When I turned 50, I joined a gym – it was a birthday present to myself. Many years of working long hours, commuting, and raising two daughters kept me from regular workouts. I figured at 50 it was well past time.
I knew that no one at work was going to come into my office at 6pm and tell me to go home and take care of myself. I had to own it. I have belonged to a gym almost continuously since then though I’ve lived at 5 different addresses in that time.
I had another major milestone birthday last week. And I can honestly say I have never been as physically active as I am now. Go figure. Guess that’s what happens when you work less!
At a minimum, I walk a 1.3 mile loop late afternoon almost every day with our two dogs. I go to 4 classes a week at the YMCA if I register before there are wait lists. I play pickleball every day I can when the weather is good. And I’ve signed up with a women’s golf group to play 9 holes once a week when my schedule allows – I know this will be more fun and social than exercise.
If you are a golfer, you know that’s a humbling experience! From 2000 to 2012, I had periods where I golfed 9 holes once a week but never took lessons. In the past 10 years, I’ve golfed only a few times at charity outings. We moved to a planned community in late 2021 and our townhouse is on one of the two golf courses. We see a lovely but challenging par 3 hole from our deck – we see golfers tee off hoping to hit it over the junk and then we see them hunt for their ball around the green. This summer I decided it was time to get back into golf myself.
I signed up for a group clinic with a one-hour class on Tuesday afternoons for the next 4 weeks. Working on my swing reminds me more of playing the piano than my other sport, pickleball. It is just you, the club, and the ball. It is slow. It takes mental focus and technique. One good swing keeps me wanting more. A few bad swings and I think why I am doing this.
I didn’t play sports when I was young – Title IX was passed the year after I graduated from high school. As young adults, my husband and I played a lot of volleyball with friends. But that was it until I took up golf about 20 years ago playing with girlfriends on weekends for a few years and then sporadically after that.
Kids who start sports at a young age seem to have a natural ability. My soon to be 7-year-old grandson can hit a drive that has me in awe. He and his 8-year-old sister are getting to be pretty good soccer players. A friend recently reminded me that for anything you are doing and trying to get better at, you should spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing it or doing something related. My grandson comes home from school and heads to his back yard to practice one of his many sports for far longer than 15 minutes.
As I try to think of an encouraging closing message for this post, I’m reminded of the messages in the titles of some previous posts. Yes, it’s possible to get fitter and healthier as we age, and we should never be too busy to take care of ourselves. Here’s to an active and healthy you!
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Aging, but getting fit and healthy? Yes, it’s possible!
Never too busy to take care of ourselves
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