Two Water Bottles And A Chair: The Routine Carol Has Kept For A Year
She stopped waiting for the perfect program. A chair, two bottles of water and ten minutes after the news did the job.
Carol is 63 and had started and abandoned more fitness plans than she can count. Each one asked for an hour, a gym bag or a new pair of shoes.
Last year she tried something smaller. After the evening news, she takes two full water bottles from the fridge and sits on the edge of a kitchen chair.
Ten slow lifts with the bottles, ten times standing up and sitting back down, a short walk around the living room. That is the whole routine.
What the ten minutes look like
- Two full water bottles, used as light weights.
- Ten slow lifts to the shoulders, then ten out to the sides.
- Ten sit-to-stands from the edge of a sturdy chair.
- A slow lap of the living room to finish.
- A tick on the calendar on the fridge, which she likes more than any app.
What changed in a year
Carol says she does not look different in photos. What she notices is that the grocery bags feel lighter and the stairs to her daughter's apartment are no longer something she plans around.
She read a few books about strength after sixty along the way, and the one below is the one she lends out.
The book Carol lends to her friends: a plain guide to keeping everyday strength as the years go by.
See the book on Amazon →The content on this page is for general information and personal reading only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with a qualified professional. Names have been changed for privacy.