What is fitness?

I have a lot of windshield time as well as airplane time, and my mind being what it is I start thinking. On last week's trip home I asked myself, what is fitness? And what defines it?

I live an interesting life, every week I meet a handful of different people in different geographical areas that work in very diverse industries. Every week I end up dining with these folks and more often than not the conversation turns to diet & fitness. After all these years I still follow the 2:1 rule, which translates to, 2 ears and 1 mouth, so I use them in that proportion. My 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Cooley would be so proud.

Recent channel surf as I was on a hotel "Dreadmill"

It seems that between bites of their chicken fried steak and french fries that they want to talk about the latest fitness infomercial, eat this lose that, or lose that by eating this, and I listen. I listen as no one says "Hey, want to go with me to my gym this evening?" and I listen as they order desert.
Everyone has their own definition of fitness, is it how fast you can run a mile? Is it your cholesterol number? Is it maintaining your food macros? What defines fitness for you?

It comes down WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO! 

Not looking to insult the masses, but fitness isn't about infomercials, cd/dvd's, shakes or powders..... yes, those things might "help" but they're not the end all to be all. If those "Before & After" infomercials fuel your juices look then read this.

You have to decide that you've had enough, that you're tired of buying XXL, tired of using the extender belt when you fly or tired of the doctor entering your exam room with his head hung low.
Is it as simple as calories in vs. calories out? In a nutshell no, yes you will lose weight, but does that signify being physically fit?
I live in a house with someone who has single digit body-fat, (It's not me!) but since their diet consists of things that have never had a heartbeat does that means they're physically fit? Can they run a mile? Can they do 25 push-ups? However, if you ask them, they'd say they're healthy, and they probably are.

Check out James Carter in the video above. James is a blast to watch, he does things that makes my spine hurt, but if you saw a picture of James standing still you might not think he's the healthiest person around.

Next up, according to my wife is my Man-Crush, Rich Froning, 4 time winner of the Crossfit Games and a very fit dude. Rich nails the textbook definition fitness, seriously who wouldn't want that physique?

Finally we have Brian Shaw, 6'8" and weighing in at 415lbs, and by the way, 3 time winner of the World's Strongest Man competition. Chances are you won't see Brian on one of those early morning infomercials because "Beach Muscles" really aren't going to help you deadlift 880lbs.

 So, what exactly is fitness? I guess it's similar to beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder.

Been There

Worth The Watch

Life In The Healthy Lane

After two years in the making, Albert Lea Hy-Vee rolled out its Blue Zones checkout lane in January.

While most checkout lanes are stocked full of candy bars, gum and sweet treats attractive to children and adults, the Blue Zones lane features a variety of healthy snacks, including granola bars, carrots, dried fruits, string cheese and flavored water.

Hy-Vee dietitian Amy Pleimling said since the Blue Zones lane opened, the store has seen an average of a 42 percent increase on sales of items featured in the lane. READ MORE

I remember when my kids were small and still fit in a grocery cart I never knew what I actually purchased till I arrived home and unpacked the groceries. The reason Clepto #1 and then Clepto #2 would wait till Dads back was turned and then they would drop a candy bar or two (or three) on the "Motion" belt and Dad was never the wiser, until he unpacked the groceries - Where the hell did this candy bar come from? Cut to Clepto #1 smiling :)
The grocery store marketers know what they're doing, you're done shopping, you're in the checkout line, you're exhausted Little Johnny has flat worn you down - You just want to go HOME.....all of sudden you look to your left and it's a chocolate, potato chip, cookie cornucopia.....ahhhh time for the impulse buy! It works every time and it has for years the bad thing is that it sets a bad example for Little Johnny - shopping = food treats. Marketing's job is complete.
Enter Hy-Vee and the Blue Zone. Checkout lanes stocked with some healthy alternatives. Child friendly and for that matter adult friendly. the best part is that the Marketing Dept. can still smile "the store has seen an average of a 42 percent increase on sales of items featured in the lane." We'd all like to see a 42% increase on a featured item.
We, as the consumer, are still faced with the impulse buy and as we all know those "Healthy Nuts" are very high in calories so you can still be faced with weight gain, but if nothing else it does show us and our kids that there are alternatives if you just take a moment to think about it.

Germ-a-phobe?

The Seven Germiest Places

By April Daley

Using your local ATM is like sticking your hand in a public toilet, a recent British study finds.

Researchers from BioCote, an antibacterial product coating company, swabbed keypads on ATMs and the seats of nearby public restrooms. They found both contained bacteria that caused diarrhea and other illnesses—and the ATMs carried more bacteria than the toilets. Nasty.

Here are six other spots that are dirtier than you’d expect.

The Self Checkout at Your Supermarket

100 percent of the stands in supermarkets tested by germ expert, Chuck Gerbra, Ph.D. of the University of Arizona, had bacteria on them. More than 70 percent had coliform, commonly found in feces and aquatic environments.

Touch Screens

iPod, iPad, and tablet touch screens are covered with more contaminants than anything else tested, Dr. Gerba found. A simple solution: Spray a damp lint-free cloth with sanitizing spray made specifically for electronics—regular disinfectant products can damage your screen. Use a dry cloth to buff the screen until all fingerprints and smudge are gone. READ MORE

Enough to scare you? Me, not so much..I make sure that I participate in the normal hygiene routines - washing before meals, after certain normal body functions and I try not to put my fingers in my mouth much, my Mom helped me with that one when I was two years old. I've never really gotten into the hype of the germaphobes. I shake hands with people several times a day, I use public restrooms and water fountains without giving it a second thought. I sleep in hotels, drive rent-a-cars and fly on planes several times each week and I never really give it a second thought about the cleanliness of the things I touch...Now I'm not running my fingers across the dashboard of a rent-a-car and then rubbing my eyes but I generally don't go out of my way to avoid germy situations.

I see lots of people carrying those small bottles of hand sanitizer and for some reason those are the people that always seem to be getting sick. I have a theory about the hand sanitizer people...these folks have totally jacked around their immune system with that slimy clear gel that as soon as the little bit of a crazy germ comes in contact with them BOOM they get sick because their natural immune system is so out of whack. I take my vitamins, try to get enough rest and exercise and every year I get a cold, some years worse than others but every so often the germs win.

The article is informative I never would have thought about washing my reusable grocery bags until I read the story.

So till next time and by the way I like the hand sanitizer with the sparkles in it, nice touch....