I joined a fitness club about a year ago and like to work out on their Nautilus machines three times a week. I haven’t lost much weight but have re-distributed some of it into different shapes and hardness. A few years ago I read a quote by someone that really resonated with me, “The less you do, the less you can do.” It is hard to imagine how soft I was a year ago, and I hope I don’t regress to that condition again. A couple of days ago my father-in-law came knocking at the door asking for help with the water well on his property. It had stopped pumping water, and he wanted to lift the pipes to see if the sandpoint was still in working order. He had rented a jack to do the heavy lifting, but the jack was clumsy to operate, and I was able to act the part of Superman and do most of the lifting myself. I didn’t get stiff or sore from the exertion and will chalk that up to being in fairly good condition. A year ago I couldn’t have done it.
Fitness clubs have become popular, and Bismarck-Mandan have built their fair share. The one I joined couldn’t make it any easier to work out. Their facility is available 24 hours per day for their members. All you need is a key, and you can go in.
There are several of us who are about the same age that show up at the same time, and we have become acquainted in a light-hearted and jovial way. One of those fellows is a particularly good example of how physical workouts are beneficial. He is a diabetic who took several shots each day to function. He told me that when he first started out on the treadmill he was so weak and out of shape that he fell off it after a minute or so and had to be helped back up by a couple of women. With a strong will he has kept at it, and now only takes pills for his condition instead of the shots and can walk on the treadmill for an hour each session.
“The less you do, the less you can do” philosophy has become something of a goal for good living with me, and I am trying to apply that to mental exercise as well. This damn aging process steals plenty from a person and I’m working hard at staying functional for as long as I can.
