The Flesh is Weak

I have never really been one for New Year's Resolutions. I have always believed that if something needs to change in your life you shouldn't need the crutch of another trip around the sun to motivate you to action. Which is why this year is odd.

This year I have decided that I need to get my body in better condition... I need to get in shape (regardless of the fact that my present condition is, in fact, a shape).

I guess I can still say that I don't really do New Year's Resolutions given the fact that this is not really a resolution based on the New Year, it just happens that my decision comes immediately following the turn of the year. Actually, the real truth is that my decision comes after viewing the pictures Heather, Aedyn, Jaron, and I took on New Year's Day.

Last year we went to the beach on New Year's Day and have decided to make that a tradition for our little family. This year I was mortified by the fact that when I looked at the pictures, instead of seeing me and my two sons I saw me and my two chins.

Now, I am not one to get all wrapped up in body image or obsess about the way I look, but the pictures of the rather rotund me served as an exclamation point to the fact that I could use some exercise; a reminder of some observations I have made over the past year.

One of the observations I have made is the sad fact that at the age of 32 I can't keep up with my father-in-law when it comes to playing with my son. While they are off running around together I am usually relegated to watching from the couch.

A second observation I have made is that I just don't seem to have any energy these days; and I am tired of living on energy drinks and ibuprofen. And while I realize I am no longer 18 I do realize that feeling 32 should feel a lot better than it does.

The third observation was that after playing on the swings my arms felt like I had finished an intense workout, not a leisurely afternoon at a playground built for children.

Enter the Kettlebell.

I don't have the time nor the money to join a gym at this juncture and it is not practical to purchase equipment such as weights and a bench for our already cramped house.

But why a kettlebell?

I love the simplistic idea of the kettlebell. It is one, solitary piece of equipment. I even read a great article about the use of kettlebells on one of my favorite websites: The Art of Manliness. I have first hand testimony of the effectiveness of kettlebell training from not only a friend of mine but my wife's aunt, who swears by them. Plus, few things sound manlier than tossing around a hunk of iron.

So, despite the official adoption of a New Year's Resolution, I hope that 2011 will prove to be a more fit year than 2010.