A home gym: worth considering, to help maintain a healthy body and mind during periods of self-isolation
This article first appeared in the February issue of Comet.
Who knew that we’d be moving into a third year with waves of super-caution being advocated during ever-evolving forms of the virus? And with increasing numbers of booster shots whose efficacy could be waning as they increased in number?
What all of that adds up to is the possibility of recurring times when we are more or less confined to quarters, with reports over the past two years on the negative impact that this has been having on the physical and mental health of some older people. What can help to counter that is keeping up – or starting – an exercise regimen that continues to benefit our wellbeing as effectively as possible within our own homes.
And what that could involve is setting up a home gym. While that might sound a bit grand, and potentially expensive, it can – as we have found – be neither. Fortunately, one can go online and find second hand and/or reasonably priced new equipment which will do the job. We found a mix of these – well before the pandemic started – as we had realised that while we were not keen on going to a gym, we did want to keep fit into our older age. And we decided that setting up our own circuit, in the garage and the spare room, could be the answer.
Having got the medical thumbs up for the sorts of exercise machines that we had in mind, we built up our circuit, one machine at a time, to check if we actually had the motivation to use them once they were installed. With the help of headphone-channelled music for him and podcasts to keep me entertained, we did. We started with a second-hand exercise bike, then a modest rowing machine, and rounded up our trio with an elliptical trainer. In addition to our circuit, we have our weights, and our core-building exercises. Together, they are doing the job.
By one of those coincidences that often happen, while I was developing this article early in the new year, I came across a Sydney Morning Herald feature on ageing well. And in it, geriatrician Dr Peter Lange gave an excellent summary of just how wide ranging that job can be, so I’ll leave the last words to him. As he put it, exercise “produces beneficial effects for pretty much everything we’ve ever looked at. [It] improves muscle strength, balance, bone density, and the immune, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It boosts mood and supports brain and spinal health, too……. And, by stressing the body, you’re also getting it used to dealing with small perturbations.”
Anne Ring © 2022
