I’ll be posting another blog after I submit my body to the rigors of the Pikes Peak marathon on August 19. Running Pikes Peak is hardly a requirement to be a LifeNut but once in a while we LifeNuts do nutty things.
Today our local newspaper, the Cincinnati Enquirer, ran a piece on controlling weight gain after 40. The article stated that the average American gains weight each year and that this weight is often seen around the waist, which increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It also alludes to time constraints that many parents face, making exercise more difficult and fast food more appealing. Menopause can lead to weight gain as can muscle loss, often a result of the aging process. That’s why LifeNuts encompasses more than diet and exercise. It’s a matter of lifestyle: time management, planning for financial independence, stress management, harmony in relationships. Adults may have trouble changing lifestyles that have become ingrained. But not impossible. Children and teenagers will have an easier time in this regard.
What I found interesting is that the author seemed to infer that weight gain was an inevitable part of aging. LifeNuts are prime examples of the exact opposite of this assumption. We exercise intensely for at least six hours a week aerobically and spend a few more hours in anaerobics. We maintain our weight, despite aging. How else could I have lost 50 pounds since 2005; kept it off; and decided to run the Pikes Peak marathon? Well, let’s see if I can do it. Stay tuned.