I am an "older woman" battling weight and diabetes. Now I am starting to show signs of mobility issues. You know. When you see the older person who struggle to get up out of a chair, has to sit on a hard chair rather than a sofa. This has been me for a while now. When I'm out and about I could probably stand to use a walker at times, but I'm not psychologically ready for that.

Most of my life I was into exercise. I always belonged to something. Not usually a gym, but I went to exercise classes at the Y, I walked outside for a while, and eventually accumulated some exercise equipment at home. But I allowed work and family life to take over and get in my way. Now I am paying the price.

So at this point I want to commit to getting back at it. Being retired, I watch a couple soap operas every afternoon. I have a TV in my exercise room and want to start exercising while watching these shows instead of lounging in my recliner. I'm going to watch the shows either way!! I don't plan on setting any intensity records, but feel that any movement is good for my body, and will help increase my muscle strength and endurance.

So true!

I'm sorry about the mobility problems you've been dealing with. I like your exercise plan. How's it been going? It can be surprising how quickly our body makes positive gains when we feed it some physical activity.

I've been pairing my activity with podcasts I love to help solidify it as a habit. That helps me a lot. I hope the soaps pairing helps you too! It's hard in the beginning but once the momentum kicks in, it gets much easier.

Hi Chunkahlunkah. Thanks for the response. My exercise plan is starting off slow, but I am determined to do at least 15 minutes a day M-F. I always figure I can do 15 min, but once I get started and reach the 15 minute mark, I am into it and keep going longer.

Hi Carol, how's the exercise been going? In my experience, forming the new habit is the hardest part. I'm so torn with exercise. I feel so much better when I exercise, yet it's a habit that I way too easily fall out of. That's why I really like pairing it with fun activities that I'd be doing anyway, like you with your shows. I hope things are going well!

I hate to admit it isn't going well. Almost not at all. This week I'm doing a lot of cleaning that I've let go lately, and since I have energy I'm putting it to good use. I guess in a way, that's exercise too, but just not formal exercise.

Keep hounding me about it! LOL Eventually I'll do it because I'll be too embarrassed to say I'm not!

I'd say cleaning is definitely a respectable form of activity! Energy is finite, so you do what you got to do.

You cracked me up with the hounding request because, not even kidding, the other day I got the feeling that you wanted some hounding so I wrote that post. It might help to make the demand on yourself lighter. For example, using whichever equipment you like best and only during 1 of the commercial breaks.

Good vibes!

Well, I don't wait for the commercial breaks. I exercise while I'm watching the show and it makes me forget that I'm exercising. And I really do want to be hounded....that's why I posted here. You feel guiltier about not doing it if someone else knows about it. It's like telling people that you're on a diet, then they start watching every morsel you put in your mouth so you're afraid to eat anything!! I have such a good gym set-up here, it's a shame that I'm not automatically in there every day. I even have a 40 inch flat screen in there. No excuse whatsoever, except that I'm a lazy couch potato!! It's just so easy to get comfortable in my recliner with remote in hand.

Oh man, I'd love your gym set-up! May I come hound you in person?

Sorry, I wasn't clear earlier. I meant it might make the exercise easier to fall into if you tell yourself you only need to do it for a very short time, like during one commercial break and then you're done for the rest of the show. Small goals help me get going and then get in the mood for more. I completely get what you mean though that doing the exercise while you watch helps it not feel like exercise. Maybe only doing it until the first commercial break would inspire!

I promise to hound sometimes but not too much.

I'm figuring out my exercise too. I'd gotten really into walking outside but due to a skin thing, I won't be able to do that for a while. I guess I'll do my DVD's but I sometimes dread them. Walking never bothered me like that. It was so nice having an activity that I always liked doing.

Here I am 3 months later and I actually forgot I started this thread. And forgot to exercise. LOL Not really forgot, just didn't do it.

So I have a new plan to start next week. Right now I have a lot of things to do to get ready for DGS to come for a sleepover on Saturday. I have to have his room ready, plus have some special food in the house that he likes and have some activities of interest to him. But even DH is telling me that I feel so tired and rundown because I don't get enough exercise/activity. I am a morning person. I'm up early ready to start my day, and the morning and early afternoon are my best hours. By 5PM I'm drained and pretty much useless in the evenings. I wasn't always like that but it's been that way for several years now. I usually exercise in the early afternoon, but have found that a walk in the evening after dinner helps with blood sugar control, so I want to incorporate that in, too.

Ok, so today is the "next week" I spoke of in my last post. I cannot put this off any longer. After DH is finished cutting the grass we need to go to Walmart for a few things. I love to go there in the morning on off days when it's not crowded. I go with a list and know where everything is, so I walk briskly around the store and get done quickly. That will be my first exercise of the day, but I do plan on getting into my exercise room before the day is over.

I spoke of how I become a slug in the evenings and seem to lose my energy after 5 PM. I am going to try my best to force myself off my recliner and into my exercise room in the evening, even if just for a short time. Saying that I don't have energy in the evening just sounds like a very poor excuse.

I finally got my first exercise session under my belt. I had to push myself to do it, but it was exhilerating afterwards. I'm so glad I did it. 30 minutes. Enough for a first day. I will gradually extend it.

It is almost a year since I started this thread but I want to resurrect it again...this time with more determination. I have been doing some seated exercises but now I'm getting back into my workout room. I know how lucky I am to have this in my home and I really intend to use it and make a difference. I am also doing things like counter push ups while waiting for the morning coffee to brew. Every time I move a muscle it's getting stronger.

Day 1 - 45 minutes.

45 minutes yesterday and 30 or so today. I have to push myself to do it but I feel better afterwards.

Hi Carol! I'm kind of in the same boat with mobility issues. I really like David-Dorian Ross's Tai Chi Fit over 50 video. It's gentle movement without too much potential of tipping over. haha

Hi Old Biddy. Thanks for stopping by. I really had to force myself to exercise today and struggled to keep going. But I did it, grudgingly. I have never tried Tai Chi.