Peace of Mind Organizing

Confessions of a couch potato

17 December 2006

I got up early and walked eight miles yesterday morning. I realize that doesn’t sound like something you’d hear from a self-described couch potato. Really, truly all I ever want to do is sit on my butt, watch TV (or DVDs or, especially, TV series on DVDs) and knit. If I won the lottery, I’d probably check into a five-star hotel and do just that for a week.

But since I’ve passed 40, I’ve grown up enough to realize the importance of exercise. I’m blessed with great genes and I’ve never had to exercise in order to keep my weight down. In the absence of vanity as a motivation, it took aging to get me going (well, that and my dogs; but I don’t consider their walks terrific exercise). Probably ten years ago, my college roommate, Ann, who’s a doctor, gave me a mini-lecture on how I need to be working on upper-body strength to stave off osteoporosis. It took me while, but I’ve finally integrated dumbbells into my morning routine.

Another college friend, KC, has gotten into walking half- and full marathons as part of her quest to get fit. She’s amazing—she walked the entire New York Marathon last month in seven and a half hours. Her enthusiasm for this is contagious and, thanks to KC, our entire group of five 40-something college buddies walked the Lewis and Clark Half Marathon in St. Charles, Missouri, on September 18, 2005. While I was sure I’d never do another, I’m actually training for the P.F. Chang’s Rock & Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix next month. Thus, I walked eight miles yesterday.

If you’d told me ten years ago that I would walk eight miles, pretty quickly, and finish by telling my friend and walking companion, “That was fun!” I’d have said you’re crazy. I’m certainly not obsessive about it, but I’m finally getting why people enjoy exercising. It’s so cool to set an exercise goal and achieve it.

Getting back to the upper-body-strength thing, I’m small, fair, and have a mother and grandmother with osteoporosis. So I’m a prime candidate. I’ve used a fantastic book called Quick Fit: The Complete 15-Minute No-Sweat Workout, by Richard R. Bradley and Sarah Wernick. Each day, I spend only five minutes with seven-pound dumbbells doing five weight exercises. (I try to get the cardio portion of my workout by my three-times-daily dog walks.) Not only are they easy, I’m actually a little strong, for the first time in my life. And I have muscles! (Also a first.) My arms actually look pretty in sleeveless tops, which is the goal of most women in their forties and above, I think. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s written for couch potatoes who want to incorporate a quick, no-sweat workout into their daily routine.

If you’re thinking there were an easy way to start exercising, buy this book. Read it, use it, and enjoy feeling proud of yourself—and feeling great.

Tagged with: aging, couch potato, exercise, health, marathon

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