WELLNESS

Rod Lowry Member, Wellness Committee, ARTA

I didn’ t move much. I was pushing 285 pounds and was extremely lethargic. Believe me, this was terrible for my general health. I didn’ t have much energy, and even walking a mile seemed like it would be a challenge. I knew something had to change.

It was here that I decided to turn my health around. What do you think I did? I got a paper route. For many years, my children delivered the Lethbridge Herald. With twelve kids, the route was passed from one child to the next as they grew up and moved away. By the time my youngest son had finished, the paper route was still there, so I decided to take over. Why, might you ask, would I do such a“ juvenile” thing? Because I’ m a lazy dude.

Yes, I need a reason to get up and do something. Newspapers must be delivered early, so there was no sleeping in. My paper route forced me to rise early and gave me a path to walk. Having a reason to get up in the morning is important, especially in retirement. One of the biggest challenges as we age and retire is finding other reasons to get out of bed and other ways to stay active. My paper route forced me to do that, and it turned out for the better. I started at the end of my teaching career and continued it into retirement. Over time, I dropped around 75 pounds.

Walking is great for me, but lately I’ ve discovered it may not be enough for my“ healthspan,” the length of time in your life when you are healthy. As I started reading more about healthy aging, I realized that walking is only one piece of the puzzle. It was excellent for losing weight, but everyday life also depends on strength, flexibility, and balance. Opening jars, carrying groceries, or even climbing stairs becomes harder if we don’ t keep our muscles and joints moving.

Instead of focusing only on getting my steps in, I started looking for simple exercises that would keep me doing the things I enjoy for years to come. When I

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