Down in Toronto last weekend, I took an exercise break and rode my bike down to Nathan Phillips Sq. to ice skate. Skating is a great form of exercise, and does not come fraught with the perils I have encountered while rollerblading. For one thing, ice skating is done on a rink, with other skaters. When I rollerblade, it is usually amidst a swarm of un-co-operative pedestrians, or worse yet, drivers. Anyhow, as I rode my bicycle down to the rink, I made an interesting observation. I was surprised by the number of bikers who had lit cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Doesn’t it seem a bit odd to you that someone should smoke while riding a bike? Kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think?
Last week, I had a stress test up in the Huntsville Hospital. The past several months have been a little bit of a roller coaster and I and my doctor wanted to make sure the old ticker was still in tact. Apparently, the exercise has paid off. When the assistant to the cardiologist hooked me up to all the wires, he must have pegged me for a codger (probably my grey whiskers), because he advised me to stay on the treadmill “as long as I could,” in order for the cardiologist to get as much data as possible. I don’t think he or the cardiologist figured I’d stay on as long as I did, especially after they ramped up the speed, and in fact they had all the data they needed before I’d even broken a sweat. According to the results, I’m fit as a fiddle … physically at least.
Come the New Year, it seems many people make the same resolution – to get more exercise. I’ve belonged to several health clubs over the years, but I can’t stand them. I only belong so that I can swim indoors in the winter, and rarely if ever have I used any of the hamster machines. That’s what I call treadmills and stair machines. It seems as if, shortly after each new year begins, that’s when all the newbies flood into the health clubs to exercise furiously, for about a week or two, before going back to their beer-guzzling, pizza-hoovering, sedentary ways. I always made a point of avoiding the health clubs during that two week period. In fact, I don’t usually enjoy exercising around other people, unless I’m outside. I like to hike, I swim, I ride a bike, and sometimes I skate. I don’t really enjoy talking much while I’m exercising, and I really don’t want to listen to someone else talking. It seems the older I get, the less inclined I am to go to any trouble in order to exercise. I used to love skiing, then it became too much trouble, and too expensive. Skiing on a real mountain meant traveling a long distance, and once I was there, there was no assurance conditions would be good. Between the long lift lines, the high cost of a lift ticket, I finally gave up skiing. I remember sitting high up on a chair lift at Stowe Vermont one frigid morning; the wind was blowing, the wind chill was about thirty below, and I thought to myself, what the heck am I doing up here? I used to be a pretty good skier, but if I hit the slopes today, I’d probably pull a Sonny Bono and slam into a tree. For a while I used an indoor bike trainer which allowed me to use my own bike. All I needed to do was pop off the front wheel, mount the bike on this trainer, and I could ride my own bike indoors. I would watch an episode of Star Trek and I could almost forget I was exercising. That’s how I have managed to make exercise a regular thing. If it isn’t fun and easy I won’t do it. I finally wore out that trainer; I should get a new one. It’s a lot cheaper than joining a club.
Like most of my lifestyle changes, the decisions were not so much resolutions, as they were gradual evolutions. If I eat this food I will feel better. Stretch every so often and I don’t feel so stiff (a growing problem of late). More water, less beer. The latest evolution, and one which has been a long time coming, is the conscious effort to read more and to watch less television. Exercise for the brain … goodness knows, I could use a little of that!
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Last week, I had a stress test up in the Huntsville Hospital. The past several months have been a little bit of a roller coaster and I and my doctor wanted to make sure the old ticker was still in tact. Apparently, the exercise has paid off. When the assistant to the cardiologist hooked me up to all the wires, he must have pegged me for a codger (probably my grey whiskers), because he advised me to stay on the treadmill “as long as I could,” in order for the cardiologist to get as much data as possible. I don’t think he or the cardiologist figured I’d stay on as long as I did, especially after they ramped up the speed, and in fact they had all the data they needed before I’d even broken a sweat. According to the results, I’m fit as a fiddle … physically at least.
Come the New Year, it seems many people make the same resolution – to get more exercise. I’ve belonged to several health clubs over the years, but I can’t stand them. I only belong so that I can swim indoors in the winter, and rarely if ever have I used any of the hamster machines. That’s what I call treadmills and stair machines. It seems as if, shortly after each new year begins, that’s when all the newbies flood into the health clubs to exercise furiously, for about a week or two, before going back to their beer-guzzling, pizza-hoovering, sedentary ways. I always made a point of avoiding the health clubs during that two week period. In fact, I don’t usually enjoy exercising around other people, unless I’m outside. I like to hike, I swim, I ride a bike, and sometimes I skate. I don’t really enjoy talking much while I’m exercising, and I really don’t want to listen to someone else talking. It seems the older I get, the less inclined I am to go to any trouble in order to exercise. I used to love skiing, then it became too much trouble, and too expensive. Skiing on a real mountain meant traveling a long distance, and once I was there, there was no assurance conditions would be good. Between the long lift lines, the high cost of a lift ticket, I finally gave up skiing. I remember sitting high up on a chair lift at Stowe Vermont one frigid morning; the wind was blowing, the wind chill was about thirty below, and I thought to myself, what the heck am I doing up here? I used to be a pretty good skier, but if I hit the slopes today, I’d probably pull a Sonny Bono and slam into a tree. For a while I used an indoor bike trainer which allowed me to use my own bike. All I needed to do was pop off the front wheel, mount the bike on this trainer, and I could ride my own bike indoors. I would watch an episode of Star Trek and I could almost forget I was exercising. That’s how I have managed to make exercise a regular thing. If it isn’t fun and easy I won’t do it. I finally wore out that trainer; I should get a new one. It’s a lot cheaper than joining a club.
Like most of my lifestyle changes, the decisions were not so much resolutions, as they were gradual evolutions. If I eat this food I will feel better. Stretch every so often and I don’t feel so stiff (a growing problem of late). More water, less beer. The latest evolution, and one which has been a long time coming, is the conscious effort to read more and to watch less television. Exercise for the brain … goodness knows, I could use a little of that!
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1 comment:
Less beer!!! That's it I'm never geting old ;P
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