Most people stay indoors as much as possible when it rains or snows. People don’t want to get wet, they don’t want to be inconvenienced, and they definitely don’t want to challenge themselves to try something new and exciting. If you’re the type to avoid the great outdoors when the air is slightly more moist from precipitation, then I’ll let you in on a little secret… humans are waterproof! And so are poncho’s!
I took about 90 minutes today to get out in the woods with my dog Ronin, who has his American Kennel Club “Canine Good Citizen” test tonight (CGC info here). In the last 5 months that we’ve owned Ronin, I’ve discovered that he performs much better in obedience when he gets moderate exercise throughout the week. He’s more discerning, faster, and more compliant when he has a balanced activity level. Naturally, I want him to pass his test, so it behooves us to give him a little bit of physical and mental stimulation today (the test is 10 obedience skills, and all must be successfully completed to pass the exam, no mistakes allowed – one fluke and we fail). Here are some highlights from our rainy day workout…
Rainy Day Workout
I’ve been talking a lot about getting outdoors throughout the topics of this blog, but I’ve also been talking a lot about play (and reading a lot about it lately). Getting outside today was not only a necessity for Ronin and my own health and wellbeing, it was the highlight of my day. It didn’t take an ounce of effort to outside because I LOVE to be out there – rain or shine. Sure, it felt like I had a slurpie in each boot, but we had a blast just messing around and enjoying each other’s company out in nature – away from the computers, cell phones, cars, and all the “noise” that is prevalent in our modern society.
I think this is one of the biggest keys to practicing compliance with a fitness program. Find something you LOVE to do. It should be the best part of your day, what you look forward to when you wake up, or get out of work. Once you’ve got that figured out, the rest is just details and the magic will begin to unfold – whether you realize it or not.
To your health and success,
.jpg "John Sifferman")
Fitness Professional
P.S. If you’re not the type to exercise outside, that’s fine too. I’d recommend taking a look at this workout program which is super-effective and best performed indoors. TACFIT Commando
