It’s Time to Exercise More

Summer Heat

I live in Alabama and today’s high is 86 degrees Fahrenheit , but let’s add in the two wonderful factors of the Heat Index and Humidity. The current humidity is 62%, so that means that my sweat will not be evaporating and cooling me. My sweat will be leaving my skin slick and sticky. The Heat Index is adding about 4 degrees to the temperature. The clouds that accompany the humidity are trapping “Ozone” gasses in the valley between Red Mountain, Shades Mountain, Ruffner Mountain, and Double Oak Mountain giving a nice air quality alert. The clouds have also been kind enough to amp up the UV Index.

“Oh the HUMIDITY!”

Well, let’s take that nice, warm and fuzzy feeling that comes for the heat of the south and add in the factors of physiology. I have a heart condition that requires me to take a beta blocker and my cardiologist believes that I have peripheral artery disease (PAD), so I’m on Crestor. What do these two medications do? Well, according to some doctor that talked to the American Heart Association, it will make me more prone to having heat stroke or heat related issues. Yay… not.

So… the heat is draining me and making it hard for me to function outside, but I want to function outside. What can I do to make myself more functional? Hmm… Exercise?

Exercise?

I enjoy many outdoor activities and plan on using some of those activities to help me to get into a better shape to face the heat. As it stands, I need to loose about 20 lbs (if not more).

I have a theory that if I exercise outside, that perhaps my body will adapt to the heat and it will not bother me as much. The heat has been affecting my horseback riding performance and stamina. It’s, also, been affecting my heart condition. Now… I will say that I have not consulted my physician, but he knows I like to do outdoor activities.

My torture of choice will be cycling. This will include mountain biking, road biking and whatever is in between. I am hoping to do some swimming and kayaking as well, but the cycling will allow me to work on stamina.

Step one, will be to get the bike(s) ready to roll. Two, have recently had tune-ups and two have not. I believe one should be good to go without anything major, but the other one needs some TLC.

Accountability

Oh boy. I can get going on something and my ADHD takes me off in another direction. I have enlisted a buddy to do road cycling with. I hope that we will be able to hold each other accountable and get some riding done. We both want to get into shape and feel better. Plus, it gives someone to ride with so I am not alone on the mean streets.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Just kidding…

This is not the required capstone class that makes you write out goals and think them over, so I am just going to make the goals the way I want and I’ve already explained them. So on that note….

Good night everybody…