Exercise…Exercise…I Must Do My Exercise

There's no denying it…winter is on its way. The blood is flowing a little bit slower and cuddling up with a good book is looking a whole lot more appealing than going outside. For many of us, the internet has opened many options for activities that require no physical activity other than sitting in a chair clicking a mouse or typing a few words…and, face it, it's really easy to get hooked into countless hours of looking a our computer screens.

Times like this, it takes sheer determination to attend to exercise and much needed physical activities – especially if you're one of those people who just can't stand winter. Begin by getting up off that chair and moving around. Do it on a regular schedule, get up off that chair for five minutes every hour. It's amazing how much better how much more efficient you'll be in the remaining 55 minutes.

There are lots of other options – even for those of us who are home bound. We don't need to pay for membership in the local gym or bvy a fancy exercise machine..

Think about how you clean house. Instead of a quick swipe here and there, consider getting down on hands and knees to wash the floor. Think about moving some of that furniture to get at the dust bunnies and other accumulations of dirt. Look for opportunities to bend and stretch to dust and straighten up clutter.

OK, that's not much fun. What about .shopping? You have to go out occasionally to pick up necessities like food. This is a good time to get out and walk. If you drive to the store, consider parking farther away from the store entry. This is a good time to frequent your local indoor shopping mall. Use the opportunity to walk  Walking and people-watching is a reasonable pastime. At groceries, even if you only buy the foods in the outer isles fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy and meats) the stores offer a maze of aisles that you can walk just for the sheer opportunity of walking (just watch your pocketbook. You don't have to buy everything you see.

Whether you're shopping or living in a multi-story building. Use the stairs instead of elevators and escalators  Even athletes are discovering that stairs offer a great low-impact exercise that takes only a few minutes to reap huge benefits.

If you have the good fortune of caring for children or grandchildren, get involved in their activities. These little ones are naturally high-activity prone. .

Exercise doesn't need to be elaborate. It doesn't require memberships or fancy equipment. And, you don't need to break a sweat every time. Get up and move around. use your muscles, think of it like tuning up your car or your computer, you have to use your muscles to keep them 

We older folk have been so busy learning to be efficient and use all the quick fixes for getting tasks done that we tend to forget that physical activity is very important to our overall general health. Physical activities get the blood flowing. It helps our entire body function more efficiently. We generally feel better, we're less prone to major health issues and our thinking is much sharper.So what are we waiting for?  Now that you've finished reading this blog, get up…move around.