Working out for a reason

This isn’t a normal exercise or “healthy eating” article. But it’s important to remember why exercise is worth it.

A pretty decent snowstorm rolled through town yesterday and dropped maybe seven inches. Good news for me. I love winter sports – even shoveling snow. Honestly.

We live in one of the few remaining neighborhoods in New Jersey with plenty of old-timers to rely on. They look out for the kids and make the place a lot nicer. I get to return the favor on snow days by digging the neighbors out.

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Meet Frank Perger. WWII vet, ex-pilot, and ex-bar owner.

Frank is 93 years old. He has a bum hip and stomach problems. And he’s also tough as nails.

I definitely feel happy if I’m able to shovel him out, but I learned years ago to rise up early and not waste time. The one time I lazed about in bed, Frank not only shoveled out his own driveway – he hit mine too.

Since then, I move a little quicker in the morning and make sure I’m up first.

I beat Frank outside yesterday and cleared his walk for him. The truth is, he’d handle it alone without complaining. Pretty sure the only reason he lets me help out is to let me look good for my daughters.

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There’s another benefit beyond getting in a little exercise and helping out people I like. Frank’s generosity pays off.

To say thanks, Frank dropped a package of chocolate Oreos on the kids. Not just any Oreos – something called Chocolate Waves. This brand actually lists sugar as the number one ingredient.

Since reading In Defense of Food, my wife’s changed how we eat. Mostly, it’s terrific. There’s lots of fresh fruit and home-cooked meals. The dark side of this bargain resulted in banning all sorts of treats from the house. There’s not a lot of processed food coming my way.

Frank’s cookies made it through the front door anyway. My wife’s hoping the kids might ingest some virtue along with “cookies from the nicest man in the world”. Me, I’m just glad to eat the kids’ cookies.

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Frank is the “why” of working out. If you exercise often and don’t whine much, you might get rewarded with a full, long life like his. More important – exercise makes it easy to lend a hand when someone needs help.

What’s your story? What’s your best reason for working out?

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Tagged as: Motivation, Weather