News and Tribune

Columns

October 23, 2009

NASH: Trying to avoid being the biggest loser

The leaves are beginning to change and the days are getting cooler. The hours of daylight are getting shorter, so naturally the time spent outside is starting to dwindle. In the next few weeks getting on my bike and just going for a ride will be a thing of the past. The chilled wind makes it hard to maneuver when the tears form around your eyes and kind of freeze there on your face. As winter quickly approaches, it is important to find alternatives to exercise so you do not pack on that winter flab.

I started riding my bike seriously last year. For most of the late spring and all summer I was riding nearly 300 miles a month. I noticed a significant change in my body. I lost some weight but I also gained a lot of muscle. My physical endurance had also increased. Now, I had never been as healthy as I should have been, at times being as much as fifty to sixty pounds overweight, but I was making progress and that is what was important.

When last winter hit I personally hit a brick wall. Without the ability to readily get on my bike, I quickly fell into a pattern of bad behavior. I quickly put on the weight that I had lost and the progress that I had made throughout the warm months disappeared. Although the new YMCA opened about the same time that the weather broke last year I could not return to the level of physical fitness that I had when the weather was warm and it was sunny outside.

As spring approached this year I made a vow that this year would be different. I would get a jump start on the exercise and by mid summer I would be in the best shape of my adult life. Of course this is not what happened. I was hampered by the rain that wouldn’t quit. It seemed that every time that I would have a free afternoon to ride, the storm clouds would be lurking and the torrential down pour would be upon us. Even riding my bike to work was out of the question most days due to the forecast that I had to rely on. I couldn’t get stuck riding from Jeffersonville to New Albany if severe weather was approaching.

Now as winter is quickly upon us, I am beginning to worry that I will never be able to return to the fitness level that I need to be. With the holidays quickly approaching and over indulgence being the accepted norm I must break through those barriers that stop me so that I don’t pack on those winter fat stores that many people blame on the cave man. This winter needs to be different.

In order for this to happen I have got to make a determined effort to get out and be more physical. I need to take the time for myself so that I don’t fall into that trap of packing on those winter pounds that have always been accepted. Next spring when I get back on my bike I want to have the endurance that has alluded me for many years. I think I can do it, I know that I have to do it.

By the time this winter is over I will be 40 years old. This milestone birthday to most people signifies that its all downhill from here. It becomes increasingly harder to maintain good health as parts of your body begin to deteriorate. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I believe that my 41st year on this planet will be my healthiest yet. At least I will have fun trying.

Matthew Nash is excited about the prospect of being healthier. He can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Columns
  • Clere, Ed photo.jpg CLERE: Walkout is absurd

    The walkout by Indiana House Democrats entered its third week yesterday as tensions continued to rise and misinformation proliferated.

    March 7, 2011 1 Photo

  • Ladd, Mike.web.jpg LADD: New Albany has new energy

    New Albany is evolving. Public art has become more prevalent in the downtown, drawing more locals and outside visitors to our community; bringing more publicity.

    March 7, 2011 1 Photo

  • Harbeson, Debbie.jpg HARBESON: It’s super living in Indiana

    My husband and I attend an annual Super Bowl party, which is normally a small gathering of friends, but this year our host’s home was bursting with guests.

    February 9, 2012 1 Photo

  • Gesenhues, Amy.w.jpg GESENHUES: The Susan G. Komen precedent

    My mom is a breast cancer survivor.
      I have walked many a mile in support of the cause and raised a sizable number of dollars for breast cancer research. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure initiatives are not lost on me.

    February 8, 2012 1 Photo

  • Beam, Amanda.jpg BEAM: Just smile

    Whispers will soon abound outside of school as the corporation enters negotiations this summer with the teacher’s union over a new contract. Aides are not covered under the union.

    February 7, 2012 1 Photo

  • Howey, Brian A.jpg HOWEY: Keeping Peyton in the Hoosier pantheon

    The critics of keeping Manning suggest he would return to a team struggling to contend. I’m not buying that. The Colts were decimated for a second consecutive year with injuries, particularly on defense. With the top choice in each round, they can quickly reset, as San Francisco and Cincinnati did this year.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • cummins CUMMINS: How to live a stable life

    Then I heard Newt Gingrich say that he will establish a colony on the moon by the end of his second term. I’d vote for him if he would go.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • Van Hoy, Shea (new).jpg VAN HOY: What’s the point, anyway?

    February 4, 2012 1 Photo

  • Dodd DODD: Taking shots with the mayor

    February 4, 2012 1 Photo

  • Nash, Matt.web.jpg NASH: We have to share the road

    They are very predictable and almost every one of them say the same thing. They throw around words like “menace” and claim that the roads were meant for automobiles. It is always the same argument that bicycle riders don’t pay taxes and should be registered and be forced to get insurance just like cars.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

Twitter Updates
Follow us on twitter
Follow me on Twitter
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
AP Video
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9 Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House' Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo. Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
SEASONAL CONTENT