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I originally put the book The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism on-hold at our library because it involved a favorite author of mine named David Mitchell. He wrote the New York Times Bestseller, Cloud Atlas. Mitchell and his wife, KA Yoshida, provided an introduction and translated the original text which was written by Naoki Higashida, a 13 year old boy with autism. As parents of an autistic child, this was clearly a labor of love for Mitchell and Yoshida. So what did I think of the book? I thoroughly enjoyed it. Written in a question-and-answer format, this is an intimate book that made me feel like Higashida was talking directly to me and expressing his feelings. Many times I had to remind myself that this was written by a 13-year-old boy. At the end of the book, he includes a short story that was emotional, enlightening and revealing. It brought me to tears.

Let me give you a suggestion before you read this book. DO NOT read all of the reviews, especially the one that says it takes only ninety minutes to read. In my opinion, the goal is not to see how fast you can read but to enjoy the journey. The book is written in a simple and direct style without all of the flourishes or descriptions in an epic novel. In this case, you have the privilege to immerse yourself into an autistic mind. I intentionally broke the book up into several short reading sessions. It’s a good approach.

Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit-chat”, pecha kucha is usually pronounced in three syllables like “pe-chak-cha”. The presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds apiece, for a total time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. This makes for a concise and efficient presentation that moves at a rapid pace. Last month, I had the opportunity to present at the Monona Terrace for Pecha Kucha Night Madison in front of 250 people. This was my third pecha kucha presentation. The first was at the Comedy Club downtown and was about mixed martial arts. I focused the presentation on the history of martial arts and included some of my favorite fighters. The slides of the ring girls apparently caught everyone’s attention. The second was at the Madison Marriott West in July, 2011 and was titled How I Became the Healthiest Man in America. It was fun to share how I was designated by Men’s Health Magazine as the “Healthiest Man in America” and was in front of around 60 to 70 people. If you closely you can see my virtual tiara :-) This time, the topic was Doing What You Love. As one of eight presenters, I chose to share my passion for personal training and helping people achieve their health and fitness goals. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

I received an email the other day that was truly inspirational. It was from a client who recently had her third training session with me. She wanted me to know that she had no pain after her first appointment. She’d been dealing with chronic low back issues for some time. Of course, she wasn’t cured after a one-hour workout. She had become accustomed to bootcamp classes where the approach was more intense and the movements more ballistic. Unfortunately, these group classes were too aggressive and jarring for her body. And when there is repetitive pounding on the body’s joints from various angles, even when properly performed, injuries can occur. On a side note, I believe that plyometric exercises like jumping jacks, mountain climbers and burpees should be incorporated into routines for already well-conditioned individuals or for athletes whose sport requires them to move in that manner. Gymnasts, basketball players, volleyball players and football players are good examples.

So what did she do during her first training session? Instead of focusing on the clock and worrying about how many calories she was burning, I chose exercises and stretches that encouraged both strengthening and lengthening of the muscles. Too often people concern themsleves with contracting, tightening and squeezing the muscles. Did you know that’s only part of it? There’s also the eccentric phase when your muscles lengthen against a resistance. Not only are tight muscles impractical, they can easily get injured when overstretched. Hey, what good are firm thighs and a tight tush if you can barely walk up stairs?

Here’s what she wrote:
“Thanks for the workout today. Did I tell you that after our first session, I walked away without pain? I wasn’t aware of my chronic back pain until it left me. So I have a new mantra this week, Why not great? Why not feel great, have a great workout, select a great breakfast, plan for a great week? You get the picture. Have a great weekend!”

I love her attitude and positive expectations. Because she expects great things, she’s doing the work to make things happen. We’ve all heard the saying “If you think you can or if you think you can’t, you’re right.” Second she doesn’t use the word “perfect”. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people talk about the perfect breakfast or a perfect workout. . . there’s no such thing. Aiming for perfection is a set up for failure because you’re trying to achieve the unattainable. It’s about striving and enjoying the journey. Nancy, you’re a real inspiration!!

When was the last time you visited your local library or bookstore? Last week? Last month? Or maybe you download books onto your electronic tablet. If you’re like me, I love going to the library. Recently, I was at the Middleton Public Library picking up some videos that were on hold and decided to peruse the biography/autobiography section downstairs. I really didn’t “need” any more books since I currently have four on my nightstand. Three fiction and one non-fiction, in case you’re wondering. Twenty minutes later (I’m amazed I made it out in such a short time as I’m known to wander the aisles) I was holding biographies about physicist Albert Einstein, conservationist Jane Goodall and an autobiography by comedian George Carlin. My selection should tell you more than a little about me.

What are the health benefits of reading?
1. You can get in shape faster, stay fit longer and reduce the risks of injuries. We all know that achieving your health and fitness goals doesn’t happen by chance. It requires goals, decisions and work. Some of the work is continuing education. Reading is a great way to learn new subjects, revisit topics of interest and to grow. There are countless books about exercise, nutrition, anatomy, motivation, fitness, healthy recipes, sports, etc. You’ll increase your knowledge, and with more knowledge you’ll be able to make better decisions regarding your diet, workout program, sports performance, etc.

2. Reading is a workout for your eyes and brain. Sounds like the Lumosity.com commercial where they talk about neural connections. Well it’s true. Reading is an active process. Unlike watching television –This just made me think about my kids’ behavior after watching a couple cartoons versus after reading for thirty minutes. Can you relate? — pictures are not spoon-fed into your brain. Your eyes see the words, your brain creates images and the information is committed to memory. . . some long term and some short term.

3. Reading is good for your emotional health. Not only can you choose books that are positive, inspirational and uplifting, but for me, the very act of reading is calming. It’s more than a temporary distraction or an escape. Reading helps us to use our imagination. Just writing this reminds me that I didn’t pick up a book for fun until my second year of college. No, I didn’t have a television in my dorm room. As matter of fact, just two students in my dorm had TV’s. And this was before the Internet so I couldn’t lose myself on Youtube or Netflix. So one day I walked across the street to a strip mall and into a bookstore. I bought one book, and it took me the entire school quarter to finish it. Not because it was poorly written. I was really enjoying it. I just wasn’t in the habit of reading. After reading biology and chemistry textbooks all day, reading for fun seemed more like a chore. But I stuck with it and started reading more books by the same author. Over time I explored other authors and other genres. I can honestly say that reading books for pleasure helped get me though some difficult college courses.

It’s been over twenty years since I picked up that paperback book by Dean Koontz. Since then I have read countless books by various authors. Some were quick reads and others took several weeks. Some I have even read more than once. It’s like visiting an old friend. So the next time you’re about to watch an episode of your favorite reality TV show, first check to see what books have been sitting on your shelf. And if the shelves are bare, visit your local library.

I don’t train as heavy as I use to. It’s not that it takes longer for my body to recuperate compared to training twenty years ago. It’s just that the constant bombardment of heavy weights takes a toll on joints, tendons and muscles. Nowadays my workouts are focused more on full body exercises emphasizing variety and form. This past Friday I was having a great workout. After 30 minutes on the recumbent bicycle followed by some dynamic stretches, I started with relatively light weights. I do this to see how my body responds. Gradually, I increased the weights and my intensity. 45 minutes into my resistance workout, instead of feeling fatigued, I was feeling stronger with each set. Maybe it was the two cups of coffee. So I went upstairs and asked Heather to grab the camera and video my final sequence of exercises. Was this a good idea? Should I be pushing my body more than usual? “Overdoing it” is my middle name, and I didn’t want to damage myself. Two car accidents and several sports-related injuries can rear their ugly heads at the most inopportune time. Plus I knew that I had a tennis match the following day. But, hey, I was feeling great! It was time to go for it. I decided to do three exercises in sequence: incline dumbbell chest press, 1-arm dumbbell row and dumbbell squats with 80lb dumbbells. At 5’7″ and weighing 160lbs, that’s not too bad for a little guy. Enjoy!