Fitness instructor Davida Wright Galvin says the best thing you can do to keep a New Year’s exercise resolution is also the easiest.
“Just go out the front door and get moving. I mean, taking a walk is the simplest, easy way to just get your body moving,” she said.
Galvin, who teaches Zumba and yoga classes in Denver at Urban Sanctuary and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Studio, likes to use her husband as an example. He was never much of a walker until he got a dog, she said.
“And before you know it, he was walking the dog and he lost 10 pounds. And once he realized that, that one-mile walk around the neighborhood turned into a daily four-mile power walk. He has lost almost 60 pounds, he’s down two sizes. And he does not miss a day,” she said.
Galvin offered her advice — and a bit of motivation — for keeping a fitness resolution.
Want to keep that resolution? Team up with someone who will hold you to it
Galvin said consistency is what makes an exercise resolution stick. So if your dog doesn’t hold you accountable, she offered three tips:
“The first is, find a workout buddy. Someone who won't flake on you and you won't flake on them, and you're going to show up for each other on however many days you agree upon.
“The other way is to hire a trainer: you paid your money, so you're going to show up. And the third is: become the teacher.”
Galvin herself started teaching Zumba and yoga years ago, and still loves to lead people as they work toward fitness goals.
What exercise classes are hot these days?
Pilates is increasingly popular, Galvin said, as is yoga with strength training. And ‘yin yoga’ is having a moment.
“Yin yoga is about relaxing into these shapes,” she explained. “And in my class I often say, ‘This is not a stretching class. You might feel some stretching. But what we're doing is we're targeting the connective tissue, which is a little more plastic.’
“So we relax in these holds for an extended period to allow gravity to help. Gravity helps the connective tissue lengthen and open, and get circulation in there. And it's very healing and rejuvenating. So if you're a weekend warrior, running, biking, beating up your body as I was, hopefully you should find your way to yin yoga.”
What if you don’t have time to get to the gym?
Find the time, prioritize it, and schedule it, Galvin said.
“It is your mindset. So if you're telling yourself you don't have time, you're not going to have time,” she pointed out.
“And if you're saying you absolutely cannot carve out 30, 40 minutes anywhere in your day, then you’ve got to get up a little earlier.”
Older people: “Better the gym than the doctor’s office”
Colorado has more people over age 60 than ever: In 2022 the number of people 60 and up exceeded the population under age 18 years for the first time, and the gap is expected to increase in coming decades. Galvin said it’s never too late to get fit.
“We all know older people who are always talking about the people at the doctor's office, and all the different doctors that they see,” she said. “I would rather hear about all the different people at the gym.”
“Once you go and find your thing, you start to make friends with the people who are doing it, and then you look forward to seeing them,” she said. “And that's a little part of the accountability, is when you have friends, and it's enjoyable to show up.”
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What are some good exercises for older people?
Galvin reiterated the importance of just getting out and walking. She also recommended classes with gentle movement, like Qigong and Tai Chi. Programs like Silver Sneakers and Renew Active may be covered by insurance for people on Medicare.
And she had an important recommendation for older people: stretch.
“Flexibility is important. Get down on the floor. Don't stop getting down on the floor,” she said.
“I teach seniors, and I was doing yin yoga, which just requires getting down once and getting up at the end, so it's not up and down like other types of yoga, but they're too afraid to get on the floor because they can't get up. And I ask, ‘Well, what happens when you fall? You are just stuck there until somebody can come along.’
“Besides that, getting on the floor keeps your hips open and flexible, and you can get down there with your grandchildren. So don't stop getting down on the floor.”
Finally, Galvin said to stomp your feet.
“There was a study that came out recently saying that jumping helps your bones to be strong, and it's that vibration when you're hitting the ground. So I have my seniors stomping their feet. Take your shoes off and stomp through the heels. You want to feel that vibration in your body.”
The internet can be a great resource
But Galvin has a warning about online classes:
“I find it difficult, and I think a lot of people I talk to find it difficult, to do a full hour on the internet,” she said.
“When you're in your house, you get distracted. I mean, for some reason, you can be in the middle of exercise and then you just can't stand those dishes in the sink.”
Japanese walking is one trend Galvin has seen online, though she hasn’t tried it herself. A website she likes is Yoga Download, especially when she can’t squeeze in a full-hour, in person class.
“I'll get on there and just do a little 20 minutes, 15 minutes. And it all counts,” she said.
| This story is a part of Aging Matters, a series from Colorado Matters about the Centennial State's aging population. Read more stories here. |
