Less is more

80 days down and 1 day to go

Today is day 80 of the 81-day exercise program which I started in November 2006. Day 80 came as a surprise to me because I haven't been counting the days for a while. The daily exercise became a natural part of the day, and in some ways the best part of the day. It is the part where physical reality took over and erased whatever illusions and perceptions were fabricated by the mind that day. Exercise has been the way to reclaim freedom, to get re-energized, and come back to "reality" with a new and fresh perspective.

Tomorrow is day 81 and the next few days and weeks are likely to bring more thoughts and reflections on the 81-day-experiment. Say tuned!

26 days down and 55 days to go—the cumulative effect of the 81-day-exercise program

After waking up at 4:00 am today to finish packing and catch an early flight from California to New Jersey, and after a long flight and a three hour time difference, I made it just in time for the kick-off dinner of the conference that I am attending. After dinner, I made it to my hotel about midnight. And here lies the big question: To exercise or not to exercise?

It seems that the cumulative effect of the 81-day-exercise program is starting to show up in many ways. First my commitment to the program seems to be increasing knowing that the investment I have made in it so far is high, and is getting higher every day, and therefore the loss incurred if I stop would be high, and getting higher every day. Second and most importantly is the feeling of being more energized both physically and mentally and throughout the day. And third, the exercise itself is getting easier, more fluid, and more playful.

You can see now that there was no doubt that I am bundling up (the temperature here being 32 degrees Fahrenheit or so) and heading to the fitness center which is luckily open 24 hours, and getting my exercise done. So 26 down and 55 days to go!

17 days down, 2 sick days in bed, and 64 days to go

Thanksgiving dinner was great and my cold seems to have gotten better on that day, just to allow me to enjoy the festivities before it put me in bed for two days (Saturday and Sunday). Today, I was back into the swing of things, and made it to the gym to continue the exercise adventure.

I thought about restarting the 81-day-exercise from day 1, but elected to keep the momentum going and just track the sick days: 17 days of exercise down, 2 sick days, and 64 days of exercise to go!

15 days down and 66 days to go—and the holiday season started already

We can tell that the holiday shopping season started already in San Francisco when supposedly average citizens, who normally follow the traffic laws, start going the wrong way in a parking structure to grab a parking space before anyone else does (picture on the left).

My cold is persisting and so am I. This is day 15 of the 81-day-exercie program, and I am keeping up with my exercise but keeping it pretty light until I fully recover. Knowing that no gym was open in San Francisco today, and that the weather was beautiful, I went for my outdoor exercise routine.

Meanwhile, I continue to notice the efficient means of transportation around the city. I did post picture of some small cars and some hybrid cars recently, but the 2-wheel one-person vehicle in the picture on the left, is definitely the most efficient one I have seen so far.

12 days down and 69 days to go—exercising while having a cold

I had a cold this weekend, and I had to make a decision: To exercise or not to exercise. Do I take a break to help myself recover or will exercise help me recover? I have decided to exercise. I reduced the intensity though to make it easier on my system—an advice I encountered years ago when I researched this topic.

Interestingly enough, exercise actually felt good and was energizing on both days. Let us see what the next few days will bring!

10 days down and 71 days to go—the other exercise machine

This is the exercise machine I use every other day or so, in addition to the 30 to 45 minute of daily aerobic exercise in the 81-day-exercise program. One question that comes up often in conversations is: “Why 81 days?” The 81-days were inspired by the 81-day-experiment which I have completed recently and which was about selecting a smartphone. In the 81-day-experiment I used a new smartphone every 9 days for 81 days and reported my observation in the 81-day-experiment blog. This inspired me to start the 81-day-exercise program (feel free to refer to The 81-day-exercise program starts today for more details).

9 days down and 72 days to go—exercise to create energy

Today was the first day of the “Lunch & Learn On The Air” Webinar series that we started. I was determined to make it to the gym (for the 9^th day in a row) before the lunch & learn session because I knew that I will be energized and ready to project this energy to my audience. It worked!

8 days down and 73 days to go--All the things we can do while exercising

I can’t say that I have experimented with all of them, but with 72 days to go, I probably will. Here are the ideas that came to my mind as I thought about this topic:

Let the mind wander (my favorite)

Listen to music (essential survival tool)

Listen to a book

Read a book

Watch people go by (see the picture above, it is the view from the gym)

And with a smartphone, one theoretically could:

Make phone calls (not good etiquette)

Receive phone calls (not good etiquette)

Check e-mail (I have done that)

Send e-mail

Send text messages

Review calendar (I do that from time to time)

Browse the web

And if one needs to write, one could:

Write on a notepad (I write down ideas quite often)

Type on a small device (I might try that)

Type on a laptop (I am curious)

Record voice notes (could be distracting for others)

7 days down and 74 days to go--in the 81-day-exercise program

I was asked today about the kind of exercise that I am doing, and if it changes from day to day.

My main focus is on aerobic exercise, and I try to get between 30 to 45 minutes of it each day. I rotate between different exercise machines. My favorite recently has been the stair-climbing machine. I still like the treadmill and occasionally the stationary bike (least favorite). On the weekend, and when the weather is calling for it, I make it an outdoor exercise through the hills of San Francisco.

6 days down and 75 days to go--in the 81-day-exercise program

The rainy season seems to have officially started in San Francisco today! It is a great day to exercise inside and that is exactly what I did on day 6 of the 81-day-exercise program before I headed to the Technology & Blogging Seminar presented by Six Apart. Happy Monday!