Exercise…and one, and two, and…

When discussing exercise with a group, watch the variety of comments. Waldo, in the corner, is proud of his fifty-inch waist. Despite his apparent sloth, his cholesterol is in the negative range, and he says that he gets all the physical exertion needed as a package handler at UPS. Then there is Carol, slender as a rail and runs daily. Which one gets the garland for their exercise habits? Then, we can watch the group argue about this or that regime of exercise, diets, and lifestyle. Hopefully, it will stay civil.

I don’t go to a gym, and I no longer work for UPS. So, I seek my exercise in a round of daily activities. I heat with wood, so loading, moving, and sometimes splitting are regular activities. The garden is also a three-season activity I enjoy. I also average over 7,500 steps daily, which is not bad for a man my age.
Additionally, I am active at my workplace and work regularly as a woodcarver. So, while I don’t have a formal ” exercise regime,” I am very active and get a fair amount of cardiovascular activity. I prefer this to a journey to a gym three times a week for a workout that bores me to tears.

Yes, things are a bit lax sometimes, but there are always bursts of aerobic activity and steady movement. I’m not a couch potato by any means of judgment. It’s an effective regime with only one major flaw. Winter. I do not know anyone who thinks shoveling snow is a good or healthy exercise. Generally, January and February are months in which my normal activities are not readily doable.

So, every January and February, I search for things to do that will keep me fit. I may have to get a membership in the local health club. There is one nearby with an indoor track, and that sounds appealing.