It's no secret that physical activity, including exercise, has enormous health benefits. Young adults like to exercise to shape their bodies and control weight. As we get older, we exercise to prevent diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and diabetes. Exercise allows us to continue to do the things we enjoy and stay independent as we age. My mother was a victim of Parkinson's Disease. I saw her struggle during the last few years of her life with the simplest of tasks that most of us take for granted. My mother liked to walk to get her exercise. Although we knew that exercise wasn't going to prevent her from eventually suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinson's, it certainly helped her to be independent for a longer period of time.
In a previous post, I mentioned that although people that have hobbies before they retire transition better into retirement, it's never too late to start. Same goes with exercise. If you never had time to exercise or you were not physically active before retirement, it doesn't mean you can't start. Before retirement, I exercised sporadically. One week I would go to the gym 5 days, and the next week my schedule prevented me from going at all. Only a few weeks into retirement, I have already developed a routine that includes physical activity as part of my day. I am usually off to the gym or golf course no later than 9 AM and I engage in some type of physical activity EVERY DAY, anywhere from exercise class to working in my garden. Physical activity does not always look like cardio machines, yoga mats and golf courses. If the gym isn't your cup of tea, remember that gardening and walking are easy ways to get some physical activity. Walk around your neighborhood, shopping mall or local park.
At the gym, I meet a friend for cardio and weight training or I take a class - preferably yoga, pilates or step. From time to time I will try a Zumba class. One great advantage of the gym I attend is that there are various classes on various days at various times. This allows for flexibility with my schedule. I also like the benefits I get from the various instructors. That slight soreness felt 24 hours later tells me that whatever I did the previous day was done with a muscle that has not been used in a while. It's a great sign of accomplishment! I'm thinking about taking more Zumba but I will need to find one instructor I like and stay with that instructor for Zumba. It's definitely easier to learn the dance moves with one instructor. One round of golf per week is my max on the golf course, but sometimes I just go to the driving range. A retired friend of mine has indicated that she wants to go bike riding with me - definitely going to do that! When I'm in Arizona, I swim every day in addition to my exercise classes. I don't play too much golf in Arizona unless my dad is there. My Arizona friends don't play and I'm not one to play golf alone. Lucky for me, I can attend the same gym in Arizona and Illinois. So if you are out of town or on vacation, there are ways to keep up your routine of "activity everyday." When I was in Asheville with the girls, we got our physical activity by walking and a little swimming on Spa Day.
I will have to admit that sometimes in the morning as I am having my morning coffee and 8:30 A.M. is quickly approaching, I slightly dread the thought of getting into my car and going to the gym with the expectations of pouring my energy into 1.5 hours of cardio and weight training. BUT I must say that I always make myself go AND I have NEVER regretted it. In fact, every single time I work out or engage in some type of physical activity, I am 100% happy that I did.
Besides keeping all of our moving parts moving, exercise continues to build confidence in our abilities as we age. Ever wonder why our 50s, 60s and 70s do not look like our parents' 50s, 60s and 70s? It's because we are now more educated about health, exercise and disease prevention and we have more options for engaging in physical activity. The confidence we develop by staying physically active prevents us from buying into preconceived notions of "what our retirement should look like." We don't have to "sit on the rocker on the front porch." We can start second careers, run marathons, completely reinvent ourselves. How about the changing sleep patterns as we age? Wouldn't it be nice to sleep through the night? Don't forget that exercise releases endorphins which are natural painkillers and also improve the ability to sleep which reduces stress, improving our quality of life and increasing longevity.
My family getting ready to scuba dive in Cabo on vacation.
We like to find opportunities to stay active while on vacation.
Me with my dad, brother and nephew as a golf team
at my high school memorial golf outing. Mixing
social outings with activity.
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