It"s About Time - Getting In Shape
"How many rest stops is that now, 2 or 3? Try 4.
Well, don't worry, we're about at the top.
We're almost there.
" Sound familiar? Have you been out trying to have a good time on a daytrip, or on vacation looking to explore and see the sights, only to find yourself hindered because you ran out of energy too soon, or worse, didn't have the energy to begin with? My wife and I were doing just that, looking for some fun and adventure, visiting Mesa Verde National Park for our 10th anniversary, when we got a wake-up call, when we had the cold hard reality of our physical conditioning, or lack thereof, pushed upon us.
When we should have been able to fully appreciate and freely maneuver through one of our nations most beautiful national parks unhindered, we found instead we had to pace ourselves, and limit our explorations to the less advanced areas and activities, the equivalent of the "bunny hill" in snow skiing terms.
Even the simpler hikes, you know the ones for the whole family, the ones where little school children on a field trip dart past you on the trail, required a rest, a few rests actually, every time the panting got too bad.
But we weren't the only ones.
We noticed several others of the 40-50 yr.
+ crowd stopping along that "steep" ¾ mile trail back up to the visitors' center.
It helped some to see we weren't alone in our poor physical condition.
As I said, it helped some, but not a lot.
Whereas most young, or younger, people seem to have energy to burn and concerns for any physical activity and exertions ahead usually don't factor in when preparing, readying and anticipating a road trip, we're at an age (40-50 yr.
+) where it does.
Rather than waiting to discover you're more out of shape than you realized when you get there, as we did, just giving in to being out of condition and too much of a couch potato, or buying in to the "old" stereotype that you're not only supposed to slow down as you age, but it is inevitable, irreversible and prohibitive, and let it impede an activity or trip, why not get more active now and be ready for wherever life takes you, whatever your age? Often it is our sedentary lifestyle that is catching up to us over the years more than the years themselves.
Why not put on those walking shoes, swim those laps or dust off that bike and take a ride? Or how about breaking out that old racket and enjoying some tennis with your spouse like you've always talked about? Isn't it about time? At "our age" being active isn't just about having an active lifestyle, recreating and enjoying leisure time, though those are important, it's about health.
Life is too short and we should really be living it.
Life is unpredictable and difficulties come to us often enough unbidden, so there's no need to borrow trouble.
Let's do all we can to improve and maintain our health, to be active, so we can be ready and able to fully enjoy, not only those around us, but every opportunity to live that life presents to us.
Well, don't worry, we're about at the top.
We're almost there.
" Sound familiar? Have you been out trying to have a good time on a daytrip, or on vacation looking to explore and see the sights, only to find yourself hindered because you ran out of energy too soon, or worse, didn't have the energy to begin with? My wife and I were doing just that, looking for some fun and adventure, visiting Mesa Verde National Park for our 10th anniversary, when we got a wake-up call, when we had the cold hard reality of our physical conditioning, or lack thereof, pushed upon us.
When we should have been able to fully appreciate and freely maneuver through one of our nations most beautiful national parks unhindered, we found instead we had to pace ourselves, and limit our explorations to the less advanced areas and activities, the equivalent of the "bunny hill" in snow skiing terms.
Even the simpler hikes, you know the ones for the whole family, the ones where little school children on a field trip dart past you on the trail, required a rest, a few rests actually, every time the panting got too bad.
But we weren't the only ones.
We noticed several others of the 40-50 yr.
+ crowd stopping along that "steep" ¾ mile trail back up to the visitors' center.
It helped some to see we weren't alone in our poor physical condition.
As I said, it helped some, but not a lot.
Whereas most young, or younger, people seem to have energy to burn and concerns for any physical activity and exertions ahead usually don't factor in when preparing, readying and anticipating a road trip, we're at an age (40-50 yr.
+) where it does.
Rather than waiting to discover you're more out of shape than you realized when you get there, as we did, just giving in to being out of condition and too much of a couch potato, or buying in to the "old" stereotype that you're not only supposed to slow down as you age, but it is inevitable, irreversible and prohibitive, and let it impede an activity or trip, why not get more active now and be ready for wherever life takes you, whatever your age? Often it is our sedentary lifestyle that is catching up to us over the years more than the years themselves.
Why not put on those walking shoes, swim those laps or dust off that bike and take a ride? Or how about breaking out that old racket and enjoying some tennis with your spouse like you've always talked about? Isn't it about time? At "our age" being active isn't just about having an active lifestyle, recreating and enjoying leisure time, though those are important, it's about health.
Life is too short and we should really be living it.
Life is unpredictable and difficulties come to us often enough unbidden, so there's no need to borrow trouble.
Let's do all we can to improve and maintain our health, to be active, so we can be ready and able to fully enjoy, not only those around us, but every opportunity to live that life presents to us.
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