Keeping Up With The Kids

Tough, Talky, Marine, and Angel were in the building, but we missed each other.  Assuming that none showed up for boxing, I spent time down in the boxing storage room, then up in the boys' gym watching basketball.  Tough and Talky were in gymnastics class.  Tough grumbled about the gym being closed again, but I don't know why.  Tough could be a good fighter, but she doesn't have a lot of interest in building her skills.  Talky just wants to hang around in the gym.

Marine and Angel could have gone to the fitness center.  I would have had to stay in there with them, but that was their option.  I ended up going in there later on, and I got 20 minutes in on a stationary bike.  I've come to the conclusion that I need to start weight training again, too.  I not only have to keep up on my boxing skills, but I need the extra energy to deal with the kids.

A fitness instructor at LaFollette Park is at least ten years older than I, but he's in good shape.  He explained to me and one of his students that movement is the key.  "A lot of people observe their parents and grandparents telling themselves 'I'm old' when they reach their 40s and 50s.  The kids see that and follow in their footsteps when they get that age -- they start sitting down a lot and talking about what they supposedly can't do anymore," he told us.   My late dad appeared to be an old man when he was in his thirties. When I was in my teens and twenties, I faulted Dad for always laying around and sleeping during most of his down time.  I understand now that Dad was tired a lot due to his job.   But Dad also had health conditions that he didn't take care of very well.  Before I was born, Dad played football and was quite athletic.  But Dad didn't keep up an exercise routine after football days were over.

I remember one of my aunts telling me she has friends who are always moaning and groaning about health woes.  "I love my friends, but I don't want to look or feel like them as I get older," she told me.  My aunt eats properly and exercises and she looks good.  She's in her early seventies.  Like my aunt, and the fitness instructor, I want to be able to move around and feel good as long as I can.  Therefore, I need to step up my fitness routine.