Exercise

I do not enjoy exercise, but I’m at that age where I can see far enough into my future that I would like to remain mobile and healthy well into my later years.

So I exercise.

I’m not into sports and I find it relatively boring, but this is what is working for me. In the average week I do some form of exercise at least 6, sometimes 7 days.

Most days, I walk. Just walk. At least 30 minutes. I live one the edge of Worcester, on a new-ish estate (mid-90s build) so there are footpaths and the Worcester Woods Country Park is nearby. I put on a podcast and walk at a brisk pace. Sometimes it rains a bit, but I’ll dry. I like being outside while I exercise and walking somewhere, even a circular walk, is more interesting than a treadmill.

Twice a week, I go to a gym. It’s not an expensive one – I pay £20/m. It’s not luxurious either as there’s no pool or spa here! It does have a rowing machine though, along with strength machines and free weights. I like the rowing machine as it is a total body workout and low impact. With my joints, I appreciate the low impact in particular. I don’t find it particularly interesting, but I’ve found that if I put on a podcast, then I tend to slack off and not row hard or well. I’ve found the rowing workouts on Apple Fitness+ good. The presenters are upbeat, tell a story during the work out and also mix up the effort which keeps me engaged.

I’ve found that exercise takes up 30 to 45 minutes of each day. When I go to the gym, I go first thing in the morning, but I walk just before lunch as I’ve found that the break from work energises me for the afternoon.

I’m not a sports person. I’m not super fit. I just do some exercise.