Starting an exercise program

I’m 92 now and I exercise regularly, it’s a habit and I like it. A short, simple routine that doesn’t take too long is a good start. We have to want to get fit and then maintain it and keep our high quality of life into old age. This is our objective.

Exercising is something you may think about after your annual medical checkup or when you can’t get your best pair of slacks zipped up.  It was something else that prompted me to think about exercise. In my 30s after I played an interoffice touch football game my legs were so stiff I could barely walk.

That’s when I decided to start exercising. I had a family, a job, so exercising and keeping fit had to be wedged into a busy life. As I became older and life wasn’t so frantic it was much easier and that was all the better since the need for fitness is far more important as we age. 

I’m 92 now and I exercise regularly, it’s a habit and I like it. Back when I first thought about it in my 30s I had many questions. I was impatient but I knew how to run. I was determined to get fit and I got started! I put on my old canvas sneakers and ran out the door and up the street.

What a surprise, I couldn’t run for two minutes! I couldn’t even jog for two minutes! That was when I started my telephone pole interval plan. I would jog between two poles and then walk to the next one, then jog and so on until I went a mile. After a few weeks the jog turned into a run. Several months later I could run a mile. A few years later I was running in 5k and 10k races!

When I found, in my thirties, that I couldn’t even jog for two minutes, I started my telephone pole interval plan. I would jog between two poles and then walk to the next one, then jog and so on until I went a mile.

It took me several months to get from the walking and jogging stage to a condition I’d call an early stage of fitness! I started slowly and I cut down on my food intake. After I was able to walk and jog for 10 or 15 minutes I would do several simple exercises. They were stretching; one foot on a chair and then bend over so my head touches my knee. The other was cross stretch, right hand to left foot and then left hand to right foot. Then I did several pushups. My pants weren’t tight anymore!  This was real progress!

It was a good decision, no second thoughts!  Over the next few months, it gradually became a mindset. My fitness program took shape, exercises were added. It had to be simple and portable. I only needed good running shoes.

If I were starting today as a beginner, I think it would be easier. There are more types of light exercise clothes now and many more excellent shoes. There are gyms everywhere, and a much wider array of training devices and equipment. Every community seems to have yoga and dance classes available. The process of becoming fit now is almost as much a social event as it is an effort to improve one’s health. The quantity of media attention to health and fitness these days is vast and constant!

If I were to start exercising for the first time I would walk for 15 or 20 minutes or do my telephone pole routine and then do several simple exercises. If I needed to lose a few pounds I’d reduce my food intake. I would want to exercise enough that I can feel it. Fitness takes many months to achieve and improvement comes in small increments. Start slowly, don’t push, don’t get hurt.

If I were to start exercising for the first time I would walk for 15 or 20 minutes or do my telephone pole routine and then do several simple exercises. Start slowly, don’t push, don’t get hurt.

A short, simple routine that doesn’t take too long is a good start. We have to want to get fit and then maintain it and keep our high quality of life into old age. This is our objective. We may encounter obstacles, unforeseen medical issues and so on. We will get past these and continue on with a new mindset.  

There’s a lot of personal satisfaction in achieving fitness! You’ll feel good, and you’ll feel you have accomplished something!  You’ll look forward to exercising again!

When I found, in my thirties, that I couldn’t even jog for two minutes, I started my telephone pole interval plan. I would jog between two poles and then walk to the next one, then jog and so on until I went a mile. After a few weeks the jog turned into a run. Several months later I could run a mile. A few years later I was running in 5k and 10k races!