Fitness isn’t Just for Youngsters

Sadly, people often talk about being fit as if it’s only for kids. I hear things like “I used to do lots of cycling when I was younger, but…” or “now that I’ve got a career and family, I don’t have time to workout and dally with 10K races anymore.” At a party recently, a man told my husband it was about time for him to give up on wearing a 32 inch waistband pant size. And even though this man has let his waistband expand much wider than is healthy, I remembered my manners and didn’t burst out laughing or say what I was thinking, which was “speak for yourself.”

My husband has lost almost 20 pounds since he turned 50, simply by increasing his aerobic exercise to 200 minutes a week and eating a healthier diet based around fruits, vegetables and grains. Weekends for both of us are filled with activity, rather than overeating and couch potatoing. While I’ve been competing in swim meets, in recent months, my husband ran the Tucson Half Marathon, finished his first sprint triathlon, and biked in El Tour de Tucson.

My point is, both of us have families and busy careers, yet we continue to live active lifestyles. It isn’t something we outgrew when we turned 20, 30, 40 or even 50 (well I’m not 50 yet, but getting pretty close). And we’ve found ways to make our training fun. The good news is, if we can do it, so can you! All it takes for you to succeed is commitment. And its well worth it, too. Just waking up every morning and feeling healthy is all the incentive I need to press onward and upward with my healthy lifestyle plan.

If you ever look at a lean athletic person, turn green with envy over his or her sculpted body and want to convince yourself that this person has no life so you can persist with your sedentary lifestyle in peace, think again. This person could be your new role model. Think how great that person looks and probably feels each and every day and how if he or she can stay in shape, you can get there too. Then get off your duff, start working out, head for the store and buy a whole bunch of vegetables you’ve never eaten before and find a way to turn them into meals and before long, people will ask you how you fit in those jeans or managed to run the whole 13 mile race. And you can simply smile and say “it all started when I read this very interesting fitness blog…”