Time To Get Fit

I mentioned this the other day, I’ve decided to add exercise to my weight loss plan.  If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you’ve seen me get enthusiastic about exercise and then lose interest.  And get enthused again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

This time I hope to make exercise a more permanent habit. Wish me luck.

Anyhow, the two activities I’ve been doing are fitness walking and chair yoga. Activities I can do in my living room.

I used to take a yoga class, absolutely loved it.  But then I felt pain in my right knee … well, it’s hard to do warrior pose when your knee won’t hold your weight. Welcome to the wonderful world of osteoarthritis, both knees.   So, the solution?  Flexibility exercises that can be done in a seated position.  Much gentler on the knees.  I signed up for a subscription service, but there are plenty of free videos on YouTube. I’m enjoying it.

I love to take walks in my neighborhood, or at the beach, or in the park.  But when the weather isn’t cooperating…fitness walking videos fit the bill.  I know I’ve talked about this before.  My favorite instructor is Leslie Sansone.  I first discovered her almost 20 years ago, I bought her book and her videos.  These days she has a paid subscription service with all sorts of perks, but you can watch her older videos for free on a YouTube.  In 15 minutes you can get a cardio workout that’s the equivalent of walking a mile.  I love her attitude — there’s no wrong time to exercise, and if you can’t keep up with the steps just go back to walking in place.  

Of course, if you want a more basic calisthenics video, you can try this:

  

Boomers will recognize the tune.  It’s “Chicken Fat”, a song dating to 1962, commissioned by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.  It was written by the great Meredith Willson, who also wrote the classic musical The Music Man.  And the singer is Robert Preston, the original Harold Hill. It was actually recorded on the movie set.   Looks like fun …