Re-thinking Exercise

Yesterday I wasn't feeling tip top for some reason. I had a lingering headache and ended up taking a long, unplanned nap in the afternoon. I wish I could say that helped me to feel better, but the headache remained. So, I decided to go for a walk to my local library and search for some new mystery novels.

Getting out of the house did help lift my mood and the air felt wonderfully fresh. The walk itself was done at a very leisurely pace, and although I didn't find anything worth bringing home with me, I would rate the whole experience a success.

After I arrived back home, I found that Monsieur had sent me an article from the New York Times about a bodybuilder from Ghana who has opened a gym in lower Manhattan and is helping older adults (mostly women, mostly over 70 years old) establish regular exercise routines. Many of them have suffered falls and this wonderful man, whose name is Mr. Addo, has helped them to recover their strength, balance and flexibility. Often, his clients have recovered so well that they have been able to abandon their walkers or canes.

Luckily, I am not yet in Mr. Addo's target demographic. Well, I am a woman, but not yet over 70. :) Still, I kept wishing there were a local Mr. Addo that would help me. I have definitely made a more concerted effort in the last few months to exercise more regularly, but most of my efforts have been around cardiovascular types of exercise: walking or cycling. Reading about these older people and their falls made me wonder whether my current lifestyle might be putting me on a path to future falls. I never really focus on my balance, and rarely think about flexibility. And I definitely feel that I am getting weaker as years pass.

A few years ago, before my papa became ill and helping my maman take care of him became my somewhat full-time job, I used to go to a local gym for personal training sessions. I did get stronger and a bit leaner (although the truth is that the biggest factor in weight is still eating--what and how much).

Reading about Mr. Addo and his clients has made me wonder if I shouldn't re-look at that gym and maybe even bring my maman with me. The French way of incorporating exercise naturally is definitely still the best overall philosophy (in my ever-so-humble opinion) but adding some type of strength and balance increasing activities can never hurt!