Senior Citizens and Exercise

When I was a kid I didn't want to eat salad. No one ever asked me why. When it was put in front of me it stayed there. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized I hated lettuce. The rest of the salad was pretty good. Now I create my own salad and only put in the things I liked. That old thing my mother gave me with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons gave way to fruits and nuts and cheese and red cabbage and I was eating salad. Now I enjoy experimenting with different kinds of foods in a bowl and I call them all salad.

I also am not a fan of exercise. If you met me you would know that. I don't like to run, or lift, or squat, or bike. It doesn't matter what I do, I'm Charlie horse for at least a week and walk around looking something like a drunken gorilla. If my memory serves me right I was once a regular at the local gym. After hurting my hip I stopped going and never returned. Granted, a mistake. Now I feel like mother time when I see who is going into those hallowed halls. But I don't think I would go even if they designated and hour or two "granny time". And I am well aware that the fork I lift when I eat my newly created salad does not constitute exercise.

So I had to come up with some ways to exercise that I would actually do. I would like to pass them onto you.

The most exercise I get is when I baby sit. My grandkids keep me moving. To do this I bought sneakers. I may be exhausted and my joints may be stiff when they go but they were so cute I didn't feel the pain until after they left. I asked my daughter to try to leave them with me for a few hours at least twice a week. She agreed. I wasn't surprised.

I hid the remote control. I thought this was a good idea. I would have to get off the couch every time I wanted to change the channel. The problem is I have memory issues and I forgot where I put it. Now I'm annoyed at myself every time I have to get up. But, like it or not, I get up. So I watch Seinfeld for 2 hours at a time. I bet I'll find it before the new TV season starts. I'm highly motivated.

I try to call my friends more often. They all seem to have so much to say. After listening to them for a few hours I'm exhausted. That's a real workout.

I buy heavy food - like watermelon or large containers of milk. It takes a lot of work to get it home. Even after you eat it and throw away the rind the garbage bag is heavy to take out. You get muscles from this one.

I wear heavy clothes. It takes a lot more calories to walk around in boots and a winter coat then shorts and a tee shirt. In the summer I had to really put the temperature down on the air conditioner because it got so hot. When my daughter brought over the kids - remember? - she thought I had truly lost it. Sometime I think my kids just don't "get me". Do you feel that way too?

Then there is my absolutely favorite time of the day - in the morning right after I have my coffee. I take a stroll into my little private workshop and come out feeling like a new woman. "Exercise for my inners" I call it. And it sure is swell! You must try this one.

So if you are not a gym-type gal do not fret. There are many ways to get the calories burned away. With a little creativity exercise will become your favorite thing to do.