ArcaMax

When my summer vacation began at the end of May, I decided to start a new journey of health and wellness. My exercise routine had been very inconsistent even after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency last year. Like many people, I was consistently going to the gym before the pandemic and was at my desired weight for my height and age. I was diligent in attending spin classes and doing step aerobics.

While incentive to exercise was never a problem for me, being older with job responsibilities makes getting in a fitness schedule a little more difficult. Thinking back to my high school and college years, exercising was built into my school activities as I was a member of the marching band. Now, as a 50-something teaching a full load of English composition courses at Ohio State University and taking care of my mother, I must be more disciplined with planning just for a basic power walk.

The Ohio State health and wellness program that I enrolled in was recommended by my doctor, who suggested that I lose around 20 pounds after my cholesterol level was borderline high during my last visit. This was the first time I ever had a cholesterol number over 200, so it was a huge wake-up call for me since hypertension runs in my family. I also knew that I was going to have to modify my diet as well. My eating habits had not been extremely bad, but I was still buying too many processed foods. For example, if I didn't take the time to food prep for lunch at school, I would often grab my favorite meatball and mozzarella Hot Pocket frozen sandwiches, which are quite tasty but high in sodium, preservatives and saturated fats.

My primary nutrition concerns while completing my OSU fitness regimen were effectively addressed by Amber Core, a staff dietitian at the university's Wexner Medical Center. Amber brought exciting energy, passion and dedication to the 12-week classes that she taught virtually. As she explained weight-loss recommendations and portion control for meals, she brought in personal examples from her family that made each lesson relatable. She also emphasized finding balance in our meal patterns as we worked toward our daily calorie targets. For me, this meant reducing my daily calorie intake to 1,600. I learned to make simple adjustments such as not eating an entire baked chicken breast in one meal but instead cutting it in half for lunch and dinner. I began to pay more attention to my gut health by including additional fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Blueberries have now become a regular breakfast favorite for my cereal, and I have always loved broccoli and Red Delicious apples.

Our nutrition classes recently ended on a high note for everyone who successfully completed them, and since there were several older women like me in the course, I asked Amber what she has seen as specific hindrances for our age cohort sticking with our weight-loss goals.

"I would say that one of the biggest obstacles I see for older women when it comes to weight loss is societal conditioning," she explained. "We, as women, often ignore strength training throughout our lifetimes in place of opting for more aerobic training. We don't build as much muscle throughout life and start to lose both muscle and bone density at a much faster rate than men do. This makes weight loss much more challenging later in life, and it can be hard to stay dedicated to the process."

One of Amber's top recommendations for staying consistent with healthy nutrition and exercise is "to remember what got you started."

"We all have a 'why,' and that is our driving force," she says. "It can also be helpful to see exercise as a privilege. Wasting my ability would be a disservice to myself. We only get one body for life, and our health is the greatest gift we have."

I view having the physical stamina to exercise as a privilege and special blessing at this point in my life. I'm also looking at continuing my fitness plan as a spiritual endeavor. One scripture that I am meditating on more is 3 John 1:2, which mentions growing in health as our "soul [prospers]." I know that God wants me to be well and strong as I age so that I can continue doing the things I enjoy. That's more than enough motivation for me to keep pressing.

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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