The best exercise to stay fit is the one you do. It is here that you can decide what you love to do. I am not a professional, but an average woman in my late 50ies and I love to run, swim and cycle. It is a simple truth, if we don’t do it, we won’t get fitter. But if we do, we will. Simple but true.
We, you, and I get to decide the following:
- how fit do we want to be
- what we love to do
- how often we’ll commit to this
- arrange our schedules for our success
just do it
We know that phrase, it is a well-known brand but it is a simple truth. This is the way my fitness has grown, and so can yours. I try to stick to the training plans that I follow on Garmin. There are many days that I do not feel like doing the workout. This is true, but I just do it anyway. I often just get out of the door and start walking. If all I do is walk, then I am okay with them. My first goal is consistency and maintaining my fitness. The second goal is to try to improve my performance.
Be clear in your mind about what you are aiming for. Your fitness, your goals. Keep them real.
the best exercise to stay fit for my husband – walking
He is a walker. He aims for 10 000 steps a day and he gets this done by walking the dog. Every morning he gets up and walks for half an hour. When he gets home after work, he goes another round with the dog. Both he and the dog are happy.
He loves walking but did not enjoy just walking by himself. It is a place where he can plan for the day and also process his thoughts. Since he has been doing this regularly his fitness has increased and he manages to keep a healthy body weight.
Walking is his best exercise because he does it.
my friend is a cyclist
Walking and running are not for everyone. There are plenty of other things one can do. Cycling is great, I do it occasionally but my friend uses her bike daily. She uses it to do errands and she uses her bike for fun.
Cycling is low impact and buying a bike can fit into any budget. Counting exercise and movement into your every day is the way to gain and maintain fitness. I know of many people who cycle to work or cycle to take their kids to school. This is fantastic because you do not have to find another time to exercise, you simply exercise while you are on your way somewhere. This is a win for many busy people as they sneak exercise into their daily life.
Cycling is her best exercise because she does it.
going to the gym
I love the gym but I do not have one that is close to me. When I did have one that was close to me, it worked well. Finding the best exercise to stay fit at a gym gives you options.
When I started triathlon training and trying to swim again, the gym was great. I felt safe there and the distances were not too long for me to do in the beginning.
Whether a gym is convenient or useful or not depends on the individual. You will not get fit by having a gym membership and never going. Unfortunately, intention doesn’t get us fit. I think we have all started with the best of intentions but haven’t been able to maintain the commitment.
This has been true for me.
The gym was great for a while, but no longer is.
As you think about the best exercise to stay fit for you, think hard before you commit to a gym membership. Most often you sign up for two years and after 3 months you realize this is not helpful, your thing, or practical to maintain. But you are stuck.
Gym membership is the best exercise for another friend because she is 2 minutes away from the gym and she goes regularly.
the best exercise for you
There are many lists of good exercises to do:
- push-ups
- walking
- swimming
- strength training
- pilates
You may like or do one or more of the above. They are all great. Choose what works for you and do that. This then is the best exercise for you.
overcoming the hurdles
There are some practical considerations that I have had to think about so that I can maintain a measure of fitness. Use this as a checklist to help you decide what works and is possible for you.
- can you afford it now?
- is it easy to do?
- can you do it alongside your work schedule?
- can you do it with you family commitments?
- has the doctor given you the go ahead?
- do you love it?
- will you still be wanting to do it in 6 months time?
- do you know why you want to do this?
- who are you doing it for?
- will someone do this with you?
These are basic things to ask yourself when you start out on this journey. You will need to move things around. Getting up a bit earlier may help you squeeze in a run or give up a bit of TV at night to do a strength workout. These are all manageable, but think them through before you start and be prepared to move things around too. Be flexible, kind to yourself as you progress.
progress
Failure, sickness, and injury limit progress. We are lazy too sometimes, and that is fine, it’s only temporary. Reaccess and move forward, we all have had to readapt and readjust.
Whatever you decide to do, do it – the best exercise to stay fit is the one you do. If you start today, then you will be fitter tomorrow. Start small and allow yourself to dream. I’m in my late 50ies and have just started doing triathlons. I’ve just done two sprint triathlons and they have been fantastic. I am ordinary, nowhere near the front of the pack and I have a family and a job. It is possible. It is fun.
Let me know in the comments what you love to do to keep fit.
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