Hey! Boomers Exercise, Too
Someone asked the other day if I exercise at all. I indignantly responded that it depends on what type of exercise one means?
I must admit my exercise is age related. In other words, appropriate for someone in their laugh laugh, golden years to be doing.
They looked at me quizzically and I said I suppose one could say that yes, I actually get a great deal of exercise. Just not the same as one might be doing in their forties.
For example, when young you might do a series of yoga poses like cobra, lotus, downward dog, happy baby, etc. All very effective and good for the body and soul. Whereas I might do another type of yoga pose like say snoring dog, where I fall asleep on the floor while watching television with one leg up on the ottoman and the other on the floor. Good for the inner thigh muscles.
Or instead of cobra pose I might fall on my stomach and reach for my phone for an hour while I try to slither forward to retrieve it. I call that one the Apple worm slide pose. Same idea just a different name, but great for stretching.
Of course, the most exercise I get each day is moving the heating pad from one part of my body to another. You’d be shocked at how much exercise is entailed in picking up the heating pad and adjusting and shifting it into a new position. Wait, shouldn’t walking to the wall to plug it in count for something? And how about all the steps to take the heatable neck roll to the microwave? And the balance it takes to keep it around your neck?
I am very well aware of movement and I must say I get plenty each day.
First there is the number of steps to take my meds in a timely fashion. Each glass of water I ingest with my pills equals at least three trips to the bathroom. All cardio is welcome here.
I counted and most of my steps are a result of bathroom trips and I also count the ones to the bathroom during the night. I’m just not sure if the ones after midnight should count in the previous day or current day’s step total.
There is a great deal of hand exercise that goes on each day punching the phone to make doctor appointments. Keeps your fingers agile. Sometimes it might take as many as four or five calls to get through to a human being.
I am adamant that putting on spanks should be counted as weight training. Does anyone have any idea how much muscle it takes to pull those damn things over your hips? Who needs dumbbells when you’re lifting your whole lower body weight?
I don’t discount how much energy is expelled when bringing in the grocery bags from Amazon and putting the food away. I refer to that particular exercise as the Amazon cardio/muscle building combination.
Does it count as resistance training if you stop yourself from eating a second sleeve of Oreos?
Recently I have been the recipient of comments from numerous people that my eyelids look anorexic and very wrinkled.
This is obviously the result of constantly closing them to avoid watching politicians when they appear on the news. I do also count bending and ducking their constant bullcrap whenever they speak for those newly lost inches on my waistline.
I am always working my upper torso by what I call the no-no-no workout. This entails raising my arms to tear my hair out over the crazy lies that come out of Washington. Who says politics aren’t healthy?
A great Cardio workout is easily accomplished just trying to find a salesperson in a mall. I only spend half the time traveling from store to store these days, because just walking through Macys to find some help can add up to a thousand steps.
One must not forget the health advantages to preparing meals. I mean walking to the freezer, removing the Lean Cuisine, walking it to the microwave, waiting for it to cook, placing it on a plate, opening a drawer to take out a fork and then walking into the dining room can provide all the steps you need in a day. I’m tired just thinking of it.
I’m not certain, but I believe it’s fair to count head shakes when my daughter asks me if I’m getting enough exercise.
The up and down movement of yes, I am, counts for something, I think. I mean it helps the back and neck muscles, right?
There are some lesser exercises and after all each step counts.
Things like answering the door for the cleaning service.
Never valeting my car in LA, which I count as quite a commitment to my fitness regime.
Dressing and undressing for every MRI, CT Scan, X Ray and doctor’s appointment surely must increase that activity level.
I’m not sure; does moving your eyes back and forth when you read a book count as facial exercise?
Many of my friends tell me they get great upper body breathing exercise from screaming at their husbands to get up and get their own damn diet coke out of the fridge.
There have been many studies proving it’s easier for Baby Boomers to get back into shape than today’s children to get into it. This is due to muscle memory from our active childhood lifestyle.
This sounds great in theory, but one must keep in mind at our age one cannot be certain our muscles still remember any better than we do.
Oh yes, I know how important it is to move your body each day so I make a conscious effort. There is of course a problem when you are intent on getting in as many steps as possible, and your body is intent on stopping you from doing just that.
But I have learned that with a constant supply of ice packs, heating pads and Motrin on hand, I shall prevail.
So take that Gluteus Maximus because Baby Boomers never quit!
Hmmm, how many calories do you think I just burned typing this blog?
A wise person once said, “Grandchildren are God’s way of compensating us for growing old. ” True words indeed. I should like to add my own thoughts and say that grandchildren are the icing on life’s cake, and calorie free. So it isn’t really so odd that after the initial shock, screams of joy and crying jag that ensued when my daughter informed me she was pregnant, I would immediately attempt to find a way to capture forever my ultimate Hallmark moment.
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