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This blog comment caught my eye:
When I go walking with my mom who is 73, I often have to tell her to slow down so I can catch up. She is also ten times more flexible than I am. When I run, my goal is to beat the senior citizens and the seven-year-olds. Sometimes I succeed.
—Anonymous
Wouldn’t it be inspiring to be in your seventies and run faster than your daughter? I thought of my mom when I read that comment. When my mom was in her midfifties, she hadn’t exercised in years. She never played sports or watched Sweatin’ to the Oldies with Richard Simmons. You couldn’t pay her enough money to step inside a gym. And then something happened.
My husband noticed that a personal trainer in our neighborhood taught an indoor cycling class in her garage. Indoor cycling is aerobic exercise that takes place on a stationary bike and doesn’t require much coordination, which is why my mom was willing to give it a try.
The rigorous class lasts for a brutal 45 minutes, and to my mom’s credit, she smiled through the whole thing. Four years later, she’s still cycling away twice every week.
“If it wasn’t for the indoor cycling class, I would have skipped exercise many weeks,” my mom says. “It’s become a routine, and I really need that. I think I’d be ten pounds heavier if I didn’t go.”22
I don’t think my mom can outrun me, but she might be able to “out-spin” me.
It doesn’t matter if you bike, walk, run, or swim. The point is to keep moving. How much physical activity do adults really need? According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults need at least:
• 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week
Or
• 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week
Plus
• Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)23
Muscle-strengthening activities can be done at home or in the gym. They include:
• Lifting weights
• Working with resistance bands
• Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (push-ups, sit-ups)
• Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
• Yoga
If you’re thinking, How can I meet these guidelines each week? remember you can spread your activity throughout the week. God gives you seven days to get it done. You can even exercise in ten-minute increments and find ways to multitask throughout the day, such as lifting weights while you watch television.
On the other hand, if you’re thinking, No problem; these guidelines are easy, why don’t you challenge yourself to take it to the next level? For even greater health benefits, the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 2 hours and 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. If your workout is intense, you can cut your exercise time in half. Everyone interested in saving time will want to move from moderate activity to vigorous activity.
How do you know if you’re doing moderate or vigorous aerobic activity (besides the feeling that you’re about to pass out)? Think of a 10-point scale where sitting is 0 and working as hard as you can is 10. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is about a 5 or 6. You’ll be breathing harder and your heart will be beating faster, but you’ll still be able to talk. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity is a 7 or 8 on this scale. You won’t be able to say more than a few words without stopping to catch your breath.
Whether you’re continuing your exercise regimen or beginning a new one, remember to use common sense. Everyone has different abilities and fitness levels. Do what feels comfortable to you and push yourself accordingly. If you compare yourself to your friend who’s winded after one flight of stairs, you might feel like a fitness expert. But when you hear about the friend who just completed a half marathon, you might feel more like a couch potato. Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, compete against yourself, constantly striving to have more endurance, strength, and speed in your personal workouts.
Maybe you’d like to exercise more, but you wonder when you will find the time. Think of it this way. You can pull out your calendar and schedule times for going to the gym, taking a brisk walk, lifting weights at home, or playing sports. Or you can write in extra doctor’s appointments and trips to the cardiologist, because that’s where you may end up if you don’t take care of your body. I think you’ll agree that exercise is the more attractive option, so let’s start moving today.
Thought for Rejuvenation
How does your exercise routine measure up to the one recommended by the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans?
Act of eXpression
Look at your calendar for the next week. Schedule in 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity and two days of strength training.