When I called my sister Ann this morning, she sounded a bit winded when she answered the phone. Ann explained that I caught her just as she was finishing her 15-minute walk. Ann was walking to an exercise video on YouTube. I was pleased to hear she was working out. When I call my daughter-in-law or son and they tell me they are at the gym or just finished working out, I am always happy to hear they are making their health a priority. My favorite videos of my grandchildren are the ones where they are near their mom while she works out and they are imitating her by working out too! She is teaching them at a young age that exercise is a normal part of the day.
I frequently tell people that if you don’t want to spend money joining a gym or hiring a trainer there are many free resources to help you work out. One of my favorite resources is YouTube. Just go on the site and do a search on any type of exercise and I will bet you it is there. You can access YouTube on your phone. During the pandemic, YouTube was my main source for exercise. I would find a good cardio video and follow up the work out by dancing to four R & B videos. My granddaughter became so accustomed to my routine that when she saw me put on my sneakers and the video would pop on the screen, she would take her position beside me and join in. At four years old I think she believes Beyonce’s hit “All the Single Ladies” is a workout song!
When I go shopping, I must shop in stores with a small inventory of items. If I see too many choices I typically just turn around and leave. It’s too much for me to choose from and I immediately feel overwhelmed. If you take my advice and go on YouTube and don’t know where to start, let me help you. The sites I use when I don’t want to go to the gym, or my schedule only allows a short amount of time for a quick workout might be ones that you find helpful.
I like Leslie Stone’s walking videos. My favorites are: 30-minute Boosted Fitness Walk, Fast Walking 30 minutes and the 3 mile walk video. You don’t need any equipment. Just slip your sneakers on and walk.
If you don’t feel like walking, do a search on the word “balance exercise” and work on that for a few minutes.
If you are older and want to find exercises that may be better suited for novices, search “yoga for seniors” and several good choices will pop up. Look for videos with the words “Beginning yoga”, “Gentle yoga”, “Yin Yoga” or “Vinyasa.”
Since you and I are so close I am going to share what I do when I don’t feel like walking with Leslie (she is a bit bossy) or working out to videos. I dance. I try to recapture my old club days and before long I am sweating, and my heart rate is up. (Don’t judge me. My “club days” were many years ago!) My husband has gotten so used to me dancing at home, he tells me I will be 90 years old and dancing in the nursing home.
If you don’t have a playlist on your phone, you can use YouTube to select your favorite songs. I prefer watching entertainers while I work out. Makes me work harder. I really don’t want Beyonce seeing what a slacker I am. I get a quick work out in, and my mood has brightened for the day. You don’t have to go anywhere or incur any additional expense. There are videos with varying times so there is sure to be one that fits your schedule, your fitness level, and the genre of music you prefer. Only have 10 minutes? They’ve got those. Want 15 or 20 minutes? They’ve got those too! You are in the privacy of your home so there are no prying eyes and no judgement. (Remember to hydrate well and check with your physician before incorporating changes to your health regimen.) There’s no excuse: Get moving!
