How exercising every day positively effects my work...

When I think about the many benefits that I receive by exercising everyday, I mostly think in terms of improved health and fitness.  And while doing research about daily exercise and the physical benefits, I realized that there are many great reasons to exercise, that are specifically related to improving my work performance.

Exercise has many positive mental benefits: reducing stress and anxiety, improved focus, better mood, increased energy, and better sleep quality!

Every one of these mental benefits translates to better performance at work.  When exercise reduces my stress and anxiety, I go to work more relaxed and calm, and enjoy my interactions with co-workers and clients even more than usual!  When exercise improves my focus, I'm better able to efficiently complete the tasks at hand and helps me to innovate effectively!  And when exercise improves my sleep quality, I arrive at work more alert and feel rested throughout the day!

I exercise everyday, and I have since I turned 40, over 8 years ago.  It has had a positive effect on my work and my family life.  Consider pushing yourself to break a sweat every day!  It is amazing what you might accomplish!

Here is a video showing off what I have accomplished over the last 3000 days of exercising everyday.

Even the US Government has done research to prove the benefits of exercise in the workplace.  Read more about it here.

Thanks for watching!

Find more at www.earlyworkingretirement.com
My youtube channel is /footbagenlightener
Follow me on Twitter: @enlightener1
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IPhone 6 slow motion vs. GoPro Hero3+ 1080p 60 frame per secondcomparison

In a partnership between Carved.com and footbagshop.com, we present in slow motion, a side by side comparison of the new iphone 6 vs. GoPro Hero3+ each shooting a at 1080p x 60fps.

Be sure to change the YouTube resolution to the highest setting: 1080p to see the true comparison.

We didn't want to show slo-motion for the sake of slow motion but we wanted to present you with something that can only be understood at 50% of normal speed. 

Both cameras exhibit great quality but what are your opinions on what you see here?  Be sure to switch to 1080p view for the full effect!

Go to Carved.com and use the coupon code 'Footbags' to get a $2 discount on your next phone case. 

New iPhone 6 vs. GoPro Hero3+ Slow Motion Side by Side Comparison

This is the best head-to-head comparison of the new iPhone 6 and the GoPro Hero3+ slow motion cameras.  

It puts an amazing world champion athlete in front of both cameras at sunset facing south toward the City of Chicago from Montrose Harbor.  

If you are wondering, should I buy an iPhone 6 or a GoPro Hero 3+, watch this video (and be sure to change the sprocket setting to 1080p quality) and make up your own mind!

A worthy example of the slow motion capabilities of the 60 frames per second (60 fps) of the new iPhone in comparison with the Hero 3+.

Enjoy!

Save my Sole! Why I am switching to asphalt and wood surfaces for Footbag Hacky Sack Freestyle

I am now forgoing the would-be ideal grippy surface of concrete, for the less ideal, dirty asphalt or slippery wood for my shredding needs. This is primarily to save my Adidas Rod Laver shoes from wearing out too soon. 

Everyone has their own favorite surface for shredding freestyle Footbag, and mine has always been white concrete.  My second favorite surface is the standard tennis courts. However, due to the unfortunate demise of the lightweight poly-sole Adidas Rod Laver in 2012 our poly-soled lavers are now unavailable and the pairs that we are lucky enough to possess have become prized possessions!  White concrete is ideally grippy so initiating a spin and controlling my spin is more predictable and I feel I perform best on this type if surface. 

The problem with concrete is that it eats Rod Laver shoes alive!  The very grippy-ness it provides also rips away at the poly soles, eventually wearing them through.  It has happened to every pair I've ever had, and it is the primary reason why any of my Lavers are forced into retirement.  

Another reason concrete is now a bad surface for me is that recently I've had two instances where I was rotating my upper body and my support leg normally rotates with me to get in position for the catch and the sole was so attached to the grippy concrete that I tweaked my knee by over rotating, and I've been babying it ever since, even though the pain has gone away. 

I'm going to take a cue from the Hip Hop Dancers who also treasure the poly-soled Adidas Rod Laver shoes, and I'm going to switch to smooth surfaces whenever possible.  Those guys probably don't have the wear-and-tear problem on the soles because they require smooth surfaces to dance on, due to the way they spin by pivoting on an amazingly wide array of body parts. The dancers have found a way to deal with the slipperiness of smooth flooring, and I'll need to make my peace with it too. 

But what surfaces are best?  Polished wood gymnasium floors?  The wood floor in my living room?  Tile or marble?  The problem with shiny and smooth surfaces when dust is present. Even the best wood floors need regular clearing of dust to stay grippy. 

One thing the european Footbag players and dancers have been doing for some time, is to roll out a thin floor over the concrete which modifies whatever surface they are on, into an ideal one.  I've tried athletic flooring in the past and my conclusion was that the plastic ones that used tongue and groove were too bulky to transport and the rubber ones sucked the energy from my legs and reduced my leaping ability.  I never before saw the wisdom of thin supplemental flooring, but I'm all over it now!   I will find the perfect surface that is a single lightweight portable piece, that is the right grippy-ness for freestyle Footbag and I will report back with my results.  For now I'm trying to play on wood floors with a damp rag nearby to step on and remove dust from my shoes.  Save our soles!

As for my daily shred update... Today is 2806 days in a row.  I'm still loving every minute of it!  Looking forward to tomorrow's jam session already and I haven't even gotten to werk yet.   I've been kayaking a lot lately, but I'm paying the price in the form of back pain.  First, lower and now upper.   But the pain did not slow me down a bit. Thanks for all your support!  

2,500 Days in a row and still going strong!!!

Please watch my new video which summarizes my 2,500 day journey of exercising every day.  Specifically, exercising in Footbag Freestyle, a high-impact aerobic sport that requires focus and dexterity, and provides a constantly challenging, constantly unique athletic experience.

None of this would be possible without the constant support and understanding of my wife and son, who give me the time it takes to play everyday, they tolerate me dominating the computer to do the video editing and publish videos, blog and maintain my website: EarlyWorkingRetirement.com, they help me with laundry and they feed me.  I could not have maintained this kind of focus over this long of a period of time without their help. THANKS!

Today is 2511 in a row.

-enlightener

Apple iPhone 5s Slow Motion Demo Sample 120fps 720p - Footbag (Hacky Sack) Freestyle amazing example of a great camera

I have been shredding every day for 2472 days straight, and it feels great!  I had access to an iPhone 5s Apple camera for an hour so I shot this video.  I hope you agree, when viewed in real time, footbag tricks are difficult to figure out, but at 120 frames per second (120fps), it is an amazing visual.

I have a gopro with a wide angle lens, but I desire having a camera with this capability alongside my phone, in case I get the urge to film.

Play everyday!

See ya!
-enlightener

Vote daily for Scott 'Enlightener' Davidson in Dr. Pepper video contest!

I need your votes!  Each day, starting July 10th thru July 24th you can vote once at http://www.drpepper.com/oneofakind/ and a second time by tweeting my custom hash tag #ScottForTheNextOne to your Twitter account.  

I know it will be difficult to remember to vote everyday, so I am putting a calendar event that repeats daily for the next two weeks to remind me. 

If you could share the link to my Dr. Pepper video on your Facebook and Twitter, I would greatly appreciate it. 

The video was submitted over a month ago, and would not have been possible without the help of my son Alex Davidson, my wife Valeria Davidson and my friend Steve Richardson.  It is in the style of the Dr Pepper /1 of a Kind as campaign and tells the story of how Over 1 million Footbag's are sold each year, and how hundreds of thousands of college students move on and never play Footbag again.  It also talks about how I am a world champion, how I am over 46 years old, and how I play every day, And that's what makes me one-of-a-kind!   When we were filming it, at Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois, As an afterthought, we got shot in front of the doorway at the college. It turned out that this was the best shot of the day.   A rather long string, captured with the iPhone in vertical mode, featured prominently in the second half of the video.

I apologize in advance for being annoying  this week. I will be making several Facebook posts a day to garner as many votes as possible. 

As of This writing, the video is not yet viewable. I hope there will be a share button for Facebook and Twitter, and even LinkedIn. I hope they publish it at 1080p. 

Even if you aren't quite as excited about this as I am, I truly appreciate your support in voting and getting the word out to vote!

If I win, the prize is that they will produce a professional quality video along the same lines of the one I made. And they will Eric on television and on the web.  I'll get flown to location, and per diem's. But no cash prize this time.

Just making the finals, feels like winning to me! But it sure would be nice to get some great positive exposure for the sport of Footbag, and Footbag Freestyle specifically.