Jeanne Sutherland of Memphis was in her 20's and anxious to get in shape when the mother of a friend urged her to just do "something" for 30 minutes each day. "That was so do-able. I wanted to get healthy and shape up. That was a realistic way to begin." It was in early 1970s. Before too long Sutherland was hooked.
"Martha Pipkin was my first teacher. Back in those days (her class) was at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. We would do sit-ups to Martha singing the Lord's prayer."
Now 59, Sutherland's current routine includes an hour of cross training six days a week at one of the two gyms where she is a member. "It can be a bit pricey belonging to two gyms at a time, but I feel like it is cheaper than bad health. It is like insurance to me," Sutherland explained.
She mixes yoga with Pilates, kick boxing with circuit training, spinning with weight training. "If you are going to exercise for the rest of your life, you have got to keep it interesting. If I start to get ho-hum I find another class," she said.
When she's not at the gym, she's golfing with her husband or gardening with her granddaughter.
After nearly 30 years of regular exercise, Sutherland still sometimes works with a personal trainer. It is her strategy for reducing her risk of injury. "After (age) 40 or so, you want to be sure your form is correct," she said. Periodic sessions with a trainer help catch bad habits early.
Sutherland advises those just getting started be ready for a tough three months. In her experience that's how long it takes for the habit and the benefits of exercise to become firmly established. "You have to drag yourself to do it the first couple of months. But after three months a light bulb goes off. You will see a total mental change," she said. "It is an addiction, but a good addiction."
She credits exercise for giving her abundant energy and mood stability. "I feel like I am in my 40's. When I don't exercise I slow down so much it is scary."
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