Fitness Journal, Day One

So today was my first day at the gym (Club Sport San Ramon, if you're looking for a great family-oriented gym) in over seven years. I like Club Sport because it's big, they offer tons of stuff for the whole family (including karate for kids), they have a heated outdoor pool, and both circuit equipment and free weights.

My weight: 257 (I'm 6'9" so my frame hides this extra weight, but that's about 37 lbs over what I should be.)

I am going to be working with a trainer starting next week, so for the next couple of days, I decided to ease back into the "exercise groove" by doing some basic cardio without taxing myself too much, and yet shocking my body into letting it know that things are going to change.

Exercises:
• pre-stretching (they have this stretching contraption that you sit in, and it really works well)
• basic cardio: three minutes of slow walking and then 15 minutes of medium running on a treadmill, 4.9 speed, 1.5 incline. Followed by 2 minute cool down. I was winded, but felt good.

Here I go again on this road

10 years ago, I was a lean, healthy, active young(er) man with almost no body fat. I loved working out, going to the gym, climbing, and all that fun stuff. Since then time — and two children — have taken their toll, and I now find myself overweight by about 40 pounds, with horrible eating habits, without having set foot in a gym in hardly six years. From talking to other parents, I know I'm not alone, and it also got me thinking about an idea.

Bay Area Kids magazine has teamed up with Club Sport San Ramon and we will be offering an online journal - through this blog - showing that it's possible to get fit while still having a full schedule and all the other challenges that come from being a parent.

We will be exploring nutrition, simple weight loss ideas, basic exercises, stretches, and more to help other parents out there get their health back. So stay tuned, it's going to get sweaty, but fun too!

Editor's Letter, August/September 2009

Thirty Minutes to Go

"Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high
Your daddy’s rich
And your mamma’s good lookin’
So hush little baby
Don’t you cry."
-George Gershwin, "Summertime"

IT’S 6:30 AM on a monday morning. This magazine needs to be in the printer’s hands in half an hour. It’s a good time to rewrite the editor’s letter.

The original letter, while grammatically and logically sound, was at odds with the early morning sunshine peeping in the back sliding door. The message—that parenting was difficult but the rewards were worth it—was a bit too morose for the day. So I decided to rewrite it. I think this version is much better:

It’s summertime! Enjoy it along with your kids; it’ll be gone before you know it and you’ll wonder where the time went ... again. So go. Go outside. Roll in the grass. Run through the sprinkler. Look for birds. Feed the ducks. Jump in the lake. Jump in the pool. Sing silly songs. Wave at passing motorists. Build a lemonade stand. Buy ice cream with the profits from the lemonade stand. Get an extra scoop of ice cream. Make your own ice cream. Roast marshmallows. Sleep under the stars. Stay up later than usual. Tell stories in a tent. Take a train ride. Visit a ghost town. Go to the zoo and make funny faces at the monkeys. Make funny faces at each other. Make mud pies. Plant a garden. Wear pretty dresses and have an outdoor teddy bear tea party. Plan a pirate raid. Hunt for grass sharks in the backyard. Map out a treasure map. Design a scavenger hunt. Sit still and listen to nothing. Visit that one place you’ve always planned on going but haven’t yet. Be a tourist. Take pictures of strange people. Take pictures of bugs. Imitate your favorite bug. Ride a bike. Ride a surfboard. Go on a fishing boat. Rent a canoe, Rent a paddle boat. Learn to kayak. Visit the mountains. Visit the beach. Visit your neighbors. Go to a concert. Host an impromptu karaoke party. Sing in your best Ethel Merman voice. Laugh. Love.

Whatever you do, we hope you and your family have a fun, wonderful, memorable summer!

Oh, and one more thing ... don’t forget the sunscreen!

Happy Summer Day!

Everard G Strong, Publisher, Editor, and Father
estrong@bakidsmagazine.com