Butterball

Thanksgiving is undoubtedly the greatest of all the holidays, unless you're doing the cooking. But as we eat ourselves into oblivion and waddle over to the couch in a tryptophanic stupor to watch the annual Detroit Lions debacle, there is a vague subconscious recognition that today signals the annual complete capitulation to sedentariness that will negate any positive health gains made to date. It may have started with the Halloween candy nibbling, or perhaps the semi-annual autumn cold that obstructed the physical regimen you had doggedly adhered to in the summer, or maybe it was just the cold, wet weather. But now, with the leaves raked, the pies baked, the clocks turned back, and the end of most outdoor activities, your health regimen has waned, and now the eating season is officially in gear. Oh, there may be a short respite from the sloth and gluttony due to the guilt-impelled New Year's resolution, but that brief moment of self-realization will soon dissipate once again. So maybe you'll spend an incredible amount of money on a treadmill. The over-under on the number of times you'll use that is around five. Or maybe you'll start yet another doomed diet. Yes, another one.

The point of all of this is that now is the time. When you see that you are three pounds over, for instance, realize the wisdom in the old adage that "a stitch in time saves nine." You have to do something this weekend to get back on track or you will once again start from ground zero in April. I have found over the years that my peak condition is probably in early fall, but the advancing years, northern climate, and penchant for excuses (the two week cold, the sore ankle, the incredibly busy schedule, the cold and inclement weather, etc... I got a million of them) gets me off-track around this time of year, and before I know it it's April and that first three mile run leaves me mighty sore. So this year I've got the too-expensive running gloves, the too-tight "wicking" cold-gear shirt, the too-unmanly ear-warmers, and now the public disclosure that the running program will continue.

Finally, for the young adults reading this, there is just no excuse. It is so easy for you at this age compared to what it will be like in your future if you let yourself go now. When you are 20, you have to go out of your way to not be in shape. At 30, the first signs of aging begin to appear, but they are benign (oh look, my first gray hair). Conditioning requires relatively slight effort. At forty, your body begins to change significantly. Your near-sight decreases, your middle begins to thicken, and you've lost a step. Conditioning requires some effort, and you have to start thinking about what you eat. At 50, your body has degraded noticeably, particularly the muscular-skeletal system. Your metabolism has slowed. Bad joints and injuries mean that conditioning not only requires great effort, but also some imagination in constructing a regimen that will do more good than harm, and food monitoring is more than just calories. I don't know about 60 yet, but I imagine that the loss of neurological efficiency presents enormous challenges. Synaptic operation is plummeting, as is sensory organ efficiency. You are tired, and it's hard to recall information quickly. Maintaining internal organ health is a priority. I'll stop there, as what I'm trying to say here is that now is the time, as ye shall reap what ye shall sew. Now is the time in your life to make the future a better one. Now is the time of year to "nip it in the bud." Now is the time, as Nike said with one of the greatest slogans of all time, to "Just do it."