Tuesday, October 14, 2008

From an Aging Boomer

Boomers Should Add Muscle Before It's Too Late. That was the headline in LiveScience about 3 weeks ago. (I bookmarked it, but it seems to have disappeared.)

So I guess I better listen.

Actually I'm about to. (Where have I heard that before?)

But in the past three weeks I have managed to lose 10 pounds without doing any special amount of exercising. I have also continued my ongoing series of bicycle rides. Over the last 4 weekends I have ridden 80 miles, averaging 20 miles a weekend. It has been a great series of rides, even the one in the rain. The others have been part of a wonderful autumn here in southern Minnesota.

But soon it will be winter. Not much Nothing will stop it- not even global climate change. So the words of that headline make sense for the winter. It will be time to resume my workouts at the healthy living center. It will be time to boost the metabolism, gain some upper body strength, and keep myself from falling into Winter Couch Potatoism. After all, I have discovered the joy of cycling along the trails and the wonder of those first moments of getting on the bike and setting out under your own power.

I don't know whether I will plan any major cycle trips next summer- although it is highly likely. I do hope to get to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness, though. And that is a lot more work on the upper body than cycling. All in all this is a great discovery on my part. Too bad it has waited until I was 60, but hey, better late than never.

No comments: