Turns out I can get fitter. Who knew?
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Expanding physical capacity. At my age.
I’m going for it. I want to be more functionally fit than ever. Vibrant AF.
I’d given up. I had reasons! Reasons why I can’t walk up hills with ease, or swim, or run, or dance fast for more than a minute. I keep my activity level slow and sedate because I get so tuckered out so fast when I exert.
Here’s how I did my fitness for the last few years:
- I’m a walker, 2 miles a day, and I mostly stroll. On the flat. At an easy pace.
- I do tai chi every day. Sword form too — which gets my heart rate up a bit.
- I’ve got postural and strength training stuff I do on the regular: slowly and with focus.
Slow. Sedate. Intentional. But committed. Tracked with my watch and phone apps.
I believed my “conditions” — chronic anemia, autoimmune imbalances, and broken structural bits — and my age slowed me down.
The story started to develop holes.
I realized I haven’t been anemic for years now, so that’s no longer a factor.
Out of the blue I mentioned my sedate fitness life to a doctor/healer for the first time. I had tests. Heart’s good — zero plaque (nice!), and there’s no lung disease.
Out of the other blue I reconnected with a swimming teacher friend who’d told me 30+ years ago that I need to exert myself to get stronger, which made no sense to me because it was so hard. I stopped swimming instead.
I talked to that swimming teacher again recently and she said the same thing now that she said then: If I continue to base my fitness on slow strolls, tai chi, stationary strength training, and postural holds, I’ll continue to be easily taxed by exertion.
Something sparked.
Without thought or planning, I stood up and walked outside to my suspension rig and started running in place (something I’ve never done before). I made it to 1:02 on my watch before I felt I had to stop. So hard!
