Survey: Let’s Work It Out & Link-Up

Experts tell us that working out on a regular basis offers a multitude of physical and mental health benefits. Along with improved cardiovascular health, mood enhancement, and reduced stress levels, a consistent exercise routine will boost your overall well-being and longevity.

My first real strength/resistance training exposure happened during college some 40 years ago. A classmate of mine had started to workout with her boyfriend and over time I saw the positive changes it made to her body. Post graduation and after securing employment, I joined a Jack La Lanne branded gym. Back then, there would be several trainers walking around, offering advice and coaching to anyone who asked. And this was included in the membership. The good old days. Nowadays, you get an introductory tour and then you’re left to your own devices unless you want to pay for training sessions.

While I found that I liked strength/resistance training, the gym was small and often quite crowded. Several months later a new Holiday brand gym opened and I joined there. While the sign-up was a little pricey, I did get an incentive “credit” for the time left on my other membership which offset some of the cost. Also, the annual renewal was ridiculously low, around $70 with a guarantee of minimal increases each subsequent year. Since there were other locations, I opted for the membership that gave access to all of them in case I moved or another closer to where I lived opened.

Over the years, Holiday became Bally’s and then LA Fitness. With each change, my membership agreement has remained unchanged. Despite all the times when I’ve not stepped foot in my local gym, I’ve faithfully paid the renewal fee because the rate was so low. Are you aware that the average cost of a gym membership ranges from $30 to $60 per month, depending on the location, facilities, and type of gym? My renewal rate this year was $90 which is a bargain by any calculation.

Long story short, I’ve been going to the gym and working out again. Most of us over 40/50/60 know the struggle and challenges of unwanted weight gain and the other physical changes that comes along with aging. While it may not seem to me that I eat enough to gain weight, there’s been a slow creep that I’ve been losing the battle against.

Back in May, I had an epiphany of sorts. Thinking back on the times when my body felt at its best, I realized that it was when I was doing strength/resistance training regularly. My nutrition (not going to use the word “diet”) is fairly dialed in already. I’ve cut way back on dairy because I think it’s been a contributor to my digestive issues. Sweets and candy no longer hold much appeal for me either so excessive sugar intake isn’t my problem. Protein is in every meal I eat. At this point, I’d rather stay at my current weight than do an extreme calorie cut. So what if instead, I focused more on changing my body through exercise?

I captured some baseline measurements when I started and I’ve recorded progress in monthly intervals since. My focus during this time has been primarily on upper body, core, and balance. I’ll be sharing more details of my weekly routine and the progress I’ve made so far in an upcoming post. To add some interest to that post, I’ve got a short survey about your workout routine that I hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill out.

The sole purpose of this and any other survey on my blog is to satisfy my own curiosity (and perhaps yours). Responses are provided anonymously and I won’t be sharing/selling the answers to anyone else. They will be used only as summary data in a follow-up post. I have no intentions of developing any type of marketing tool or online course or selling you anything based on your answers. As a mostly left-brained stats-nerd kind of person, I think that it’s cool to be able to include my own researched information (limited as it may be) in some of the blog posts  I write. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

As for the ‘fit I’m wearing in these photos, I get that it might have made more sense if I’d worn workout clothes, but my gym look is just a black tee and black yoga pants. Very demure, very mindful 😂 However, I’m pleased to be wearing these jeans that were quite snug when I bought a few months ago and now fit much more comfortably. The chunky sandals were also a new purchase this summer but the blouse I’ve had for a few years.

Working out, specially strength/resistance training, has always been a game-changer for me. It not only improves my physical health but my mental well-being too. Does working out make a difference for you as well?

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Photo credit: MMPerez

Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.

Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. Contributed by Laura from over at I Do DeClaire, featured from the last link-up is her Blonde Squad Happenings post. What a fun time these four ladies had.