wellness

Walking Lunges

This is my favorite lower body exercise which targets the quadriceps and glutes.  It can be performed with no additional weight, dumbells or a barbell.  The basic exercise is performed as follows:

1.  Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell across your upper back.

2.  Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot.

3.  Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up.

4.  Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

Searching for Deeper Water

“I used to sit on the banks with a raft and watch the water roll lazily by. One day I pushed my raft into the shallows of the water and found the water moved swifter than I thought. My raft was actually a boat. Then, after some time, I rowed my little boat into deeper water. There were great storms, mighty winds, tremendous waves, and sometimes I felt so alone. But I have noticed my little rowboat is now a mighty ship manned by my friends and loved ones; and beautiful calm seas, warm sunny days, and nights filled with comfortable dreams always double after a storm. Now, I could never go back and sit on the bank. In fact, I search for deeper water. Such is life when lived.”

B. D. Gulledge

What is Deeper Water?

Over the past several years I have enjoyed posting to my blog On Topic. Each day as I post articles, photos, quotes and reblogs, I try to share my thoughts of the Deeper Water theme portrayed by B.D. Gulledge. Unfortunately, all I have found on how the author defines deeper water is contained within his narrative. Although his quote has been a favorite of mine for the past decade, and has been reposted countless times on the internet and in numerous published works, I’ve never been able to find any biographical information on the author. Perhaps someone reading this will be able to help here?

Your personal interpretation of his theme will ultimately depend on your experiences, core values and passions. As a reasoned optimist at heart I admire Gulledge’s quote. I revisit it constantly in my daily life approach. And here is how I seek deeper water:

  1. Seek Challenges: After 22 years in numerous army assignments, after being a business owner and employee, I still have a passion for new challenges. Whether they be professional or physical, I love them. An old and often quoted english proverb, “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor,” states it so well. It is the hardships and challenges I have faced and any successes that have come my way that motivate me.
  2. Seek Personal Growth: I know I have to grow everyday to be a better me, a better husband, a better leader. I have to continue to learn through education and being receptive to new concepts, ideas and opinions.
  3. Seek Responsibility: As with every soldier,this was ingrained into my very fiber early in my army career. It applies equally to greater levels of leadership or taking responsibility for my actions and decisions.
  4. Seek Meaning: I like to refer to this as Spiritual Fitness. It is about having a sense of purpose and meaning in my life. It’s about strengthening the set of beliefs, principles or values that give me a sense of well-being, hope and the will to keep going.
  5. Seek Relationships: Gulledge portrayed the importance of relationships so perfectly in his narrative. I want my friends and loved ones to share this voyage with me!
  6. Seek Relaxation: We’re all familiar with the “work hard, play hard” concept. It’s all about a life balance. I am an advocate of a slight modification – work hard, relax hard. After facing my daily challenges and responsibilities, I, like Gulledge, relish …”beautiful calm seas, warm sunny days, and nights filled with comfortable dreams.”

So each day I set a course for my own deeper water. In what direction and where is your ship sailing?

SENSES
See
The light spilling through the trees
How it illuminates what lies ahead
Sense the beauty of the day
Hear
The sounds of birds and insects
Creation’s orchestral arrangement
Sense the music of the day
Smell
The pines’ crisp, tangy aroma
Damp and earthy tones
Sense the fragrance of the day
Taste
The damp, cool morning air
Fulfilling flavor of the woods
Sense the satisfaction of the day
Touch
The dew covered grasses
Blades both wet and sharp
Sense the impact of the day

Rick Lewis, June 22, 2014

16 Things Emotionally Strong People Don’t Do

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as capable as you have ever imagined.”

Last night a reader named Karla sent me an email that caught my attention, simply because the subject of her email was: “Things Emotionally Strong People Don’t Do” (An interesting title for an article, I thought.)

Part of Karla’s email read:  “I love your book.  It has helped me get through some seriously tough times.  But even though I’ve made progress, I often struggle with emotional weakness.  I persistently resist what I know I need to do for myself.  So I was wondering, what do emotionally strong people NOT do?  The reason I ask is that I’ve spent a lot of time implementing positive habits in my life, but I haven’t really focused on removing any (parallel) bad habits.”

MORE…

Get Off Your Diet And Win!

Here are some basic tips I’ve accumulated over the past 15 years that have helped my clients get off the “diet” syndrome and onto the path of a healthy eating lifestyle.

Eating Habits:

  • Eat five times per day (three meals and two healthy snacks between meals). Be consistent everyday. Example (1500 Calorie Plan): Breakfast: 500 calories; snack: 100 calories; lunch: 400 calories; snack: 100 calories; supper: 400 calories.
  • Eat something every three to four hours.
  • Try to eat more early in the day to prevent overeating in the evening.
  • Always eat breakfast!
  • Sit down when eating, and put all foods, even snacks, on a plate.
  • Try not to eat when watching TV or when at the computer.
  • Get junk foods out of the house! Vegetables and fruits are very healthy snacks.
  • Drink plenty of water. Six 12 oz servings per day are recommended.
  • Limit “empty calorie” drinks (regular and diet pops) to one or none per day.
  • Make a nutritional lifestyle change. Your successes won’t endure if you’re always “on a diet”.
Cutting Calories:
  • Portion control is essential. Keep meat, poultry and fish portions to 4 – 6 ounces. Pastas and rice should total no more than two cups prepared. Limit breads to one – two slices each day.
  • Be aware of calories in condiments.
  • Even fat-free and sugar-free foods have calories. Use portion control.
  • When eating out, order half-size portions, or order a healthy appetizer and salad, or soup and half a sandwich.
  • Follow the serving sizes on packages of foods to keep the portions in check.
My best to you in leading a healthy and fit lifestyle!
Rick