Exercise for Fun and Health

Put down the candy bar, tie on your sneakers and let's get moving.  As some anonymous genius has been quoted as saying: The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck! Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. Although experts may differ, the American Heart Association recommends that most people between the ages of 18 and 65 exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. The good news is that this includes physical activity as part of your daily routine (walk those stairs, park farther from the store) as well as organized exercise programs. Each of the girlz has favorite exercise routines we like to follow.

Karla: With kids and work, it's been a challenge to find time to exercise. Over the past 20 years, I've done the usual - aerobics, swimming, weights. In high school, I ran track and cross country, and later 5k and 10k races and triathlons. My strength has always been endurance, not speed or sports that involve eye hand coordination.  (At this point, Tamara would like to point out how impressed she is that anyone can do triathlons. She is in awe.)

Eighteen months ago, I started biking seriously again, and am just back from completing (for my second time) the two-day, 192 mile Pan Mass Challenge bike ride to raise money for Dana Farber cancer research.  It's exhilarating, exhausting, and worth all the training that goes into it.

Flexibility is my primary challenge, and I love the concept of functional exercise - gardening, building something, walking to the store, and that sort of thing. (Check out Judy's review of Functional Fitness: Look Younger, Stay Active Longer by Paul D'Arezzo for more about how everyday movement can be healthy exercise).

Judy: Walking is my sport. Not a glamorous activity or particularly exciting, it works for me. I rarely walk alone. The slow pace allows for plenty of meaningful conversation.

A Japanese doctor was the first to suggest that 10,000 steps a day were all that's needed for continued good health. Inexpensive pedometers track your every step. And studies show that people who wear them and log their progress average one mile more a day. Since discovering step counters three years ago, I'm rarely without one.  I don't log my steps, but I do try to hit the 10,000 step mark each day. The difference between the steps I take on an average day and making the goal is a 20 to 30 minute walk.

For tracking tools and all the information you'll ever need on the benefits of walking, check out www.americaonthemove.org.  America on the Move is a nonprofit with a mission to keep Americans eating right and staying active.

I also work out with weights 2 or 3 days a week-partly to avoid osteoporosis. But what really gets me into the weight room is my desire to wear sleeveless tops. I covered my upper arms for several years in my thirties, and only dared baring them again when I started working out. I do not love weight work and only do it for the benefits. It's the broccoli equivalent of my exercise schedule and walking is the chocolate cake.

Harriet: I grew up dancing. I'm not sure when I first slipped into a pair of pink tights and a black leotard but by the time I was eight, I knew I was never going to be an accomplished ballerina. I liked ballet, but its rigorous formality left me feeling controlled and trapped. Even then, I found the freedom of modern dance to be more aligned with my spirit. I liked that it made room for my body's desire to be more spontaneous and quirky.

When I produce fashion shows now I hire dancers as models. They bring grace and passion to the very controlled art form of couture fashion. The dancers, knowing nothing of my years spent in a tutu and tights, tease me and tell me I'm a frustrated dancer. They feel my love for their art and skills. They can tell I'd rather be dancing. Dancers never really give up. They just quit dancing for money.

Now divorced and in my 50's, I've discovered Zumba, a Latin dance based exercise class that frees me to dance in ways I previously considered too provocative for a mother of two in Dallas, Texas. Latin dance moves are foreign territory for a waspy woman with controlled ballet origins. Zumba is all about letting your passions surface and your inner hotness come out and play. Now I feel can dance however I like and Zumba is what makes my hips happy and my face smile.

Tamara:  I am not an athlete, but I do have several interests, although some are of questionable benefit. I'm not sure golfing counts when I use a cart to get me to my ball. I like walking the course when possible.  My favorite exercise is probably using aerobic machines because, and I know this is weird, I read while working out.  It's my favorite time of my day. I can't take calls, I get to read and no one really bothers me. Sometimes I even watch a movie.

I also enjoy walking with Judy and have walked a marathon, hiking in the mountains, practicing (and I mean practicing) yoga for flexibility, free form dancing and skiing in the winter. Like Judy, I do a weight workout a couple of times a week, but I can't say I enjoy it much.  It's hard and tedious. But it's very important for maintaining my metabolism, keeping me toned, and is great for my bones, especially since I have osteoporosis in my family.

For me, it's crucial to be flexible in a workout routine. Because I travel often, I have sometimes had to figure out ways to get my exercise (steps, really) in during the day.  It might mean that I plug in my iPod and dance around my hotel room for 30 minutes before yoga and isometric exercises. Most of the time, I get exercise by walking wherever I am, whenever possible. The good news is that there is always something. Recently, I heard someone suggest taking a jump rope on travels - what a great idea!