DURABLE DAD

  #44  10/31/2025 The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the art of living. Victor Frankyl Reminder: Muscle is not just for the athlete or bodybuilder. You need it. If you just made gaining some muscle your health goal instead of losing fat, you would probably be much more successful in your health journey.  Fit Tip: Stop Shaming Yourself Shame is a short term motivator and a long-term failing strategy. Acknowledge that you messed up and give yourself grace . "Wow, this is hard" is a fair thought that will go through our minds. "I suck" or "why can they do this and I can't?" are the type of thoughts that are not helpful. Giving yourself some grace is crucial to not giving up on the entire process . Instead of shaming yourself after a mistake, use the following 24 hours to reset. Do something healthy for yourself. Not an overcompensation like beating yourself up in the ...

 #42  10/17/2025 You can not make yourself feel something that you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings . - Pearl S. Buck Fit Tip: You Won't Always Enjoy It Those less familiar with regular exercise often think of their fit friends as robotic freaks who love working out. I will dispel that myth. Everyone should learn to enjoy the process and at least have some fun with exercise. Doing the exercise that you enjoy is important in order to keep doing it. Just know that you will not enjoy every workout. Nobody does. What you will always enjoy is completing a workout . Hold on to that feeling. Remember how good you felt having worked out the next time you are dragging your feet. Sauna Benefits If I have not yet mentioned the benefits of sauna use, I have failed you. Of all the 'extra-credit' health and wellness tools, the sauna is the powerhouse. It has real, measurable, significant benefits. Places like Finland have at least one sauna per ho...

 #43 10/24/2025 We don't think ourselves into a new way of acting, we act ourselves into a new way of thinking. -Larry Bossidy Fit Tip: Calories are the Least Important Benefit of Your Workout One benefit of exercise is burning some calories; helpful as we love to stuff our faces with more than is necessary. This calorie burn should not be the main reason for your workout, nor the most desired benefit from your workout. If you are working out with the calorie burn at top of mind, maybe you should just watch your diet closer. Do some fork set-downs instead of extra push-ups . Exercise is done to strengthen the body, to keep all systems working properly. We were built to move, so move it or lose it. Gain or at least keep your muscle mass. Hang on to that bone density as it is harder to keep later in life. Strengthen your heart and lungs. Become a more capable human who can more easily enjoy activities. Look forward to aging well rather than dreading breaking down. That is why we exer...

 #41  10/10/2025 Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't. Jerry Rice Fit Tip: Am I Making Progress? DO’s: Track your strength gains. Did you use a heavier weight? Were you able to do more reps with the same weight?  Pay attention to your form and technique. Maybe your weight and reps are not going up but your squat is deeper and more comfortable. This is still an improvement and a gain in strength. Evaluate your relationship with food. Are you implementing more whole foods and making healthier choices feel more like a natural part of your day? Watch your body composition slowly change in the mirror. Do this instead of watching the scale.  Is your mood and/or energy improving? With each small new healthy change you plan to implement, ask yourself, “Can I keep doing this for the rest of my life?” DONT’s Do not watch the scale too closely. Muscle weighs more than fat and while you may have plenty of weight to lose, the pounds ar...

 #40  10/3/2025 You are what you do, not what you say you'll do. -  Carl Jung Fit Tip: Recovery Let's talk recovery. Any good training plan has recovery as a consideration. We are familiar with the concept that you are "damaging" or stressing the muscles in the gym, and the growth that occurs is the repair that happens later. When you consider that concept, you see the importance of recovery from exercise. Proper recovery requires three main things: a carefully programmed workout routine that allows for rest, high quality sleep, and nutrition that supports the training. A carefully programmed workout routine can adjust with your lifestyle. It allows the muscles to recovery enough before the next big effort. You might workout 6 days in a row, but the routine must be different enough from day to day to allow recovery. Even if all you do is run, you know better than to do two hard runs back to back. If you do a full body workout in the gym, you might not be doing anythin...