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eLearning Series:
I'm an Active Senior
Who Wants To Stay Healthy
( 50 aticles in this series )
Buddy
Up at the Gym:
Fitness for the Fifty-Plus Crowd
For those of us who are in our fifties or
above, motivating to get fit can be a little intimidating.
A few years, or even a decade, may have passed without any
consistent exercise. Children and grandchildren, jobs, and
figuring out your retirement plans have made your life seem
busier than ever. The body may try to tell you that getting
into a routine of exercise is too daunting of a task in your
less youthful body. You may wonder how much working out may
have changed since the last time you were in a gym or aerobics
class. The fact is that all of those concerns will quickly
slip away after a week or two of getting used to a fitness
track; but, knowing that doesn’t always make it easier to get
there. You really just need to find a little motivation
to make those first steps. Many in the fifty-plus crowd have found
a great source for motivation by partnering up with one of
their fifty-plus friends. Both of you get to start something
new together, and that makes many of the excuses and insecurities
about a fitness plan just disappear. Fitness companions get
to encourage and motivate one another, and they get to socialize
in a fun way at the same time. A buddy is precisely what people
in the fifties-plus crowd are calling their best tool for fitness
support and motivation.
While you and your buddy’s bodies are getting into the swing
of a new workout routine, you will be able to get your mind
off of your muscles with some catching up. Imagine how different
a three or four-mile walk would be without your workout
pal and you being able to chat and laugh. You will also be able
to try out a variety of activities which need more than one
person, like tennis, racquetball or bowling. With your fitness
pal, finding new activities to try will seem more like an adventure
than just a workout. Although, it isn’t always the best idea,
depending on the kind of class and instructor you have, to
socialize away during a class, having a buddy with you whom
you can once in awhile grimace with and send knowing looks
acknowledging the work your bodies are doing, can make a workout
seem like something you can get through. Especially in the
beginning, when muscles may be weak and the heart wants to
slow you down, a friend’s smile can give you an extra bit of
strength. Having your fifty-plus companion in your aqua, step
or weight-training class with you will make it easier to take
that first step into the workout area. So what, if everyone
in the class has been there for months and they all know each
other? You and your pal have each other for the first few days
that you are new.
With a busy lifestyle that is moving toward retirement, it
will be easy to make excuses for why you are unable to make
it to the gym. Your companion and you can motivate
one another to stay on track. Friends can challenge you to do just one
more push-up or to walk another half of a mile. A buddy which
has known you a long time will also be able to call your bluff
when you are trying to say you don’t have enough time to fit
in a workout. Likewise, once you encourage them, you have to
make sure you show up, too. After so much time invested in
your loved ones, you and your workout buddy can encourage each
other to take time for yourselves and your friendship in a
new, productive way.
Maybe you have recently been urged by your doctor to start
working out, or perhaps you just want to feel better about
your body and self with some preventative action. Either way,
having a friend to workout with can make all the difference.
Friends support us through all aspects of our lives, so it
makes sense that they could also help us motivate to workout.
With a workout pal, finding physical activities to do together
can be a fun rebirth to fuller wellness for both of you.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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