Change It Up package
Fitness
Fat? Old? Out of Shape?
Excuse Us, but That’s a Lousy Excuse
By Kim Gillan-Shafon
Whether you are 30 or 80, if you believe you are too old, you are too old. Setting beliefs that limit the ability to change becomes the biggest obstacle to change. As long as you are above ground and breathing you are not too old to get fit.
A late start into fitness still reaps many health benefits. A Journal of American Medical Association study found that starting an exercise program in your 50s may offer many of the same rewards as if you started as a teen.
So, as long as the brain and its limits can be bypassed, it is never too late to start getting in shape. Just look at 78-year-old powerlifter Willie Murphy, who began in fitness at 56 years old. Her whole philosophy for getting in shape was, “Life, life, life!” Fitness helped empower her, make her more independent, and allow her to enjoy her grandchildren to the fullest.
Am I too fat?
Some may think that trendy workouts or fitness offerings are only for those already in good physical shape, but exercise is healthy for everyone of every size. As long as you are able to participate in physical activity, finding your fit is more important than your fat. Finding an activity where you feel comfortable is of the utmost importance when trying to create a habit that will stick. Whether it is walking, aqua jogging, biking, joining a group fitness class, strength training, or going to yoga, finding something that you enjoy is the key to success.
Am I too out of shape?
The biggest misconception about fitness is that you have to be in shape to do it. Everyone was a beginner at some point in their fitness journey and felt nervous and scared of the unknown (or maybe the known).
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Our theme, “Get a Plan,” seemed like a tidy, ambitious topic to kick off 2020 when we hammered out our editorial lineup for the year.
Plans are good. Plans are necessary. I like plans in theory. Execution is another matter. Plans are fine for other people but my failure rate is too high to embrace much planning.
Privilege and Plans
Clutter is a first-world problem. I’ve read about people in other parts of the world who collect cigarette butts, separate the pieces, and sell the bundles by the pound — you read that right, by the pound, to earn a bare-bones living. I’m assuming that’s a clutter-generating enterprise.
I’ve got first-world clutter; too many shoes and coats and casserole dishes and — I’m just realizing — a significant collection of drinking glasses. I planned to clear things out after reading Marie Kondo’s, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” I skimmed the book (too busy), fast-forwarded the show on Netflix (too impatient, ) and dove in (too hopeful).
I ruthlessly bagged up my castoffs and dropped them at donation bins. I rolled sweaters, sorted clothing by colors, and rethought my casserole dish collection. The dogs thought they were the next to go.
The minimalist lifestyle suited me, but only for a minimal amount of time. I soon was back to my old habits, cruising consignment shops and hitting estate sales. I was a junkie who craved actual junk. My decluttering plans sputtered and then died in a heap on the closet floor.
That’s just one example of failed plans. Each January, I plan to carefully pack away my Christmas lights so I never have to untangle them again. Eleven months later, I’m untangling Christmas lights.
Here’s another: I plan to watch higher-quality TV — more PBS less Bravo, but deep down I’m drawn to the Kardashians and “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.”
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Christian Bernadotte isn’t a worrier. Until his heart transplant at Cleveland Clinic two years ago, he wasn’t much of a planner, either.
For years, Bernadotte, now 70, was busy raising a family and building a career. He traveled extensively for work. He didn’t eat properly. He smoked. He never went to a doctor. Eventually, his lifestyle caught up with him; the Shaker Heights resident had his first heart attack at 49.
Bernadotte lost weight and kept up with his medical appointments and heart medications. “I lived with a bad heart for 18 years and made the most of it. I sailed. I golfed but I paced myself,” Bernadotte says, sitting in the Shaker Heights home he shares with his wife, Marianne.
Bernadotte carried on with his busy life, all while living with a weakened heart. He became short of breath and had a tough time walking uphill. On Thanksgiving 2017, Bernadotte collapsed at dinner with friends. Two of them were Cleveland Clinic heart surgeons, Per Wierup and Gosta Pettersson.
A device that had been implanted in his heart jolted Bernadotte back to life. Recovering at the Clinic, he was placed on the Status 2 heart transplant list.
The following February, Bernadotte was at home and started feeling ill. His wife called Dr. Pettersson, who lived nearby. By the time he got there, Bernadotte was on the floor and wasn’t breathing. Dr. Pettersson started CPR and revived him.
The incident bumped Bernadotte up to the highest priority status for a heart transplant. A week later, he had a new heart.
Soon, Bernadotte was back to his active life — this time without having to make accommodations for a weak heart. His plan today includes a much healthier lifestyle. He feels and looks great. His wife, Marianne, also has had to make adjustments.
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