MFI and I were members of two fitness centers before we began our SidArthur Airstreaming adventure. While living in Arlington, TX, we worked out at the local Elzie Odom Recreation Center. The center provided two great rooms for either free-weight lifting or using an array of machines, and they had a 3-lane indoor track above the basketball/multi-use courts. Eleven laps equalled a mile. I could never seem to keep accurate track of my laps, so I just ran for the amount of time I knew equalled at least a mile and a half. While working at Pisgah View Ranch, we joined WNC (Western North Carolina) Barbell. They provided a substantial number of workout machines and free-weight stations. Instead of a track I ran on one of the treadmills. When we were members, we exercised four or five days each week and were in the best physical condition either of us had experienced in years.
But in the last two years, three things happened that negatively impacted our ability to maintain our peak fitness. First, we both were injured and required major surgeries with extended recovery periods. MFI had shoulder surgery that took a year to recover, and I had back surgery that took six months to heal. Fortunately, except for some initial weeks to recover from the pain of surgery, we were both usually back in the gym doing our required physical therapy and those parts of our respective workout routines that remained physically possible. Second, COVID-19 arrived and at least initially closed both Elzie Odom and WNC Barbell. When each subsequently reopening, we chose not to attend as a matter of preventive caution to protect oursleves and others from spreading the virus. Third, living nearly full-time in Arthur doesn’t provide the space or equipment we were used to having for our workouts. It quickly became easier to stop working out rather than develop and reinitiate a new routine. The result was we both put on too many extra pounds, got weaker, and I painfully tweaked by back twice in the last month exacacerbated by no stretching or exercise.
There is no easy way to fitness. There are no (zero, zip, nada) magic diets. . We fully recognize the importance and need for eating properly and continuing to be physical every day in order to maintain good health. And the older we’ve gotten the clearer that is. The biggest obstacle to doing something about it are the head games. Those mental conversations that always involve excuses and negotiations. The above paragraph alone certainly contains sophisticated, seemingly logical excuses. But alternatively we’ve also said, it is too cold, rainy, or windy today, so we’ll make it up tomorrow. Or, let’s help Jon out by eating the last two pieces of Logan’s leftover birthday cake. We can always eat a healthy meal tonight.
I’ve determined over the years that two things are required to overcome the mental conversations: commitment and forgiveness. We must fully commit ourselves to making and taking the time to exercise and eat a healthy diet. But this full commitment doesn’t and shouldn’t mean it has to remain forever unbroken. We should plan periodic workout breaks, and when circumstances prevent us from exercising, we need to forgive ourselves for the additional break and just move forward. Similarly, we should plan on occasionally eating some of our preferred comfort foods, and not beat ourselves up when we’re confronted with those not-so-healthy eating moments, such as Logan’s birthday. Planning for deviations to our commitment and forgiving ourselves for unplanned deviations removes the nagging guilt that creeps into those negative mental conversations.
At this point in our journey, we’ve adopted a daily routine involving the use of these simple devices: 8 and 10 pound dumbbells for working the arms and shoulders, a set of tubes for a variety of body exercises, a soft rubber mat, and Bose headphones w/Nano for entertainment while walking and running. This seems to be working for now. We’ll keep you posted as changes are made over time. Until then, we’re committed to keeping ourselves moving, eating properly, and staying fit. Aging just doesn’t stop.