Yeah, I know, I know, you hate exercise, it hurts, you’ve never done it anytime in your life, you’re tired of annoying people like me telling you that it’s important, and you have 12 other reasons for not doing it.
Let’s say you’re one of us who doesn’t make a gigantic salary. And let’s also say that your health insurance is either non-existent, or that you do have insurance, but it’s very expensive and covers less and less every day. Maybe over the years you’ve experienced some layoffs or personal problems, and this made it difficult for you to build up a huge retirement nest egg.
Later on, you realize that you’re nearing retirement age, but after crunching a few numbers, you are shocked to find that you can’t just stop working, chill out, and play shuffleboard all day. Well, you can, but you’d have to stop eating and having shelter, or at least would have to have a major housing downgrade. Your pension is non-existent or small, and your social security benefits are inadequate.
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I was reading the BBC news the other day, and the findings of a recent survey were pretty depressing. Survey participants were asked if they would be willing to exercise if it were necessary to avoid an early death. 38% said yes. Death is apparently the preferred choice!
I suppose that death as an lifestyle activity choice is underrated. But I began to wonder why someone’s life would be worth so little that it wouldn’t be worth exercising for. Maybe many people are so despondent that they don’t value life at all, but that’s beyond the scope of this blog.
In other articles, I’ve mentioned how I train with and recommend kettlebells for fitness. I’ve also recommended Kettlestacks, which are used in conjunction with weight plates to make a highly cost-effective kettlebell. Though I use them all the time, there are some situations where traditional kettlebells may be indicated.
Kettlebell training can be addictive; it’s effective, fun, and very versatile; it’s possible to train for strength, cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, and just about anything else you can think of. For enthusiasts and very advanced trainees, here are some examples of possible needs for regular solid-metal kettlebells:
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I’m on a new regimen of this great exercise! I started with just one rep with each leg using dumbbell counterweights. So I’m going to use this spot to track my progress:
As of 8/12, I’m up to a personal best of 6 reps per leg, no counterweights! It was a near maximal effort, and I was a little sore for a couple days, but the improvement was worth it!
I have often extolled the virtues of squats, but even I sometimes get sidetracked and neglect them for awhile! A couple months ago I decided that I’d better follow my own advice and get with it, so I got back into the habit of doing squats regularly. Properly done, there are very few exercises as beneficial as the squat for the whole body.
Because I fired my gym awhile ago, at the moment I don’t have easy access to an Olympic bar and a ton of plates. Not to worry! I just do one-leg bodyweight squats.
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What would you think if I told you that I knew of a great place to get high quality vitamins and other health products at a reasonable price? I’ll bet that would get your attention in today’s expensive, challenging, and confusing healthcare environment. I’ve been a member of the Life Extension Foundation for a year now, and I’ll have to say that this has been one of the best values I’ve run into in a long time.
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