I know many of you have not felt positive about life in general over the past year. Mostly because of a virus that has limited certain freedoms, harmed health and for many caused economic challenges. But if one remains mindful of how much there is to look forward to, a plan can be put in place to get that mojo back in both good and bad times.
If you want to change a situation and feel better, consider creating a “list of things to look forward to.” Then plan to pursue and participate in a few areas of personal interest. There are literally thousands of life changing things to look forward to that keep life interesting. And when planning to participate – than do… provide a state of wellness and piece of mind.
I have listed “35 things to look forward to” to help you develop a list
1) Holidays and Annual celebrations with family and friends 2) Learn to play a musical instrument 3) Begin a home exercise routine 4) Take a road trip with a friend 5) Make date nights with spouse 6) Sip wine with a significant other watching the sun set
Look Forward to “Beginning a Home Exercise Program.” FITNESS REALITY 1000 PLUS Bluetooth Magnetic Rowing Rower… Click on image to view multiple home exercise equipment options. Click on Image to view more home exercise equipment choices.
7) Begin a home improvement project 8) Host a theme party 9) Meet with friends on a sunny day in a park 10) Becoming a grandparent
Learn How to Make Your Own Wine… “Sip wine with a significant other watching the sun set.” View Wine Kit Selections Now. Click on image to view all types of home brewing wine and beer kits.
11) Turning 18 and 21 12) Knowing you’re going to be a parent 13) Participating in an online chat group of interest 14) Learn how to plant Indoor and outdoor gardens
15) Becoming independent and figure out what you want in life 16) Learning a new hobby
“Learn a New Hobby” The most popular and affordable drones – Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone with Camera for Adults 2K UHD FPV, Quadcotper with Auto Return Home, Follow Me, Altitude Hold, Way-points Functions as pictured… Click on image to view advanced air and underwater drones.
17) Work towards the job you’ve always wanted 18) Meet your future husband or wife 19) Take a college course 20) Purchase your first house 21) Make a bucket list – plan to complete it 22) Celebrate a big birthday
23) Take a dream vacation 24) Attend a favorite concert 25) Raise children 26) Buy your first car 27) Hike and camp within a mountainous area 28) Watch your children graduate from school
29) Cook a new recipe 30) Adopt a puppy 31) Experience a different culture 32) Start an online business 33) Volunteer for a cause 34) Begin a daily walking program 35) Leaving a legacy
Do not allow any environment situation to depress you to the point of not living life to the fullest. Recall, as Americans we have a lot to be thankful for with the freedoms for anyone to get through challenging times. By remaining mindful of things to look forward to and actively pursuing an engaged and active lifestyle, people are more likely to sustain a state of wellbeing and good health to weather any storm. Create a list that is right for you, select a few areas of interest to participate in and plan to live the lifestyle you need, want and deserve now… and get your mojo back!
Marc Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET., is a Fit Healthy Lifestyle Consultant with MirrorAthlete Corp., and Former Tigard City Councilor. A strong proponent of City involvement in providing recreational opportunities for its residents. 2019 Copy right. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., “To learn more about MirrorAthlete and free monthly newsletter, visit: www.mirrorathlete.org.
So your ready for a lifestyle change… And you want to learn how to turn around an unhealthy lifestyle and achieve fit healthy longevity. My recommendation, study other cultures within and outside of Western influence and compare a populations health, disease, diet, activities, religion, socialization behaviors, mortality rate and age per capita data – e.g., compare nomadic tribes, people in blue zones and certain religious cultures, etc., versus Westernized demographic and lifestyle statistics.
What demographic experts have found – cultures absent of Western influence live longer in good health with little to no disease. If you learn how to tweak your lifestyles closer to theirs, it is more likely than not you’ll achieve similar wellbeing and longevity benefits – even within a Westernized culture once you know how.
Many clients I worked with over past years were overweight and sought a quick weight loss and/or physical enhancement solution to lose body fat and get more fit. A question often asked from the overweight and unfit population, “are all fast weight loss and fitness and performance enhancement; and restrictive diet solutions and processed foods; and polluted air and water; and noise pollution; and unhealthy relationships bad for us?”My simple answer is “in the long run, yes.”
So how does one achieve the goal without dabbling in unhealthy fitness and diet fads and product gimmicks and mind-body numbing drugs, etc. Let alone decipher the good from bad consumer stuff… and not increase health risk? Although I can’t cover everything in this article, I can help you make a significant lifestyle change that will make a big difference in your life if your ready for it.
If you only “tweak a few lifestyle habit(s)” daily… as described in principles 1-3 below, you’ll improve your state of wellbeing, fitness levels and experience less illness and disease. But if you continue to find short cuts to cure what ails your mind, body and spirit and change nothing… living the lifestyle you need, want and deserve now may never come to pass.
Ageless MirrorAthlete, Chapter 17, “Longevity Secrets Divulged,” shares detailed demographic lifestyle habits and behaviors within a blue zone culture about people that just won’t die. Learn how they live long active lifestyles without disease. Like Nomadic people, they share similar lifestyles and longevity benefits. Learn about natural weight loss, increased fitness levels and living long active lifestyles – and so much more. Read the free book preview now. https://amzn.to/351RnMO
It is no secret, nomadic tribe activities include walking from place to place to shelter seasonally and hunt and gather for food daily to sustain a lifestyle on the move. There are many things we can learn about remote cultures absent of Western influence and disease. The most obvious, nomadic people don’t sit idle for very long, they also don’t have convenient access to processed foods and drinks; and don’t typically become obese with related disease; and live 10 years or longer on average than their Western counterparts. If your going to stay fit healthy long term, the most important activity change habit you must apply now is daily walking, biking or other aerobic activity.
“To begin living a nomadic-like lifestyle and begin receiving the fit healthy longevity benefits – first… Condition Your mind/body to walk Daily – then you’ll achieve the metabolism and cardio-muscular endurance of a nomadic tribesman” [MirrorAthlete].
If not able to walk based on current physical condition, or maybe your rehabbing from an injury, etc., their are affordable stationary leg and arm cycling home equipment products for purchase that will improve cardio and muscular endurance and rehabilitative benefits you need and deserve daily. This course will ultimately condition you to walk and/or keep the body in a good state of repair.
“What can we learn from these people and how can you tweak a lifestyle change program to reap similar fitness and longevity benefits.“
“I know many of you may be unable to walk abroad for your daily exercise for various reasons. That’s why I recommend a small investment in home exercise equipment to accommodate a busy lifestyle and/or medical condition and/or protection from a Covid19 environment” [Marc Woodard]
TODO Leg/Arm Peddler – “use as a bike pedal exerciser”
“A Mini bike peddler can be used for leg cycling exercise at the office or home to increase circulation and relieve tension. The pedal motion is smooth and quiet, you can do exercise while you are on phone, watching tv, working ,or playing video games.” Learn more about the TODO Arm/Pedal Stationary Exerciser/Medical Peddler with Digital LCD Monitor now: https://amzn.to/33ZhlBr
TODO Leg/Arm Peddler – “use as an arm pedal exerciser
“Adjustable resistance for customize exercise, easy to adjust the tension by rotating the knob, pedal is very easy, it is perfect for rehabilitation following a surgery or injury, also great for elderly to do exercise for their legs and arms.” Learn more about a variety of arm and legs cycling equipment for home and/or office use now: https://amzn.to/3nToAma
Principled Lifestyle Change Habits Require No Fads or Gimmicks
The reason so many people fail at long term weight loss within Western cultures is because of sedentary habits and unhealthy behaviors; consume too many processed foods and drinks and drugs; and/or use diet and performance enhancement fads and gimmicks throughout their lives and/or become overweight and get sick.
There are 3 fit healthy lifestyle change principles you can apply now based on demographic data of remote cultures mostly absent of illness and disease and live longer than their Western counterparts – I believe, if anyone applied these 3 core fit healthy longevity principles, they’d receive similar benefits.
Principle One – Walking is an aerobic exercise activity we’re physically designed to do well for life. Walking motivates the mind to find purpose and will power to achieve set goals – through walking the bodies natural release of feel good metabolic chemicals improves mood and state of wellbeing. The daily release of adrenalin and other healthy feel good brain-body chemicals during exercise also provides the motivation necessary to change unhealthy lifestyle habits and behavior into healthier ones. Which lead to healthy body weight, increased fitness levels and mobility; and wellness, etc.
Principle Two – Although most of us will never hunt and fish for sustenance, our marketplace does offer a variety of fresh whole foods identified as – Certified organic farmed fresh. Knowing how to identify organic vs processed foods and removal of unhealthy food chemicals is important if you want to achieve and sustain healthy body weight and good health for life.
“In the age of home food delivery… hunting for organic foods have never been more convenient. Leaving more time for daily exercise and an active lifestyle for self or with family” [MirrorAthlete].
Principle Three – When possible find a stress and pollutant free sanctuary to exercise [i.e., free of noise and air pollutants and processed foods temptations]. If possible find a healthy place indoors and/or transport oneself to a healthier place to exercise, unwind, relax and detox if only for a few hours. It does not cost anything to walk, or little cost to hop aboard public transportation to perform walking exercise in a cleaner environment. Once you begin applying “Nomadic Dual Purpose Exercise” [Defined Below], it will naturally reduce your body weight and increase state of wellbeing… and once repeated and conditioned daily – you’ll crave and have the will power to do it again every day.
“Find a quiet or remote or relaxed place free of environmental pollutants, noise and stress to exercise and achieve a feeling of wellbeing and wellness.“
Learn how to plan and exercise and achieve your fitness and wellbeing goals whenever and wherever you want now: https://amzn.to/2SPhzEG
Plan walking exercise daily to optimize the fat burning metabolism. During low stress walking activity – Carry a back pack with 2-3 liters of water. Plan to rehydrate on your walk and shop activity to your favorite whole foods store to gather healthy food products for your next meal. Shopping whole foods while walking is a lifestyle change practice you can condition yourself to do daily – similar to how a nomadic tribesman walks to fish and hunt. In doing so you receive similar fitness and healthy food nutrients at the dinner table.
“Take advantage of back pack technology. During aerobic exercise hydrate and have reliable communications should you need help on the road, or remote workout location.”
Nomadic tribes people walk miles daily to move camp, hunt and gather food – If you don’t exercise with frequency, or haven’t exercised with intensity or effort in a while, I recommend you begin a slow paced daily walking activity if there is no medical reason not to.Once you condition yourself to walk daily, work towards increased walk pace, not less than 15-30 minutes in duration. The more you walk the more calories you burn and the leaner you become and the better you’ll feel. After exercise your metabolism also stays elevated for up to two hours – burning even more calories at rest.
When you begin a walking program, it is important to purchase a proper fitted walking shoe with sufficient heal- ball-toe and arch support.
Nomadic tribes people eat very little to no processed foods – Eat less processed and convenience foods and more whole foods and drink more water.Avoid processed ready-to-eat meals and sodas and beverages.Especially those packaged within colorful and attractive packages.This is code for “contains food chemicals.” Look at the food ingredient labels. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient names – buyer beware. All baked and frozen foods ready to consume have varying degree of chemical preservatives, additives, dyes, artificial flavors, Trans Fats and other chemicals to keep them fresh looking in appearance with long storage life. These chemicals are known to cause illness and disease long term.
Nomadic tribes people live outdoors in fresh air environments – Move yourself outdoors for exercise activity as often as possible – preferably in a pollutant free environment…. and/or before/after motor vehicle traffic rush.If air quality is bad regardless, go to a healthier air environment or exercise indoors. Be sure to drink 2-3 liters of water daily to help remove toxins from the immune, circulatory and flush the bodies filtration systems and keep bones joints well lubricated. Coffee, beer and sodas and energy drinks are not healthy alternatives to water.
To achieve a fit healthy lifestyle change and benefits similar to a remote culture based on the 3 common principles… Tweak your lifestyle to live more in line with a nomadic, or remote culture absent of Western influence to achieve the longevity benefits.
Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2020 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.
It never seizes to amaze me what thrives within Tigard OR, wooded trail systems. During a rare moment in time my wife Beth and I were walking our dogs on the genesis path that runs parallel to Fonner Street when we heard the distinct hooty-hoot of an owl. At that moment our Irish setter Molly stopped in perfect pointer stance with head drawn upward. We followed in suit and what we saw next was amazing. Not further than 20 feet away, and about the same distance up and off the trail – There it was perched ready for a photo… a NW spotted owl.
The Pacific NW is home to old growth forest filled with a multitude of natural resources. Within the old growth forests still dwell the elusive spotted owl. It was more than 20 years ago when the northern spotted owl was listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in Washington, Oregon, and California. “Today, the spotted owl is stable in a few areas and declining in most others. The two main threats to its survival are habitat loss and competition from the barred owl, a relative from eastern North America that has progressively encroached into the spotted owl.”
These owls are still a protected class of bird and nearly as hard to come across as a big foot. Of course the difference here, no ones ever captured a Squatch or Yeti to prove their existence. The thing that captured my immediate focus were those menacing black eyes. Childhood memories of tales of the crypt and sleepy hollow immediately came to mind with an owl you don’t cross paths, especially on the eve of Halloween.
Walk natural trail systems for daily exercise. But take a camera, you just never know, you may run across an amazing moment photo op.
We’ve both seen owls before, but never this close and never a spotted one. In the moment I thought “why I picked today to leave my Nikon camera at home,” I’ll never know. Fortunately, like the speed and precision of Annie Oakley,the famous markswoman who worked with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the 1880s, Beth drew her weapon of choice – the iPhone.
She shot a perfect picture in seconds and without delay before it took flight. My only regret was not capturing it’s nearly 4 foot wingspan taking flight through the woods on video as it cleared the tree canopy. I’m hopeful there’ll be a next time since it appears likely at least one of these birds maybe a seasonal visitor or resident of Tigard’s old growth forest.
Now go and get your walk on daily to stay fit healthy. And don’t forget to have a camera ready while hiking the great NW. Sasquatch is out there somewhere.
Good health to you and your family.
10/18/19 –Recent update on this article. It has been brought to my attention the image of the spotted owl photograph taken in Tigard is likely an interbreed barred-spotted owl, or barred owl.
NW Spotted Owl
What we’ve learned by one local bird expert who chimed in on the within NextDoor social chat sight and has decades of experience writes, “Barred Owls have a paler crown with brown scalloping vs dark brown with small white spots. Their facial discs are paler than Spotted. Spotted Owls are very nocturnal and do not call except at night while Barred Owls often sit out in the open and call during daylight hours.
NW Barred Owl
The second local expert also has decades of bird watching experience sent TigardLife the following reply, ” We have several [barred owls] in Durham City Park, for example. The Northern Spotted Owl is a rare and declining resident of deep older-growth forests. Part of their decline is due to logging and forest fragmentation, but an additional factor is competition and even interbreeding from the closely-related but more aggressive Barred Owl.
Distinguishing attribute markers for both owls, “Both birds have a classic, round owl face and dark eyes. The barred owl has creamy breast feathers marked with vertical bars of brown, while the spottedowl, like a negative image of that, is mostly brown with a Morse code of white dots and horizontal dashes” [as defined by Google search].
Photo by Beth Woodard – Spotted, Barred or Inter-breed … you decide
This article presents a teachable moment! You decide what type of owl is in the photograph captured by Elizabeth Woodard, a spotted owl, barred owl, or interbreed owl. One thing both bird experts had in common, they didn’t believe it was a spotted owl. However without a front breast shot of the owl it’s a harder call to make.
You decide what’s more likely. Is owl in the picture at the beginning of the story a spotted owl, barred owl, or interbreed owl.
To learn more about the spotted and barred owl contact the Portland Audubon Society on NW Cornell Road, including their rehabilitation center for injured birds.
Marc Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT,
RET., is a Fit Healthy Lifestyle Consultant with MirrorAthlete Corp., and former
Tigard City Councilor. A strong proponent of City involvement in providing
recreational opportunities for its residents. 2019 copyright. All rights
reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., “To learn more about MirrorAthlete and free
monthly newsletter, visit: www.mirrorathlete.org.