Rewards of Fitness.

A few weeks ago, a friend and I made  a day hike in the mountains of Central Maine.   It was a middle distance hike of about 11 miles (18km) with an ascent and descent of about 2500 feet (800 meters).  There was a lot of rock scrambling, a few iron rings to use to climb and lots of up and down and then up again as the mountain had two summits.     Physically it was somewhat of a challenge but neither of us felt over exerted nor out of our element.   It was really great to be in the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles.

This ability to scamper up a mountain without being overly taxed is the reward for taking care of myself.    Hiking is one of my favorite activities,  and the fact that I can put on my hiking boots , grab my poles,  fill a backpack with snacks and water and then hit the woods brings me great joy.      Keeping in good enough physical shape to be able to do long hard hikes today and in the future is a driving factor in my daily exercise.   My Yoga practice keeps me flexible enough  and releases the muscle tightness after hikes.  My daily walks and weekend non-mountain hikes ensure that I have the aerobic capabilities needed to stand at the bottom of a mountain and start walking up it.  

I am not saying that things are  easy.   My knees hurt after long downhill walks,  my feet get sore after hours in hiking boots and my heart rate sure moves up while climbing inclines.   It is a challenge but a rewarding one.  I know it will get harder as I get older, but it will not be impossible.   If I live a long life, I plan to be the 80+ year old you encounter on the mountain.

I think back to when I started my health journey.  Taking a  hike like the one I took would have been much more difficult and my recovery would have been more harder.   When I got home,  I hit my Yoga mat to work out the kinks .   I was happy.  The world was good.

Namaste