Being under house arrest has limitations. Essentially, as a retiree in the section of the population considered at high risk. that is my situation. But even prisoners need some kind of exercise. There are both physical and mental challenges to help keep us in shape. I regularly find myself doing sudoku puzzles and mini crosswords, as well as playing scrabble, to keep my brain active. Physical activity, however, is an entirely different realm.
One of the things I do for physical exercise is to carry out the trash and garbage. That’s not as simple as it sounds. It includes taking papers, glass bottles, and plastic bottles to our designated recycling bins. These are located about a regular city block plus from our home. The walk to the bins is uphill. It’s not steep, but it does require more effort now than it did a mere 10years ago. I often combine such trips with a weekly visit to our post office box. Yes, we still get mail that is not electronic. Sometimes it’s mostly bills, receipt, and bank statements. But it also includes magazines that we subscribe to. So there’s an extra reward for the physical effort.
Real physical exercise needs more than just a semi-weekly walk. Fortunately, we have a couple of dogs. I take the out almost every day. Sometimes it’s just for a simple walk around the house. On other occasions I spend time playing with them. The smaller dog enjoys having me chase him. He knows he’s much faster than I am and that he can almost always race right past me without getting caught.
Now, during the summer months, playing outside during the day results in exposure to two other hazards. One is the heat.After a play session I invariably need to have a drink, and to rest for while. The second problem is the assortment of flying insects. There are lots of birds in the neighborhood. But they seem to be vegetarians. They survive on a diet of seeds. The insects, on the other hand, have a much more varied diet. When I come out it seems like they treat it like the arrival of a mobile food truck. Oh Boy! Here comes lunch!
A morning spent outside with the dogs frequently has me returning inside with several, if not many, assorted bites from our small flying garden residents. I seem to use a lot more anti-itching cream during the warmer season than I do during the winter. And, No! I do not consider scratching as a bonus physical exercise.
Wetherhorn 