Empathy for Old Folks

I get it. Call it an epiphany. I understand now why older folks, of whom I include myself, are not generally svelte, are not hitting the running trails in force. I understand why you might wake up starting to feel aches and pains and think that nature is taking its toll. It’s time for comfortable shoes and the fear of exasperating the pain, the lack of exercise, creates more cranky muscles. I’m starting to feel the morning tension but the difference is when I feel that way, I interpret it to mean I need to do more. Just as Youngest did when she first started daily long walks. She’d say to me- my legs hurts after today and I’d just answer, that means you need to keep it up so it stops. Now she is devoted to her daily regime and I haven’t heard complaints for some time.

This doesn’t mean that I understand Mom Jeans (that will indicate dementia), but merely for the non-athletes amongst us, growing older sucks. Now I have developed a routine before I get out of bed. I pull my knees to my chest, twist legs to one side and then the other. I stretch my feet. Sitting up, I twist to each side, I roll down over my piked legs and up again loosening up my neck in all directions. After I get up, I use the bed to stretch my calves. When too much time goes by without training, things are really tight and uncomfortable so I judge my fitness in part by how tough (or easy) each morning movement feels. If I didn’t know better, and I do, I would reduce my activity rather than increase it. Ow!

It doesn’t make sense to me not to try to keep physically fit. No Olympic athlete here, but I keep weights in my office for quick lifting. When I walk Beef in the early morning, I do squats when he stops for his business. Some days I pretend to jump rope to get the blood flowing instead. Every day I try to take advantage of little moments.

A few years ago, I was an athlete and while I didn’t expect to stay at that level indefinitely, I do look forward to more training when I move to NC. After a year of working double, lots of travel and recovery from a back injury, I am eager to find joy in playing again. As part of the life balance value, I intend to sign up for equipment Pilates, dance classes, join a gym to lift and run again. I’d love to own a rowing machine. I want to keep moving and feeling good as long as I am able. Let’s see how this journey goes.