"Younger Next Year"

Younger Next Year

 then, 1986 - Dad and Kool Kid in outdoor spa

       In an older post on this blog [Career Opportunity] I talked about retirement, how I put it off until the decision was more or less made for me. I wasn't sure how I would be able to cope without the routine of a 9 to 5 job. The last time I lived on my own time was in the mid 1980s when I lived in Kurashiki (as I mentioned in a previous post [A step back in time]) and worked as a freelance English conversation teacher. Aside from preparation and class time the rest of the time was my own. That worked out well since our baby was born in 1985 and I spent a lot of my extra time being a daddy and very much enjoyed the role

Mitsu Sports Center - a pleasant 25-minute
drive in the country from our house

        But when retirement loomed, the baby was a full grown man and on his own, so there wasn't the option of filling in the time being a daddy. That career track was blocked so I hit on the idea of making preventive health my occupation of choice in retirement. Men, especially, seem to have to have an occupation and/or a purpose in life. I had already begun doing some physical exercise, taking some supplements and watching what I eat due to some mildly alarming cholesterol levels and higher than normal BMI. As a result my cholesterol levels improved and my excess weight began to drop, gram by gram.

Mitsu Sports Center 25 meter pool

        This past summer I was already in pretty decent shape when I visited the States. When I got together with an old friend from college days, she gave me some CDs about weight training for older people with the odd-sounding title “Younger Next Year”. Well, being “younger next year” sounded like a great idea to me! I decided to make my health and fitness my new “career” goal and expanded the exercise regime that I was already doing to include some weight training, some yoga (that I had neglected since college days) and some swimming. This seems like a pretty well rounded and doable regimen for a guy of my age. It's a little rigorous, and the more neglected or less used parts of my body feel it, but I expect that in time even those recalcitrant joints, muscles and tendons will mellow out—at least to a reasonable extent. You can't expect to have the body of a 20 something again, after all.

now, 2012

        I try, on average, to work out alternating with weights and yoga five days a week, go to the pool one day and take one day off—Never on Sunday! Road buddy does her own exercise regimen and we go to the pool together. We took a few forbidden photos at the pool recently and stopped at a very picturesque Japanese restaurant on the way home feeling pleasantly body tired but hungry.

       So, if you're wondering what to do with all that retirement time, get up from the recliner, turn off the TV and make taking care of your health your new career. It'll keep you focused, do wonders for your body and your outlook. Guaranteed!  

landscaped Japanese style garden with restaurant