2023
Physical exercise gets increasingly important, yet as many of us age, we do it less. Recognizing this in myself, I have had to make intentioned resolutions to increase my physical activities. I love to sit and read, write, or meditate quietly. I have often in this life been way too comfortable to go about moving.
I once mentioned DF’s 100 year old mother giving me her Birthday advice. “Keep moving,” she told me. I have been attempting to build movement into my lifestyle. I replaced my couch with cushions on the floor to make me squat and stand up with more of an effort. I stopped getting off of the floor with the use of my hands. I stopped trying to place things around my home closer and more efficient, because time is now less valuable than movement, walking, bending over, lifting and carrying. All of this helps, but still, I can sit for hours absorbed into some intellectual fascination.
DF and I like hiking and dancing, which give excellent results while being fun. Camping is always a list of chores, from making shelter to making breakfast. Things just take longer. The gas stove must be set up, more than just twisting a dial. The dishes must be carried off to scrub and water hauled and then hung up. We have two comfortable chairs when car camping, but there is plenty of up and down when sleeping on the ground. The big bell tent is rigged intentionally with the seating on the floor. We get into plenty of squats. This was part of our plans during our White Mountain retreat, to live a more primitive and healthy lifestyle.
I needed rocks to hold a tarp down and a campfire. Instead of looking locally, I chose to walk clear to the end of the drive a few hundred feet away, where the road had disturbed the nature and tires have left errant rocks to dodge or bounce over. Two at a time, I carried them back, lifting them above my head, holding them out, or pressing them like weights as I walked. It was mindful and rewarding, not a burden. Extra effort, while inefficient, has rewards.
The Free Range Naturist 