Today's Women of Age

As you get older, every doctor, trainer and exercise guru tells you that you’ve got to keep exercising to stay healthy, fit and live well. And I don’t disagree. For me I know it will help with my blood pressure, stress, weight management and bone density. But frankly I loathe exercising and it’s been an on-and-off again struggle for years.

Here are some of the things I’ve tried…

Years ago I signed up for an eight-week Beachbody session. The online coaching was “free” but you had to buy their DVDs (I chose their PIYO series—pilates and yoga.) and a $125 monthly subscription to their protein/vitamin powders. 

I faithfully exercised everyday to the DVDs and drank the shakes. But additionally you had to take photos of yourself, give weekly measurements of eight areas of your body, track and submit your daily food and drink intake (so tedious) and tape a weekly video that was uploaded to to a private FB group with the coach’s other participants. It was a lot of extra work.

When I signed up I had chosen a female coach about my age but they switched me to a younger male coach. Why??? Sadly, this coach was not a good fit. He berated me about not eating my 130 grams of protein a day (I am a small women with a small appetite) and in general let me know he was frustrated with me. I never felt supported or learned anything from him.

The DVDs I chose and the accountability in the FB group were good and I might have stayed for another eight-week round if I’d had a more supportive coach.

Fit for Life was a circuit training program. You attended onsite hourly classes and each day’s classes focused on an one area—legs, arms, core. After a warmup period, a buzzer sounded and you moved between exercise stations spending 1 minute 15 seconds at each. It was exhausting and challenging but good. (After the first week everybody suffers from painful muscle burn.)

The downsides—it was expensive and limited. The site was only open Monday through Thursday, in the morning and evening. That’s it. And you could never just pop in to work out on your own. Additionally the main coach and assistant were often on their phones as we rotated between exercises rarely offering assistance, encouragement or correction if we were doing an exercise wrong.

I stayed 18 months and left more muscular and fit. In fact it was the strongest I had been in a long, long time but I was ready for something with more schedule flexibility and less expense.

After Fit for Life I joined a nearby 24-Hour Fitness gym. And that was okay. I went two to three times a week for a bit of cardio and to use their weight room for my arm routine. But in retrospect I realize I often didn’t push myself hard enough. The gym closed with the Covid pandemic and I haven’t had a regular exercise routine since!!

Now back in the present I decided to check out a YMCA gym with a free trial and was underwhelmed. I was given no tour, no info, no help, nothing. Basically after I signed a bunch of liability forms I was told “You’re good to go.” I had to ask where the cardio room was. So I’ve put that place on the back burner for now.

These days I am using our rowing machine at home again and exercising occasionally to YouTube videos (there are tons to choose from) but I’ve yet to settle into a regular routine. So far I’m not accomplishing the weekly minimum recommendations for older folks:

• 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
• Two days of muscle-strengthening exercises
• Exercises for balance
• Flexibility exercises five to seven days.

But I’m going to keep plugging away at it and trying to find what will keep me motivated, engaged and help me develop a good exercise discipline.

What works for you?