We Haven’t Been to the Gym in More Than a Year. It’s Been Great.

More than a year ago we walked into our gym ready for a workout only to learn nearly every one of our fitness classes -- kickboxing twice a week, my three spin sessions, and yoga – had all been cancelled. Sure there were other classes available, but we wanted the convenience of workout sessions scheduled at times we could actually use them. So, after eight years and a couple weeks’ consideration, we gave up going to the gym.

We took responsibility for creating our own custom workouts. Workouts that integrate pretty much all of the components we got from instructors at the gym, but with the added advantage that we adapted them to our personal needs.

We’re in our mid-60s and too often the spry 30-something instructors challenged us to overdo it. Frequently Susan or I came away injured. At our age it takes a lot longer to recover from an injury than it used to be. So keeping up at the gym was actually counterproductive. These days, we challenge each other to work hard and keep safe.

We’ve added yoga moves to the end of every workout. I like that better than a separate session.

We’ve found that the parks and playgrounds around our neighborhood, the running track at the elementary school, even the outdoor mini-amphitheater at a nearby church all make great, safe, quiet, outdoor exercise venues. We’ve grown to love the fresh air, open horizons, and bird songs that so completely beat the stale sweaty air and ear splitting hard rock blare of the gym.

Even rainy winter mornings are a little fun. Getting wet ends up being invigorating -- as long as you keep moving. The only time we let weather get in the way is when freezing rain and icy streets make the risk of a slip and fall real.

We’ve added a new workout buddy to the mix. She’s the most enthusiastic partner we’ve ever had – always ready to go. Our dog Lizzie gets her run in at the same time we workout and it’s made all three of us happier and fitter to boot.