Keeping fit in Spain

Hello Priscilla

Golf has been my main activity in my more mature years. Involves 4/5 hours of walking and exercise. Not the cheapest hobby, but enjoyable when you reach a competent level and quite sociable.

Steve

Hi Priscilla,
I commend you, at such a young age, to realize the importance of fitness. After all, all the time and opportunity and good weather conditions available in the new country of Spain would mean little without good health!
I hope to move there later this year. In the last few years, sensible diet, 2 meals a day, supplements, swimming, and particularly yoga has helped me stay healthy and limber. I started yoga after I retired, always finding excuses that it was not for me. How wrong! People start at any age and reap great benefits because of the amazing reach of yoga on muscles, bones, organs and every other tissue in the body, not to mention the beneficial effects on the mind! 
Thank you,  -nowretired

I guess we do or do not, take an interest in fitness

When I was 33 I took a test, distance covered in 12 minutes, to assess my level of fitness.  I remember I was astounded as I ‘fell off the bottom of the chart.'   

The next day, 1st Feb 1973, I started a program to put me at least on the chart

By 1983 having kept to a regular running program of 3 miles, three/four days a week I entered for the first London marathon.  My training took me to around 50 miles a weeks and I completed the run in 3 hrs 52 minutes, just under  9 minute miles for the 26 miles 385 yards.

How times have changed ?  My pals thought that running a marathon aged 43 I mad.   However in 1984 I had several pals running the marathon with me !

In those days people would take a second look when they saw a guy running.  Now it's commonplace.

Since then I continued running as before until my joints complained.  Early retirement at 48 and moving to spain, just meant running without  the cold and rain. 

For the next 20 or so years I cycled 13 miles 3/4 times a week averaging about 17 mph.   

For the past six months I have more or less switched over to walking at least 3 miles every day at 4 mph.  Cycling has become more and more risky.   I fear that next time when I am knocked off, I may suffer more serious  injuries than so far

In the past few months I have reduced my BMI back to just under 25

To save your arithmetic, I am now 79, and intend to keep fit for as long as possible, physically and mentally.  My mother was still walking to church, in all weathers, 3 miles a day when she was 90.