Ways To Stay Fit

By By Lynne Bailey and Hester B. Golden

There are many ways to get and stay fit. Here's a few:

* YMCA, adult or community education classes such as step aerobics, aquatics, low-impact aerobics, weight training, jazz and other forms of non-professional dance, tai chi, yoga (some teachers combine fun, jazzy dance routines with yoga), horseback riding, swimming and countless others. Go and see for yourself!

* For those of you who want to do partner activities, consider swing, ballroom and western dance classes. Roller and ice skating are fun couple activities. You can do a lot of dancing on roller and ice skates!

* Water sports, like rowing, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, water skiing, etc.

* Basketball, touch football, soccer, tennis, badminton, table tennis, base ball, softball, volleyball, running, jogging, speed walking, bicycling, nautilus or other exercise machines, stationary bicycling, stretching (invent your own, I learned some great ones from my cat! Imagine your an animal and stretch like they would.) isometric exercise. Try playing some of the traditionally competitive games and sports without scoring. (note from Lynne - My husband and I have discovered that tennis, especially is a lot more fun that way!)

* Be creative and design your own fitness routine. If you need new ideas, as I mentioned earlier, watch a work-out video. For those who can - hire a personal trainer. Or, keep it simple. Take a hike or work in your garden!

* For you off-beat athletes, consider karate, aikido and other martial arts, juggling, hackey-sack, outdoor roller skating and roller blading (some people use ski poles while blading), frisbee-tossing, archery, pole-vaulting, discus throwing, 50 yard dash, invent whacky relay races, white-water rafting, rock-climbing, hang-gliding - the sky's the limit!