The bulk of my days are spent in front of the computer — in front of my computer while at my desk, or on the floor in front of the woodstove, or on the couch. I pop up to cook, start a load of laundry, fix a snack, and check my to-do list, but in a quiet house with no little kids to chase, there’s often no reason to even stand up. So I am diligent about getting regular exercise.
Here’s how I move.
Running
A couple times a week, I run 3+ miles. It’s not a fast run, but I’m not training for a marathon or trying to best myself. My goal is to get fresh air, feel pain, and breathe hard. If I need to slow to a walk for a minute, that’s okay. I’m still moving.
Kickboxing
Twice a week, I drive to the studio at the edge of town for a 45-minute class. I’ve been doing this for nearly two years, and it’s been the activity that’s changed my body the most. (And by “change,” I mean built noticeable muscle.) Everyone says it’s important for women to commit to regular resistance training as they age, and this is how I’m tackling it. I don’t know how long I’ll do it — it’s definitely my priciest activity — but it’s a huge part of my mental and physical health, so I definitely don’t want to be without it for now.
(Wouldn’t it be awesome if insurance companies rewarded us for being proactive about our physical health by contributing to exercise costs? I know other countries do this, and it makes so much sense.)
Playing Ultimate
Every Sunday afternoon, I play pick-up Ultimate in town. Sometimes I have tons of energy and run myself ragged, and other times my heart’s not really in it. Either way, I usually get in a couple good hours of sprinting, jumping, throwing, flailing, and yelling (friendly) insults. Afterward, my feet hurt.
Walking
During Covid I started using walks as a time to hang out with friends, and ever since, Chatty Walks have been a 2-for-1 staple of my weekly exercise routine. At least once a week, I meet up with a girlfriend and we knock out 4 miles, talking a mile a minute all the while, and some weeks I with as many as three friends. Exercise and socialization all packed into a single hour? It’s the best.
Bonus: Backward Walking
Recently, I’ve started walking backwards up the long hill across from our house after I get back from my runs. I got the idea because 1) my dad does it because it uses different muscles and may aid in maintaining balance (it was a fad in Japan), and 2) my older daughter’s physical therapist told her to walk backwards to strengthen the muscles around her knee. I don’t have chronic knee problems, but stronger leg muscles aren’t a bad thing, right? Plus, walking backwards is free, it hurts in a satisfying, productive way (after two up-hill reps, my legs and thighs are jelly), and the view is nice.
***
While I pummel a bag, or skirt potholes on the dirt road or slowly plod backwards up the hill, I often find myself wondering how other people move. So tell me: do you move? What’s your motivation? What are your chosen activities? What schedules do you keep? Do you enjoy it? Fill me in!
It’ll give me something to think about next time I’m out moving.
This same time, years previous: evening will come, chicken birthday cake, red velvet cake, five fun things, how we homeschool: Sarah, berry crostata, the quotidian (3.4.19), we nailed it, classic German gingerbread.
8 Comments
Judi
I take a brisk walk every day for an hour. I do yoga two times a week and weights three times a week. I used to run a lot but I have not been enjoying it as much as I used to! I think it is awesome that you do kickboxing. By the way, we watched Thelma the other night and loved it. Thanks for the recommendation!
Erika Otter
I was just having a conversation about this with a college kid the other day. Things that came up between us that we would recommend for fun, muscle-challenging exercise, all done as classes: hand-balancing, pole dancing, sailing, acrobatics or acro yoga. I’m 53 and have been doing a handbalancing class for 3 years, and I love it so much. I feel like I shake all the stress of my day out of my head upside-down.
DB Stewart
Everyday, I walk (typically outside, sometimes on a treadmill) for an hour. I also lift weights, but this has inspired me to try walking backwards.
Lindsay
I move because I want to be able to keep moving as I age, it helps me feel marginally less anxious, and because I like the feeling of having worked physically hard. Maybe it’s a result of childhood athletics, but I have positive associations with the feeling of having sore muscles. For “exercise“ I do 20-30 minutes of HIIT and 10-20 minutes of yoga three times a week, and I try to get a 30-60 minute walk in one to three times a week.
I also really appreciate the work of Katy Bowman (Nutritious Movement) and she has made me think of the totality of movement in my day, not just exercise, so I try to get in different forms of movement throughout my day. Squatting in the garden, lifting feed bags and shoveling mulch, sitting on the floor to play games with my kids, standing in different shapes instead of sitting when I’m working on the computer or folding laundry, etc. We have lots of balance-challenging toys/boards/devices in our home as well to try to encourage everyone to move and to provide outlets for fidget energy.
Rebecca Johnson
I agree, fun question 🙂 I have been a consistent power walker for most of my adult life so starting my day with a 3-4 mile brisk walk is my favorite way to move. But now that I’ve entered perimenopause, I am thinking more about retaining my muscles and making sure I’m able to be active as long as possible as I age.
I’ve started doing yoga (on apple fitness) 2-3 times a week and trying to fit in a strength training video a few times a week. I have to add new things slowly because I find that as I’ve gotten older, my body can’t adjust as quickly to new movements or exercises. I’m feeling a lot stronger because of the yoga and I’m hoping it’ll improve my balance as I age.
I’ve also heard about backward walking. I’m wondering how I can include that in my morning walks without my dogs dragging me down LOL (I walk my 2 dogs at the same time)
Katrina Sensenig
Pilates as often as I can squeeze it in (not nearly as often as I’d like these days due to foster care) and walking.
Sarah
Fun question! Twice a week karate, lots of walking as part of getting around a big city, Pilates/weight work (at home) about three times a week. And I try for a 3 mile run once a week but don’t always have time. This feels like the barest possible minimum, but is all I have time for with job(s) and family!
Miriam
Your walking backwards comment struck a note with me. My husband introduced me to The Kneesovertoesguy https://www.youtube.com/@TheKneesovertoesguy who has all sorts of good exercises for strengthening knees especially, but also general health improvement. He was big into basketball in high school & college, until he blew out his knees. Medical professionals told him he would never be able to run, jump, etc., as he once had. He refused to accept that and started developing exercises to help himself return to health. Now he has all sorts of videos out there with those exercises. And he can once again dunk a basketball.
Anyway, one of my favorite kneesovertoesguy routines begins with five minutes of walking backwards, then progresses through tibialis raises, elephant walking, stretches, leg lifts, and several other exercises. As long as I keep up with this routine 2-3 times a week, my knees don’t ache and I’m more flexible.
My other regular moving includes walking and regular weight lifting. I don’t go heavy with my weights, but work on slow, steady lifting, focusing on the negative portion of the lift (really pushing against gravity as the weight is coming down). I’m in my 60’s now and I’ve found keeping myself active and adding resistance training super beneficial to my health.