On Monday, I clocked more than 13,000 steps on the Fitbit. A new Personal Record. The goal is 10,000 steps a day. The Fitbit is a good motivating tool for people like me, who are short on self-motivation.
Lots of exercise was a frequent recommendation by the folks responding to my post about depression. So success at walking, for at least one day, is my first, humble effort to write “good news.”
Stand by for more good news.
I’ve been hearing the latest health edict for quite a while.
“Sitting is the new smoking!”
The human body was made to move, not sit. Get up and walk. Just do it.
OK, I sprang for a book. “This Is Your Do-Over: The 7 Secrets to Losing Weight, Living Longer, and Getting a Second Chance at the Life You Want,” by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. It’s 358 pages hardback, including index and a forward by Dr. Oz. Yep, that Dr. Oz. Continue reading
(Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)
The Super Bowl has come and gone, and Groundhog Day as well. And what do I have to show for the winter?
It’s been, first of all, a lazy winter. That would be an objective report.
However, I prefer to look at it as a winter of reading, thinking, planning. I haven’t done as much blogging as I’d like. On the other hand, I’ve finally joined Twitter, and I’m even beginning to see its usefulness. Feel free to follow along on Twitter @BJohnHayden.
I’ve joined the local gym, and I’m showing up on a regular basis. That’s important, because I’m now beyond denial. I recognize that if I want to do any useful work in the years I have remaining, it’s imperative that I exercise and conserve my health.
Mostly, I’ve been thinking about and preparing for retirement, Continue reading
Week No. 2 at the gym: After three days in a row last week, my body requested a day of rest on Saturday. That worked out well, because I’ve been able to show up at the gym every other day this week. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. And I intend to go today, Friday. I start with stretching, then an easy walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and a few minutes on the rowing machine. Some days I do some strength-training exercises on the machines. Thursday, I did both cardio (the treadmill) and the weight machines, so today’s a quick and easy day, treadmill only.
Showed up at the gym two days in a row! A sense of being overwhelmed by work and pressed for time has been the undoing of my exercise programs over the years. These days, I’m not as busy, but my mind keeps telling me to hurry. Ignore that voice! No fitness goals or expectations! The only goal is to keep showing up every day. — John
“Above all do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday I walk myself into a state of well being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. … if one keeps on walking everything will be all right.”— Soren Kierkegaard
The 12-month gym contract. Been there, done that. Doing it again. When it comes to success at the gym, showing up is half the battle. In life generally, I like to set my goals a little bit high. But at my age, starting at zero fitness, I think a goal of simply showing up is appropriate. I accomplished showing up today. Now my goal is to show up six days a week, five days minimum. — John
Aging wears you down, I can report, based on 64 years of experience. One doctor told me our bodies are designed to wear out. Too much exercise might wear out your knees faster. But I’ve suddenly realized that I won’t be able to get out of a chair in five years, unless I take up strength training (in moderation). Yesterday, I joined my local gym. Now if I can only manufacture some self-discipline. — John
If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself. (Smile) A great photo! I’ve got to buy a decent camera. Today is the first day of the rest or your life! — John
Image via Wikipedia
It’s too soon to know whether the Austerity Project will be a success. I’m defining “success” to mean reducing my spending to match my income.
The total damage for Austerity Project, Week No. 1, was $189.13. Issues from Week No. 1: I ate pizza three times. That number has to come down. My biggest single expenditure was a fill-up at the gas station, with regular at $2.76 a gallon, for a total of $33.68. After rent, health insurance, and food, gas for the car is my next highest monthly expense. Soon I’m going to need an oil change and some regular maintenance, which is not included in the monthly budget. And looming in February is the $700 annual payment for car insurance, which is also off-budget.
The first day of Week No. 2 was my first day with no expenditures. Not a penny. Tuesday was $16.23 for miscellaneous household goods at Walmart.
Today, I signed up with a health club, aka “gym,” with a commitment of $19.95 a month for the next year! I did not make this decision lightly. There is no health club line in my monthly budget. I don’t know where the $19.95 a month is coming from. But you have to admit it’s a good price for a health club membership.
With a fancy new health club opening, there’s something of a price war going on among health clubs in my area. I found the $19.95 price at a so-called “bare bones” club. It doesn’t have a sauna or whirlpool or spa. The locker room is small. No towel service. But the place is bright and airy, and they’ve got more equipment than I’ll ever use.
I’m thinking that at age 62, with creakiness in the bones and weakness in the muscles, the health club membership comes close to qualifying as an essential.
It’s not as if I’ve been inactive in the past year. For much of that time, I worked as a security guard, which was mostly walking, walking, walking around a large building and grounds. In other words, my job was to be a moving, human scarecrow. Since August, I’ve spent a lot of time on political campaigning, which also involved lots of walking. I got a sunburn, and then a tan, on my face, but I can’t say I feel any healthier for all the walking. The campaigning resulted in two disappointing losses, first my own in the primary, and then the candidate I volunteered for in the general election.
Now, with the security guard job and the campaign over, and winter coming on, I feel like I’m facing rapid deterioration if I don’t keep these old bones moving. The health club is less than $1 a day, and it will give me another place (in addition to the library) where I can go to get out of the rain and snow.
I’m starting the health club adventure at near rock bottom (I always feel rock bottom this time of year, with the shortening daylight and the sun low in the sky). Job one is to get myself to the health club almost every day. It will be interesting to see if the exercise makes a difference. Any improvement in health of mind and/or body will be well worth the $19.95.
Stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted.
— John Hayden
Living Simply And Still On The Grid 