Exercise is not just a physical thing
By Cynthia Castellon

For those of you who did not go on the whale watching trip we took on March 15, you missed out on a beautiful day.  Only eight employees decided to join me on this trip, but they brought family and friends which was great.  All together we had about 30 people in our group.  We did not see any whales but the experience was still awesome.  There were seals, sea lions, and dolphins which are technically part of the whale family. 

Many people asked me why I planned a trip that has nothing to do with fitness.  Contrary to what some might think, whale watching is great exercise. It stretches and works the mind and spirit.  Being fit means more than taking care of your body.  You can be in the best physical shape, but if you don’t take care of your mind and feed your soul, stress will beat you down.  Whale watching is a great way to relieve stress. 

You’re on a boat with the sun shining on you, focusing your mind on one thing…finding a whale.  The cares of work and responsibility take a back seat to enjoying the moment and refreshing the spirit. To actually see wildlife, especially rare animals in their natural habitat, is an awesome experience.  It definitely brings a joyous feeling to the spirit that can last for days. For some, the experience can even last a lifetime.

For me, being outdoors, enjoying nature by myself or with family and friends is always a positive experience.  I can be completely stressed out about work or financial issues, but after a few hours of being out in nature those issues become so small. 

Maybe nature is not your thing, maybe fixing old bikes, cars, or scrapbooking is what helps you to forget about your worries and feeds your soul.  We also need to drink more water and get enough sleep.  A 15 minute cat nap in the middle of the day will refresh your mind and help you be more productive.  Taking a 5 minute break once an hour from work and stretching the muscles, especially the neck, shoulders, chest and legs will loosen you up and keep the blood circulating.  Whatever puts the mind at rest and makes the spirit happy is what people need to be doing more often. 

So just remember, to be truly fit you must have balance with the body, mind and spirit.  You only live once so make sure you live well.