d gotten to on bikes before was completely gone. Every few feet, I’d tip over like a fainting goat. Meanwhile, she was a mile ahead of me wondering where I was. You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Hiking Again, you have to have the right gear. I carry my stuff to a campsite, and people say everything I have is for family camping, “not the kind of things you’d carry on a real hike”. It comes down to the weight of each and every single item. I asked a guy that I consider a regular guy what he does, if he has his pack scaled down to the lightest possible weight. He says, “no, I’ve only gotten my pack down to 21.2 pounds.” If your pack weight has a point anything after the main number, then the answer is “yes”. You are one of those guys. How much does my pack weigh? I don’t know, no idea. I’ve recently gotten promoted to the rank of Assistant Cubmaster, meaning no one else wanted the job, and I still don’t know my pack’s weight. I hike in running shoes. Trying to spot different types of trees on a hike the other day, I said to one of the other dads, “what type of tree is that?” pointing to a particular tree. He said, “a pine.” I know what a pine tree is, but there were no limbs anywhere near the ground. I looked up at the sky to see the pine needle covered limbs way up high…and felt stupid. Staring at the bark, Mr. Magoo-like, I said, “yes, I see that now.” You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Crossfit Do you want to almost die every time you work out? Crossfit is for you!. I incorrectly assumed it’d get easier over time. Alas, the instructor keeps making the class harder and harder to accommodate us as we “get better.” End result, still dying a little more and more each time. I often do the moves a little wrong, according to the instructor. Butt is too high, back is too arched, so on. When I finally get one right and am used as the example to follow, it’s super exciting. However, usually, I take a water break every once in a while. She says, “You can’t stop now. If I stopped for water in the middle of one of my timed workouts, I can’t imagine what my team would say.” Here’s the thing, though, I’m not stopping because I really want water. I’m stopping so that I don’t die. Drinking water just helps mask that need. You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Running I don’t like running. I believe the “runner’s high” is a myth. At least, it’s something I’ve never experienced. I’ve done the 5Ks and run a lot on my own, miles at a time. A friend of mine that does half marathons said, “If you’re running 4 miles at a time, you’re ready to do a half marathon.” I said, “Not if I’m dying at the end of the 4 miles!” I try to run in different places to get a variety and keep running interesting. However, people only jog on our sidewalks, and I feel like I’m being rude or showing off when I rush past them. My alternative is to run on the road. Unfortunately, I live in the country still, and the road near my house has very little shoulder. So, each time a car comes I have to switch sides. It ends up feeling much more like Frogger than running. Most of the time, I stay on the treadmill. “Real” runners seem to act like that’s more of a cheat version of running than “real” running though. You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Water Sports These are my go-to. Swimming. Kayaking. I love those. I grew up with a pool. There’s a kayak in my garage. These are things I know about. I’m good at those. Summer only lasts so long though. The one thing I’m good at isn’t available year round. When it is, though, I still don’t join in on the gear. Speedos? No thank you. So, what do you do when your sport leaves you for seven or so months? Hibernate? If you do that, you’re likely to look like a whale when you next go swimming. You can’t give up, you have to keep trying to stay healthy for yourself, your spouse, and your kids. No matter what you choose, you don’t have to know the ins and outs. You may get more bang for your buck if you’re using the correct form when exercising, but you will always be making progress to a healthier you just by trying. No one says you have to eat the best. Knowing the exact grams you should eat of each dish isn’t necessary. As long as you eat healthy and keep everything in moderation. You don’t have to dress in logos with a sponsor’s name across your butt. Bottom line, you don’t have to jump head first into each of the new health fads. You don’t have to be “that guy”. Just get out there, do what you like, and have fun at it. As long as you’re doing something, you’re being healthy. That effort will pay off, you’ll look and feel better. You’ll be more active with the family. Your life will be healthily extended! Trust me, your spouse, and your kids will thank you. And you will too.
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