Exercise Can Be Fun

By now, if you’re a regular reader of these pages, you know I hated school.  One of the big reasons for that was gym class.  It was the worst part of the day.  I had a series of physical education teachers (that’s what they liked to be called) who were frustrated drill sergeants.  Every class was a mini-boot camp, and they seemed to take delight in watching the non-athletes struggle.  I was always the smallest kid in the class because I was also one of the youngest.  In those days the cut-off age was the end of the year, so I was almost always the youngest in any of my classes.  I really struggled competing against kids who were literally twice my size.  Needless to say, I hated anything having to do with physical exertion except for baseball which was how we spent every summer.  Playing baseball gave me my first clue that exercise can be fun.

As we age it’s even more important to stay in shape but one look around will tell you that many people fall short in this area.  Exercise is important and exercise can be fun.  Many golfers will tell you that golf is exercise but, as my doctor has said, it becomes exercise when you play without a golf cart.  While some courses require a cart, you can usually find a decent course where you will be allowed to walk, especially on a weekday afternoon.  Try doing it and you’ll quickly see that adding the walking part adds to the strengthening value of a very enjoyable pastime.

Tennis is another great form of working out and additional proof that exercise can be a lot of fun. For those who are older or have some mobility issues, the relatively new sport of pickleball is very popular.  What’s particularly nice about pickleball is, because it’s been around less time than tennis, there are a lot of people who are learning to play just like you.  It’s a great way to build companionship and get great exercise at the same time.  Tennis may have the edge on how much physical exertion is involved but pickleball is a great alternative.

Exercise can be fun if you find an activity that you enjoy.

Swimming, if you have access to a pool, is also great exercise.  But you can also get very creative here and this is where you really find out that exercise can be fun.  My wife looks forward to the summer because her water aerobics class is held three mornings a week and her hour there flies by because she’s jumping up and down to music from her high school years along with fifteen or twenty other retirees who are doing their best to stay in shape while they share the latest news of the day and dance to the music.  They use water weights that build strength and when we pack up the car to go south to escape the winter, those weights come with us.  When she selects our winter landing spots, whether the place has a pool is part of the criteria.  Many times, there’s a water aerobics group that she joins, and it is something she looks forward to.  She’s a true believer that exercise can be fun.

For those who don’t like the water and don’t jog because of a bad back, walking can be very good exercise.  If you didn’t guess already, I’m referring to myself here.  Even though I’m one of the most uncoordinated physical specimens of all time and even though I was emotionally scarred by the gym teacher terrorists in high school, I have become a somewhat disciplined person when it comes to exercise by walking on a treadmill.  Does that sound like fun?  It actually can be when you listen to music that you really like.  For reasons that are hard for me to understand, my wife is not the biggest fan of Johnny Cash who has been my music hero since I was eight.  He plays his great music every day while I’m walking on the treadmill with my five-pound weights.  Being on the treadmill reminds me of my working days in Corporate America so I’m right at home.  And when you have just about every Johnny Cash song there is in your collection, you can go a long time without repeating any song.  Exercise can be fun, if you get a little creative. Even walking on a treadmill can be something that you look forward to.  Well, almost look forward to.

Of course, taking your exercise routine outdoors will add to the enjoyment and hiking trails are great ways to get exercise and take in the wonder scenery nature has to offer.  The main point of all of this is that everyone needs to exercise, especially retirees because their activity level almost always goes down once they stop working.  Consult your doctor before starting any program but make it a point to make exercise a part of your life.  It will help you stay active and help you Enjoy Retired Life!

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