My Flight Across the Country

Hi Everyone – I am new to this forum and just wanted to share some thoughts I jotted down after a long flight yesterday. I flew from California back home to Pennsylvania and had the opportunity to sit next to a nice guy. We struck up a conversation and when he found out that I was 10 years older than him (I am 51) he couldn’t believe it – he made me show him my ID to prove it. He then asked me to share how I was able to keep myself looking so young and that started a long conversation which I plan to summarize in this rather lengthy post (I apologize for this in advance).

About four years ago I was in the worst shape of my life and really hated myself – pushing 200 pounds with a beer gut to compete with the best of them. My back and my knees were causing so much pain that I was having trouble sleeping without taking a ton of medication. My life was full of stress and I tended to turn to alcohol for comfort. Three and a half years ago I went on a diet and was able to drop 30 pounds (yeah). I was looking for a way to help keep the weight off when a Groupon for a Bikram yoga studio popped up on my screen and I thought what the hell. In my mind, I was going to take a couple classes and then I can tell everyone it wasn’t for me. So what has happened to me in the past 42 months since I stepped into that hot room:

•I now do Bikram hot yoga classes 5 to 6 times per week – prefer the 6 am class – which I started in July 2011 (I have completed 4 – 100 day challenges and have done as many as 6 classes in one day doing my own personal yoga marathon)
•I have reduced my intake of alcohol dramatically mainly because I hate the way it makes me feel in the morning (very light social drinker on weekends – never drink hard liquor any more) – also cut out all sugar drinks and any diet drink with Aspartame (swear by cold brewed iced tea bags – greatest invention in modern years)
•Go to bed every night by 11 p.m. (average 6.5 hours of sleep per night)
•Walk to and from work (average 4 miles per day) – Finn Comfort Shoes are the best on the market (I swear by them)
•Compete annually as a race walker in a half marathon each May (completed for the past three years – train by only watching TV if I am on a treadmill – try it – it works!)
•Completed the 100 push-up challenge program on my 49th birthday – have maintained since (currently doing 100 push-ups three times a week)
•Completed the 200 sit-up challenge program on my 49th birthday – have maintained since (currently doing 300 sit ups three times a week)
•Held a 5 minute 10 second elbow plank on my 51st birthday – have maintained since (currently holding consistently for 8 minutes three times a week – goal is to get to 10 minutes by 52nd birthday)
•Just started a 30 pull up challenge which I hope to complete by this summer on my 52nd birthday
•Start off each morning with a fiber bar and a kale shake (not a coffee drinker) – (almond milk, kale, blueberries, protein powder, chia seeds, and vanilla extract if you want to know)
•Try to be a vegetarian Monday to Friday – not super strict on this (just making a conscientious effort to reduce meat and think about what I put in my mouth is what counts most here)
•Use a facial scrub during every shower and hand lotion all winter long
•Travel to a different foreign country every year (currently at 15) – have practiced Bikram all over the US and the world – one of the best things about this yoga
•Make a public and concerted effort to physically play with my kids as much as possible (I try to do this a minimum of 1 hour each day when not working)
•Complete a personal to-do list every month and get things done on it – this is really helpful in minimizing all the stuff that can easily take over your life

Needless to say my life has changed tremendously for the better as a result of that first step into the yoga hot room. While I tend to take things to the extreme at times, I do appreciate all that the yoga has given me and look forward to practicing for many more years and decades to come.

Hope to sit next to you on my next flight so I can bore/motivate you with my love for this yoga! Just Jim