Getting and Staying Healthy Can Truly Be Fun!

Meet Carol, this week's local success story and example of how you can make health and fitness fun! Who says it has to be boring or grueling? Ready further for her fitness journey...

Getting and staying healthy wasn't on my mind at all as a younger person. I disdained any sort of "workout" and snubbed the idea that healthy eating and drinking water were important to my well-being. When I did start to consciously pay attention to my health, I struggled to find a healthy lifestyle and habits that would work for me. Because, we ALL know, if it feels like a chore then it's probably not something you can stick with. We each need to find what is sustainable for our individual lifestyle.

I love group energy and loud music. My number one happy way to fitness is Jazzercise. I've been a member of Poway Jazzercise since 2014 and I love it. Each format offers something different. Dance Mixx, Interval Fusion, Flip Fusion, Strike, Strength. They're all fun! The people and instructors are welcoming and there's never any judgment in the studio. Great music too!

I retired a year ago and now have the time to add other types of activities to my life. One of my favorites is GROOV3, which I take through Poway Adult School. It's a fun workout, and challenges not only my coordination but also my mind…and that's very important to me. The class teaches a new choreography each week, and the instructor is a bundle of energy and encouragement. No special skills are required and I don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. I always leave with a smile on my face.

I recently have been enjoying a Pound Rockout Workout class at Poway Community Park, which is offered through the City of Poway Recreation. My inner drummer loves rocking out with the ripsticks.

The City of Poway also offers free line dancing at Community Park every Wednesday and Friday from 1:30-3:30. The people are friendly, helpful, and hey - you can't beat the price, right?

Outside of these group activities I am a walker/hiker. Poway has LOTS of great hiking trails. I like to walk solo or with my dog while listening to an audiobook. I take advantage of free downloads of books from the County Library website. In addition to many other books I have "read" the entire Outlander series while walking this past year. I also have Spanish lessons on my iPod and, in this way, I can learn a language while getting in some activity. I walk about 5 miles a day in addition to my other activities. It's easy on my joints, good for my bones, and it works for me!

Last, but not least, I am a Lifetime member of WW. I attend a workshop here in Poway each week. People sometimes wonder why I keep going because they don't believe a person at a healthy weight (happy to say I've been at my goal weight for six years now) should need a program like WW. Well, I learned that I'm a person who needs the accountability and structure or I quickly go off the rails and gain 15 pounds even while staying active. WW is a way of eating that fits my real life. There are no forbidden foods. And, the group of members is like another family to me. We share ideas, share successes and share challenges. The program keeps me accountable to myself, not to anyone else.

I'll end by saying you need to find what works for YOU. I am turning 70 in a few months and I feel wonderful. So, find an activity you look forward to. Find a healthy eating style that works for you long-term. Once you do, you'll discover, at long last, that getting and staying healthy can truly be fun!

- Carol L.

@powayjazzercise @jazzerciseinc @cityofpoway @powayadultschool @poundfit_withbritt @ww @groov3dance @1stwedance