Going to the Gym

As we all know, one of the keys to feeling well as you get older is regular exercise. Most people do not enjoy working out. Many go to a gym, some try to run or ride a bicycle. I have tried each of these, but because I don’t enjoy them, I have trouble sustaining that activity over time.
Exercise became more important to me after I had a heart attack in 2010 at age 51. I know that the main factor was stress. I have done a good job of eliminating stress in my life. Getting rid of my job was the perfect answer.

I have found that working out just for the workout is only sustainable if I am working out with a goal in mind. What works better for me is actually doing something that I like to do. I have found very few activities that are both enjoyable and accomplish the goal of getting my heart rate into the target zone and sustaining it for an hour or more. My favorite over the years is riding my dirt bike.
You may think that riding a motorized bike would not be a workout, but you would be wrong. I have worn a heart monitor while riding. My heart rate will settle in at about 140 and will spike to over 160 when I have a problem and am working to get out of trouble. I usually ride for 2 hours or more. Not only do I get a good cardio workout, but the repeated use of all of the muscles in my body provide an excellent muscle building session.

My weapon of choice is a 2007 KTM 400 XCW.

This bike is not the latest technology, but I just love the way it works. One of the reasons I like to hang out at the ranch for a few months each year is to go for rides with other members and hit the 30+ miles of singletrack trails. This past week I got a message from a local rider. He had an afternoon off work and was looking to get some riding in. Corey is just getting over a broken leg ( yes, this sport can be dangerous) and is working on getting his conditioning back. Did I mention that Corey is 21 years old? How cool is that? I am now 56 and I get to go riding with this great young guy.
We rode over 30 miles of wet, tough trails at a good pace. It was a blast and I was totally spent when we were done. My kind of a workout. Here is a little video I put together. I was wearing my GoPro for the ride.  Click on the link below to see the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEN-e-qt23U



What a great way to get exercise and have fun at the same time. This is what my bike looked like after the ride: