Health issues and early retirement gave Lisa the push she needed to put her fitness at the top of her to-do list.
As women, so much of what we do revolves around taking care of others. We strive to keep our kids healthy, our bosses happy and our homes running like well-oiled machines. It wasn't until I retired three years ago, at the age of 50, that I realised that in all of that craziness, I had missed out on one essential thing: taking care of myself.
For most of my life, I was never what you'd call "unhealthy," but apart from participating in an office-run 5K every year (which I walked and slowly jogged), I never did much for my wellbeing. My husband and I were involved with our church, and we had three kids, all of whom are seven years apart. This meant I was involved with carpool and school activities for a good two decades. Plus, as a special agent for the federal government, I often found myself up at odd hours of the night serving warrants, and as my career advanced, dealing with progressively more stress, which eventually took its toll on my body.
A few years before my 50th birthday, I was put on medication to control my cholesterol, which had topped out at 310md/dL. (Less than 200 is optimal for good health.) And shortly before I retired, I was diagnosed with a perforated colon, a condition that can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including ulcers and appendicitis. It was so severe that I had to wear a colostomy bag for three months. To attach the bag, my doctors opened my abdominal cavity, cut my intestines, pulled them out from an incision in my side and sewed the end to a bag that hung outside my stomach, collecting my stool. When I was healthy enough that I no longer needed the bag, I had another surgery to reconnect my intestines.
Sure, that was all pretty awful. But to me, the scar from the colostomy operations was the worst part. Marking up my stomach and sides, the scar was like a bull's eye on my body's "trouble spots." I had always carried extra kilos around my waist. But now, with core muscles that were damaged and atrophied, my post-surgery stomach drove me crazy. My doctor said to give it a year, and then we could consider a second surgery to address the scarring and excess weight that puckered around it.
But I was dead-set on not going under the knife again. I knew I could find a way to fix this on my own.
Discovering my love of fitness
In my quest to get fit and feel more confident in my own skin, I tried working with a personal trainer and later exercising with my fitness-loving nephew. I slimmed down a bit and got more toned, and actually ran my first half marathon in 2015 (pictured above) with a finishing time of 2:42:44. Running long distances puts a lot of stress on my knees, so I don't plan on running another half. But I was so proud of myself for crossing that accomplishment off of my bucket list.
One benefit of getting started with exercise in my 50s is that every accomplishment of mine was a first. There was no comparing my run times to those from my 20s, 30s or 40s. Every workout was a personal best, which was extremely encouraging and has kept me motivated. But despite all of my fitness progress, I really wasn't jazzed about my gym workouts. Weight lifting and running long distances felt boring to me. So, in the summer of 2016, I decided I would quit the gym and sign up with an interval training gym. I had gone to the studio once with my daughter, and I really enjoyed the workout.
The classes were fast-paced and varied, mixing treadmill sprints with rowing and strength training, so there was zero room for boredom. Within minutes, every class would have me huffing, puffing and "feeling the burn." So once per week seemed like a good starting place and, honestly, I didn't think I'd ever get to the point of going more often. The classes were really intense!
However, a few months later in October 2016, my gym held a six-week fitness challenge that involved going to three classes per week—which to me, seemed like a lot! My instructor encouraged me to go for it and reminded me that even if I had to work at less than 100% during each class, I'd be working more and getting greater benefits than I would by sticking with my one weekly class. The challenge also put a focus on fueling right and emphasised eating whole, unprocessed foods. Truth be told, I had never really worked to eliminate processed foods from my diet before. As a crazy-busy working mom, they had long been a staple in my eating routine. I decided eating healthier and working out more could only help me, so I took a leap of faith and signed up for the challenge.
Six weeks later, I had lost an entire inch off of my hips and felt my body changing even more than it had before. I was carrying muscle in places I didn't even know you could have muscle, and I had a perky butt for the first time in my life! Meanwhile, my core began looking and feeling stronger, even stronger than it had before having my colostomy—and giving birth to my kids. Having a firmer, more taut stomach makes my scar less noticeable than I imagine it ever could have, had I just gone ahead with surgery.
It's been seven months since the challenge has ended, and I still take three to four classes per week (every once in awhile I make it to five!), and participate in about one fun run, usually a 5K, per month. I'm more aware of what I eat, opting for fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible, and avoid the processed foods that used to be my mainstays.
The rewards
I leave my workouts happier than I was when I walked into the studio. It's like in "Legally Blonde," when Reese Witherspoon says, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands; they just don't." I have so much more energy to devote, both to my family and to myself and I feel like I deal with stress far better than I used to.
When I don't feel like going to class one day, I remember that doing something is better than nothing, so I get my butt there. And once I arrive, I feel fired up. Seeing the person next to me on the treadmill or rowing machine pushes me to dig deeper and go harder. I know that nine times out of 10, when my mind wants me to stop, my body can keep going. No matter how I feel when I walk into class, I always end up working like a crazy person.
Mentally and physically, I feel better than ever. But I'm still eager to do more. My doctor often asks me, "Are you planning on pole dancing or something?" "Well, no," I say. "I just know I have more in me to become the best version of myself."
Lisa's tips
Follow Lisa's lead with these tips for getting fit at any age:
1. Make yourself a priority. At first, I balked at spending $160 per month on an unlimited gym membership, but then I remembered that I once spent $80 per week for a calculus tutor for one of my kids. I needed to start prioritising myself just like I always had everyone else.
2. Get started where you are right now. Many people say they will start working after they've lost some weight, but in my opinion, going all in right away is best. It's often the hardest step, but once you get started and get a routine down, you will want to keep at it. I never used to exercise, but now I can't imagine how sad I would be if I had to give up my workouts.
3. Find a workout you love. There are too many options out there to force yourself to do a workout that you're not passionate about. Joining a gym is what made exercise finally "click," for me. Try new things and find what you like. You may find that swimming, cycling, hiking or working with a trainer is what makes you fall in love with fitness.
4. Have confidence in yourself. I doubted my ability to step things up to three classes per week, but I'm so glad that I followed my instructor's encouragement. Now, I have that same confidence in myself that, yes, I can do anything I set my mind to and work toward.
5. Create an accountability system. Having to sign up for my fitness classes in advance is what kept me on track. It makes me plan my schedule around my workouts, and since I know I'll get charged even if I don't show up, it keeps me from skipping on those days I'd rather be vegging at home. Whether you meet a friend for weekly workouts or schedule sessions with a trainer, find a way to hold yourself accountable.
Newsletter
