This morning I was surprised and amased ....
Into the gym comes this lady of 68 and declares that she has never in her life excersised before, but she has decided it's time she starts doing something and she wants to join. The gym owner and instructor took her in, signed her up and started working with her. She was there for half an hour - sweat pouring from her, face red, out of breath, but... she was happy and smiling and solemnly declared that she will not stop, for she was feeling so good.
Aparrently her husband died about 6 months ago and she went into a state of depression. She went to a pshyciatrist (thank heaven for him/her), who told her to join a gym for there is nothing like a workout to clear the mind and get the spirits up again.
At her age - to actually do the thing : woo_hoo you go tannie ! You got guts and what's best - you walked out that gym with a smile on your face. Your muscles might be a little sore this afternoon or tomorrow morning, but I know you are going to come back. Yay - what an ispiration for me and the others. Even Riana, the gym owner and instructor was all smiles after the tannie left.
See - never to old to get physical again!
Way to go ouma ... Good on her. Hope she doesn't let the aches and pains stop her from returning.
Makes me feel guilty! My mom at 73 goes to Curves 3x a week - shame on me!
Cherry/Dalene - So there's still hope for me! No, great attitude auntie, and I hope she enjoys the people in the gym to help her get through the tough time. I'm sure with new friends like Dalene she'll feel at home very soon.
I know somebody else who's very fit - my Mom - at 73 she still does all her house work, gardening etc. herself. Never had any help. Also easier for her to walk to the center of town (Malmesbury) to go shopping and back up the steep hill to their house - because it's too much trouble pulling out the car! Only freaks me out when I get there, and suddenly the cement path has been moved - "oh I just moved the slabs a few meters that way, they're not so heavy", she says!
image071 Tannie Miem (that's her name) was back at the gym this morning - a little sore, but happy as can be and chatted away cheerfully while on the treadmill and on the bicycle. A true darling - even joked about getting into shape and then making the men's heads turn again.
Just 2 days, and her spirits are 10 times higher. Say's she is going to make an appointment with the hairdresser today to get her hair cut and coloured... Got to get my butt in gear, for one of these day's tannie Miem is going to give us a real go. She even stayed for 45 mins today.
Whoa! that is absolutely brilliant.....make sure and tell Tannie Miem she has a whole cyber family behind her all the way dawoman
Wow, she's definitely on the up! Way to go Tannie Miem!
Just thought I's add that there is a lady in my yoga class who is 85
she can still lift her leg up onto a table top - she has problems kneeling due to the knee replacements she's had and can't sit cross legged with her knees on the floor due to the hip replacements
But she can still move about and says in comparison to her contemparies she's the most agile and has the least aches and pains
85..........wow! I don't think I could even lift my leg onto a table top - good for her :emot112_2:
:emot112_2: Aunty Miems yougogirl
I have an allergy to gym......got a doctors note and all.
pole-small
Makes me feel guilty, my doctor has also told me to go to gym because of depression but I am the laziest person on this planet, keep planning to go but never do. We live next to Virgin Active, I pay a monthly membership but I'm always full of excuses.
I try to swim 30 lengths every morning in the town pool.... There are many a day..were i just don't feel like it..... I don't stand next to the water pondering about it...I make a decisive point to walk from the change room and dive into the wate immediately..... the second that I hit the water.... I know that I have done the right thing...... once I have finished...I feel awesome..... and wonder to myself why I ever doubted going for the swim in the first place..... it was the best thing I do on a daily basis..... and relieves a tremendous amount of tension.,..... negative energy.....
When I do go, I feel so good afterwards but just getting myself to go there is the problem. Been really busy lately but as from end of this month should have more time, will definitely start then.
Im sort of proud of myself ... I got by butt in gear and went back to Gym for the first time in 1 1/2 years .. reason ... my bulletproof body that ahs served me so well ... no weight issue . as I'm a fatburner ,. cholestrol low .. BP magnificent , never sick ..etc etc .. my shock and yes the reason i know the stress of the last year and bit has taken its toll ... my BP from 110 /70 ( on the low side but acceptable for my frame ) and pulse rate of 66 - 72 .. when i went for a checkup has mutated into 140 / 90 or something like that ... Doc said its a form of hypertension and yes a true reflection of whats been happening emotionally and displaying as physical ... and yes me been on a " holiday " this last year and bit supping too much ( numbing ) and yes smoking a bit more .. also worrying about all the house maintenace issues that now looked like a huge cliff in front of me .. " how am i going to get it all done ..??/ " fret .. lave alone .. fret cos i'm not getting things done ... not good ... I have sat down .. I now have the finacial means to hire somebody good to do it for me .. sure yes taclke the small jobs that when completed give one a sense of acomplishment but leave the big shit to others that one can pay for services .. my one colleague at work has good recomended project manager that ahs done some jobs for him .. and only sings praise ( and he's a difficult Boer ) so if he happy , suppose i will be ..
anyhow it was hell driving to gym .. all i wanted to do was turn the car around and go back home .. once there i gently started out .. Whow .. my body has responded and is actually overjoyed ... kept it low key and will do so for a few weeks .. but yes i do hope my next checkup will show a shift due to mindshift and taking my responsibility back ....
Well done Sandy ... Bet you're feeling great despite the stiffness, aches and pains. rooster
Patricia .. no stiffness no aches .. me an active person anyhow .. at .work on my feet most the time ..flying up and down steps .. walk fast ... etc ..
But yes doing gym.. my favourites .. toning .. elliptical trainer .. rowing .. I virtually go into a meditaion mode while rowing .. back stroke breathe in say good energy in .. forward stroke breathe out .. say bad energy out ... i repeat all kinds of in and out things .. good health in .. bad health out .. etc etc .. so its very relaxing for the mind and yes reaffirming .. body and mind ... thats the benefit ... once I get toning routine right .. i will go back to light weights as well .. and of course a bit of swimming ..
Exercise is the key to staying young and in shape. You've got to keep those muscles moving, just like you need to keep your brain working with age. I did a 10km run last Friday and am feeling great again just having made the effort to participate. Ok, I didn't look as fresh as the marathon runners when they crossed the finish line after 42km, but hey, they run that distance all the time ... Must say that Haile Gebresalassie is the greatest runner of all times, and he makes it look so easy. He missed the world record by less than 2 minutes on Friday.
:emot112_2:
Well done Sandy - proud of you that you made the right desicion to back to the gym. Keep us updated on the progress as you go along...
Way to go Patricia ....
Kept up my fitness levels all through the holiday as well. Took my dumbells with - some days I walked 8km with dumbells - working out as I walked and on the days I walked without them I did 12km. Weight remained stable and I did not suffer so much to get back to the gym when I got back. (Believe me - I did consume my amount of beer....)
cat3 I myself decided that I needed to get my behind into gear and get fit this year. Did not want to purchase another gym membership (white elephant) only to go for a month or two, not knowing exactly what I am doing only to return to being a couch potato. Instead this year I decided to get myself a personal trainer that will come to my house and give me my excercises routine at home. There is no way that I can run from that or decide on my way home from work that "I am not in the mood"
Wish me luck as I have been a "serious" couch potato and know that muscles are going to ache that I did not even know existed! lol
Good for you Dunja - you'll have to keep us up to date on how it goes! Mike and I have also just started swimming again and I already feel much the better for it - at least I get to work on my tan again!
@ Michele - so Mike at last managed to drag you to his porta-pool? We know he's been trying! swink
@ Dunja - Personal Trainer hey? Definitely keep us up to date - hope your trainer is easy on the eye image071
Went again 2nite ... my Gym open till 10: 30 so I dont have to stress about time .. anyhow a bit of night creature so suits .. so far no pain .. pulse rate not climbing too much so I still got residual fitness ,,, and yes body relishing in it .. my program is to be ,, possibly sat definite Sun .. tuesday and thursday ...
Good for you Dunja! Same wishes as Rhona.... he he
I love going to the gym... the interaction and chats we have there is just great and we inspire each other as we go along and give compliments and moan together about all our "mistakes"....
Nice for you Michele - all of us back in office now has the holiday tan fading real fast. I envy you.