[Blindtlk] Exercise Equipment.

[Mary Mc Gee]

Hi, All,

            Notice I just titled this "exercise equipment" because I'll not
really answer anyone's question.  What I'll do is describe my fitness
program and, if it helps anyone, well, that's great!

            First, I became 56 years old last Wednesday and, from what I
hear from other people this age, I'm in better shape than more of my
contemporaries.  If don't believe in climbing on a scale every day because
that becomes a discouraging obsession after a while.  I can tell when I'm
gaining weight or losing it by how I feel and how my clothes fit.  Perhaps I
can do this because I'm so thrifty, of, rather, cheap, that I don't throw
away wearable clothes-even the old ratty ones are saved for around home.
Anyway, I've found that a home gym is as efficient as a home office and I
don't have the expense and time involved that a regular gym requires.  

            My husband also works out regularly, which means at least three
times a week.  We have free weights and a Schwinn AirDyne bicycle.  (I don't
even know if they're still made; I think now everything is the BowFlex
machine.)  It doesn't talk, so we just ride and time it ourselves.  I ride
for at least an hour until I'm tired.  My husband rides about 45 minutes.
I'm another person who's exercised for some long that I know when I hit the
target heart rate.  

            If I don't ride the bicycle, I walk two miles.  I live near a
recreational trial, and there are always the sidewalks. Twelve standard city
blocks equal a mile.  

            If I don't walk or ride, I do strength exercises with the free
weights.  Some weeks, between the workouts and the walking, I formally
exercise four or five days a week, depending on where I walk.  If a trip
isn't further than a mile, I walk instead of take the bus.  This works for
going to the State Law Library and state agencies.  I know the courthouse is
six blocks away, so on days I must be more than once a day, I can get the
two miles that way.  The public library is twelve blocks away and we have
our Access Advisory Board meetings there.  So, I never take the bus there.  

            The walking part is easy to put into your exercise program, but
it depends on where you live and the surroundings.  I live downtown, but the
heavy traffic and the strange characters don't bother me.  

            The best part of having the home gym is, when the weather is
bad, I have no excuse not to get up at 5:00 and workout so I can be ready
for work by 8:00 or shortly thereafter.  

            I've gained a little weight, but I'm working to get rid of it.
I know I gained it last winter when I had a problem with degenerative disc
disease and it hurt to walk or bend.  The medical experts wanted to surgery
after they saw the MRI, but I said NO, I want to try PT first.  I did and
now my PT exercises are part of my workouts.  I haven't had any more pain!
I just need to eat less for a while, I think.  

            I hope this helps.  Home gym or health club-they all have their
pros and cons.  The trick is to find something you like to do and then do it
consistently.  I know it's easy to get lazy and start skipping days, but
that's not wise.  The long-term benefits of the exercise are too good to
miss.

Sincerely,

Mary L. McGee

 

 

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