I’m about to make a confession; I like to exercise. Not always while I’m doing it, but definitely afterward. I have been an exercise regular for most of my life. As a matter of fact, I think that for many years my exercise habit meant that I didn’t have to worry all that much about what I ate. That is no longer true. Now that I’m over fifty, I believe that I will never again be able to out-exercise a poor diet. Still, regular exercise has so many benefits. I feel certain that it lifts my mood, revs my metabolism, gives me more energy, increase my ability to deal with stress, and improves my sleep. I just don’t feel as well if I go more than a few days without exercising.
My workouts have changed over the years. Throughout my teen years, I was an avid runner, but I’ve been told by several doctors and have come to accept that my knees just aren’t built for that repeated impact. During the 80’s and 90’s, I attended or taught aerobics classes. At one time I even had some sweet leotards, leg-warmers, and headbands. Now I have a set routine that is working well for this part of my life.
Monday through Friday, I walk two miles, unless the temperature is below 20 degrees or the wind is howling. I’m really blessed to have a reliable walking partner. This keeps me going because we walk at 5:30 in the morning. When I wake up and don’t want to go, I go anyway because you can’t flake out on someone who got up that early to walk with you.
At least four days a week, I come home and do a secondary work-out with a DVD. Videos are easy because I don’t have to drive to a gym or worry about what I look like. You do have to be self-motivated, but as I said, I actually like the results of working hard. When I get bored with a program or trainer, I buy something new to add to my collection. I currently have enough work-outs to rotate through that they only repeat about three times a year.
Another confession, I have only been doing 15 to 20 minutes of whichever video I’m on, even if it is supposed to be an hour long. I just can’t make that time commitment, but doing this amount of exercise with a variety of good quality workout videos seems to meet my four exercise goals.
- Cardio – This one is covered by walking—we keep a good pace. If I also get my heart pumping during the video, that’s a plus
- Strength – I have this idea that if I ever lose the extra pounds, there will be some fairly impressive muscles under it. I do a lot of push-ups, core work, hand weights and resistance bands.
- Balance – I strongly believe that unless we make a conscious effort to work on balance, we don’t strengthen many important stability muscles. I wobble a lot, but I keep telling myself that I don’t want to be an old person who falls down.
- Flexibility – Even as a child, I have never been very flexible, but I don’t want to lose what I have. I have noticed that being stiff can make anyone look old, and I’m told that flexible muscles are less prone to injury.
I’m comfortable with my current exercise routine and feel like it is perfect for me at this time. I just need to find eating habits that also work well for me. At least I’m one week closer to that goal.
Disclaimer: This blog is simply a record of my own experience. I am not a medical professional and I don’t claim to be in any way qualified to give advice. Comments and questions are welcome.
