The Crotchety Old Man

Category: Exercise

  • Ten Pounds in Five Months

    August 7th marks five months of staying at home. Beyond trips to the grocery, doctor appointments, and Zoom meetings, every day looks pretty much the same. Toodles has never been happier. The biggest change has been a dramatic decline in my activity level. I can’t go to the gym and haven’t been motivated to use…

  • The Best of a Bad Situation

    The global corona virus pandemic is the most frightening situation I’ve ever experienced. The virus could but isn’t likely to kill me, but with no one to care for me should I fall ill, avoiding possible contagion is my top priority. Consequently, I’m homebound for the foreseeable future. Were I to get sick, friends would…

  • My New Fitness Regimen

    Sharing about backsliding on my diet and exercise program a few weeks ago prompted me to act. Changing up my exercise program was easier than dealing with my diet, so I started there. Baby steps, right? Some who read my Backsliding post suggested a personal trainer. Being accountable to someone helps, for sure. Direction about…

  • Backsliding

    Eleven years ago, I got a wake up call about my health. The message: change my habits or die. I joined Weight Watchers, started exercising, and vowed to change my lifestyle. I counted WW points, hired a personal trainer, and started running. In time, I managed to lose nearly fifty pounds — enough to drop…

  • My Staycation

    Today I return to work after my longest vacation in more than a decade. Usually, I use a day or two of vacation time around weekends and holidays to keep my work from piling up overmuch while I’m away. This year, that just wasn’t possible. For sixteen glorious days, I didn’t think about work. I…

  • My Three Gym Memberships

    I belong to three gyms. I joined the first in 2011 because membership was cheaper than paying by the class for Zumba. Aside from all the beef on display, the weight room didn’t interest me. I opted for a pricey membership that included regular sessions with a personal trainer. The guy who worked with me…

  • My Spare Tire

    Confession time. I’ve put on more than twenty pounds since this time last year. My belly is all jiggly and the man-boobs have returned. Pants and shorts without elastic in the waistband are uncomfortable. It’s not my fault. A penchant for sweets had nothing to do with it. My gym closed last May, tendinitis in…

  • Time Warp

    The older I get, the faster time seems to pass. I can’t believe it’s nearly the middle of March. What happened to winter? The last month of the year always goes by fast. This December went by at a record-setting pace. On top of the usual end-of-year and holiday rush, preparing to teach a class…

  • Gym Memberships Revisited

    Six years ago, I joined a gym for the first time. A location close to my house and the availability of Zumba classes were deciding factors. Having never set foot in a gym, I sprung for regular training sessions to keep from hurting myself. The gym — Omni — hadn’t been open very long. Everything…

  • My New Exercise Routine

    “Exercise more” tops my to-do list and will likely remain a priority for the rest of my life. Progress has been made. “Exercise more” replaced “Get off your ass and do something,” a to-do list topper from the late 1970s to 2005 or so. Incorporating exercise into daily routines is the key to success. I try…