As the holiday season approaches, many people begin formulating their physical fitness goals. Whether it’s to lose 15 pounds of fat or build five pounds of muscle, the reality is that many fitness goals fall by the waist side as the year progresses. Also, many of these goals are short-term fixes to long-term problems.
During magazine and newspaper interviews, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “What’s the secret to maintaining a fitness program for over 30 years?†I’ve also asked this question to a number of longtime runners, walkers, and bicyclists. These are the everyday people you’ve watched running or walking past your home or in the local park for the last several years. For us, fitness isn’t a New Year’s resolution; it’s a way of life. It’s built into our everyday living, like watching the evening news or weekend sports.
Here are a few of our secrets:
1. Select a lifelong sport that you’ll enjoy. If you don’t enjoy running, try walking. If you don’t know how to swim but have always wanted to learn, take lessons. You’re never too old to learn a new sport. Also, don’t be afraid of being a multi-sport athlete, especially if you get bored doing one sport. One member, Deborah, was a non-athlete. She completed her first triathlon a couple days after her 52nd birthday. The race consisted of a 300-meter swim, 14-mile bike ride, and 3.1-mile run. This was her first (ever) athletic competition. Now, this event has become her annual goal.
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