Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
I use a polar chest strap heart rate monitor. Heart rate is my key metric with my goal for each workout to reach 150 bpm. I am 65 so the rule of thumb would put this at about 97% of max, but I think my max bpm must be higher than that. Average over a 30-45 minute session would be in the 135-140 range. I sweat profusely and lose about 2 lbs of water each workout. Been doing this for about 35 years.
My view is that physical activity is paramount in retirement. The benefits are so obvious and documented it would be irresponsible not to do it in some form. I do it mostly for myself but also for my loved ones, eg I want to be around for a long time and be able to enjoy life as long as possible. For me this is just as important as the financial aspects of retirement. We like to criticize spend thrifts on this site. We should also be criticizing couch potatoes.
I agree that physical activity is paramount in retirement, but IMO we shouldn't criticize couch potatoes (or any behavior as long as it's moral and legal).
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