4. Balance
Time yourself as you stand on one foot, without support, for as long as possible (stand near something sturdy to hold onto, in case you lose your balance). Record your score. Repeat the test while standing on the other foot. Test yourself again in one month. The amount of time you can stand on one foot should increase.
Enjoying Retirement
Until he was 48 years old, Ron Ekovich, of Leesville, South Carolina, smoked a pack of cigarettes every day. Looking to the future made him decide to quit.
"I figured I had to make some changes in my life if I was going to enjoy my retirement," he told us.
Needless to say, Mr. Ekovich, who is now 61 years old, no longer smokes. He works out with strength-building equipment 3 days a week, and he carries his own bag of clubs on the 3 days a week that he plays golf.
And he stretches. "If I had to choose the most important thing you can do as you get older, it would be stretching. It helps keep you self-sufficient," he said. Mr. Ekovich was only half-joking when he gave an example: When his back itches, he said, he's able to just reach back and scratch it. This example might seem funny...unless you aren't able to scratch your own back.
"The more physical activity you get the better you feel. The achievement makes you feel great emotionally, and it makes you feel good physically," he said.
Mr. Ekovich also cites a person's outlook as an important component of physical activity and exercise. "The only thing that limits people's ability to achieve their goals is themselves," he said. He recently finished shoveling about 10 tons of earth -- that's 20,000 pounds -- to make a new garden for his wife.
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes simple tests to see how you are progressing. They measure endurance, lower-body power, strength, and balance. Do the tests before you begin increasing your physical activity, to establish a baseline measurement. Repeat the tests each month. If you test yourself more often, you are not likely to see improvement, and that may discourage you. On the other hand, watching your scores improve every month can be very encouraging.
Be sure to use the safety guidelines listed for the exercises shown in Chapters 2 and 4 when you do these tests.
You might not be able to complete the tests shown in this chapter, at first. That means you aren't ready yet. Try again after a month of exercises and physical activities.
