Favorite Physical Activities or Exercises

Daily writing prompt

What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

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When I was younger it was running. I would jog anywhere from 2 to 3 miles per day sometimes more. Once when I trained for a half of a marathon, I gradually upped it to around 9 to 10 miles a day. I was in my mid-forties when I ran the half marathon, and I learned one very important thing. I would never run a marathon. I would probably still be running today if it were not for an ankle injury I suffered in my early 60’s. After the injury I continued to run for about 5 years but when my significant other had her hip replaced and they told her no running, I decided that was as good as an excuse as any, and the last 5 years I have been a walker. I walk almost every day around 3 to 5 miles. My ankle is a minor inconvenience, and if I had more desire, I would probably jog on it every once in a while. My other activity of course is golf. Now people do not really think of golf as much of an activity, especially if you ride a golf cart which I do when I play 18 holes. The golf courses in Western Pennsylvania are very hilly and the terrain wreaks havoc on my ankle. When I play 9 holes, I will walk most of time but 18 is too much of a strain on the ankle. If you swing a golf club correctly, and that is the key word here, correctly, it gives the body a very nice workout. There is twisting, turning, and stretching of various muscles. The hands and wrists get a good workout. The golf swing helps you to maintain balance while performing a very refined movement. I have a very short 6 lb. weighted club that I swing every day. I also use the club to do arm exercises. The problem is, you can hit a golf ball by not using hardly any muscles, but it won’t go very far or straight. If you properly swing a club with some resistance and tension in the correct muscles, making a nice big turning swing, your body is going to get stronger. Not only that, but you are also going to be outside, not in some noisy claustrophobic gym where you can’t do anything until you wipe all the disgusting things that other people have left on the machines. Yuk! Golf is a great activity to keep the body fit and flexible. Not going to do much for your aerobic capacity but that is why you walk or run up the steps. This is a pretty easy way to keep fit.