Set fitness goals! Who wants to do that?! As a child and teen, I did not set any fitness goals for myself. I got plenty of exercise living on my family’s farm. There was always work to do! 

When I was a freshman in college, I discovered that I needed to be intentional about getting exercise. I was eating in the “all-you-can-eat” college cafeteria that had many choices of not-so-healthy foods. My change in eating habits resulted in my gaining the “Freshman five,” as the people in the UK” call the gaining of five kilograms put on during the freshman year. In the US, it is known as the “Freshman 15,” which is the weight equivalent in pounds. I was thankful my weight gain was only 5 pounds, but I still needed to get those extra pounds off!

The stress from moving into the dorm and having so many assignments, homework, papers, and exams to complete also contributed to my weight gain. You might say I was “stress eating.”

Eating too much was part of my problem, but lack of physical activity due to sitting in classes and studying for long hours each day was another major component. I decided I needed to eat more intentionally, and I needed to set some fitness goals. 

Some of the fitness goals I made my freshman year are still providing benefits. Let me share three goals you can set that can stick around for decades- the goals of walking, stretching, and weightlifting.

Walking

I set fitness goals that included walking every day. I usually walked outside around the college campus. My college campus was in the country. It was originally created as a monastery for Jesuit monks. The grounds were expansive, with plenty of trees, grass, and a beautiful lake. I loved being outside where there were only a few other students walking. It brought me a bit of calm in an otherwise stressful day.

Since this college was in Minnesota, there were times I couldn’t walk outside. Fortunately for me, there was plenty of space for indoor walking and lots of stairs, too! The building was shaped like a cross. The main level had a beautiful chapel, administration offices, and the like. Upstairs, the women had dormitories in one arm of the cross, the men had dorm rooms on the other arm, and the center was a common “living room” area. The walk out lower level had the cafeteria, a gym, and classrooms. I could walk each floor of the building and also do my stair stepping. The gym was often open to walk laps in, too.

It was at this college I purchased a jump rope to help me get aerobic exercise during any time of the day or night. On my floor, there was a large room where groups of students could get together to study or visit.

I remember when I was studying late into the night for several exams I was going to have the next day. I needed to have a break because I was sleepy from the late hour and the long study period. I took my jump rope to that room several times that evening/night. Jumping rope got my blood moving, woke me up, and helped me burn some calories. I even chanted some of the points I needed to remember while skipping rope. I still have that jump robe decades later. 

Stretching

Set fitness goals that include stretching. Stretching was something I had to do as a child. The physical therapist recommended exercises to help me manage my scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine. Sorry to say, I wasn’t faithful in doing the stretches until about ten years ago, when I started doing them every weekday.

I eventually noticed that I wasn’t getting hurt from my spine “going out of place” from doing everyday activities like lifting heavy trash bags from large bins. I became a believer and now am faithful in doing my back exercises daily, at least on weekdays. I have also incorporated a series of stretches from a book called Firm for Life,by Anna & Cynthia Benson, that covers most of the muscles in my body, which I do twice a week. These exercises help me with my posture, mobility, and balance.

Weightlifting

Set fitness goals that include weightlifting. Weightlifting is something I have been doing for decades using the “Daily Dozen” from the Firm for Life book.  

My husband and I joined a community center a year and a half ago. I hired a personal trainer for eight weeks to learn how to safely use the machines, free weights, and exercise bands with my physical limitations. Since both of us are members, it has helped us keep each other accountable for going to work out two or three times a week. 

Action Step

Set fitness goals that stick around like walking, stretching, and weightlifting. You might start by walking for a short time every day, preferably outside in the sunshine. Next, you could add gentle stretching two or three times a week. On the opposite days, you might consider weightlifting, even using things you have around the house or bands two or three times a week. Of course, it is always good to check with your health care professional before starting any exercise program.

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. What fitness goals do you have that have stuck around?