Hello World!
As we get older, most of us experience changes. Listing all potential changes one might notice would make for an extremely long post. Since 40, I have gone through more changes than I even care to list, but there is one change that has become apparent that I don’t like. It is no longer being an “up and at ’em” morning person.
During the summers when I was a child on the family farm, I’d wake early and want to get up and going. Often I’d dress and walk to the milk barn at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to join my Dad. In college, 8:00 a.m. classes were preferred by me while other students I knew avoided 8:00 am. classes like the plague. If chaperons were needed for a lock-in, I’d much rather get up and work the 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift than the 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift. Just 10 years ago, I could be at the gym by 5:30 a.m. before going to work. Not much over a year ago, while still teaching, I was usually in my room by 6:30 a.m, but I will admit that my body was beginning to rebel at that time.
To my chagrin, I am having difficulty getting up and going to make the 8:00 a.m. exercise classes I want to attend. While I used to never sleep past 7:00 a.m. unless sick, now I’m as likely to wake at 7:00 a.m. as I am at 6:00 a.m. unless an alarm is set. Once I awake, it seems that my body needs additional time to rev up. My mind kicks into gear reasonably fast, but the idea of jumping straight into the shower and then “hitting the floor running” as soon as out and dressed is repugnant to me – or to be more accurate – to my body.
I went to bed last night with full intention of getting up, dressed, and to the 8:00 a.m. strength and conditioning class at FiftyForward. I woke at 7:02 a.m., and with rush-hour traffic, I have to allow 30 minutes driving time, even though it is a 10 – 15 minute drive normally. There was no way I was going to take care of the dog, dress, eat, and be there by 8:00 a.m.. Now, in my defense, since the dog is on meds that make him drink frequently, which means he pees frequently, he woke me every two hours to go out last night. Still, it is more of a rule than an exception now that it takes me about two hours after waking before I am truly ready to “face the world for the day.”
Is this a result of increasing age? Is it a bad habit? Could forcing myself to get to these particular classes eventually cause my body to be more agreeable to the intents of my mind? Grrrr – I want the energy and physical ability that I had at 35. Hey! I’m not being greedy; I didn’t wish for the energy and physical ability I had at 2o. I find this situation frustrating right now, but I’m not sure if it is better to push myself or to attempt to adjust to this change. What do you think?
Do any of you find yourself having a harder time getting your body to cooperate? What have you done to overcome?
Have a blessed and happy day!
Angela
livingandlovinglifeafter50 