“Happy and healthy” — that’s how two people from my neighbourhood recently described me within the span of a week.
It’s not how my Twitter followers would describe me, and it’s definitely not how my family describes me, but I chalk that up to the hamper and my Twitter feed always being full of dirty laundry. But the truth is I am feeling a lot healthier than I was a year ago, and I can chalk that up to the treadmill at my local gym that has become my thrice-weekly challenge.
More than a year ago, I wrote a story about a woman who had been a track-and-field star in high school, and, after a 20-year hiatus, went back to competing. She described, however, how much slower the process was to get back into shape in middle age.
I was noticing that gravity and inertia were slowly sucking me into a negative health space. And, given my age – over, ahem, 40 – the only way forward was on a downward slope.
I was never a star in anything except correcting other people’s grammar, and they don’t give medals for that, but I was definitely stronger and healthier in my 20s.
Then, well, kids. No excuse, I know.
So, early last spring, I started going to the gym – just a five-minute walk from my home – and with a bulky headphone set and music programmed into my phone, I started getting my heart rate up to 150 beats per minute for half an hour at a time.
I tend to do just fast-walking on the treadmill, but when I am out in the trails, I have started doing a walk/run/walk routine. It’s taken about nine months to really notice a difference – but when I caught myself skipping through the trails last week, yes, skipping! I knew I was going in the right direction.
In my house, the D-word is verboten and we don’t count any units of energy being consumed because that is all about female oppression. Yeah, don’t get me started.
But I wanted my energy back and that’s what our public recreation facilities have given me.
I was thrilled to get a sneak peek a couple weeks ago of the new awesome fitness centre at the Minoru Centre for Active Living, which opened up to the public on Jan. 1. It’s 8,500 square feet in size with a 1,900-square-foot studio for fitness classes. That’s more than double the square footage of a home allowed on a farm property!
The fitness centre has 37 – yes, 37 – pieces of cardio equipment, weights and two custom-built training centres for balance and core strengthening exercises – check out the suspended surfboard! There’s even some “age-friendly” equipment – a recumbent cross trainer and an “upper body arm ergometer,” which I can only describe as a stationary bike for your arms.
So, if you want to be happy and healthy in 2020, I encourage you to make a New Year’s pledge and become a gym rat like me. Your doctor will thank you (did I mention my cholesterol is down?).
Now, if we could just get that pesky pool fixed… Apparently, that’s underway.
