In 1989, I, along with a couple of grandchildren, took on as a fitness activity an on-foot, up- and-down-stairs
home delivery route of The Washington Post. However, the early hour of this activity so disrupted the
grandchildren's schedules, they soon dropped out, leaving the route to me alone.
For me, however, the early hour was perfect for a fitness workout. At that time of day, there are no conflicts.
Also, I realized, from my prior memberships in health clubs, the newspaper job had an attribute missing from other
workouts. This exercise was compulsory. I couldn't lie in bed at 4:00 a.m. and debate with myself whether I really
wanted to go out running. A hundred subscribers were waiting for their papers and, of course, wanting them on time.
To make the 2-hour week-day and 5-hour Sunday deliveries more exercise- productive I started adding to the
compulsory part (about 4,000 steps including dozens on stairs) an aerobic layer.
This started with push-ups. In a 6-story condominium of retired (and newspaper-reading) people, after I had
jogged (barefoot) to the four ends of the hallway to make deliveries I would drop down and do 20 push-ups,
repeating this on each of the other five floors, for a total of 120 push- ups before leaving the building.
Then I added pull-ups. This was possible because a garden apartment complex on my route had open
stairways. After delivering papers at a given address I would go behind the stairway and stretch to the highest step I
could reach and start pulling. At the height of this specific exercise I was doing five pull-ups at each of 10 entryways.
To round out my exercise regimen I started doing a triple crunch, one set with each four steps as I jogged along
on my route. A hand aspect of this called for extending the fingers and then fisting them hard (a way to fight
arthritis). Another aspect was facial, alternating eee's and ew's (to ward off jowls and other facial muscle weakness).
The third crunch was the midsection Kegel (great for the back). As this triple crunch was an overlay on what I was
already doing, no additional time was needed. Some days I did as many as 1,000 crunches, all without adding a
second to my workout time.
Now, as to my claims to fame: I continued this newspaper carrier exercise routine for 20 years, from 1989 to
2009, making me one of the most long-term carriers and certainly one of the oldest, at age 86.
The health results? At an age when most of my confreres are popping multiple pills and seeing doctors
regularly, I take no prescription drugs and have no ailments. My blood pressure, heart beat, cholesterol count and
all other health measurements are normal. I have no aches or pains. To others, when health comes up in
discussion, I am a total pain in the ass. I contend that with sufficient exercise of the right kind, one can virtually stop
the aging process.
But mostly my claim to fame is that I had probably the best exercise regimen in the country, primarily because of
its being compulsory. Compulsory exercise is what's missing in the current health care reform proposals. Let us face
the obvious: few of us have the will power to go into a meaningful exercise program and stay there. But in return for
a significant health care subsidy, many might sign up for compulsory exercise.
Health care costs for such people might plummet, one of the health care goals.
And that, my readers, is my soap box rant of the moment.
home delivery route of The Washington Post. However, the early hour of this activity so disrupted the
grandchildren's schedules, they soon dropped out, leaving the route to me alone.
For me, however, the early hour was perfect for a fitness workout. At that time of day, there are no conflicts.
Also, I realized, from my prior memberships in health clubs, the newspaper job had an attribute missing from other
workouts. This exercise was compulsory. I couldn't lie in bed at 4:00 a.m. and debate with myself whether I really
wanted to go out running. A hundred subscribers were waiting for their papers and, of course, wanting them on time.
To make the 2-hour week-day and 5-hour Sunday deliveries more exercise- productive I started adding to the
compulsory part (about 4,000 steps including dozens on stairs) an aerobic layer.
This started with push-ups. In a 6-story condominium of retired (and newspaper-reading) people, after I had
jogged (barefoot) to the four ends of the hallway to make deliveries I would drop down and do 20 push-ups,
repeating this on each of the other five floors, for a total of 120 push- ups before leaving the building.
Then I added pull-ups. This was possible because a garden apartment complex on my route had open
stairways. After delivering papers at a given address I would go behind the stairway and stretch to the highest step I
could reach and start pulling. At the height of this specific exercise I was doing five pull-ups at each of 10 entryways.
To round out my exercise regimen I started doing a triple crunch, one set with each four steps as I jogged along
on my route. A hand aspect of this called for extending the fingers and then fisting them hard (a way to fight
arthritis). Another aspect was facial, alternating eee's and ew's (to ward off jowls and other facial muscle weakness).
The third crunch was the midsection Kegel (great for the back). As this triple crunch was an overlay on what I was
already doing, no additional time was needed. Some days I did as many as 1,000 crunches, all without adding a
second to my workout time.
Now, as to my claims to fame: I continued this newspaper carrier exercise routine for 20 years, from 1989 to
2009, making me one of the most long-term carriers and certainly one of the oldest, at age 86.
The health results? At an age when most of my confreres are popping multiple pills and seeing doctors
regularly, I take no prescription drugs and have no ailments. My blood pressure, heart beat, cholesterol count and
all other health measurements are normal. I have no aches or pains. To others, when health comes up in
discussion, I am a total pain in the ass. I contend that with sufficient exercise of the right kind, one can virtually stop
the aging process.
But mostly my claim to fame is that I had probably the best exercise regimen in the country, primarily because of
its being compulsory. Compulsory exercise is what's missing in the current health care reform proposals. Let us face
the obvious: few of us have the will power to go into a meaningful exercise program and stay there. But in return for
a significant health care subsidy, many might sign up for compulsory exercise.
Health care costs for such people might plummet, one of the health care goals.
And that, my readers, is my soap box rant of the moment.