What a great approach!
Don't forget to post as you work through your new Cathe workouts..it's invigorating to read thoughts/impressions of older titles from new eyes
Thank you! Watching my family members deteriorate before my eyes was certainly very motivating for me. I’ve been the most consistent I have ever been with my fitness since that time. Of course, some things are simply out of one’s control and one can “do everything right” and still get hit with serious health problems. I can only control what I can control. What I have seen is that functional strength, balance, functional aerobic endurance, flexibility and mobility seem to be the essential ingredients to longevity.
So, my fitness goals have evolved over time and with age. If you had asked me my fitness goals in my 20’s, they would have been aesthetic. Now, I could care less about aesthetic goals-zip, zilch, nada. I want to continue to be able to load hay bales, easily carry grain bags (50 lbs), lift heavy furniture myself, carry the cat in his crate while going to the vet, walk the dog, wheel out the trash bin, carry laundry up and down the stairs. When you watch loved ones deteriorate, you start to notice all the little things you take for granted. For example, as I age, I want to be able to cut my own toe nails, shower and toilet myself, get dressed, put my socks on while standing up, tie my shoes, put my own jacket on, etc. So, functional fitness is just everything to me.
I have been much more concerned about certain fitness things that I never even gave a thought too before. Things like strengthening my shins, doing balance work daily, doing foot exercises and hand exercises, shoulder, hip, and spine mobility. If you had told me even 10 years ago I would be doing “hand exercises” I would have called you a liar! Ha!
Thank you for all your kind messages! I discovered that I DESPISE doing paper weight workouts. I need a video. I need a crew. I like to watch different people. It keeps me interested. It keeps me engaged. I feel like part of the team! so, I am a DVD girl all the way! I like lifting heavy and then mixing it up with high rep for a break. Although, it’s not really a break since muscle failure is still muscle failure! I also like to throw in body weight workouts because they are so functional. I do, at least, 2 strength workouts a week and sometimes 3 times. I mix in all the above. I haven’t found that I have lost strength with this method. I don’t need to be the strongest me I can be. I just want to be strong enough to comfortably get through my life! I’m looking forward to trying all my new Cathe workouts! The mat came and it’s so squishy! I love it! I immediately did back to back barefoot cardio workouts! Oh, that’s another thing I added- more barefoot workouts to keep my feet strong. Anyways, sorry this is such a long post. Thank you all so much for being so kind, welcoming, and supportive. Thanks again!
