Healthy as a horse, he says.

I recently had my annual check-up and my doctor concludes that I am healthy as a horse. The good doctor specializes in cardiology and internal medicine, and not veterinary medicine by the way, so I wonder how accurate the equine simile is. He didn't even ask for a urine sample. Actually, the examination comprised history, blood-work, EKG, a listen to my breath sounds and a minute or two with the blood-pressure cuff.

My blood pressure was measured as I sat on the examination table: 114/68. My heart rate, 53 beats per minute. These numbers mean something to me, especially the resting heart rate. In my 20's my resting heart rate was once tested at 38 beats per minute. At the time, I was running 5k's on a treadmill at a pace just a tad slower than what would cause me to fall and get launched off the belt. The doctor who tested me was impressed by my resting heart rate. Olympic caliber, I was lead to believe. Since then, I've been interested in maintaining a low resting heart rate. Now in my 40's, however, I have no interest in running like George Jetson, "Help, Jane, stop this crazy thing!"

For the past five years, my fitness regimen has consisted of high-intensity interval training with an emphasis on short training periods (20 minutes or less) and minimal equipment (my wife would argue this last point). The Tabata protocol figures heavily in my training, but other interval schemes are also observed. My favorite tools include a Concept II rowing ergometer, adjustable dumbbells, kettlebell, pull-up bar, Akro wheels, dip stand and a kitchen timer. Tools are not necessary. The burpee, for example, is a simple bodyweight exercise as challenging as you will find. I call it vitamin B (VB), an essential part of my daily regimen.

So I asked my doc during this most recent exam, "What should I be doing if I want to live longer?" He chuckled and said, "keep doing what you're doing."