A Song in My Heart

Well, it happened. Yesterday, November 17 of 2005, I turned 30 years old. How could this have happened?? Seems to me that I lost a few years somewhere… they flew right by!!

Actually in all seriousness, I have been thinking about turning 30 all year long. In fact, I realized that it was inevitable, however much I didn’t want to, I was going to get older and things would not always be the same.

More than anything, I feared losing my health and that my metabolism would begin to change from pretty fast to downright slow. Seeing as that last 10 pounds of baby weight from my #5 child didn’t seem to want to go, I felt I was on the verge of never getting back into my old jeans.

I have never exercised regularly. I have cared about my health over the years. I did adopt a vegetarian lifestyle in favor of the enormous health benefits of not consuming meat. I have always “tried” to drink lots of water, and not eat too much sugar and fatty foods.

But there it was, that looming birthay, as the days after I turned 29 seemed to slip away until weeks and then months had passed and I realized that in 4 months (4 MONTHS!!) I would no longer be a “20 Something.”

When I was a teenager I had high cholesterol. It was 256 at the age of 15. Pretty awful, right? I had assumed that diet alone would be enough to whittle away the numbers. Years passed. Then this past spring I decided to go and get it checked again. It had gone down - some. I was now a high cholesterol girl at 234, but at least it was better!

But it worried me. My family has a history of high cholesterol and heart disease and passing away in their 50’s. That would give me…. oh, 25 years max!

I realized that no one else could work off that last little bit of baby fat for me. I realized that no one else could exercise the cholesterol away from my heart. I realized that if I wanted to look as good in my 30’s as I did in my 20’s, it was up to ME.

So, on the first day of school this year, August 9, I made the decision to change my bad habit of not getting enough exercise into one of getting lots of exercise. It was my choice. I had to be the one to choose better for myself.

I walked with my girls to school. It is a one mile round trip - down a steep and winding mountain road and then back up again. I felt GREAT when I walked in the door. It was exhilerating. I walked again the next day and the next - even when I woke up exhausted. I found out that no matter how tired I was when I got up in the morning, if I set out down the mountain in the crisp morning air, alone with my thoughts and my girls and God, that when I returned home I felt ready to meet the day with energy and excitement.

After several days I decided to add a simple exercise routine to my morning ritual. So, for the last 3 1/2 months, I walk my mile and then come home to do situps, pushups, leg stretches, lunges, arm circles, weight lifting, and squatting. It takes about 40 minutes after my walk to complete. I often hurt afterward - you know, sore muscles - but I have found I like the pain. It tells me I am working my muscles hard and it is paying off! It is a slow process, I have begun to see the results of my workout with slight improvements in my tummy and arms and legs. And I feel better than ever!

Last week, I decided to go and get another blood work up. When I got the results, I was stunned! I felt like singing! Instead of my heart choking on clogged arteries, I could truthfully say that my heart was singing! My cholesterol had dropped 44 points to 190!! I was finally in the normal range. Yes, it is still on the high side, but I truly believe that with continued exercise, healthy eating, and drinking lots of water, it will continue to go down. This was such a testimony to me. Diet is important, but exercise - get up, get moving - is just as important.

So, I have turned 30, and while I don’t really want to get older, I can’t help time passing by. But I can make sure that I care enough about myself, about my husband and children, about my faith in God, to do something about my health. After all…. we are only as old as we feel… and a sick person feels a lot older!!