Soap Box

It probably seems a little odd that I would be writing a column about exercise since my physique more closely resembles the Pillsbury Dough Boy than that of someone who maintains a rigorous exercise regimen and works out on a regular basis.

But the truth of the matter is that, although my level of exercise falls far below that of the muscle beach stereotypes who parade around in spandex and flex their deltoids, I do exercise several days a week and have for well over thirty years.

In January of 1980 I got tangled up with a post hole digger and came away with three compound fractures, bones poking out through the skin and the bones between the elbow and shoulder of my right arm broken completely in two. My arm was really mangled and if not for the grace of God I would have lost it completely.

The upshot was that my arm had to stay immobile for four months, which severely curtailed my doing anything more physical than manipulating the remote control on a television set.

At the end of the four months I began a crash program of practicing scales on my guitar to get my fingers loosened back up, but when I began a program of walking every day I discovered that due to my inactivity I could only walk a hundred yards or so without becoming completely winded and having to rest.

It really shook me up to find I was in such bad shape and I vowed to add a little distance to my walk each day until I could go a decent distance and that evolved into a two mile jog, which I continued for several years until my knees gave into the pressure and I had to go back to walking again.

The last few years I have been doing thirty minutes a day on a stationary bike or walking and doing some light lifting and stretches.

Now that doesn't sound like a lot and compared to some folks it's not, but for me it's effective and comfortable and not something I dread doing every day. I personally think that to benefit from exercise, consistency is actually more important than duration or physical level and don't ascribe to the no pain, no gain theory unless you're going to try to be Mr. Universe.

For me thirty minutes of aerobic exercise and a few minutes spent stretching does me a lot of good and falls easily into my routine whether I'm at home or on the road. If I don't have access to a bike, I walk and I can always find a floor to lie down and stretch.

When I first started establishing an exercise regimen I started off simple and as I got more and more used to the daily routine I kept adding more and more until it became a burden and It got to the point that I hated to even think about what was before me every morning and I began cutting corners and skipping days, defeating the purpose I had started working out to start with.

After trial and error I've found a level of exercise that benefits my health and I don't have to sit around and dread doing and I think that's important.

In my humble opinion you should work out your own level of exercise, without comparing yourself to anybody else and the program they follow. If it works for you that's all it needs to do.

I would encourage anybody to find some level of exercise you can follow on a consistent basis and stick with it.

It'll do you a world of good.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels​