YES, MY DEER

Starting today, and continuing each day,  I will post my Daily Exercise Report, or DEER, for short, detailing the exercises I do daily. The acronym DEER fits because deer are lean, fit, strong animals.  You never see a fat deer.  They get regular daily exercise, and eat right.  I hope my DEER will inspire you.

THE RESOLVE

You know how people like to make New Year's Resolutions, right?  Well, I made one, and I kept it, thank God!  It started January 1, 2013 with a New Year's Resolution to do regular, daily exercise. 

THE PLAN

I created a plan to help me keep the resolution.  I sat down with my appointment book calendar and planned the exercises for the year, all the way through to December 31, 2013.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I documented the exact day that I would increase each exercise. When you look at a calendar it is easy to see how time slips away if you don't grab each day and make it happen.  With my plan for the year in hand, I could visualize it, see it clearly in my mind.  It gave me focus.  I got it out of my head and committed it to paper with a pen. 

FOLLOWING THE PLAN

My written plan gave me the strength of will to follow the plan.  Having it in writing helped tremendously. 

January 1, I did 12 pull ups.  The plan?  Increase by 1 monthly.  So, February 1, I did 13 pull ups.  March I did 14 pull ups daily.  Today,  I did 19 pull ups. 


January 1, I did 100 crunches.  The plan?  Do 100 crunches everyday.  Today, I  did 100 crunches. 

January 1, I did one minute of ab work.  Ab work is crunches, leg lifts, bicycling the legs.  The plan?  Increase by one minute to two minutes, and maintain that for two months, February and March.  Then on April 1, increase to three minutes, and maintain that for three months, April, May, and June.  Then on July 1, increase to four minutes, and maintain that for four months,  July, August, September, and October.  Then, on November 1, increase to five minutes, and maintain that for five months, November, December, January, February, and March. Today, I did four minutes of ab work.

January 1, I did 30 push ups.  The plan?  Increase by 1 weekly, on Tuesdays.  February 1, I did 34  push ups.  March 1, I did 38 push ups.  Today, I did  62 push ups. 

I have been blessed by the Lord, I have not missed a day since the start of the year.  With God's help, on December 31, 2013, I plan to do 23 pull ups, 100 crunches, 5 minutes of ab work and  82 push ups, in that order, at the start of the day.

 (DEER)

AUGUST/16/2013

Pull Ups - 19
Crunches - 100
Ab Work (Crunches, leg lifts, bicycling legs) - 4 minutes
Push Ups - 62



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IT'S A HABIT

I would be lying if I told you that these exercises are always fun.  Some days I dread doing them.  But sometime around June of this year, I realized the exercises had become a habit.  I always pray first thing in the morning.  Next, I exercise, whether I feel like it or not.  HOT SNOWFLAKE!

TOMORROW

Tomorrow I will talk more about my physical activity, and show you how you can start a daily exercise plan. 

PRAYER

Lord God, help me to be consistent in doing the right things in my life.  Help me to form and keep good habits in every area of my life, in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

The above picture was taken when my wife and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, September 2011.