…and the lives of those closest to me.  The choice I made was to stop drinking alcoholic beverages and I’m proud to say I haven’t had a drink since.  Before you jump to conclusions or hypothesize about the “why” behind my actions, let me share a few things with you.  I was never a compulsive drinker or an everyday drinker; I wasn’t a “bad drunk” or for that matter even a “good drunk”, but what I was most of all was unhappy.  And so I found myself at a fork in the road that was my life.  I was faced with a choice: do I choose to continue doing what I was doing or do I choose to make a change?

Alcohol to me was like drugs to an anesthesiologist – it was my numbing agent.  It was a crutch I used all too often to escape the responsibilities of life.  Life (so I thought) was hard.  It was easier to uncork a bottle of wine or twist-off of a cap from a bottle of beer.  I was addicted to the “buzz” and “haze” that alcohol sheathed me within.  Like a safety blanket once belonging to my daughter, booze was becoming something that I believed I needed to calm myself.

I made a decision one day and made it publicly known to all my family, friends and co-workers.  It was both a hard and awesome decision but one I will forever be grateful for making.  At times it can be tough dealing with the stresses in life, but knowing that I feel them for everything that they are is far better than the numbness that used to be my norm.

So why did I decide to share this with you in a blog post?  I am provided an opportunity to write and share about a new reality TV show.  The premise of the show is simple in concept, but extremely dynamic in possibilities.   Imagine for 1 week of your life you were followed around by “The Audience” – a group of 50 ordinary, insightful people from diverse backgrounds, whose sole purpose was to help you with making one of the toughest, most significant choices of your life. “The Audience” puts their heads together, debates the dilemma, and comes up with the best possible solution… the wisdom of the crowd.  At the end of the week, ‘The Audience’ presents its considered, collective, and thoughtful advice to the person that should help them move forward and make a positive decision about their dilemma.

What is “The Audience”?

The Audience is a transformative, caring and compassionate television series.   Each one-hour episode focuses on an individual or family who is struggling with a life-changing dilemma and is at a crossroads in their life.  The inspiration for the show is the modern trend of crowd sourcing.  Every day, millions of users on Twitter and Facebook consult their family, friends & followers for advice.  Many of our major decisions are played out online. The Audience brings the concept of social networking to television and explores the question: Can the wisdom of the crowd change a person’s life for the better?

While lying in bed tonight, think back on all the forks in the road of your life.  All the times when you chose to go left instead of right; wondering about the “who”, “what”, “when” and “where” things may be today had the choices of yesterday been different.  And while thinking back, remember these words:

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ~ Helen Keller

If given the choice to do whatever YOU wanted, what would you CHOOSE to do? Share your comments below.

“Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t  share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me, if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” ~ Moose

The Fork in the Road of Life: The Audience has chosen is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

Definition of “procrastination” is the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time.

I know I’ve been guilty of it in many aspects of my life.  I take ownership for that one.  Watching this video entitled “Tomorrow” as it relates to health and fitness made me laugh.  However, even though it made me smile, it also reminded me of the importance of setting some life-changing habits and the importance of recognizing when change is needed NOW.

What are your thoughts?

Why put off to tomorrow what can be done today is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

Whether the glass is half-full or half-empty, you are right.  It’s all perspective.  If you believe the negative and reinforce it with action, then negative it shall be.  But – and this is a big BUT – if you follow the next 4 steps every time a negative thought pops in your head, I think you’ll be happy with the outcome.

4 steps for getting rid of negative thoughts

1. Acknowledge the thought as being “negative”
2. Say “thank you” for visiting negative, Mr. Poopy pants but here’s the door and G.T.F.O!
3. And in the words of Stuart Smalley, repeat to yourself 3 times: “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!”
4. Repeat 1 to 3 as needed until all negative thoughts are gone!
   

If you don’t have a big honking smile on your face after following these 4 steps, email me.  These 4 steps work great for me… let me know how it works for you next time Mr. Poopy pants comes a knocking for a visit.

Now get out there and have a freaking AWESOME day today!

4 Steps to eliminating negative self talk (and it works) is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

The Nuts and Bolts of it

Much of the information in Becoming a Supple Leopard is full of useful information: movements, exercises, physical preparedness and so many other essential bits of information which will hopefully continue to “fix” my recurring injuries… or at least just shorten the span of time between one injury to the next.

Here’s a small sampling of my favorite parts of the book (of course, much of this is due to my own personal biases… injuries suck!):

• You are an amazing, adaptable, healing machine
• Braced-neutral sitting position
• Breathing mechanics
• Torque tests
• Movements… (all of them!)
• The Tunnel (identifying the problems)
• Rules for mobility

If you were ever to buy ONE book to help you with your mobility and dealing with pain, this is it!

S.F.W.?

Simple.  Buy it! Use it!  Fix you!

Unlike my textbooks from long ago, this is one book I plan to tote with me everywhere… next time you see me, I will be a “Supple Moose”.

Book Review: Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

1. KEEP IT CONVENIENT

Most gym regulars prioritize the “convenience factor” first. But that doesn’t just mean picking a gym that’s close to home. Visit your gym-to-be at the exact time in your day when you expect to work out.

A well-timed visit will give you an accurate sense of whether or not a particular option will suit your needs. Is the equipment you want available? Are the change rooms, fitness classes, or women-only areas too full to use? This is your chance to avoid motivational hurdles before they arise.

2. IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Eduction is key! “If you’re brand new to the health club and you have no idea what to do next it’s probably going to be wise for you to hire a personal trainer, at least for three to six sessions.” Most gyms have a complimentary orientation that will help you find the equipment and exercise that’s right for your body.

3. SCORE RESULTS WITH GOALS

“Set a three-month, a six month, and a 12-month goal,” and “then figure out the exercises that are going to best help you reach those.” Spend the time learning the ropes and choosing a fitness plan that makes sense for you now to avoid that momentum busting injury down the road.” If you have short-term and long-term goals you will be able to track and enjoy your progress and find renewed motivation in your successes.

4 . COMMIT TO YOUR INVESTMENT

Like any investment, it’s important to be patient with the modest amount of time you’ll put in each week in the interest of your lifelong health. “There’s a lot of hours in the week – 168, do you have three or four to commit to personal fitness?” Stick to your goals, your plan, and your gym long enough to ensure it’s a part of your active lifestyle . You’ll soon be enjoying the dividends.



Read more here at Vancouver Sun.

4 Simple Steps to a better workout is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

When you find yourself limited by lack of time and equipment, these workouts are a quick go to, eliminating any excuses that you can’t find time to get your daily fitness fix.  Here’s my top 5 recommended workouts…

My Top 5 Equipment Free Workouts for busy Dads

Workout 1: Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes

• 5 x Push-ups
• 10 x Sit-ups
• 15 x air-squats

Workout 2: 5 Rounds for time

• 10 x push-ups
• 10 x jumping air-squats
• 10 x standing lunges

Workout 3: Complete 5 rounds

• 10 x push-ups
• 10 x hollow rocks
• 30 second side-plank (right)
• 30 second side-plank (left)
• 60 second plank

Workout 4: 10 rounds for time

• 10 burpees
• 10 sit-ups

Workout 5: Complete 3 rounds

• 100 squats
• Rest 2 minutes

Quick Recovery and body-maintenance TIP:

Stretching is crucial, but even more beneficial is a roller for self myofascial release therapy. If you’ve had the opportunity to work with a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), you know the benefits of myofascial release. Invest in a roller and be your own RMT – my personal favorites include the Trigger Point Grid, Travel Roller, Eva foam roller or a rumble roller. You should use a roller for 10 minutes per day minimally and this will eliminate/alleviate many discomforts experienced due to tight muscles and trigger points which impede the movement of skin/muscles.

Stay tuned for my next post for home fitness equipment solutions on a shoe string budget.

Top 5 Equipment Free Workouts for #YVRDads is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

It’s time to #FaceTheProblem head on!  Obesity has a face and its looking more and more like the families we walk past in the street, in our schools and communities.  It’s our neighbors, our friends, our own families being affected by this issue.

As a child that personally battled with weight much of my life, I can think of a number of things that would have helped me during that time while I lived as morbidly obese teen.

What are your thoughts on possible solutions?

I believe solutions lie in:

• Families first – it all starts at home! Parents have to set the tone of what it means to live a healthy, active lifestyle
• Eduction on health, fitness, wellness and nutrition – in the schools and at home
• Government involvement on a larger scope – more “free” initiatives for families to plug-in to

These are just a few of my thoughts?  What do you think?

Canadian Childhood Obesity Statistics

The following is an exert from the Childhood Obesity Foundation:

Obesity Statistics Canada, like many nations, is in the midst of an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Currently, 59% of adult Canadians are either overweight or obese. Cities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were significantly higher in overweight/obesity population than the national average for adults. There has also been a dramatic increase in unhealthy weights in children.  In 1978, only 15% of children were overweight or obese. By 2007, Statistics Canada found that 29% of adolescents had unhealthy weights. Most adolescents do not outgrow this problem and in fact, many continue to gain excess weight. If current trends continue, by 2040, up to 70% of adults aged 40 years will be either overweight or obese. Adults who have unhealthy weights are at increased risk of heart disease, cancer, strokes and type 2 diabetes. In 2005, the total cost of obesity to Canadians was $4.3 billion; $1.8 billion in indirect healthcare costs, and $2.5 billion in indirect costs.  Affected adults may die up to 3 to 7 years earlier than counterparts with a healthy weight. The resultant toll in dollar’s cost and lives list is a call for action. Obesity is difficult to reverse and public health measures must include effective prevention beginning in childhood as well as treatment.

Stats about Screen Time and Canadian Youth

• “In 2004, over a third of children aged 6-11 logged more than 2 hours of screen time each day” (Canadian Children)
• “Currently children and youth average close to 8 hours of screen time per day with only 19% of kids aged 10 to 16 meeting the 2-hour guideline”
• “Of 51,922 Canadian youth in grades 6 to 12, 50.9% spent more than 2 hours per day in screen-based behaviors
• The average daily screen time was 7.8 (± 2.3) hours” Television Viewing The average Canadian child is sedentary for three to five hours a day in front of the TV. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal also showed that between 1981 and 1996, the prevalence of overweight boys increased from 15% to 35.4% (the prevalence of overweight girls increased from 15% to 29.2%).

The Canadian Obesity Epidemic: We need a game plan #FaceTheProblem is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

I came across the “How do you compare?” infographic that compares the average statistics for men and women as it related to the top 10 finishers in the 2012 Open.

How do you compare?

CrossFit Games Open Athletes: How do you compare? is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a popular form of exercise that combines two of the most effective fat-burning methods.

The following post was originally featured at Greatist.com

The first is high-intensity training, which pushes the body to maximum effort to achieve muscle fatigue and maximum oxygen use in a quick burst. The harder muscles work, the more oxygen they require. This is measured relative to one’s VO2 max, which is the highest amount of oxygen your body consumes during exercise. Working your body close to its VO2 max triggers the afterburn effect, where the body continues to consume oxygen (and burn calories) up to 48 hours after the workout (it takes approximately five calories to consume one liter of oxygen).

The second method is interval training, which alternates periods of intense effort with periods of moderate-to-low intensity effort. Interval training boosts metabolism significantly longer than a steady workout of equal or even greater length (for example, a 20 minute workout of alternating high/low-intensity periods burns more calories than a 20 minute workout of stead intensity). Interval training also builds lean muscle tissue faster than steady state training.

By combining the above two principles, exercisers can maximize fat-burning and muscle-building potential through significantly shorter workouts. HIIT maximizes increased metabolic rate, optimizes muscle building and muscle retention during fat loss, and increases calorie burn during and after workouts.

The Science Behind Interval Training

HIIT taxes and maximizes both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, while cardio addresses aerobic only. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen to generate energy in the form of ATP, while anaerobic respiration does not. HIIT affects muscle tissue at the cellular level, actually changing mitochondrial activity in the muscles themselves. Studies indicate as little as 27 minutes of HIIT three times per week produces the same anaerobic and aerobic improvement as 60 minutes of steady state cardio five times per week.

Interval Training Protocols

Interval training protocols differ in terms of length for both high and low-intensity intervals, the ratio of high to low-intensity, and the level of intensity during workouts. Three leading protocols are the Tabata Method, Little Method, and Turbulence Training.

The Tabata Method was developed in 1996 by Dr. Izumi Tabata of Japan. It involves high-intensity spurts at 170% of one’s VO2 max. The workouts total four minutes and involve 20 seconds of high intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight cycles. The recommended frequency of Tabata workouts is between two and four times per week. Tabata is best for those who are already fit and are looking for a workout that requires very little time. The Tabata Method can also be performed with strength training movements.

Note, the Gymboss timer is an excellent tool for Interval training of any sort.

To implement the Tabata Method, try the following. Start with a three-minute warm-up, then sprint for 20 seconds. Rest (walk) for 10 seconds, then repeat the sprint/walk cycle for a total of eight cycles.

The Little Method was developed by Drs. Johnathan Little and Martin Gibala in 2009. It involves high-intensity workouts at 95% of one’s VO2 max. The protocol calls for 60 seconds of high intensity followed by 75 seconds of low intensity. Repeat for a total of 12 cycles (totaling 27 minutes) up to three times per week.

To implement the Little Method, start with a three-minute warm-up. Cycle for 60 seconds quickly and with max resistance. Follow that with 75 seconds of slow cycling at low resistance, and repeat the fast/slow cycle for a total of 27 minutes. This is best for those at an intermediate fitness level who have 30 minutes to spare.

Turbulence training was developed by exercise physiology researcher Craig Ballantyne. It involves eight-rep weight training sets alternated with one to two-minute cardio sets. The protocol alternates high-weight/low-rep strength training with high-intensity cardio. The maximum 45-minute workouts combine strength training with cardio, and the recommended frequency is three times per week.

To implement Turbulence Training, start with a five-minute warm-up. Perform an eight-rep set of a weightlifting movement (like dumbbell presses) followed by one minute of mountain climbers. Repeat through a full-body routine for 45 minutes. Turbulence Training is generally best for those who have longer to train and are looking to incorporate strength training into their routines.

The Complete Guide to Interval Training [Infographic] is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog

I just per-ordered my copy “Becoming a Supple Leopard” and will be counting down the days until it gets to me… if you want to know more about it, just check out the video and book synopsis below.

Here’s to getting mobile!

If there’s 1 book to own, this is it!

About “BECOMING A SUPPLE LEOPARD”

Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier, more fulfilling life.

Performance is what drives the human animal, but the human animal can be brought to an abrupt halt by dysfunctional movement patterns. Oftentimes, the factors that impede performance are invisible to not only the untrained eye, but also the majority of athletes and coaches. Becoming a Supple Leopard makes the invisible visible. In this one of a kind training manual, Starrett maps out a detailed system comprised of more than two hundred techniques and illuminates common movement errors that cause injury and rob you of speed, power, endurance, and strength. Whether you are a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone wanting to live healthy and free from restrictions, Becoming a Supple Leopard will teach you how to maintain your body and harness your genetic potential.

Learn How To:

• Prevent and rehabilitate common athletic injuries
• Overhaul your movement habits
• Quickly identify, diagnose, and fix inefficient movement patterns
• Problem solve for pain and dysfunction in austere environments with little equipment
• Fix poor mechanics that rob power, bleed force, and dump torque
• Unlock reservoirs of athletic capacity you didn’t know you had
• Identify and fix poor movement patterns in children
• Reverse the aging process
• Develop strategies that restore function to your joints and tissues
• Accelerate recovery after training sessions and competition
• Create personalized mobility prescriptions to improve movement efficiency
• Improve your quality of life through regained work capacity
• Run faster, jump higher, and throw farther.

This is the official trailer for Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance. The book is written by Dr. Kelly Starrett (the founder of the very popular mobilitywod.com) for his soon to be released book. The book expands upon techniques that Kelly has learned from years of working with all kinds of elite athletes and non-athletes alike.

I’m going to Become a Supple Leopard is a post from: Dai "The Moose" Manuel's Personal Blog