Calisthenics

I grew up in the era of Jack LaLanne. I would watch him all the time as a child growing up. There he’d be next to his chair in his dark, taught work-out outfit; long pants mind you, no Richard Simmons-type shorts in those days, coaching me through simple calisthenic exercises. He’d get the viewer involved in jumping jacks, sit-ups, knee bends, push-ups and all kinds of things.

I really like Jack, I’m just not built for his line of work. I am not a graceful person. I’m lanky and long and rather clumsy. When I jog I cramp in all the places a person can cramp – sides, thighs, calves, even feet. When I ride my bike my lungs go on strike. You’d think I was a 5-pack a-day smoker for how often I have to stop and catch my breath some days. As for pull-ups and push-ups if I get past two or three someone get me a Gold medal.

I wasn’t always like this. In high school I was on the varsity basketball team. Mind you I was not first string, I hadn’t hit my growth spurt yet, but I was out there every practice and every game giving it my best. I played softball growing up too. While I never could hit the ball out of the park I was a darn good catcher and left fielder. Almost caught a fly ball for an out once. Swimming, though, was my real forte’ growing up and I have lots of third and fourth place ribbons to prove it.

As we can all see, I have no real sporting skills. I never have. But what I lacked in skill I more than made up for in desire. I was there at every practice for my soccer, softball, and basketball or swim team. To me the end result of winning was important but also as important as was the companionship and camaraderie of being on a team. Of pursuing a common goal, trying to accomplish something together.

As I grew up exercise no longer came in the form of fun group, team activities. Exercise for adults is mostly a solo affair. And solo exercise is boring exercise. What made exercising with Jack LaLanne on TV fun was Jack LaLanne. You didn’t feel like you were by yourself. That’s why people join gyms, so they don’t have to exercise alone. That’s also why people who buy home exercise equipment find they use it more for a clothes rack than a treadmill – it’s too boring to run indoors alone.

Somewhere along the way I simply stopped exercising in any systematic way. And that’s not good. Exercise is good for the body as well as the heart, mind and spirit. I do feel so much better after I exercise, even just a little exercise. So I made a New Year’s resolution. I resolved in the New Year to exercise every day. I am here to report so far so good.

Things have been going so well that I pumped it up a notch and I now exercise twice every day. It is fabulous and has had a profound change on my body, heart, mind and spirit.

Every morning, first thing, before I get dressed, before I turn on the news, before I let out the dog, before I have coffee I do my first exercise of the day – one deep knee bend. Some mornings the knee bend is quick, just a minute or two. Some mornings it’s a little longer. Whatever is required to give my body, heart, mind and spirit the exercise it needs that morning. Mostly, it is a moment to give praise for the day ahead.

At bed time, after I’ve closed down the house, finished playing with my animals and turned off the lights I do my last exercise routine of the day – one last deep knee bend. Again it may be a quick minute or two or a little longer depending on the events of the day and the needs of my heart, mind and spirit. Mostly, this is a time to say Thank You for the day I was just given.

The thing I like best is I don’t do my exercises alone. I have an Exercise Partner, sort of a Jack LaLanne type, with me guiding me, listening to me, encouraging me and just being with me while I’m doing my deep knee bends. Afterwards, during my cool-down and throughout the rest of the day or night my Exercise Partner is still with me.

And it doesn't matter how long I do my deep knee bends or what I say when I'm doing it. The important thing to my Exercise Partner is that I try, that I have the desire to spend just a bit of my day with Him before things get going and again at the close of the day I pause to reconnect. It's the intent that matters most, not the form. Which is great for a clumsy girl like me.

Exercising with my Partner is wonderful. It helps me to feel as if I’m back on a team working towards a common purpose or goal. Which in a way I am. My outlook is brighter; my heart is lighter; I walk taller and straighter; my gaze is higher and no longer downward.

Doing these deep knee bends every day, giving praise and thanks, helps me realize I’m not alone, it’s not me against the world. I have a Partner who is with me every step of the way. And that step starts with the first one I take in the morning and doesn’t stop even as I take my last as I climb into bed.

Exercise – turns out the simpler the better. Jack would be so proud.
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