The Well over at the New York Times shares research today about the benefits of middle-age fitness. The money quote? “those adults who had been the least fit at the time of their middle-age checkup also were the most likely to have developed any of eight serious or chronic conditions early in the aging process. These include heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and colon or lung cancer.”
Okay, sign me up.
I started running this summer for the first time since high school (and even then I cheated). I’ve got more to say about that in future blogs, but here’s my main motivating factor: fear. Both my parents, who are in their mid-60s, have experienced cardiovascular events over the last couple of years. Watching how this is impacting on their ability to enjoy retirement has really changed my priorities, as well as my husband’s. Our new mantra is: Do it now.
With a toddler and a second grader at home, and both of us working full-time with commutes involved, finding time to work out has been a challenge, as the euphemism goes. (I would call it a problem.) Currently we trade off days to work out before 6:30 am, and on weekends we take the boys to the beach and one of us works out while the other serves breakfast al fresco. We’ve also made that our current project, and my garden shows it!
Do you have a workout routine? How do you find time and motivation? What do you like to do?
