This entry was inspired by a recent post by Vince.

Ever notice when you have to run for some odd reason, right afterwards you feel like you are going to keel over? There are a good many people who attribute this phenomenon to being "too old". BULL. You're out of shape, period. The older we get, the more important, no strike that, IMPERATIVE it is we stay active. When your body feels like it's been subjected to medieval torture after a quick exertion, it's time to start thinking about your future. It may be very short if you choose to do nothing.

I'm NOT picking on anyone in particular here. I care about ALL of you, and want to have you in my life for a LONG time. Exercising is crucial to keeping yourself mobile. Ask yourself this: When you reach "old age", do you want to be some invalid who sits in a nursing home, at the whim of less than caring "health care workers", or to be in your home, doing for yourself and being happy? DO you want to be in diapers, or be able to sit on the throne?

I know what not exercising does for people. My mom is only 57 years old, and has COPD. She refused to exercise when she was in the first stages despite her Dr's advice. Now she sits in a nursing home, totally dependent on meds and machines to keep her alive. Would exercise have saved her from this fate? I don't know, but I DO know it would have increased her independence simply because she would have felt better by at least trying, rather than giving in.

Gang, PLEASE, get out there and move. Get your heart rate up into the 120's or so for at least 15-20 minutes a day if you can. It will do wonders for your cardiovascular health, as well as keeping your body conditioned so if you do have to sprint after one of your escaped piggies, or run from certain "unfriendlies", you'll be able to do it without having a heart attack, or not being able to move the next day.

I try to get on the treadmill after every workout. It probably isn't enough to be honest, but when I DO get on there, I make darn sure to keep my heart rate up, and will usually sprint all-out for the last minute or so, just to push a little harder. I have done research on that method, and it seems to be of consensus that it is beneficial to sprint at the end of the run for an extra metabolic "boost". I don't know if that's true, but I'm sure it doesn't hurt. Stay active guys, it's really THAT important...