Walk On!

Retirement hard on your waist line? Spending a little too much time at your computer or in front of the TV? Walk away those retirement blues! And enjoy the benefits of a regular exercise program that is easy and inexpensive, and can be performed in almost any kind of weather.

Your first and only serious investment is a good pair of walking shoes. Here in Ashland, Oregon, we are fortunate to have a great shoe store called Rogue Valley Runners. http://www.roguevalleyrunners.com Despite the name, they also are a great resource for walkers. Here’s a quote from their web site:

“Here at Rogue Valley Runners, we are committed to properly fitting each foot that walks or runs through our doors. Every employee is trained to talk with you about your specific needs, concerns, or goals ensuring you that the shoe that you are fitted for is the right shoe for your foot. We also offer a free video camera/stride analysis service at the store to help with your footwear selection.”

Don’t be afraid to spend around $100 for a good pair of shoes. They will last you at least 6 months to a year. You can also add orthotics, either the over-the-counter kind, or custom ones that a physical therapist can fabricate for you.

Your second investment might be an inexpensive pedometer. I got one for my couch potato husband a few months ago, and he loves the challenge of trying to meet or exceed his goal each week by counting those steps. If that’s the kind of motivation that gets you out there walking every day, then you can buy a pedometer at any department or discount store that has athletic equipment. I bought one at BiMart http://www.bimart.com/ for under $4.00.

Of course it’s a good idea to consult your physician or physical therapist before initiating any kind of exercise program to make sure you don’t have any medical condition or disorder of your joints or muscles that would make walking contraindicated.

One way to insure your continued participation in a walking program is to enlist a fellow walking buddy, or join a group of walkers. The Rogue Valley Mall http://www.roguevalleymall.com has a dedicated group of walkers that stride out in all kinds of weather (it’s nice to have air conditioning in the hot Medford summers as well as shelter from winter rain and snow), and enjoy a cup of coffee together afterward. It’s a great way to meet new friends, and stay in touch with old ones.

So far Mark has lost 6 pounds of holiday flab, doing very little else in terms of changing his eating and drinking habits, just by walking every day. He figures he burns approx. 100 calories in a 30-minute walk, so with everything else being equal, that would amount to almost one pound a month, or 12 pounds in a year. And Mikey the Border Collie is ecstatic to have regular walks to look forward to!

Be fit in retirement

One benefit of escaping the 40-hour-per-week grind is having more time to attend to physical fitness. Haven't you often looked at those trim, sprightly people streaming in and out of the gym and wistfully said to yourself, "If only I had more time to work out..." Well, now that you're enjoying retirement, you do have the time!

That's the good news. The bad news is, you're feeling guilty that you are wasting these "golden years" of retirement. Those lengthy aerobic workouts and the washboard abs are not spontaneously just happening.

How do you develop a fitness program that becomes part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth? For most folks, it means joining some kind of health club or spa, like Gold's Gym (www.GoldsGym.com), 24-Hour Fitness (www.24hourfitness.com), or Curves (www.curves.com).

Two very popular clubs who specialize in programs for Ashland, Oregon retirees are Baxter's and the YMCA. Of course, before embarking upon a new exercise program, you should probably check with your physician or physical therapist to screen for any medical conditions that would make an exercise program contraindicated. You might also want to hire a personal trainer to help you set up your program and give your workout a structure.

One advantage of "The Y" is the great variety of programs and classes that cater to seniors. To To name a few: Best-Bones (to help guard against osteoporosis), water exercise, Tai Chi for Better Balance, and Senior Circuit as well as Low Impact Aerobics, spinning (and I don't mean something you do with wool!), and Yoga which can be wonderful for older adults.

In addition to the many benefits a regular exercise program bestows upon our physical bodies, it can also be a social outlet, and a fertile source of new friends. Retirement can mean a new type of social isolation when we no longer have our daily work contacts, so joining an exercise class can meet that need as well. Plus, it's just a lot more fun to work out with other people.

In short, find something that you can do every day, and above all - Have Fun!

Let me know your favorite technique for keeping your exercise routine fresh and fun.