Last night during the act of dental flossing before going to bed I could not help but think of how similar this process was to the ritual of cleaning the interior of my C4S. It felt as though I was getting into each and every crevice in the air vent to get rid of all the dust. Sorry if I am grossing you out but I had to see how many of us take as much care of ourselves when compared to the care we deliver to our cars. I then came up with a few analogies.

1. Long weekend drives to exercise your garage queens: At least 30 minutes of cardio three to four times a week for a healthy heart.

2. Regular oil spark plug change based on a time basis like say every year even if the car is not driven that much:
Getting blood pressure, blood sugars/cholesterol checked ever so often for the young and restless even if there are no symptoms or say getting colonoscopies, prostate checks for those 50 +.

3. Refueling only with gas that has additives such as Techron and nitrogen (Chevron, Texaco, Shell etc) for overall engine health: Taking a daily multivitamin for overall health.

4. Avoid putting too much miles on any one car and limiting to say 12 K miles/year and give your engine adequate rest. Getting atleast 6 to 7 hours of sleep a day to give our mind and body a rest and recharge. Or say avoid over eating as much as possible.

5. Driving only when it does not rain or snow to protect your car’s finish from pollutants in the rain (acid) or snow (salt). Consuming only organic produce or BGH free milk/meat to reduce your body’s exposure to pesticide residue or harmones that could be carcinogenic (cancer inducing).

6. Using a leather conditioner to replenish the natural oils for your car’s leather interior or say waxing the exterior to protect the paint: Daily mositurizer after a shower to protect your skin from drying and premature aging.

7. Changing/rotating tires: Changing running shoes/footwear every 6 months religiously to protect your feet especially for those involved in high intensity training.

8. Clear bra/UV protection for our paint/convertible top fabric: Using SPF everytime we go out in the sun to reduce the risk of skin cancer or protecting your eyes with shades as much as possible when heading out in the sun.

9. Weekly car wash/monthly interior detailing: Daily shower/dental flossing, monthly or ?? biannual manicure/pedicure.

Fixing minute rock chips/swirls on the paint: Fixing wrinkles, scars, scabs on your face/body with botox/plastic surgery) I will not include this since it is more of a cosmetic issue and will not necessarily keep you “more healthy”.

10. Not parking in between two SUV's or in crowded parking lots fearing door dings or keying: Avoiding crowded swimming pools or jacuzzi hot tubs, crowded flights, for fear of contracting someone else's skin or respiratory infection.

11. Washing your car every week before it gets too dirty or refueling your tank before it gets too low for fear of avoiding all the dirt form your fuel tank from entering your engine: Changing your home's air filter every 3 months and changing bed spreads every week to reduce the risk of exposure to allergens.

12. Finally (I had to say this) spending countless hours on 6speedonline trying to learn about how to improve the exhaust note or the finish of our cars: Browsing webMD for timely health and medical news that could go a long way in keeping us healthier.

If you answered yes to atleast 50 % of the items on the things to do for personal health/hygiene then I think you are on the right path to enjoy your car in good health for years to come. Otherwise I think your car will age more gracefully than you and would probably outlive you.

 

I would change this to "avoiding to sit between two overweight people in the plane, in order to be comfortable and not get squeezed in the middle"

BTW I don't have any problems with overweight people, but it's not fun to sit next to one in a long plane ride...

 

I am very comitted to taking good care of my health (as I do with my car) . I am older than my car though .Posting on 6speed is hours of sedentary rest but it's needed too.

I swim for 2- 3.5 hours a day (rest day when needed) . When younger I competed but most swimmers peak in much younger years so now (in my 50's) it's more fitness based . Every onnce in awhile I get talked into an ocean swim or a masters swim race . It's kinda like auto racing without collision risk.
i cross train a bit too , jogging, body weight exercise .

I also eat very selective --low salt, controlled carb, controlled fat , lots of green vegetable and cawliflower diet. In short .. no candy, cake, soda , ice cream , salt, fried food, white flour, or white rice. I also don't drink or smoke.

Just like I try to preserve my cars .. I would like to be healthy as long as I can.

 

If asked who's in better shape, I would say my other half )

 

I try to exercise 6 days a week. I run marathons but I'm 49 and my body can't take running every day. So...one day I run, the next day I do P90x. After a long run, typically on the weekend, I take a day off. And sometimes work, family, travel interupts it all. I think good food and sufficient sleep are just as important! As for the car, I try to take good care of it, but I'm probably less obsessive about waxing and cleaning than some who I admire on this forum.

 

I am very impressed with your regimen...3 hours of swimming. You better take in adequate calories to support your metabolic demands. Wish I could live closer to you. You are my hero.

Yes you need atleast a day of complete rest from cardio. How do you like the P90X?

 

I've done P90x for a little over a year. I haven't followed it religiously, but that's what's great about it - you can customize it to suit your needs. It's the best exercise program I've ever done. I've cancelled my gym membership and workout from home with just a mat, barbells and a chinup bar. It delivers amazing results. I'd give up the running before the P90x.

 

I do think of food much like fuel . It took me years to reach that conclusion because as a young person food is somewhat taught as a celibration associated with dinners out, parties, weddings, birthday cake , etc.

Imagine a party for buying gasoline? Yet the gas that we use in our cars is so important and I am not so convinced that those labeled "top tier" are necessarily the only choices. I wish there was more testing done with the quality of the gas that we use in the cars.

Even with athletes there are some who pay more attention to diet than others. With age I found that in order to train at the distances it takes a certain food regimen . More than the calories I found that the chemistry was so important . Avoiding things like the high glycemic foods or high density starchy carbs makes a big difference when it's 50 degrees , dark outside , and I have already swam 6000 yards and still have another 1000 to go.

Keep in mind that at my age I can not train at the same level as collegiate swimmers who are much younger and jump in the pool and sprint for three hours twice a day.
Many of them ice their shoulders though and I notice that with a lot of younger athletes that intensity plus overtrain = injury . Been there .. done that. And yes rest is important too.

At my age I need a long warm up and cool down and can accept that I can not go as fast as when I was a kid bit I just love the sport and always will.

 

I'm working out 3-4x per week. I too don't go for much candy, ice cream, fried stuff (although french fries occasionally will work their way in). And I do consume the occasional alc beverage, mostly on weekends.

 

How incredibly boring....I eat pizza, cheeseburgers and bacon weekly and wash them down with lots of beer and scotch. In between all that, I enjoy a nice cig.

Only way to live. Diets are dumb.

 

To each his own . I don't consider my eating plan a "diet" but rather a way of life where a personal commitment to health and fitness is a priority. These are things that I value .

If you find it appealing to consume alcohol. cigarettes, and junk food .. I see no excitement in it -- I view it more like slow motion suicide .. which sounds far worse than "boring" .

 

Yrralis1, we boring guys would rather add coats of carnauba wax to our car's paint than to our arteries and liver cells.

 

If the rest of the question is " to survive a winter without food in the wilderness"... then its me. If the rest is " to get up and go fast"... well its the car.