Move It or Lose It
This saying could not be more true. I was recently visiting my 97-year-old Grandma and she is still doing quite amazing and living on her own. Up until the past few months, her memory was sharp as a tack and she was walking very well with her walker. She drove until she was 94, played mahjong and bridge until just recently and I know all those things were possible because she never stopped moving. She walked every day around her fireplace and did her strength exercises 2-3x a week. She is slowing down just a bit, but still on her own and walking pretty well.
In the same week, I was delivering meals, and I passed a 94-year-old woman (I thought she was 80) in the hallway of a retirement center I deliver to and I said “great job getting out there and walking”. She replied, “I’m 94, and I walk every day and it has kept me healthy all these years.”
My wish is that we all enter our 90s healthy and happy, living our best life on our own, not in a nursing home. But that all starts now! It doesn’t take much…most fitness organizations or gurus will tell you it only takes 20 minutes of light to moderate activity most days of the week to maintain a base level of fitness.
How would I start?
That could be done in two trips to the grocery store, parking far away, and walking the perimeter of the store.
Adding 2-3 days a week of 30-45 minutes of strength training is icing on the cake. It will keep your bones strong and healthy well into your golden years.
Remember, keep it simple, I recommend starting with just walking if you do not have a regular routine. I used to think walking was lame…but it’s not! It helped me lose weight postpartum, it is helping me now when running is proving to be something that does not resonate with my body, and… walking really does improve your health.
- It lowers blood pressure
- Control blood sugars for diabetics
- Lowers resting heart rate
- Lowers chlosterol
- Improves bone density
- Reduces depression
Where to begin?
Walk 20 minutes a day – start with two short 10-minute sessions twice a day if a full 20 minutes is hard to fit in.
Take your dog for a walk, they are great motivators when it comes to walking.
Do some basic strength training with just your body weight. Squat when brushing your teeth, push-ups on the wall, every time you get out of your chair, stand up and sit down 10-20 times. To make it easy I have attached sample workouts from my Postpartum Health and Happiness Through Exercise and Nutrition Book. If you love them you can buy the full manual by clicking here, it doesn’t matter if you are 3 months postpartum, 30 years postpartum, or never had children. This book really helps you build a strong exercise foundation with detailed descriptions of every exercise.
Get out there and walk, and enjoy the rest of this beautiful summer. If it is too hot, walk in your local mall or join a gym for a short time and walk on a treadmill.