It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life."
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How much effort would it take to pop into my son’s home gym for a few minutes when we go to babysit our granddaughters, one or two days each week? Wouldn’t this be a great way to add strength training to our walking routine?
This was our goal. We honed in on it around the new year, when one is supposed to be amending their ways. We stated the goal aloud to our son, who echoed our thoughts about the importance of strength training as we age. Everyone agreed, this was a good idea.
There the new exercise routine sat, in our imagination. We took no further steps for many weeks.
Late February rolled around, and we still hadn’t started to work on this resolution. My son offered to give us a little coaching, to create a brief routine that we might complete in 15-20 minutes. We dropped by his house on a non-babysitting day and he showed us seven basic exercises – five of which do not require special equipment and we are able to do at our own home, with hand weights. He recommended two to three sessions each week.
Sure!
Not.
What keeps getting in the way? I don’t know. It is HARD to start new stuff.
On our long drive home from vacation last week, Tony and I agreed to revisit the goal, to begin doing the exercises. Starting the very next day, we would do the five that required no special equipment, and practice these at home.
Wait, what were these five exercises?
That tomorrow became tomorrow’s tomorrow’s tomorrow. Finally, I said: Let’s start!! I opened up the notes I had taken on my phone and tried to decipher the exercises. Truthfully, too much time had passed; we no longer remembered what each exercise ‘looked’ like. How were we supposed to hold our bodies for each one?
In lieu of working out, I decided to make a project of my notes: Using the terminology my son used when he coached us, I looked up each exercise on the internet. I read as much as I could find on each exercise, paying particular attention to suggestions and advice for how best to hold your body. Then, I drew diagrams of our body positions in a small notebook, to keep with our weights in the basement.
(Do you see how ‘academic’ I am about procrastination, successfully avoiding the actual exercises with a creative diversion?)
In my defense, I moved my body into position for each exercise so that I might understand directions and draw a better diagram (although I did not hold hand weights). These are silly images, I think – but I am a person who needs visuals and they do help me. Here’s one for “squats with weights”:
I shared my new visual guide with my son, who said “This is great, Mom! Good job!” (One of those exchanges when I feel we have flipped positions, he the parent, I the child…how much more of this awaits, as I age?)
Then he looked at the guide and said – Mom, I never showed you this exercise, #2:
(Him) This is very advanced, done by bodybuilders. Did you try this?
(Me) No, I just drew it. I was wondering why I didn’t remember it. It did seem challenging.
(Him) Here, let me show you the original exercise, which is really more of a stretch, something you can do any time of day, and will help you ease your aching feet and calves. It is great for knee health. Really, this is a good exercise for you. You do not need hand weights.
He demonstrated the stretch and I took photos, and then, of course, I had to draw it out and add it into our exercise booklet:
He proceeded to look through the rest of my drawings and descriptions, and made a couple minor corrections. The exercise drawings are all set now. Nothing prevents us working out!
I wonder, how often do I overthink? How often do I make the simple unnecessarily complicated? There is real wisdom in that old Nike ad: just do it.
Tomorrow.
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Maureen,
LOL! There’s humor, irony, pathos, all the things that make a slice great. You really should be doing strength training. I know you’d rather draw and write about exercises, but there’s nothing preventing you from picking up some hand weights and doing some simple curls. I think I recall you mentioning aching hips. I know Kim has. So let me tell you about the magic of hip openers. Walking is fantastic, but it is not enough. Pop up some youtube videos. Follow along w/ those. I know you don’t use social media, but Instagram is fantastic for finding short workout routines and demonstrations. Do one exercise today and only one a day this week. Twelve to fifteen repetitions. You can do that and write about it for tomorrow. Report back to your son and to me. 😉
Yes, yes, yes, I know – I need to be strength-training. We were members of a gym until the pandemic; we lifted weights 2-3 times a week for years. I can do this! Lol It’s not me with achy hips – but I have increasing arthritis in my feet, which is why you’ll find me walking, keeping my feet on the move, every day…I won’t give in to the aches. Also, I trail run with a friend every weekend. I am active, I’m just not doing as much as I should be doing. Thanks, Glenda!
Maureen, this is fabulous! A fitness plan in diagrams drawn by an artist’s hands and easy to follow. It brings to mind just how art runs through your veins – I was thinking back to when I broke my ankle and had to do the exercises, and the PT showed me what to do . Had I been an artist, I believe I would have made sense of it all the way you did, in drawings. Being the one who can’t count crochet slip knots and double crochets and such to repeat any kind of process without someone holding my hand, I did the only thing I knew to do to make sure I did it right and didn’t break a bone again: I recorded the PT doing these motions- I made him a movie star, at least from the knees down. But if I had your talent, I would have drawn these ankle strengthening exercises because that’s just the coolest way to remember what to do and how many repetitions . Fabulous! And I love the dialogue with your son too. My favorite line: you do not need weights. I don’t mean to chuckle, but you really brought out the humor with that line.
Thanks, Kim! I was laughing as I wrote. My son was so sweet to me – so patient with recalcitrant me. That was a brilliant idea to videotape your physical therapist…it is very challenging to remember these moves.
You may have had a slow start but you never gave up and took even extra effort to draw the exercises. After all this work it seems impossible not to exercise. Looking at your visual notes reminds me how I had to draw exercise routines when I was studying to become a primary school teacher. We used stick figures for drawing.
Thank you! I do enjoy doodling.
I had to laugh. I almost wrote about my exercise routine this morning. Now I’ll have to try on another day—though there will be no art involved—in any exercise program I undertake. (I love how your son is proud that you are illustrating the exercises—perhaps not doing them, but at least getting the picture!) Seriously, do I have to do strength training? Can’t I just eat the right way ? ARGH! Just thinking about healthy aging can be exhausting .
I think he recognizes that my drawing the exercises is putting me in the path to doing them, lol. One can hope that I start! Thank you for commenting!
I love your description of how you so creatively find ways to procrastinate doing the exercises. It is definitely hard starting new routines! It was fun to hear about all your “starts” and stops. Here’s hoping I”ll read about your new routine soon. 🙂
Thank you, Natasha! I wondering, are these really “starts” or all different versions of avoidance? Ha.
I’m totally in the same boat. I hear this voice inside my head saying, “You’re such a disappointment to yourself.” I am acknowledging my lack of getting out and walking, etc. I really need to get it started. I think I’ll put the Nike slogan throughout my house, “Just Do It!”. Seriously, loved your drawings and how you show your procrastination. I hope I get started into a routine, and I hope you are able to commit to one, too!
I have been trying to think of a way to reward myself. Or maybe make a chart to check off, as I accomplish the exercises ? I am reminded of my teaching young children – motivating children to start a desired behavior was much harder than getting them to stop an inappropriate one. Oh, me. Here’s to us both getting going!!!
Maureen, awesome! I love the advice “Just Do It!” My daughter has been trying to get me to do some weight training, and I have failed so far! You are inspiring me. In fact, I just did #8 (supposed to be #2). I did NOT try the first #2 you drew. Thanks, Maureen.