My wife and I kid sometimes about how we used to have to move around during the day, just to do ordinary things that we don’t have to do today. We didn’t look at it as “exercise”, but by today’s standards, it was.
When we watched television, we had to get up and cross the room and twist the dial if we wanted to change the channel.
We had to get up to answer the phone.
Why, we even had to physically turn the pages in a book we were reading. Imagine that.
When I learned to drive, I didn’t have power steering or power brakes. I started with a 1948 Dodge coupe which was no toy. I had to work to turn the car or put on the brakes. And some of the older cars were a challenge to get in and out of. I had a 1957 Volkswagen beetle and since I was over six feet tall, getting in and out was a challenge. Then I had an early Triumph TR-2 convertible that took being a contortionist to get in and out of. None of them had an automatic transmission. But they were fun to drive.
Escalators were a fairly new thing. We often rode trains back in the day, and when we went to Union Station in Washington, DC to catch a train, we had to walk (no people movers) and climb up and down long flights of stairs to get to and from our train.
Yes, we all enjoy using the remote, and wouldn’t know how to drive a car without power equipment. We only have to pull our phone out of our pocket to answer it. So most of us don’t even get minimal exercise, just functioning around our own homes.
Well then, what are some of the ways we can move our bodies during the day so we don’t get stagnant? Here are a few ideas:
- Go up and down stairs. Or at least do some simple “step ups” using one or two stairs a few times a day. I take the stairs two at a time a lot. But I’ve been doing it for years so I can do it relatively easily. It’s simply part of “what I do”. You can start by at least climbing stairs whenever you can if it’s only for a flight or two.
- Every time you get up out of a chair without using your hands, you are doing something that will improve your leg strength. In the world of exercise they’re called “squats”.
- Stand up straight. How you see yourself is as important as how others see you. When you glance in a mirror, or even look at your reflection in a store window as you walk by it, check out your posture. It’s difficult to maintain good posture as you get older unless you pay attention to it and really work at it. Hold your shoulders back and head up high, but don’t go overboard. You don’t have to look like a Royal Palace Guard.
- Walk when you can. I think every magazine at the grocery store check out counter has, at least one time or another, included the tip: “Park your car as far away from where you are going as possible . . . and walk.” That’s great advice and saves a lot of time circling the parking lot waiting for someone to pull out.
- Twist and bend. Don’t just stand there, move your waist — bend and twist. You don’t have to make a spectacle of yourself. Many times I’ve stood in a line and watched others twist around and stretch. Nobody really notices, let alone cares. Today they’re all looking at their phones and won’t notice anyway.My 78th birthday is in a couple of weeks and I had to renew my driver’s license. So, last week, I stood in line at the DMV — what a joy! Most people were either standing with a bored stare into space (maybe they were meditating — if so they get a pass), or were standing with their head down, shoulder slumped, gazing lovingly into their phones. At least I did some twisting and stretching. How disappointing that no one noticed, or cared.
- I read something the other day that fidgeting and squirming burns calories. It beats just standing or sitting — at least you’re moving something.
- Lift and carry some things. Make them heavy things. Push and pull on some other things.The takeaway from all of this is that when you move your body, even a little, you are getting some benefit. Opportunities are everywhere. It doesn’t replace real exercise, but it’s better than doing nothing.
Thank you for reading.