I am a member of the American Counsel on Exercise and recently I have helped a few people get their personal training certifications through this great organization.

I know daily aerobic activity is a must and I understand that for a larger portion of the population getting off the couch is something that takes effort.

Therefore, when I read a section in the manual on aerobic activity that gardening for 20 minutes burns X amount of calories it kind of got me revved up a little.  My grandmother gardens every day in the spring, summer and fall.  A little trimming here and watering there.  She is in her 80’s and I understand that an hour of that may be just what she needs to get the blood flowing.

BUT C’MON… if you are in your twenties, thirties, forties, and even fifties and sixties gardening should not be a form of exercise for the day.

Don’t get me wrong.  As I write this article, I can hear crews of landscapers outside my window.  They are climbing trees, mowing grass, lifting, pulling, heaving and working hard.  That is exercise.

Getting out a flowered knee pad cushion and pruning the azaleas is not exercise.

This brings me to the topic at hand.  ADDING A LITTLE PLAY TIME TO YOUR LIFE.

Occasionally, I am asked by my clients if they can reschedule an appointment or choose a different time of day for their group training because they need to be a sub for their doubles tennis team or they have a golf outing.

My first questions are always:

If you are going to reschedule, 1) Will you still get in a workout today? AND 2) If you can’t fit in a workout, will you make the activity worth your while?

Let me explain.

Regular aerobic activity should be included in everyone’s daily routine to strengthen the heart and lungs and make them work more efficiently.

Activities like running, walking, stair climbing, swimming, or any number of other activities can get the heart working harder for a continuous period of time. We won’t get into intensity here as I have written about it before.  But remember I asked “Will you make the activity worth your while?”

The benefits you get from aerobic activity are numerous, and people of all ages should engage in regular exercise.  Even if there are health conditions present, regular aerobic activity can be tailored to fit the individual’s needs as long as you are evaluated by your doctor or a health care provider first.

It’s good to start out slow and gradually increase aerobic activity as tolerated because any amount of aerobic activity is better than nothing.  But you need to get moving and make it worth your while.

Now back at the ranch I have to deal with the substitution.  If you are going to get in a training session with me or by yourself, I don’t care how you play tennis, when you go golfing or make it to that business meeting.

However if you need to skip the workout entirely, then that should be one heck of a doubles tennis match.  You better go for every serve, make every point count and run like the wind for every ball.  You see, I understand that tennis can be social and I even admire everyone who uses it as an activity to get together with friends.  But all too often I have seen 2-3 point volleys and then the point is done.  I even watched a match once that didn’t have any points other than the serve.

I don’t want to pick on tennis only.  So let’s go at the golf outing.

You skip your workout and then you go have a few drinks on the front nine, then a huge and fattening lunch at the turn with a few more drinks on the back nine all while riding in a cart.

First of all, if you skipped your workout for this activity and blow off exercise completely, why make it worse by adding 3000 calories worth of food and liquor?

If you skip an exercise session for a golf outing, then you need to at least walk the course.  Let the cart guy drive your clubs on the course, but walk as much as possible.

Finally let’s try another group of people I deal with: The basketball leagues.  This tends to be a little more aggressive.  These guys sometimes get out of control with fouls and stuff but all too often I watch half-hearted efforts at fast breaks and rebounds.

If you are there to play… Why not really try hard?

I myself play in a lacrosse league and tend to run with guys in their twenties.  I am no longer in my twenties.  But I do try to keep up and usually do.  I run hard for every ground ball, I sprint up the field on transitions and I sub out when it is my turn because I am convinced that if I run hard for 2 – 4 minute shifts, I help the team more as opposed to half running for 8 minute shifts.

So I want you to think about joining a program that has a little level of competition.  Some place that is appropriate for your level of play in any sport and where you can be pushed when you get involved.

It gets the juices flowing and lets you remember what it was like to be a kid.  You did play outside when you were young.  Why not do it again?

Tag, you’re it.