Fiftypluskiwi

Did you enthusiastically make a New Year’s Resolution to get fitter, slimmer and healthier, only to put them into the ‘too hard basket’ after a few weeks? Did you set unrealistic goals for your lifestyle, energy, and physical capability?

Coffee with my friends is one of the most enjoyable moments of my week. Our conversations cover many topics – we like to think we are solving the world’s problems. Our banter is always lively, and everyone contributes from their perspective on life. On this day in early January, I couldn’t help but notice the number of people walking past who seemed injured- an arm in a sling, a foot in a plaster cast and a leg with sports tape supporting various muscle groups.  I saw myself many years ago in these people as I first attempted to get fit.

Tucked away in a cobwebby corner of the garage is an old, tattered cardboard box packed with photo albums with pages full of running certificates and newspaper clippings. A snapshot of my life as a runner over forty years ago. The yellowed clippings and certificates no longer decorate the walls of my home. They would now require the Hubble telescope to read the faded print. Instead, they have become artefacts in my museum of memories. Nothing has been added to the box for many years, but the memories are Olympic in size.

I wish I could thank the young man who introduced me to running all those years ago, but he doesn’t know of our connection. I spotted him as I was returning home from a family trip. I was a young Mum with a nine-month-old baby, a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler and an unhappy marriage.  From the comfort of my car, I recall thinking, ‘This man looks so free’. Through my eyes, he glided effortlessly along the pavement, looking like he hadn’t a care in the world. And I desperately wanted some of that. I took my first running steps that afternoon.

I’d be stretching it a bit, calling it a ‘run’. It is best described as a very short happening. Not knowing much about the sport of running, I donned a pair of old plimsolls and sprinted out the door at a pace worthy of a gold medal hospital bed in a cardiac unit. I hurtled past 3-4 neighbouring houses before collapsing in a breathless heap onto the steps of our local dairy. My ego took a bit of a battering, but in that short time, I knew running was for me.

Luckily, apart from pride, I suffered no further injury. But I was the classic example of how not to start a fitness programme. I set off too fast, had no long-term plan for sustaining a fitness programme and was in footwear entirely inappropriate for pounding the pavement. For many people, those short three minutes could have injured them and put them off exercise for life. As I watched the wounded hobble into the café, I thought about how, during this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise of New Year’s resolutions and set fitness goals that are too lofty, unsustainable, and otherwise unrealistic. I am guilty of all three.

What advice would I give myself today if I was about to start a fitness programme? Here’s a few commonsense tips I wish I had known all those years ago.

Plan for a lifestyle of fitness, not instant gratification         

Exercise as a lifestyle – not a seven-day wonder

The first few weeks of your exercise routine should be just that – a focus on committing to a routine of exercise. Concentrate and practice making exercise a non-negotiable lifestyle habit. Learn to see it like any other task you must accomplish for the day, like work meetings, feeding the kids, showering or doctor’s appointments. If you decide on 3 days a week exercise, you need to consistently learn to exercise three days a week to make it a habit. See exercise as something missing in your life if you don’t do it rather than something to dread.

Find an exercise activity you love to do.

Unrealistic expectations

Setting unrealistic expectations is among the most common stumbling blocks derailing even the most motivated individuals. An example would be setting a goal to do the Ironman. This discipline requires long hours of training and time away from home when you’re already committed to working full-time, in a relationship and raising a family. Is it doable? Yes. But is it wise?  Something will give. I was never going to make it to the Olympics, yet I trained and raced as though I was. Running longer did not make me fitter, only more tired. Overzealous gym programmes caused injuries. Consequently, discouragement and self-doubt became a constant companion. My ego was my worst enemy. There are no shortcuts to achieving a sustainable lifestyle fitness goal. Please don’t overdo it. Be kind to yourself.

Exercise is a lifestyle choice, not a life chore. In May, I turn 70. I started my fitness journey when I was 25. It is a non-negotiable component of my life. Without physical activity, I may not have survived my life’s stresses and anxieties. Energy levels, sleep patterns, mental health, and weight loss thrive on physical activity. These short—and long-term benefits are well documented. Being mindful of these benefits as you experience them helps drown out the negative voices in your head that tell you it’s ok to skip exercise on your scheduled day or just give up.

Remember, your body is your responsibility. All the information you hear and read, even this blog, is there to guide you, not think for you. No one knows your body better than you. If you are one of those people wandering around feeling disillusioned, injured or just plain exhausted with your new year’s fitness choice, your body is telling you something. Teaching you to be wiser with what you try to do with it. Are you trying to do too much too soon? Tell yourself giving up is not an option; recalibrate and start again. I want you to succeed, so make sure your New Year fitness resolution for 2025 is fit for a lifetime.

Good luck.