 |
| Image Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
As we age (this coming from a
21-year-old) our lives become busier and our time is tied up in many different activities;
“activities” isn’t the best word to describe how the time is used though,
considering it implies physical movement.
Our time is tied up mainly in mental pursuits. Many people begin focusing on their work and
spend countless hours each week physically inactive, hunched over their desks
or in other life-draining positions. The
days of running around at recess, competing in sports, and actively “playing”
in general have a tendency to slip away.
If an individual cannot set away time to partake in some sort of fun
exercise, I feel sorry for them, but I believe they can still find ways to
remain fit and active.
I am someone that takes
physical fitness fairly seriously. I try
to make it into the gym at least two or three times a week, and I also run or
bike a few times a week. I know that as
time goes on I will take on much more responsibility whether it be from work,
from family, or any other facet of life that I have no power of foreseeing in
the present. With more responsibilities,
carving out blocks of time for exercise will become more difficult. I have realized this:
Fitness
is a lifestyle, not a trip to the gym.
I’ve always heard this type
of message, but only recently really thought about it. Today I was shopping at my favorite grocery
store… Wegmans! In case you have never
heard of it, a friend of mine, and fellow blogger, wrote a recent post about
the magical grocery land. Anyway, I
walked in and realized that I only really needed about ten items or so, the
essentials. In choosing my “weapon of
choice” in the battle through the aisles I decided on a basket rather than the
large or small carts. With each added
item I could feel a little tension in my biceps, forearms, abs, and shoulders. I was doing some light exercise! When others weren’t looking I may have done a
few curls and shrugs, no shame.
It hit me that a little
change like this in a very routine errand makes a positive difference in your
overall fitness. It might not help you
reach maximum fitness goals in the way that an elliptical or set of free
weights would, but small changes like this add up.
I know that as I age I might
not be able to fit in an hour or two at the gym as often as I’d like to, but
that won’t stop me from maintaining an active lifestyle. Making a bunch of small changes like this will
be advantageous.
Some more minor changes that
can aid fitness include:
- Parking your car at the back of parking lots to maximize walking distances
- Taking stairs over elevators (also walking up ‘down’ escalators if there is no crowd)
- Sitting on a fitness ball instead of a chair
- Standing as opposed to sitting when the opportunity presents itself
It is a matter of identifying
things you do on a daily basis and figuring out how they can be done in a more
physically active way without costing you too much of your time.
I believe the other key to
being fit is finding time for exercise. If you have short amounts of time free, do a
short workout, but if it is too difficult then these small changes are a step
in the right direction.
As I go into the future I’ll be working on maintaining
time for exercise and making fit-changes. My ultimate, long term fitness goal is to be
able to run at least 2 miles straight and do around fifty push-ups when I am at the ripe old age of 80.
Be fit! However you can!
Boom!
dont ever walk up down escalators
ReplyDelete