Efforts at Exercise

Lately, my parents and I have set a goal to become stronger. Or rather, I have made it a goal for my parents to go to the gym and exercise. 

I dance around 10 hours per week (not including competitions, additional rehearsals/choreography, and performances). It’s physically gruelling and mentally exhausting, but my body feels restless on the days I have off. Not having a proper warm up or stretch makes my body feel stale, and my movement throughout the day feels restricted. 

Therefore, I can’t imagine what my 47 year old parents feel like, as neither of them regularly exercise. Plus, they’re only getting older, and it’s tragically common to hear about a family member or friend who injured themselves simply by walking a bit funny. Muscle mass naturally decreases with age. Thus, I have made it my mission to ensure that my parents are taking care of their bodies, and this starts with exercise (and proper nutrition, but that’s a separate entry). 

I started by encouraging my mom to join me in my stretching routines. This, however, unearthed two problems. First, my dad can’t join because he often works late (and by then, I’ve already stretched for the day). And second, my stretches are very dance-oriented and my mother has no use for a split in her day to day life. 

Our next step was to start taking pilates classes. My mom has since purchased a 5-pack of classes and even got my dad to join her once. In the same manner, however, both of my parents have very different exercise needs. 

Then, my dad took out our old treadmill in the basement. For 4 days, he ran for 30 minutes. He has not touched the treadmill since then.

It’s been difficult for exercise to be a consistent activity in their busy lives. I almost feel guilty asking them to work out after they’ve each worked full, tiring days. So until they find the time to make exercise a part of their daily routine, I will be gently pushing and encouraging them to take the baby steps there.