One thing that I have not noticed as I have watched birthdays come and go, is that I am starting to show my age. Until this year, that is. Little ways here and there, lots of extra wrinkles, flabby stuff, general wear and tear on the body. Until this year, I never thought much about getting older physically (mentally I will always be 23), but now I am starting to realize why people have invented "reduce the signs of aging" creams.

I am the farthest person from a sports/exercise enthusiast, but it has been a lot of fun continuing with weight lifting (since our trip rock climbing ) as a regular part of my week. And this whole weight lifting thing is ACTUALLY helping reduce some signs of aging. It has been helping my posture and subsequently my back and spine issues and subsequently my chronic jaw problems. (Wo/man, I never thought anything would help there.) Everyday things, mowing the lawn, lifting groceries or kids or cars, well, maybe not cars, but all are so much easier as well.

I decided I needed another goal so I wouldn't stop lifting weights or exercising in general, and that turned to running. (Again, we walk like crazy around here, I enjoy my nordic trac and our videos, but none of that is actually consistent and driven.)  I figured, these bones could benefit from it, so I went for it and MY has it helped more than I imagined. I am no prize runner, but I also, never thought I could do it.

An aside: If I was to make a list of things I really do not like it would go in this order: bugs, running, filing taxes, socks with sandals, etc. I have tons of friends and family who run and have run for years and whenever they mentioned running I would physically shutter and maybe, or maybe not, say something bad about running, depending if I can hold my tongue that day or not. Why? Because in my mind, running is by far the most painful experience/exercise known to my body and henceforth, s-u-c-k-s.

I realized that running, and subsuquently most exercise in general, for normal people whose bodies aren't built like atheletes or who don't enjoy sports (like me), it is all about stubborness.

There are a lot of times when stubborness is a bad thing... a child not wanting to leave a store, an adult refusing to stop doing something bad for themselves, a donkey that won't move, etc. But in exercise and healthy eating, stubborness and sticking to your guns even when you don't want to because, darn it, you're gonna do it, is good because those things are good for you.

It is also a lot about sacrifice. Having watched friends do these things over the years I imagined it would be near impossible for me, a stay at home mom type who will not fork over money for a gym membership, to make it work. But thankfully due to a very supportive husband and very active kiddos always ready for long bike rides & runs and the o-dark-thirty visits to the free gym and having a great friend who is a personal trainer in training, it is doable. I definitely don't give exercise the best of me or my day, but it does eek out it's part and it's part is definitely making this whole aging thing much nicer.

Today I am 64 / 2. I used to think this was older, but now, I am following in the footsteps of all those ahead of me and saying, "It's not old... you are only as old as you feel."

Hmmm... maybe saying that statement and believing it is the true test of ones age?

*Taken from the Beatles song "When I'm 64," for you youngins out there, ;)!