Exercising — trying to follow the 4 main recommendations of the Danish public health authorities

Be physically active 30 minutes every day. Most days I meet this recommendation as I walk to most things and for errands. Walking is my primary way of transportation together with taking the bus. Since the pandemic I have continuously tried to exercise more. I occasionally take long walks in nature with some brisk walking where I have tried to run up and down some stairs to increase intensity. Walking is an affordable solution. Not having a car anymore has been a win win for me.

As something new they recommend strength training twice a week. Since, a rehabilitation program after a heart attack last year I have been trying to train with weights. I joined a gym and enjoy being there when I get there but it can be hard at times to find the motivation to go. Sometimes I pause my membership as an afterthought when I realize I am not going, anyway. First, I am 20 minutes on the stationary bike as a warmup and it can get the pulse more up. I built my training program around just an exercise bench, hand weights and kettlebells.

They warn against a sedentary lifestyle. I have certainly been guilty of that during the years. Apart from being a bit dim I am also lazy. And now the last few years I have been trying to write, which is not the most physically active venture. I even find cooking to be hard work as it challenges me cognitively reading a long recipe. Cleaning is boring but you don’t have to think too much. I do too much scrolling on the phone and tablet and watching TV. I think the answer in my case is to do relatively more exercise.

Finally, they recommend for the over 60 to exercise mobility and balance. I feel I am ahead on that with swimming. I try to swim twice a week but I at least swim once a week 1,000–1,500 meters. I know from experience that if my back hurts or one leg hurts, from nerve/sciatica it always seems to cure it if I swim. For, mobility and balance I want to try yoga again. During the pandemic I used an App for a short while called just Yoga. It worked ok, and it especially works if you know some of the basic yoga exercises.