Hi Everyone,
If I seem like an overly eager exerciser, it’s because I’ve been at it for a couple decades. Around age 40 my wife and I decided to start taking the advice coming out about diet and exercise. I became a vegetarian without too much trouble, and we both began to work out daily. Looking back, we did not do either long nor especially hard workouts.
When I started biking seriously it was a chore to do 6 miles and that was in my second chain ring and not the big one. I kept at it, and got both older and better.
I loath competition in exercise. I don’t race my bike, and rarely ride with anyone except my wife. To me it is about fitness and about feeling good about taking a positive action. I watch the pro bikers slog up and down the Alps and the Pyrennes and so on in the big European races, and I wish them well. But that’s not me.
At our house, only major illness or something else extraordinary keeps us from spending an hour in our exercise room. It is just a personal style and a part of our lives. We do no envy those who go harder and faster. There is always someone out there who will do that.
So, good luck to everyone. Anything we can do to make ourselves healthier is a good thing.
Best from sunny Kansas,
Ron
4 Comments
June 25, 2008 at 5:50 am
Ron, I agree with your “Anything we can do to make ourselves healthier is a good thing.” Sometimes doing something healthy does mean counting steps or cycling quickly up an incline. It is wonderful that you have a companion to do your exercises with.
June 25, 2008 at 7:59 am
Thanks for posting this, Ron. I don’t like competition in exercise either. I like the idea that we are doing something for our health and as you very well said, we all have to start somewhere!
June 25, 2008 at 11:57 am
What a great lifestyle and outlook on life you both have. Here’s hoping a few of your ideas will rub off on me – please . . . . .
June 25, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I am pleased to be here, and appreciate the nice comments. I’m a believer that exercise has to become a habit. We all know that bad habits are hard to break, but so are good ones. Once in place that exercise habit gets a little easier to do every time out.
Today was a light duty indoor bike for 40 minutes, and some stomach crunches and bicep curls with the weights. I also believe that not every day needs to be an Olympic sized exertion. Maintenance is as important as strength/endurance building, and as we age we need to rest all those muscles once in a while.
Best good wishes to one and all from sunny Kansas, USA,
Ron