Blonch

Here is an alternative for your personal investment: invest in your physical fitness. Benefits could include improved wellness, health, stamina, longer life and even improved attitude. Sure, you probably need to work on what you eat, too – but today let’s look at physical activities.

If you work day doesn’t include enough physical activity, or enough kinds of physical activity, you could consider hobbies or sports that will help keep you active. I like to walk – and at least once a year that includes a week on the trail deep in some wilderness, but I can’t just drive from my office at 600′ elevation to a mountain trailhead and run up a 12,000′ peak without some preparation. I am much better off if I keep in shape, and then just do a little training with the pack closer to the trip.

One of my hiking buddies stays in shape through the year by working out at a fitness gym plus he takes a yoga class a couple of times per week. Those provide a good variety of work on flexibility, strength, and endurance training. They also have an ongoing cost for participation, beyond the time commitment.

I have taken a different approach. I bought a Wii Fit with the FIT board and program. I am working my way through its yoga, strength, balance, and cardio exercises/games. I paid for it once, and now use it. As I spend more time on it and improve my performance it rewards me by opening up advanced levels on earlier activities, and by providing more activities to choose from. This may not be a great challenge for those of you who are already in great shape, but it is plenty for me to work with. I have been on it six months and can tell a big difference. We also walk the neighborhood hills with our packs on during the cool of the evenings as the time approaches for our hike. I do love a cheap workout!

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Investments by PecosJack