I’m younger this year than last. Not chronologically, but in terms of my physical
fitness and overall health. When we
lived outside of Windermere, I spent 7.5 hours a week commuting to and from work. I exercised only on weekends, if at all. I was unmotivated. My weight hovered close to 180. My cholesterol gradually got out of control—up to almost 300. My physician told me I had minor
atherosclerosis--hardening of my main artery—a sign of plaque build-up. The words “heart disease” scared the heck out
of me.
I resolved to change my lifestyle, but the time constraints
between work, commuting, and taking care of four kids overwhelmed me.
A year ago, we moved to Winter Park, about ten minutes from
my office, freeing up six hours weekly. Since
then, I’ve spent the extra time exercising, now alternating between running, bicycling,
and weight training. This summer, I
biked my first half-century since I was a teenager--a fifty-three mile ride. A few weeks ago, I ran my first 5K race, at
UCF, finishing in 38 minutes--not spectacular but faster than many college-aged runners. Not bad for 47. Between exercise and shifting to a vegetarian
diet, I’ve shed about 20 pounds and much of my middle-age belly. My cholesterol has dropped to around
130.
Consistent weight training—at least twice weekly—has made me
stronger. I’m benching up to 135 pounds,
which I did in college. I’m doing military pull-ups—strengthening my
core--for the first time in decades.
Winter Park is far more conducive to a healthy lifestyle
than exurbia, where we lived on a loop residential street, cut-off from other
neighborhoods by one of those ubiquitous suburban four lane highways. One former neighbor would bike our
subdivision in endless loops. I could only
imagine his boredom after a few loops. In Winter Park, the roads are two lanes
between my house and the Cady Way Trail.
I’ll spend a typical weekday morning biking 6.5 miles, a good portion on
Cady Way and lakeside on the Lake Baldwin Trail. To mix it up, I’ll run about 1.5 miles on Winter Park’s street grid—gorgeous routes under an oak tree canopy. On weekends, when I have more time, I’ll bike
to downtown Orlando (all on two-lane roads and trails), and return via the
Orlando Urban Trail and Winter Park’s beautiful streets. Recently, I've added an extra mile to my weekend run. Physical
fitness builds on itself.
How did I really turn it around?
I’ll credit a friend from Jacksonville, an attorney, who
recommended a book called Younger Next Year. The authors are Chris Crowley, a man in his 70’s, and his doctor,
Harry Lodge. It’s the most motivational
book I’ve ever read. Crowley lives the
life of a physically fit senior—skiing, rowing, cycling, and weight training--and urges on the reader in entertaining fashion. In alternating chapters, Lodge explains the scary biology of aging and
how to reverse it, which surprisingly takes less effort than you’d think. We send our body signals everyday—either grow
or decay. For most of us, exercising six days a week,
combined with “not eating crap,” can delay 70% of the decay and disease associated
with aging until close to the end of our lives, according to Lodge. The authors put out an edition for women. (Crowley followed-up with a diet and exercise book, co-authored with nutritionist Jen Sacheck, Thinner This Year, but I'd first start with one of the original books). Highly, highly recommended. Five stars. Among the best ten bucks you’ll ever spend.
