"Activity"

I have always advised my patients to get "3-6 hours of cardiovascular exercise per week".  3 hours of brisk walking per week, or more vigorous exercise, is enough to cut the risk of diabetes and the risk of a heart attack in half for both men and women.  Research has also established that people over 65 who walk regularly fall less often.  Exercise seems to be a bad word for many people, however, while others seem to have developed immunity to the advice to exercise.  After viewing a web video from the CDC on "increasing physical activity", I thought I might rename exercise as "activity" especially to certain patients.  Of course, most of my patients know what I am onto.  Our bodies are designed for activity.  For the vast sum of human history, people have labored by necessity, except for certain kings, queens, and tribal leaders.  I always feel better when I am exercising closer to 6 hours per week rather than 3.  This is probably because more exercise is what our design dictates.

For those who do not love exercise, "activity" may be the answer.  The seemingly official website for zumba proclaims, "Ditch the workout, join the party!"  Swing dancing is even more fun.  It has been my sport of choice for the past 10 years; though breast cancer treatment and knee surgery have kept me away from this love over the past year and a half.  Hopefully I will be cleared to get back to it later in the fall.  Another great form of recreation that disguises exercise is hiking.  Because of the glory of God's creation, hiking provides wonderful distraction from sweat and sore muscles.  Plus, there is often the reward of a fantastic view from the top of the trail, especially if it is in my favorite state - Colorado.  Hiking is lower impact than running, hence easier on the joints.  Other outdoor pursuits like canoeing, gardening, swimming, and cycling can also pass as activity.

Back during college, my week's activity mostly involved working at the Dopkin Ranch, saddling up and riding horses, grooming, cleaning tack, and doing barn chores.  In later years, I taught riding lessons as well.

In my early swing dancing years (bordering on swing addiction) my week's activity looked like this:

Thursdays: dance class for an hour followed by two hours of recreational dance

Fridays: 3 hours of dancing in Chevy Chase (yes, I drove an hour to and from)

Saturdays:  3 hours of dancing at Glen Echo (another hour-long commute for a pursuit)

More recently, in autumn, it would look this way:

Thursdays: swing dancing
Saturdays: soccer coaching for three hours, sometimes followed by yardwork
Sundays: a long hike

And on my vacations home in Colorado?  Hiking, walking the dog up the hill, or skiing just about every day of the trip.

After breast cancer last year, I never quite got back to swing dancing in the fall and then injured my knee skiing.  Currently, I have been in a pattern of alternative activities and the last 2 weeks looked like this:

Sunday:  trail jogging and hiking at Cromwell Valley Park
Tuesday: weight lifting, then half hour of aquajogging, followed by 20 minutes of swimming
Saturday: 6-7 mile hike with friends near Harper's Ferry
Sunday:  2 hour hike with a friend at Oregon Ridge
Monday:  24-25 mile bike venture from Monkton to the Mason-Dixon line on the NCR trail
Thursday: 30 minutes cycling on my trainer at home, followed by light weights
Friday:  physical therapy half an hour from now

I am not expecting to be cleared to coach soccer until mid-October but will be there at the field next Saturday helping another season kick off.  I am supposed to be running in order to get in shape, but I hate running!  That is how trail jogging came into play the other week, nowhere near as painful physically or mentally but still great "activity"!