Now is not the time to stop moving. When you were younger your motivation to exercise may have been more about fitting into a new dress than about enduring health, but it going to be different now. It makes me shudder when I think about all of the weird diets that we tried and rabid spinning or cycling sessions that we endured, in an effort to reach our goals. It is fortunate for all of us that the human body is remarkably resilient or we wouldn’t even be here.
The stakes are higher now and you are going to have to work harder. Your body isn’t going to like it if you stop moving. Things may start to sag and pounds may pile on, and you may have already noticed that walking around the block is more of an effort. It can and will happen to you. The sags and bags and shortness of breaths are the first real signs that you are getting older.
You may still look and feel pretty good. If you were lucky you didn’t have to work all that hard to achieve that look, but it will be different now. The fact is that many of the physical changes associated with aging can be delayed or prevented if you get enough exercise, but it isn’t going to be a piece of cake. Today is the day, as you stand on the cusp of retirement, when you have to decide whether you want to make the effort to be healthy and strong, or not. It is as simple as that, but your future is going to depend on the decision you make today.
During your working years, time was scarce and you probably felt a smug satisfaction at how little sleep you could get by with, or even figured that working and carpooling were enough exercise. Some of you exercised and many of you did not. Whether working or not, exercise is extremely important. In retirement, you will have more control over your time and you have no excuse not to exercise on a regular basis.
Your body is not what it used to be, but you should be grateful that everything still works. The National Institute of Aging recommends that you work on endurance, strength, balance and flexibility in order to live a long and healthy life. You should be formulating a total body workout rather than doing a few classes at random. Speak with your doctor and a physical therapist for advice on how to get started. Avoiding exercise is no long an option if you want to be strong, healthy and independent for the rest of your life.
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