Exercise

Gratitude 7/27/2025

I am grateful for the gift of a new day.
My heart is filled with gratitude for the many blessings I have.
I will appreciate the small joys and express my thanks in all circumstances.
Let my attitude of gratitude bring joy to others.

I am at long last in my life grateful for appreciating exercise.

My dad loved to watch and play sports. Many friends and family members I’ve known over the years have really loved to run, lift weights, swim, play tennis, work in the yard, or just work out. I remember one friend telling me that she knew she got a good workout when her forearms were sweaty. These people don’t feel right unless they have their run or work out. I always admired people who were fit and who loved exercise.

I have not been one of those people. For most of my life I pooh poohed exercise. I would rationalize that I could do what I wanted to do—lift, climb, squat, push, bend. My grandmother’s voice played in my head that people she saw jogging down the road were too tired or didn’t have time to do any real work.

Things have changed. I’ll be 70 on August 1. And although I can still move around, it takes me longer to get up than it used to. I can’t sit on my knees for more than a few seconds. And whereas I used to be able to do some basic gymnastics and bends, I get what Simone Biles called “the twisties” just thinking about walking on a balance beam, doing a flip or handstand, or even arching my back so my feet can touch the back of my head. I used to kinda be able to do all of that.

So many people my age are dying off or are really diminished. My dad died when he was 59 of heart trouble, even though he believed in exercise. My mom died at 77 after suffering dementia and then a stroke. My genes are not great.

What keeps me going physically is exercise. A few years ago my doctor recommended I take an “Exercise Is Medicine” course at a gym in Columbus. I met with a personal trainer twice a week for 12 weeks. She mapped out a “routine” for me and I stuck with it, even meeting up with my daughters at the gym on Saturday mornings.

Then Stewart and I joined a new gym as part of the Knox County Hospital system up in Centerburg only 15 minutes away. The facility has all kinds of “equipment.” And what has been really good is that I exercise joints and muscles I normally wouldn’t, even if I have an active day. A personal trainer set up a routine for me that includes cardio, strength training, and aerobics. When I’m good, I go up there three times a week and on Saturday I exercise with my friend at her house. I’m not always that good. It’s really easy to rationalize not going up to the gym. It really helps when my husband and I go together. I want it to be part of my routine, so I don’t even try to make a decision about whether to go or not.

A couple months ago, I took a 6-week course once a week for older people to strengthen muscles around knees, shoulders, hips, and the back. I was the only one in the class who had not yet had knee replacement. It was a really good experience and I’ve tried to incorporate some of those exercises into my little routine.

I know several people my age who have had hip or knee replacement or shoulder or back surgery. Those procedures give people a new lease on life and almost all of the people I know who underwent surgery are happy they did it… even if it takes an extended period of recovery. I know when something hurts with every step or movement, that’s all you can think about even if it’s just a splinter in your finger, let alone if every step you take causes excruciating knee pain. It’s like having to go to the bathroom really badly. When you finally go or are pain free, it never crosses your mind and you go about your day, often without a lot of empathy for others who are suffering with pain.

I want to continue to be able to climb the stairs in my house and move around my shop. I want to be able to carry laundry downstairs and stretch to reach things or put things back on tall shelves. I will never exercise to be a body builder or to win any contest. I don’t need to make my forearms sweat. But I will continue to exercise to extend my ability to pick up my granddaughter, and to play on the floor with her.

To encourage me, my daughters bought me some stretchy exercise clothes and some HOKA shoes. I can be very self-satisfied when I do work out.

I know it’s important to keep my mind going too. Writing this daily gratitude post helps me keep my mind active. So does listening to/reading books and participating in book clubs.

There are all kinds of studies that confirm that exercise it not just good for your body, but also for your mind, keeping the blood flowing. I have become a believer, even if I fall off the wagon quite a bit.

I’m grateful for the positive steps I can take to keep going and living.