Staying Fit in my Golden Years

About six months ago, I started a regular exercise routine—nothing fancy, just a 7-minute workout I found online. Why did this appeal to me? Because it only takes 7 minutes of my time! I've always been a proponent of naturally occurring exercise. My daily life used to include enough movement and fat-burning to suffice, but I’ve found that this just doesn’t work for me anymore. I no longer carry children on my hip or lean over a tub to bathe little ones. Cleaning the house, scrubbing showers, and vacuuming count as workouts in my mind, but I felt I needed to do a little more. I know I’ve lost strength and flexibility because my life now has fewer physical demands. Plus, there are times when my insurance review work requires me to sit at a desk on and off from before dawn until after dark.

There are different versions of the 7-minute workout, but essentially, you do 11 different exercises for 30 seconds each, with a 10-second rest between them. These can include jumping jacks, squats, step-ups, high knees, planking, running in place, tricep dips, lunges, push-ups, and sit-ups. At first, it was all I could do to get through them, but now I can complete them fairly easily. Sometimes I mix it up—doing more push-ups and sit-ups while skipping a couple of the others. I get bored easily and can’t stand doing the exact same thing over and over again!

Sometimes I do quirky things, like running upstairs instead of walking, or standing in front of the TV and walking in place while watching. Every little bit counts. When I’m in line at the store, I occasionally go up and down on my toes to strengthen my legs. I’m sure that catches some people’s attention, but I don’t really care. This might make it sound like I’m always doing these things—not true! But I do weave them into my days in a somewhat covert way.

I also try to take a walk most days—not frantic, but not a leisurely stroll either. I feel it’s important to get sunshine and fresh air. I’m always waving at neighbors driving by, too. Most of the time, I listen to something inspirational on YouTube through my earbuds. I take different routes when I walk because I don’t like the repetition. I’ve included a photo of the prettiest part of my walk for this time of year.

There’s one additional thing I do to avoid ever having to say, “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” I literally practice getting up and down from the floor (without using my hands). It works for me.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!