When children commit to sports it becomes a family commitment. (Likewise,when husbands commit to coach it becomes a family commitment.) I am delighted that the ones I love most have athletic passions that drive them to practice, sweat, and improve their games. These interests, while entertaining, build life skills including cooperation, understanding, focus, team-work, and the realization that only through persistence and practice do we achieve success. With our daughter's commitment to a travel team this summer, our responsibilities as parents increased including a routine two hour round trip commute twice a week for a 90 minute practice at a variety of Milwaukee area high schools. With exceptional, inspiring coaches we knew this was the best chance to elevate the only game that has ever captured her heart, basketball.
The beauty for me was car confinement with my 13 year old! I love to listen to her chatter (wise beyond her years) and simply spend time with her during this life season that is fleeting. A driver's license, high school, and social life is just around the corner thus Prestige has become a relationship builder for us too. Her only request during commutes is control over the tunes, she keeps them fresh and updated subsequently improving my understanding of relevant music. (Not really!)
 Pius cavernous basement hallway! |  Motivation...Exercise, the Poor Man's Plastic Surgery |  The Mud Room. A quiet yoga space. |
For parents, this commitment can take a toll, many hours spent sitting in the car or on bleachers contributing to detrimental side-effects associated with immobility. It became a personal goal to seek creative functional movement during Auburn's practice times. In spring, a time still unsuitable in Wisconsin for most outdoor activity, (remember, I am a Florida girl!), I created a loop in the basement halls of Pius High School. With my trusty Samsung pedometer 4-5 miles would disappear in 75 minutes. I was even invited to participate in a teen/teacher gaggle of Insanity. These students would gather at 7p.m. in a rec zone with their workout DVD and train together; a brilliant, cost effective, sociable method for high school youth to amp their fitness. My cool-downs took place in the "Mud Room," where I could quietly do yoga until Auburn's practice concluded. (Auburn did not know I was doing all this "weird" stuff in the Pius basement while she was in the gym!) This month, practice has been at Nicolet High School. Nicolet offers free, fantastic exercise amenities for parents who drive 45 minutes plus for their child's practice; a track and fresh air!
The tennis courts always capture my attention. They are consistently full with a senior men's league whose prowess, in my opinion, exceeds any pro player. It is youthful and invigorating, an exercise for their soul as much as body. As you round the south end of the track you hear the exasperation, the jubilation, the disgust, and the triumph floating off the courts. These sound effects are all too familiar as I observe the perfect set-up for a winning shot, only to evaporate courtesy of the net's obnoxious presence. Besides walkers and runners, there was a mom doing sit-ups with a child holding her feet/ankles and an agility coach working with boys on technical mobility, step ladder drills, and plyometric activities. I walked a little taller and faster each time I passed his end of the track.
What captivated me most was a group of 10-12 women in running shoes and workout attire, migrating on the west side of the track. They meet like family at a designated hour with an impressive, confident trainer. As one of the women jog/shuffled past me I remarked, "You are doing awesome!" She smiled and replied, "Not sure if it's awesome, but I'm doing it." I inquired about this committed group gathering spontaneously at Nicolet track. They are gym members at All Around Sports Fitness, LLC in Milwaukee. Sometimes, rather than meeting at the gym, the trainer and owner Shannon Johnson, designates an open-air training zone. My track friend shares that although she has many gifts and talents, fitness training is not one. As a result she deems an investment with a professional trainer and former Division 1 collegiate athlete like Shannon of profound value to her health and well-being.
All Around Sports Fitness, LLC Owner and CPT Shannon Johnson
These women did their primary workout in less than a 50 yard zone. Frog jumps, butt kicks, monster walks, push-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts, power walks, sprints...you name it...they were attacking the workout. Coach Shannon was no-nonsense yet affirmative, giving the women guidance, encouragement, but no escape clause. "If you can't do the full push up then start from the ground, keep your knees down, and straighten your arms." She counted, she commanded, she congratulated... the group responded with sweat, grunts, and a few cries of relief. There were no mats, no weights, no bands...just movement in all planes....up, down, over, under, side, front and back! I couldn't help but accelerate my pace, even in my mom-shorts and keds, everytime I passed their drills!
How exciting would it be if everyone who observed us from a distance gained motivation, a sense of well-being, and a desire to work passionately? The active people on this track, in the field, on the courts were unknowingly sending their luminescent energy to me. Their atoms of energy attached to me and changed an ordinary walk into an extraordinary experience. We are all atoms of energy. We collide and combine with positive and negative carriers. In the world of energy a negative ion actually provides the most grounding force, the strongest staying power, the greatest attraction and protection against oxidative stress and the breakdown of cells. Cars, when exposed to environmental stress like water molecules, rust. What prevents car rust? An antioxidant, a protective layer which in cars we commonly call wax. Our bodies are not much different. Just like automobiles, we too need antioxidants or protective layers to keep our bodies in working condition. We are less likely to break down when we make choices that decrease our exposure to stress. Simple dietary and physical choices provide antioxidants, or barriers to stress, wear and tear. In addition when we protect our body with strong social support and individuals who affirm our effort, who emphasize positive attitude, who generate a sense of inclusion and a positive self-belief we ourselves become more resilient and rust-proof. Conversely, if you find yourself in the company of the opposing energy, those who are hyper-critical, overly-sensitive, take everything personally, pesimistic, quick to anger, blame, and condemn, your own health will suffer. Choose to be the negative ion "coach" (we are all coaches in some sense) that builds others up, be the one who sees the good, who focuses on the positive, is slow to anger and quick to love and forgive. In so doing your heart health and your soul will gain strength. Be the negative ion who attaches with the free-floating radicals and creates positive change.
Web MD describes negative ions in this manner: Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches (and Nicolet track!) Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.
Ironically as I was leaving the track, a man I had instinctively attempted to avoid (just felt that vibe) intercepted me, extended his hand and asked if I was "available." Clearly my negative ions were floating with random fervor as well! Lucky for me, 18 years ago a great man asked me, also at a gym, if I was single. That positive interaction of free-flowing negative ions resulted in two kids and 18 years of radical molecular activity! There is an abundance of energy available and simple observations and interactions can morph our bodies, our days and our lives into abundance.
Web MD describes negative ions in this manner: Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches (and Nicolet track!) Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.
Ironically as I was leaving the track, a man I had instinctively attempted to avoid (just felt that vibe) intercepted me, extended his hand and asked if I was "available." Clearly my negative ions were floating with random fervor as well! Lucky for me, 18 years ago a great man asked me, also at a gym, if I was single. That positive interaction of free-flowing negative ions resulted in two kids and 18 years of radical molecular activity! There is an abundance of energy available and simple observations and interactions can morph our bodies, our days and our lives into abundance.
Thank you for reading!
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