The Best Exercise is the One You will Still Be Doing in Ten Years
In my youth, exercise and sports seemed to be the same. And that was bad news for me because I was an absolute sport ‘zero’. I’ve never had any athletic ability. I was the last one picked in elementary school when teams were chosen. Sometimes I would get a mercy pick if the team captain liked me but in most cases that wasn’t enough to sacrifice the rest of the team. To me, a ball in motion was a dangerous weapon to be avoided.
So, I became a cheerleader. No moving balls were involved. I could jump and shake pompoms and being the smallest kid in school, I was the one hoisted into the air or standing on someone else’s back. I could do that. I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed it. Looking back, I realized I didn’t but at least it was physical movement. But here’s the problem. When I graduated from school, that ended my cheerleading career. There was not a big demand for adult ladies to don a cheerleading costume and jump around. At least not in a normal setting. So that was the end of that.
Thankfully the 80’s brought the concept of exercise for the sake of exercising. Moving the body, sweating, heavy breathing, no longer required participation in a sport. And I tried it all. That’s another story that I’ll get into another day but let’s say that I was no stranger to Jazzercise, Dancercise, Step Aerobics and any trend that came my way. I had leg warmers to prove it along with a collection of unused equipment collecting dust. I really didn’t enjoy any of that either whether it was at home or in a gym.
Here’s the problem. The best exercise is rarely the one everyone is talking about. More often, it’s the one you’ll still be doing years after the trend has faded. The exercise industry will always be reinventing old ideas with new names to not just encourage us to move but to also invest in their products that we absolutely must have to get fit. Even cute outfits are not enough to sustain long term interest.
What we did in our 20’s will rarely serve us in our 60’s and beyond. In the second half of life, we want capability, mobility, independence and the energy to do it. When we’re younger, exercise is often about performance. We want to be faster, stronger, leaner or better than we were yesterday. There’s nothing wrong with that. But eventually the goal shifts. We begin exercising not to win a race or impress anyone else, but to preserve the ability to live life on our own terms. We want to climb stairs without thinking about it, carry groceries, travel, play with grandchildren and remain independent for as long as possible. And the good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t even have to require a gym or any special equipment except maybe a good pair of shoes.
Of all the things I tried throughout the years, the ones that stick with me are the simplest. I enjoy walking probably the most. Swimming is still great exercise and especially for someone that needs no impact workouts. I enjoy riding my bike as well. I do strength training twice a week at the gym, but I could also do it at home with just a few pieces of low-cost equipment. And let’s not overlook those chores and hobbies. If gardening for example is what keeps you moving, bending and lifting, that’s exercise too. And it makes you happy. The chores may not be a source of pure joy, but they are exercise as well. Your body doesn’t care if you’re pulling weeds or riding a Peloton. It only cares that you’re moving.
So, the question is not – what is the perfect workout? The question is what’s the workout that still belongs in your life ten years from now. Answer that question and then take a deep breath. You’re at home with what you will enjoy and what your body will tolerate to give you greater capability, reduced injury and fits who you are. You’ll be free from following trends and avoid a house full of exercise equipment that doubles as a clothesline.
The best exercise was never the one everyone else was doing. It was the one that stayed with you.
— Jamie Harrington
Freedom to Thrive
Curious explorer of living well in the second half of life.
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