By Jose Rivera

I hope that you are enjoying the summer. It is important to provide regular breaks during our intense work and allow our minds and bodies to rest and recover. 

Some companies actively encourage their employees to take their earned vacation during this time of the year; others provide summer schedules to encourage their teams to recharge.

Spending Time Outdoors

Very soon we will be entering the busy Fall period with many trade shows that will be followed by the usual mad dash to the end of the year.

Spending time outdoors is often recommended to support mental health. We all know that we were not built to spend so many hours sitting and in front of screens. “Sitting is the new smoking” as we say these days.

While we can’t just abandon our jobs, we can introduce small changes that produce valuable results. I worked for Rosemount Inc. (a division of Emerson Electric) in Minnesota. They encouraged walking around the inside plant perimeter for exercise, particularly during the winter months when the shorter days challenged motivation and exercising.

In other places where I worked in the past, colleagues developed the habit of taking  short brisk walks after lunch.

During one of our recent committee call meetings, I learned about the “75 Day Challenge.” This is a commitment over 75 days that — among other things — requires two workouts per day, one of which needs to be outdoors. The member who shared had participated in it with his son. The results were visible through a Zoom call!

RAGBRAI

I have always enjoyed bicycle riding. I used to ride a bike to college and then to graduate school (the last one excluding winter). During the pandemic, my family embraced cycling to get exercise outdoors.

Last year, I took it to the next level by signing up for RAGBRAI. It stands for The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Register is short for the Des Moines Register, the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. 

I followed the tradition and dipped the rear wheel in the Missouri at Sioux City at the start of the ride (Left) and the front one in the Mississippi at Davenport (end) after a 500-mile ride over 7 days.

This ride celebrated its 50^th edition in 2023 with a 500-mile route. This ride traverses the State of Iowa from the Missouri river (West) to the Mississippi river (East) over 7 days. Most participants camp, and their luggage is transported for them.

It is a ride, not a race. While it is a good workout, it is also about getting to experience many small towns and their people along the way. Fun is very much part of the mix with plenty of live bands, great food and local beers.

Probably as you are reading this, I will have just finished RAGBRAI 2024 (July 20-27).

I have been working to get back in shape through spin classes (my only option during our cold winter months) and outdoor rides. I have learned of a few CSIA members who have participated in RAGBRAI.

If this year we have CSIA riders, I hope to see you in Iowa!

Jose Rivera is CEO of Control System Integrators Association.