Last month Becka started a Couch-to-5K program.

"A" is running track.

"B" and "C" are obsessed with foot races.

And me?

I'm still faster than all of them.

For now. 😏

The other day, "A" almost beat me in a 50-meter sprint at the park.

I could feel him breathing down my neck like a teacher hovering over your shoulder during Iowa basics Scantron tests.

Give that kid another year or stretch the race to 100 or 200 meters and I'm finished.
Cooked. Done. 🍳

And that's exactly why this topic matters.

🌞 Summer Has Arrived

For all of us Wisconsinites, summer means crawling out of our winter caves.

Hello sunshine.
Hello mosquitoes.
Hello construction season. 😒

Those annoying plastic orange flowers on concrete are in full bloom at this time of year. 🚧

But the sunshine helps burn those blues away.

Whether you're:

Get out and move a little.

That's it. Just move.

Because our bodies were never designed to spend most of the time sitting still.

Our ancestors spent their days hunting, gathering, building, hauling, digging, and carrying.

Meanwhile, many of us spend eight hours staring at screens before collapsing onto a couch.

We've made life easier.

But our bodies still expect movement.

The last thing any of us want is to lose our mobility before we lose our ambition.

👴🏻 The Future Version of You Is Watching

Our parents are still plenty active.

They're constantly doing something, going somewhere, helping someone, or working on a project.

My 92 y/o grandmother still gets up and moves around daily. 

And they're healthy because of it.

Getting older is unavoidable, but we don’t have to become weaker.

Trust us, we're already feeling it.

Neither one of us is 40 yet.

(I'm down to about two months, but who's counting? 🙄)

Recovery takes longer.
Muscles ache longer.
Running out of breath faster.

These things only improve through action. 🎬

When was the last time you really hustled?

🔥 Motivation Is Backwards

Most people think motivation comes first.

Science says Hold my beer. 🫸🏻

You don't feel like going to the gym before you go.
You don't feel like taking a run before you start.
You don't feel like doing pushups while sitting on the couch.

Motivation is a byproduct of action.

Our brain doesn’t release dopamine until you actually do the damn thing.

The first action sends waves of neurons to the brain.
Like whoa dude, totally tubular!  🏄🏻‍♂️

That first walk.
That first squat.
That first lap.
That first pushup.

That feeling of accomplishment doesn’t ever come before you start.

Waiting until you "feel ready" is often waiting forever.

And we just don’t have that kind of time on our hands

🏃🏻‍♀️ Becka’s on to Something

Recently, Becka started experiencing what some call the "runner's high."

One night she had running uphill workouts scheduled.

She absolutely did not want to do them.

Every excuse sounded reasonable.

Too tired.
Too busy.
Too hot.
Too uncomfortable.

She went anyway, and guess what?  She loved it! 

Her legs were exhausted and lungs were working overtime.

But she felt accomplished.

That’s the gift of progress and momentum.

A reward hidden inside effort.

Just start somewhere small

And soon you’ll be running up that hill

Be running up that road

with no problems.

🪣 The Bucket List

Have you ever come across a story that hits you harder than a fastball to the chin?

Gear up, because this one opened up our self-reflection and eye ducts 🥹

A 72-year-old grandfather named Randy Long was cleaning out his garage.

When he found a bucket of old baseballs.

Knowing he probably wouldn't use them anymore, he took them to a local batting cage.

The same batting cage where he had spent years with his son and grandson.

His son was now 46.

His grandson was 23.

Before leaving the bucket behind, Randy attached a handwritten note. 

What looked like a simple giveaway became a powerful reminder for us

The activities we love don't last forever.

Do it now before we get up, get up, get outta here, GONE! 🫣

The best ability is availability and that doesn't stick around either.

One day there is a final game of catch. A final race. A final bike ride. A final trip to the batting cages. A final time you can pick them up and hold them.

None of us know when that day comes.

Which is why staying active is about staying capable, in addition to living longer.

Don’t take that gift of time for granted.

▶️ Play Ball!

They just want you to play.

⚾ A game of catch
🏀 A game of HORSE
🏃 A race down the sidewalk
🏷️️ A game of tag
💦 A trip down the slip-n-slide
🌳 One more adventure outside

Take a dip in the fountain of youth.

Now’s your chance.

Every one of those moments counts as exercise in our book.

You don't need a perfect gym routine, expensive equipment or 90 minute training session.

Instead, all it takes is a simple "Yeah, let's go."

🥅 What’s Life Without Goals?

We're not training for the Olympics.

We're training for life.

We're training to keep up with our kids.

To carry groceries without pain.

To climb stairs without thinking about it.

To say "yes" to adventures.

Oh won’t you stay, just a little bit longer….. in the game

Our bodies are incredible biomechanical wonder machines.

Muscle, bone, tendons, nerves, joints, and grit all working together.

They weren't built to stay parked.

So take a walk.  Lift something.  Ride a bike.  Play tag.  Run the damn race.

Spend a little more time Jussssssssssst a bit outside.

Because someday you'll look back and think:

Boy, am I glad I kept moving.

Inspirational Quote 🎭

"There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot." - Robin Williams