Category: Our Story

Clark Creek natural area is a state park located in the southwest corner of Mississippi. The park consists of numerous waterfalls, as many as 50 by some estimates. Some are as tall as 30 feet. There is an improved hiking trail and a  primitive hiking trail within the park. The 2 mile long improved trail consists of a gravel base. The 3 mile primitive trail runs through the various creek beds that populate the park. You cannot take the primitive trail without doing at least some of the improved trail. Whatever trail you’re on, you can count on doing some pretty strenuous climbing. There are numerous climbs, some so steep that wooden stairways have been installed to help people complete them. You can also count on getting wet as you hike through the creek beds. You would never expect to see an area such as this in the generally flat lands of the region. It is an absolutely beautiful place and is especially fun to visit in the milder spring and fall months.

I’ve visited the area and have done the trails about 7 times now. This past Saturday was the most recent. Our previous visit was over a year ago. We typically go with a group of people but there have been times when it’s just been us and our children.  This past Saturday we had 19 in our group, ages 7 to 50.

Long story short….. From a physical standpoint, Melissa and I did better on the trails than we’ve ever done. And we can safely say that we did better than most of the others in our group. Only Anthony, our 19 year old son, appeared to breeze through most areas like we did. That stands to reason….. Anthony has been working out with the ROM Machine like we are.

The key thing for me during the steep climbs was A) not having any chest pain and B) not being out of breath. There was one fairly steep climb when all of this became a realization for me. There were two young men (teenagers) ahead of me trying to get up a hill. The hill was probably at a 45° angle, if not greater. It was at least 50′ of vertical gain. A few steps into the hill those boys started jogging. They jogged all the way to the top. I followed right behind them, not missing a beat. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised at myself. Yes, I got tired and rested at the top. Yes, my breathing was rapid. However, I honestly don’t remember it being as easy to make those climbs the other times I visited the area.

This is one of the side benefits I was looking for when I started this ROM fitness program. Talk about a confidence builder!

To Good Health!
Marco

Last post I wrote about my father-in-law and how he possesses what I consider to be “a merry heart”. The main point of the post was how our outlook in life can play a major part in our health and well-being. 

So what does “A Merry Heart” have to do with the ROM Machine?

Let’s face it….. there are very few people that really look forward to working out. Most look at working out as a drudgery….. something that isn’t worth taking the time to do. All you have to do is look at our society. There are almost daily articles about obesity, especially when it comes to childhood obesity and the lack of physical activity children are getting these days. What has changed in the last 30 years? A lot.

When I was a kid you couldn’t get us in the house. I grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago. All us kids in the neighborhood would play outside as long as our parents would allow us. We had Big Wheel races around the block, we climbed trees, we played “Ghost in the Graveyard” till well past dark (the darker the scarier). We were constantly running around, playing. Kids today? Not so much. I blame TV and the internet. And you know what? I don’t think kids (as a whole) are as happy now as we were back then. There was something about all that physical activity that invigorated us…. and made us happy. And we couldn’t wait to get up the next day and start all over again.

I think adults are a lot like kids except they lack one thing: time. Life’s obligations and all of that. But the desire for “play time” never really leaves us. Research has proven that we release/ produce endorphins when we have physical activity. One definition of “endorphins” points out that they “produce some pharmacological effects (as pain relief) much like those of opiates” (Webster). In other words…. endorphins are like a drug within your body…. that’s good for you. Again, the way that you stimulate the release of endorphins is to have physical activity. We need to play.

For me, that’s where the ROM Machine comes in. The ROM Machine has given me the ability to work out and stimulate my bodies natural production of endorphins. But a key part of this is the fact that I don’t have to look at working out as “work.” There is no drudgery involved because it only takes four minutes to get in a productive workout. And one that really gets my heart rate going. Honestly, every time I’ve gotten done with a ROM session I’ve always felt better when I was done compared to before I started. Without fail. It’s almost like magic, or something. But it’s not. It’s proven science. Physical activity makes you happy. And the ROM Machine is the quickest way to get there.

To Good Health,

Marco

My wife’s Uncle had a heart attack last month. He woke up one weekday morning feeling pain in his arm/ shoulder. He thought he had slept in an awkward position. He soon realized it might be more than that. Not wanting to take a chance on waiting for an ambulance, he drove himself to the hospital. He had the heart attack while the doctors were examining him. Had he been anywhere else he probably would have died….. The doctors found that his “Widow Maker” artery was 99.9% blocked. Thankfully, he survived and is working his way through recovery. In fact, he was back at home within a few days after surgery.
Uncle Ronnie is in his early 60’s and never had any signs of any problems. By all appearances he was in good health. But you never know, huh?

Uncle Ronnie’s brother Mike (my father in law) was prompted by this event (and an insistent wife) to go get checked out. He had heard that heart disease is hereditary. He is older than Uncle Ronnie so he figured it might be a good idea to get some tests done. I don’t know all the details about the testing that he went through but one thing that happened sticks in my mind: he scored zero on a test that the doctors told him he wouldn’t score zero on. You see, zero was the best score possible. Nationwide, very few people had ever scored that low. Well, once the test came back that’s exactly what he had…. zero. The test was to determine plaque build-up in the arteries. There was none. The doctors said he is in excellent shape for a man his age.

Long story short…… My father in law is probably going to outlive all of us. I agree with the doctors. I’ve known my f-i-l for over 20 years…. He is in the best shape of pretty much anyone I know in their 60’s. And the testing they did on him confirmed it. So how does he do it? Does he exercise regularly? Well, maybe some. He plays racquetball but I wouldn’t say regularly. Does he eat “right?” Not really. He eats just about anything he wants (although lately I’ve noticed he’s eating smaller portions). He even drinks Cokes (and has for years).

What is it then? We already know he has some hereditary conditions to be concerned about….. No escaping that. Here’s what I think it is: He always seems to be happy. No matter what the situation is he seems to always look at the bright side of things. I’ve hardly ever seen him down. My f-i-l is pastor of our church and has seen some heartache over the years…. People that he loves and the situations they have had to go through. He tragically lost a very good friend back in 1993. Through it all he has remained steady.  And this isn’t just my opinion. Many others have commented on his continually upbeat attitude.

There is a scripture in Proverbs (17:22) that says “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” In other words, having a positive outlook can better your health.  My f-i-l is a perfect example of this. He is not a worrier and he seems to always be in a good mood. It has shown through his health. The tests have proved it.

So the lesson in all of this? Don’t worry…..be happy (I couldn’t resist). Maybe you, too, can pass those tests!

How does the ROM fit in with all of this? That’s coming in the next post.

To Good Health
Marco