Former SEAL on Fitness in your Fifties

Teammates, A SEAL from BUD/S class 57 has a lifetime of fitness to celebrate! 2010 is ONE WEEK away -- what is your fitness mission for this coming decade? There is no "I" in Team -- share your stories so we all can benefit! AMM

"SEAL76 - I am a former SEAL BUDS CLASS 57 SEAL TEAM ONE 1970-1973. I have been exercising since I was in high school and continue to do so. I am 58 years old and in better shape than guys half my age. Having been a SEAL taught me that you have to work hard to stay in shape but the results are worth every bit of the effort it takes.

Slogging through the Delta in Vietnam was a lot less difficult because of our daily PTs, runs, and swims. I don't have to do that any more but being in shape allows me to do yard work, snow shoveling, furniture moving and the daily tasks that call for a healthy body. Fitness has served me well as a public school classroom teacher. It not only keeps me going on tough days but provides an outlet for the frustrations that all teachers have to deal with. Your article should motivate young and old alike. HOOYAH!"

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

* Picture from wikipedia: Members of U.S. Navy SEAL Team One move down the Bassac River in a Seal team Assault Boat (STAB) during operations along the river south of Saigon, November 1967.

Making Time For Fitness

Guest blogger: Tim Grizzell, former Navy SEAL

In order to successfully do their missions, U.S. Navy SEALs rely heavily on their gear to work properly. When I was a young frogman just starting out in the SEAL teams, an old, experienced SEAL said to me, “Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you!” The last thing a SEAL wants to happen when he is deep behind enemy lines or when he is freefalling from 18,000 feet, is for his gear to breakdown.

The same applies with your body. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you! You should treat your body like SEAL team gear because your body is your most important asset. The last thing you want to happen when you are being pulled in many directions at work or at home is for your body to fail. In order to have a healthy body, there are many things you must do, but a very important item is to make time for fitness. It amazes me that some individuals carve out more time to take care of their automobiles than they do to take care of their bodies.

Finding time for fitness is easier said than done. Trust me. I know. My wife works full time and is part-owner of a business. We have three children ages five, four and two. I am starting a new business venture in sports apparel. We both volunteer our time outside of work and family in various local community projects and non-profit work. Yet we still get creative and make time for fitness because our bodies feel great after exercise. It is the core of our success. I will be honest. Our fitness workout plans do not always get executed exactly as planned. We do miss workouts from time-to-time.

Every January there are a number of individuals who start out the New Year with lofty physical fitness goals, which is great if they can stay committed to those goals. Unfortunately, some individuals set fitness goals that are too high and it causes too much of a disruption in their daily schedules. They then “fall of the fitness wagon” and before you know it is back to “couch potato” status. “I cannot workout. It just takes too much time.”

My advice to you is to make small adjustments and be consistent. Look at your daily schedule and figure out where you can find 30 minutes to 1 hour a day for a workout. Try to workout at least 4 days a week. If it is less than 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week, so be it. One idea I have for you is to get up a little earlier. Getting out of bed an hour earlier than usual may be too much. A small adjustment would be getting up fifteen minutes earlier than you normally do. Another small adjustment is to be more efficient in other daily tasks to get another 15 to 30 minutes somewhere else. Stack both time slots together in a day and you just found the exercise time that I referenced above with little disruption to your daily routine.

One last piece of advice I have for you: If you miss a planned workout, do not let it get you down. Just move on and get fired up for the next one and try not to miss another one! That is consistency.

The bottom line is once you have a committed to a consistent fitness program, you more than likely will crave more because of the positive side effects on your body. You will then be amazed by how much time you set aside to take care of your body. If you can find time for fitness and be consistent at it, you will not have to put that item on future New Year’s resolution lists because you are already doing it. Most importantly, your body will take care of you because you are taking care of it!!

Stay Fired Up!!!!

I welcome any questions regarding my own personal training programs for running or any other general comments you might have.

Tim Grizzell

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Guest Blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons and will be running the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon Memorial Day Weekend. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

L.T. Tim Grizzell will be on deck tomorrow!

CM Teammates! I’m Fired UP to introduce a swim buddy, former Navy SEAL platoon commander and a damn good friend, LT. Tim Grizzell – aka Brotha Al. Tim has done SEAL tours on the west coast, the far east and in Europe; he was a top collegiate runner and he's an aspiring running apparel entrepreneur.

Tim gets the inner meaning of CHARLIE MIKE and I’m thrilled he’s signed up to share a few inspirational thoughts on how you can take control of your body. Feel free to fire questions his way!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN