Training date with my wife

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

Last Saturday I attended my first Pilates class at the gym where I train. I joined my wife who has been going to these classes for about one month. I’m entitled to two Pilates classes per week without charge as part of my basic gym membership privileges.

Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany. Pilates training focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing spine support. Pilate exercises emphasize breath awareness, spine alignment and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

The original Pilates repertoire consisted of 34 exercises done on the floor on a padded mat. Eventually, Mr. Pilates invented equipment for use with Pilates training, including the Reformer that I used during my introductory session. The Reformer consists of a carriage, in a rectangular wooden platform, connected to springs along with pulleys and ropes that are attached to the frame.

A person using the Reformer uses their own resistance in addition to the resistance provided by the machine’s springs. Essentially, the Reformer looks like a platform bed with resistance cords at the end. Pilates’ exercises performed on the Reformer are resistance training because the Reformer’s springs provide additional resistance. Using these springs creates progressive resistance because the resistance increases as the springs are stretched.

My initial impression is that I like Pilates training as a supplement to my current training methods but not exclusively as my wife is currently doing. Therefore, once a week I’ll be going on a Pilates’ training date with my wife.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

May not be able to save them

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes mellitus (commonly referred to as diabetes) is a condition characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from the body's inability to use blood glucose for energy. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin and therefore blood glucose cannot enter the cells to be used for energy. In Type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use insulin correctly.

If researchers are correct, diabetes is a word that will be used more often in the future to describe a condition that afflicts our friends, family members and, perhaps, us. An article published in the December 2009 issue of Diabetes Care included a startling conclusion that the diabetes population and the related costs are expected to at least double in the next 25 years.

Diabetes Care is published by the American Diabetes Association for the health care practitioner that is intended to increase knowledge, stimulate research, and promote better management of people with diabetes.

Specifically, the researchers who wrote the article state that, between 2009 and 2034, the number of people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes will increase from 23.7 million to 44.1 million, and that approximately 65 percent of individuals of the population will be overweight or obese.

During the same period, annual diabetes-related spending is expected to increase from $113 billion to $336 billion (2007 dollars). For the Medicare-eligible population, the diabetes population is expected to rise from 8.2 million in 2009 to 14.6 million in 2034; associated spending is estimated to rise from $45 billion to $171 billion.

It’s well known that we can stay healthier longer and reduce our risk of diabetes through a healthy lifestyle such as changing our diet, increasing our level of physical activity, and maintaining a healthy bodyweight.

What surprised me while reading an abstract of this article was a sentence in the authors’ conclusion that "without significant changes in public or private strategies, this population and cost growth are expected to add a significant strain to an overburdened health care system. "

Well that may be a true statement but I would have written it differently. "Without significant changes by individuals to live a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy bodyweight through diet and exercise, an overburdened health care system may not be able to save them."

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Adios Tony

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

Last Friday my wife and I hosted a good-bye celebration at our home for a young man we know who is leaving Sacramento for new opportunities elsewhere. Originally from Mexico, he moved to Sacramento about four years ago and, most recently, worked as an accountant for the State of California.

Tony became our surrogate second son and my wife and I became his spiritual mother and father. We did lots of things together and, like a good son, he regularly sought our counsel to guide him in doing the right things in his journey of life. We had the opportunity to meet his mother and father and siblings during our trip to Mexico City earlier this year. They were very grateful that we were keeping an eye on their Tony.

Early this morning, Tony departed Sacramento for San Antonio, Texas to temporarily reside with his sister who lives there. He may then find his way to Maryland but promises us, actually himself, that he’ll soon be back to Sacramento. Whether he does or not, one thing is certain and that is he will always be our spiritual son.

Here’s a short video I made for Tony and as a pleasant memory for me:

Adios Tony.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Because I like them

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

I’ve read several reviews the past couple months about the Vibram Five Fingers athletic shoes (maybe “feet gloves” is a more descriptive term). Just about every review I read was favorable, including the one written by Justin, my cyberspace fitness son just for fun, at his blog here: Justin's review of the Vibram FiveFingers at The Bodyweight Files.

About one week ago I sought out and found a store near my office that sold these athletic feet gloves. It took me longer to find the store as I approached the area where it is located than it did for me to try on a pair and make a “business decision” to buy them. While I didn’t time myself, I’m guessing that the elapsed time of walking into the store empty handed and walking out the door wearing my new Vibram FiveFingers KSO was a whopping ten minutes.

I joined the "off the beaten path athlete crowd" and bought a pair because I like them.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Advent Sunday 2009

Today is Sunday and, as usual, Pierini Fitness is closed so the chief executive blogger can rest his body, mind and spirit.

Today is also Advent Sunday 2009. Last year about this time, here's a blogflection where I wrote about Advent Sunday.

Enjoy your Advent Sunday 2009.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Exercise with Mr. Titan

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

A cyberspace fitness sister from a different mister recently asked the question on an internet fitness forum if anyone remembered exercising with Mr. Titan. I was the only person who replied yes.

The Mighty Mr. Titan was a 1965 short-lived syndicated cartoon series consisting of 3½ minute cartoons that promoted physical fitness. The series featured exercises demonstrated by the cartoon character known as Mr. Titan. Kids watching the cartoon were encouraged to exercise along with Mr. Titan and, as a 10-year young boy, I was one of them.

Here's a sample of Mr. Titan in action demonstrating a real world exercise:



Here’s another one:



Thanks for the trip down memory lane Donna. I’m cutting short today’s Pierini Fitness blogflection because I’m off to go exercise with Mr. Titan.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A retired runner

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

Yesterday was the Run to Feed The Hungry, an annual Thanksgiving Day fun-run in Sacramento that attracted about 28,500 runner and walker participants. It’s a very popular early Thanksgiving Day activity and a major fundraising event for a local charitable organization that feeds the homeless offering both a 5k and 10k distance for runners and walkers of all abilities.

I participated in this fun run for several consecutive years and always trained hard for it and ran my guts out on race day. Every year was always about me trying to outperform my previous year’s effort. Some years I did and other years I came up short, but my effort was always my very best.

But now I am an official “retired runner”, a status that I’ve come to grips with despite many years where running was a significant and enjoyable component of my fitness training. Cardio fitness training is now accomplished by other activities, several of which I’ve written about in past Pierini Fitness blogflections.

It’s one of several fitness rites of passage I’ve gone through as I bask in the sunshine of my middle-age manhood. Been there and done it. Check it off. Chasing other fitness pursuits and having fun at it. Call it what you want. That’s what I do. Yup, my name is Pierini and I am a retired runner.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

No turkey on Thanksgiving Day

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

On behalf of Pierini Fitness, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving today and that you enjoy your day however you spend it. If you are like many Americans, it will center on a mega-meal consisting of baked or roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables and pumpkin pie.

Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of the traditional Thanksgiving Day cuisine. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten my fair share of traditional Thanksgiving Day meals, but mental images of a plate of that food doesn’t make my mouth water even with a belly crying hunger.

In the path that I’ve traveled, there’s been a time or two when my Thanksgiving Day meal consisted of something other than the standard turkey-centered buffet. One time was Thanksgiving Day 2001 when my wife and I exchanged hello greetings with a couple from New York City as we strolled along a street in Fatima, Portugal. A short conversation with this couple followed and ended when they wished us a “Happy Thanksgiving”.

At that moment, my wife and I realized we weren’t mindful of the day it was and that, for us, there would be no turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Eat our age and not our appetite

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

Here's a rerun from last year that's good food for thought as the holiday eating season begins with tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day mega-meal.

Holiday gluttony

It's a safe reminder for us middle-age men to remember to eat our age and not our appetite.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

My little white whiskers

Introducing the Pierini DIET here

Early in my blogging “career” I wrote about my little gray whiskers to keep me in check from my predisposition of seeing a 16-year old kid when looking in the mirror.

Guess what, for a limited time only, as the above photo indicates, they are back!

Soon I'll need to call them call them "my little white whiskers".

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum