My wife frequently reminds me that we need to travel while we still can, because none of us knows what the future holds for our health.
I have been reminded of this frequently over the last few months, as several excellent clients were forced to cancel trips due to health issues.
At the extreme of emotional turmoil, a septuagenarian lost his beloved wife of a half century, taking away his desire to cruise to Hawaii, at least in the short term.
In another case, a couple in their nineties were forced to cancel due to the wife's son requiring personal care after he had a stroke. As an aside, that couple actually met a decade ago on a cruise. Their prior spouses had passed away a few years earlier, proving we should never say never.
A small group cancelled when an integral member experienced severe back problems for which his doctor diagnosed mandatory surgery.
Health issues can unexpectedly pop up for anyone. A few months ago, another old friend's doctor also recommended back surgery for him.
An Extreme Sports Athlete beginning decades before the term had been coined, he had already gone through two knee replacement surgeries and undergone all the necessary rehab exercises to return to being a world-class skier.
Rather than go under the knife again, he sought a more holistic alternative, which led him to Eric Goodman's exercises.
Back on the slopes, making it look easy.
Within a few weeks of starting Dr. Goodman's regimen, he went from being barely able to get out of a chair to skiing, and after a couple of days on the slopes, his form returned to excellent, carving perfect turns and frequently tearing down mountains at a breakneck pace.
He had been conditioned to have a straight back as a member of the college swim team at Stanford long ago, but these new exercises trained him to an even healthier back posture, one which eventually took away the pain.
While the videos provide the basic techniques, no one suffering back problems should begin any regimen without consulting a doctor, and preferably he should find a personal trainer to get him started.
By the way, if you find yourself unable to complete the exercise regimens the first time or find yourself surprisingly exhausted from what seem like simple stretches, welcome to the club.
Lunch on Celebrity Eclipse
I'd like to include here that I personally have found that a good chiropractor can be of great help in getting alligned and on my feet again when my back went out, although thankfully I haven't had that problem in years.
We should never accept a gradual health decline without resistance. Staying fit is the best way to be ready for a cruise or other travel when the time comes.
Julie and I watch what we eat, though without denying ourselves completely of dining pleasures. An occasional burger with fries or ice cream cone won't kill us. What I've noticed to be the biggest difference between food on a cruise, when I inevitably lose weight despite eating as much as I want, and at home, where I often have some kind of hidden hunger lurking, is lots of vegetables and fruit as part of a balanced diet, so I try to remind myself to eat more veggies at home.
A few years ago, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and pre-hypertension (high blood pressure). On the recommendation of a friend, I started taking lecithin. While my cholesterol isn't low, it has slowly been dropping, and my blood pressure recently became regularly in the normal range.
We make a point of walking at least two or three miles each day, and I personally believe wearing Skechers Shape-Ups not only has improved the quality of exercise I receive on those walks but helped straighten my back, which caused me problems over the years.
Skechers may not be able to claim Shape-Ups improve quality of exercise or back health, but that has been my experience.
I even wear them when on rigorous mountain hikes and when playing golf.
I also do at least 100 push-ups each day, though without an exact schedule. I'll just drop and do 30 or 40 push-ups at random times when I think about it.
I've added Dr. Goodman's back stretches as a sort of New Years resolution.
My sister can float on powder as easily as this groomed run
The payoff of being healthy enough to truly enjoy walking to the top of Machu Picchu or to confidently hike to a distant snorkel beach in Kaz, Turkey, is well worth the preparation effort.
A terrific bonus is that exercising as part of an active lifestyle is a lot of fun in its own right.
Skiing in Montana is an amazing way to exercise, enjoy nature and have a blast.
Our nephew can ski anywhere and make it look easy.
My sister's delcious meals make it a perfect vacation for us.
Our nephew took some great action ski photos of our Christmas ski trip this year, and I've included a few herein.
To be clear, I don't hold myself up as a paragon of health, but rather to encourage you to find your own way to stay healthy for travel.
Jay has become a powder hound.
Julie at the top of Pioneer
That's me!
Montana Views are awesome.
If you look closely, you can see the cleanly carved tracks of perfect ski form.
Julie by the new Buffalo Bar and Grille being constructed.
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