Today, Tuesday 23rd December 2008, I had still not sent off all my Christmas cards.

However, I knew the post was collected at 6 p.m. This gave me the necessary motivation to get a move on with the cards and to walk at least as far as the post box.

The same motivation worked yesterday and will work tomorrow!

Deadlines are powerful!

Today, I walked on past the post box and along my usual route. In Berens Way, I was met by a young fox. It walked casually out of a garden without bothering to check out if the coast was clear. It looked at me as I walked to within about ten feet of where it was.

It, then, casually walked back into the garden and hid under a bush. The weather has been warmer recently. It is easy to forget the foxes and other animals and birds from the comfort of a centrally heated house.

Incidentally, you can get a good work out in your house without going out into the cold. I saw a four minute work out from the Tabata Protocal on You Tube which basically went like this:

Pushups for 20 secs (do an easy version putting your weight on your knees rather than your feet if necessary.) Rest for 10 secs. Then do 20 seconds Mountain climbing from the push up position by moving your legs up and down as if climbing a mountain.

Then do 20 seconds recline rope pulls i.e. attach a rope or towel to a bar or branch higher than your head and lean back. Then pull yourself upwards two feet or so (with your feet still on the gournd) and then relax down to your original position. Rest for 10 seconds and then do Burpees for 20 seconds. Finally rest for 10 seconds. Repeat all the above and you will have had an energetic and effective 4 minute workout. Add it up for yourself!

To perform a burpee, drop down from a standing position into a squatting position and then kick your legs out into an pushup position. Then bring your feet back up towards your arms and stand up. If you cannot attach a rope anywhere for the rope pull ups, use dumbells and pull them up towards your upper chest. If necessary use two buckets with the amount of water in them that you can manage to lift.

Create an acronym out of the 4 exercises in the workout to help you remember them e.g. PMPB i.e. Pushups, Mountain climbing, Pullups, Burpees or create a sentence like:

Push Mountain,Pull Up Burp.

No excuse then for not working out this Christmas!

Today, Saturday 13th Dec 2008, I did my walking in the rain in Eltham, London SE9 where Henry VIII spent a large chunk of his youth.

There were a lot of people around considering the rain and the recession. I eventually arrived at W.H.Smith’s in the High Street not far from Eltham Palace where Henry lived for a time.

The shop was crowded and I admired the polite way in which two customers asked me to let them pass: ‘Excuse me, mate’ and ‘Sorry, mate.”

Things were not so polite on the other side of the shop where a fight seemed about to break out. I think one young lady had hit a man accidentally with her umbrella. He had told her to be more careful and she had told him to be more careful.

Her boyfriend joined in fairly quickly and swear words were exchanged. At one point a fight was about to erupt when the boyfriend announced:”He’s not worth it” or words to that effect.

He and his girl friend left. The girl friend came back on her own to throw a few more insults at the other man. As she left he called her a highly insulting word. She left to report this to her boyfriend.

Now the boyfriend returned with his girl friend and said: “Did you call my girl friend a ****? Do you know what that means?”

Dictionaries were probably available in the book section of the shop but no one suggested consulting them! The customers were all mesmerised by the colourful dialogue and the prospect of violence! Most of them knew the meaning of the word anyway. If they didn’t, they could make an educated guess!

Further swear words were exchanged until the boyfriend finally closed the encounter by declaring:”He’s too ugly to fight!”

He and his girl friend left. Honour had clearly been satisfied by a war of words.

This was a more satisfactory ending than an actual punchup but being a word warrior is a dangerous game unless you are prepared to be a warrior for real!

I am surprised at how few people take the time and trouble to attend a self-defence class. You never know when a situation like the above could occur.

Not one of the customers, including me, tried to calm the situation down. The two men had to rely entirely on themselves to sort things out. Violence could easily have exploded. One wonders which man was best prepared for that?

Girls, too, seem ready to take part in violence these days or, at least to start it. Do they need to train in a martial art or self-defence class? Yes.

If you live anywhere near Orpington in Kent, check out my
self-defence website at http://www.self-defence.org

Take care and watch where you put that umbrella!

Today, Sunday 7th Dec 2008, I read an interesting article by Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training about the power of brisk walking.

Researchers have discovered that 10 minutes of walking done three times per day can improve your health. Many years ago I used to go for three 30-60 minute walks a day.

Maybe I was overdoing it! Ten minutes would have been enough; possibly less!

Craig has noticed that British researchers “have found that shorter bouts of brisk walking reduce the levels of fat in your blood after you eat.”

Such walks also reduce the resting blood pressure in healthy young men and, probably, older men and women. After eating a high fat meal, volunteers did ten three minute sessions of fast walking in one session and one thirty minute bout of fast walking in another.

The results were the same. The 10 short walks and the one longer walk reduced the level of fat by 16 percent compared to those who did no exercise after the meal.

Both forms of exercise also reduced the blood pressure as the heart contracts by 6-7 percent compared to those who did no exercise.

Craig concludes:

“So get your butt off the couch as much as possible and move it. Even short little speed-walks, when they add up, can help your heart.”

Going outside ten times a day for three minute walks might convince your neighbours that you have gone mad! I get some strange looks even now when I only go out once a day.

In England you are looked on with suspicion if you are out walking without a dog or the excuse of posting a letter! Possibly some house owners fear that you are checking out their house with a view to burglary.

One could, in any case, walk around the garden or the house for 3 minutes without causing comment except from your own family!

I often tell my martial arts students to practise their kicks etc while they wait for the kettle to boil or during the commercial TV breaks. The 3 minute plan might fit in well with this type of activity.

In any event it is surprising how much can be accomplished in three minutes. A spot of hoovering or dusting might not go amiss!

Inspired by Craig’s article, I set off for my usual walk and tried to increase my walking speed. I did not spot any houses that were easy to burgle!

I did notice, however, that some houses had begun to put up Christmas lights etc. Christmas will soon be upon us and the three minute walks might become especially useful!

Today, Tues 2nd Dec 2008, I had a haircut and then bit the bullet and walked out into the cold air for my usual walk.

I did not feel like walking but, after my last post about submitting to the misery of an unpleasant situation, I did not hang around dithering but headed for the door.

I took a hat with me but as soon as I got outside the door I decided to leave it behind. Walking fast is a more healthy alternative to a hat. In addition, the colder you are the more likely you are to walk fast! Pain or discomfort are powerful motivators.

En route, I met the postman. He said that it was so cold that he should get a hat. I told him that he should get rid of his bicycle and jog instead. He would not then need a hat!

“I haven’t seen you jogging!” came his riposte.

He was only partly right. My jog looks like a walk!

This morning, Monday Dec 1st 2008, I watched my recording of yesterday’s soccer matches in England.

Yesterday, West Bromwich Albion were defeated by Wigan. West Brom are now bottom of the Premier League. Some people cannot remember when West Brom last won a match!

Adrian Chiles, commentating for the BBC, noticed a West Brom football fan dancing on the spot in the stands as his team played on to achieve yet another failure. Chiles had this to say:

“He has been told by some psychotherapist: ‘Act happy and you will become happy’.

Chiles continued: “It doesn’t work. I’ve tried it. Just forget it!
Submit to misery. It’s much easier!”

Some things in life just cannot be enjoyed however much you sugar the pill. This afternoon, I did not feel like going for a walk but after hearing Adrian Chiles’ advice I decided to ‘accept the misery’ and just get going.

If I had waited until I felt more cheerful about going for a walk, I might not have made it. Instead, accepting that the experience might be a boring and miserable one, I embraced the misery and walked.

Of course, walks can be a most enjoyable experience. However, on some days even the keenest of walkers does not feel like making the effort.

Sometimes, the only way to achieve anything is through effort. Strangely enough as I walked along Clarendon Way today, I passed a removals van. On the side was the legend:

“Excellence Through Effort!”