My ongoing list of “things I could do better” in the health department has filled these pages for years and my brain for decades. Often, I feel like I spend 17% of my waking life wrestling with habit-forming, decision-making, and… read more
Ted Spiker
Is a Deadline the Best Motivator?
Almost 10 years ago, I started a Facebook group for people who wanted to run a 5K under 30 minutes. The group—called the Sub-30 Club, which now has nearly 7,000 members—quickly changed its focus: We wouldn’t just center around 29:59.… read more
Ted Talks: Game On … Or Off?
For years, my favorite weekly workout has been our old-guy pickup basketball game. Though I can get hotter than a habanero every once in a while, I am not very good (I have the vertical leap of a street curb,… read more
Ted Talks: Mission Impossible
Despite the inspirational words that come from motivational speakers and flashy Instagram quotes, sometimes you have to realize that certain fitness feats will never happen. I accept, for example, that I will never be able to dunk a basketball, qualify… read more
Tips For Staying Healthy While You Travel
For so long, I always believed that “healthy” and “travel” went together about as well as chocolate and toothpaste. After all, where’s the fun if you can’t have the pizza and wine carafe(s) in Italy, the paella in Spain, or… read more
Humorous Side of Health: Food Fight
As much as I’d love to have flung marinara-dressed noodles across a cafeteria once or twice in my life, I’ve never had a real food fight. Unless you count these battles: The bloody nose I got after wolfing down 12… read more
How Songwriters Unintentionally Inspire Your Journey to Better Health!
It does not matter whether you listen to soul or Sinatra, classical or Kanye, music improves your health. It has been shown to lower stress, boost mood and elevate workout performance. It is also linked to better memory, sleep and… read more
Ted Talks: Sole to Soul
On the 1–10 adventure scale (1 being snuggled in bed, 10 being an Everest attempt), I would probably rate myself at about a 4. Try new things? Yes. Do so when there is a high chance that you will plummet… read more
Ted Talks: One Small Switch Made All the Difference
For me, fall usually leads to a fail. Every year, it’s my busiest time at work, so three things typically happen: I let my schedule get in the way of my workouts, I let my stress talk me out of… read more
Ted Talks: Hobby Shopping
Typically, I like to make decisions thoughtfully and quickly. I don’t hesitate over simple choices (tonight it shall be merlot!), I try to use a mix of logic and emotion to come to conclusions, and I don’t like to linger… read more