The middle of the race is always the toughest…and physical challenges
can seem like mountains!
I am 40 days into my 50 day fitness plan, realizing that
the “middle of the race” is certainly tough…and it is often difficult to stay
motivated!
Similar to participating in an organized event such as
the 25K River Bank Run here in Grand Rapids, there is always a lot of “hype” at
the beginning of the race that gets your adrenaline flowing and you can’t wait
for the opening gun to sound off. The crowd is cheering and you click off the
first couple of miles with ease. Then you reach the midpoint of the race (and
during the next several miles), wondering if you will ever see the finish line. The cheering crowd becomes a blur and you
begin to wonder why you decided to do this in the first place. As you approach
the finish line, you begin to get a surge of energy as the cheers become
louder…and then you cross the finish with a feeling of exhilaration and
accomplishment, making all of the training and effort worthwhile!
Well, it’s been several years since my last river Bank
Run, but the memories of the accomplishments in each race will live on
indefinitely. One of the challenges of staying “Fit after 50” is to listen to
your body and make adjustments in your exercise routine as needed. For me
personally, I have had to give up distance running due to an ankle
fracture/dislocation in my twenties that has become quite arthritic. In
addition, there are degenerative changes in my lower back following an injury
in my early 40’s which required an epidural injection (the MRI of my lumbar
spine is about a page and a half long). I have also inherited a condition known
as atrial fibrillation, which involves intermittent episodes of irregular heart
beats. Add a little high blood pressure into the mix, and the list is becoming
quite long! So, as you see, having committed my life’s work to helping others
who are in pain or have physical limitations, I am certainly not personally immune
to some of the health challenges that can occur as we age.
However, I do realize that these issues are no excuse for me
not to pursue a healthy lifestyle. I
have simply learned to “mix it up a little” when it comes to activity. Instead
of distance running, I have substituted infrequent short runs, “power walks”,
or interval sprints. One of my favorite
“runs” is through a wooded path that we have behind our backyard. It takes
about 3 minutes to sprint the full loop. I like to repeat 3 times, attempting
to better my time with each lap. When it comes to distance training, my bicycle
has become my best friend…my ankle and lower back seem to tolerate this quite
well. An elliptical machine is also a great option to decrease stress on the
joints while working up a “good sweat”. And then there is resistive exercise (including
bodyweight resistance exercises or weight training) that helps to maintain
muscle tissue and strong bones as we age.
So, don’t let aging or your “mountain” of physical
limitations keep you from staying active. Find activities that you enjoy and
that your body can handle. Try new things. Join a fitness class. Find a partner
to workout with. Set goals and make yourself accountable to someone. Schedule
time to exercise on your weekly calendar. Keep moving and don’t give up…the
benefits at the “finish line” are worth it!
P.S. I also just
finished a day of fasting on Sunday. Haven’t done this in a long time, but it
was on my heart to try it again. Several reasons to do this included:
v
“Cheating” on my diet plan (on more than one
occasion!)
v
A Veteran’s Day tribute to those who have served
(or are serving) our great country
v
Reflection and prayerful support of newly
elected government leaders and officials
v
Thankfulness for God’s abundant love and
faithfulness in my life
Keep striving to stay fit…
Don Freehafer, PT
FREEDOM PHYSICAL THERAPY
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