It's Not Jello

It’s still dark outside; I’m in bed listening to the early morning. I hear fans in a nearby vineyard; it sounds like a small airplane coming in for a landing. There’s the repetitive beep from my backyard mole and rodent repeller; I wonder if it bothers my neighbors. My little cuckoo clock in the front room, a token reminder of my Swiss heritage, begins announcing 6:00 o’clock. I focus on the steady tock tock tock of my bedroom wall clock –it belonged to my older daughter who no longer walks on earth. It’s only 37° out and I don’t want to get up.

I snuggle inside my cocoon of covers for another 30 minutes. If I don’t get out of bed soon, I won’t have time to get ready to go to my exercise class. I make the decision by swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. By the time I reach the bathroom I’m already thinking about the day ahead of me. Routines take over and then I’m out the door, glad for fresh morning air and the sound of my tires on the street leading out of town.

Another day I’m sitting in my favorite front room chair in the afternoon, slippered feet on a footstool, deeply into reading a book club selection. Glancing at my watch I realize I need to take my walk before it gets much later. Hesitating, I read another paragraph or two. I’d rather just stay relaxed, warm, and snug. What would it hurt to skip today? I say out loud to myself, Go get your tennis shoes on and then you can decide. In no time I’m out the door enjoying myself as usual.

Hannah Peters wrote on the NIFS Healthy Living Blog, “Consistency is arguably the most important component when working to accomplish goals, in or out of the gym.”

For me, consistency is a discipline strategy I employ to maintain my retirement goal of staying healthy, independent, and mobile. I understand that a hit or miss attitude towards exercise will only result in increasing joint stiffness and hip pain –something I have been delighted to have considerably less of the past six months. So, even though retirement is a time to relax, to basically be free from being tied to the demands of appointments and schedules, it’s not jello. It’s opportunity.

I have an opportunity to choose to commit to consistency even when I don’t feel like it in the moment. I understand the small parenthesis created by a commitment to regular exercise does not destroy the sublime delights of unstructured freedom and seemingly endless hours to do as I please. If anything, I’m invigorated and able to enjoy the remaining open-ended time even more.