Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I never was on a track team in high school. I didn't do much running in college. After college, I gained a lot of weight (and of course lost weight!), so how did I get into running?

The second challenge I was in at the Northwest CT YMCA back in the Fall of 2012, offered points for those that participated in a few marathons. I ran my first 5K race during the challenge. Although I haven't done a marathon since, I would like to do more of them.

I'm back from vacation, after a long trip. I got a lot of steps in, but it was a stressful way to exercise.

I was on my way to Virginia and decided to take the train there. It's a long ride but I thought I could read, so maybe it won't seem so long.

Why do YOU exercise???

Think about this for a second. What REALLY drives you to get up & get moving? What REALLY pushes you to lace up those shoes & press play on that iPod that you know will immediately throw you into the zone? Aside from the obvious health benefits that exercise delivers, what REALLY motivates you to push through on those days when you don't think you have anything to give which, in turn, ends up being one of your BEST routines? 

I'll start...

In partnership with Governor Dannel P. Malloy, I’ve declared war on childhood obesity and each day an army of kids, parents, educators, elected officials and Fortune 500 companies are joining me to help battle this disease.   How bad is this disease? In Connecticut alone, childhood obesity impacts more than 12 percent of our children.

Making the matter even more urgent is the fact that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity in children jumped 17 percent compared to a generation ago.  And, a multitude of studies have also shown that the childhood obesity epidemic is a real problem. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study that found kids who were obese or overweight by 5 years of age, would most likely keep that weight on through adulthood.

Picture this: June 2009. Fifty-five years old and at my highest weight ever. Recently laid off and feeling, well, not good! Join the local YMCA to swim because I’m too embarrassed to be seen in a gym.