We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
You can be age 15, age 37, age 58, or age 72. And any gender you what to be. One day, you wake up and confess that you are a lazy-ass, or even a lard-ass, unfit person, and hate yourself for it. Or maybe something triggers the reaction, like feeling tired from activity. Dragging. Pudgy. Invisible muscles. Etc.
So you decide to be the best you can, and you want the energy, mental and physical vigor you might have once had.
How to start? First, you need to agree that most of a fitness program is mental, not physical. Besides going to the dentist, a serious workout program is a rare thing where it can cost money to subject yourself to pain. What are the first steps?
1. Confess that you are in lousy condition. Then commit to the long-term (life-long) project.
2. If fat, construct a nutrition plan to lose 2 lbs/week. Now is the time to do that. That will help. If scrawny or underweight, don't worry about it yet.
3. Begin a gradually-advancing program of not-intense cardio and calisthenics for 4 weeks, total 4-6 days/week. 2-3 days of light calisthenics, 2 of light cardio. This will tell your body and mind that you might be beginning to make some demands on it. However, it is best to begin conditioning gently to avoid injury.
By light cardio, I mean working up to 45-50 minutes of fast walking, inclined walking, elliptical, rowing, stair machine, etc. Maybe swimming laps. Mix it up to avoid boredom.
By light calisthenics, I mean beginner calisthenics like this 2-3X weekly (just put up with her annoying enthusiasm because it's a very good way to get moving and not as effortless as it looks. Good stretching at the end):
Step 2 for beginners in another post once you have 16-20 sessions under your belt.
I'm in the 72 category. I'm getting my exercise by moving to a new state last October into a fixer upper. Load and unload belongings, break concrete, redo bathroom plumbing and install new floor (including ceramic tile), new laundry, new shower, vanity, walls and ceiling. Add new door and window in breakfast nook along with new ceiling, install wood burning furnace and feed it wood from dead trees on property....at least 2-3 more years of this to get the place in shape. Who has time to retire?
Keep in mind if you're an adult male of average height, weighing in at 160-180 with a pot belly and man boobs, you're not overweight, you're under-muscled. Starting a resistance-based exercise
program would serve you better than losing more weight. Not that nutrition is unimportant, of course, but it should be aimed at supporting muscle development, not weight loss.
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