We've dusted off our alarm clock!!

[Alan]

I know, I know, but it's just that, after 9 months of retirement (20 of those weeks away on various trips) we find that we miss the regular schedule that w*rk used to provide

While on our many vacations we will still enjoy the freedom of no alarm clock but while at home, we have decided that we like to exercise in the mornings, and we certainly enjoy the many classes available to us at our YMCA that provide a wide variety of activities.

Our "normal" routine is:

Monday - 6:30am alarm - 30 mins weight training followed by 60 mins of a ballet style workout at 8:30 (lots of stretching and balance work)

Tuesday - 7:30am alarm - ride bike 7 miles to gym (easy ride) followed by 90 mins Body Flow workout at 9:30 (Tai Chi, Yoga & Pilates), then ride back

Wednesday - 7:30am alarm - 30 mins weight training followed by 60 mins of Yin Yoga at 10:00am

Thursday - 7:30am alarm - 60 mins Cardio workout at 9:30 which the instructor varies a lot week by week - today was circuit training.

Friday - 7:30am alarm - 60 mins Deep Water Trekking at 9:00am (cardio workout in deep water wearing a float to keep you vertical)

Saturday - 90 - 120 mins of singles tennis

Sunday - ride bike 7 miles to our favorite breakfast spot, eat then ride back.

I will often play tennis one other evening, and some days we'll just go for a long bike ride, or ride to a nature reserve close by and go for a hike and picnic.

We are both retired engineers and I guess we just need to have structure in our lives.

 

[MasterBlaster]

According to Earnie Zelinski (of How to Retire happy Wild and free fame) you need to replace structure, a purpose in life, and a sense of community.

So if the alarm clock helps with the structure thing then go for it.

Where I live, lately we have been having some rainy and overcast days. On gloomy days like those you just feel like staying in bed.

 

[Sarah in SC]

That is a lot of exercise--good thing you don't have a job to take up time you could spend at the gym! I'm impressed!
So, um, for the ballet--do you wear a tutu?

 

[Alan]

Where I live, lately we have been having some rainy and overcast days. On gloomy days like those you just feel like staying in bed.

Those are definitely the worst, particularly when it's dark as well when the alarm goes off.

So, um, for the ballet--do you wear a tutu?

No, but DW does - here is a picture of us at the class

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/what-did-you-do-today-37868-165.html

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I guess all those decades of sudden awakenings by the beeper have led me to dread any intentional awakenings, like the alarm clock. The hair on the back of my neck stood up looking at your wake up times.

But I stand in awe of your amazing fitness regimen. I also anticipate adding back a bit more structure to our lives (but probably at a later hour). For now, I am luxuriating (if that's a word) too much to stop. I'll get over it. Today: 8:30-ish awakening and breakfast with DW, then a short stretch on the rower and a round of golf. Off for a 3 mile walk, then home to dinner.

Glad you have found the right mix. Sounds like it's all good.

 

[Blackwoodt]

Wow that is a lot of exercise, were you that active before, or did you decide after retirement to kick it up a notch? I plan on retiring in 2012, and would love to be disciplined enough to start on a program now and be in great shape by my retirement…. I just need to find the time, and motivation.

 

[friar1610]

We set the alarm (clock radio) for 7:00 almost every morning. Normally my wife is out of bed first - within 10 minutes. I normally listen to NPR until about 7:25 or 7:30 and then get up. We are pretty good about daily exercise, but nothing as extensive as what you describe. Some mornings we go on a walk/hike together for close to an hour. Other days I'll jog and she'll walk. Twice a week she goes to yoga while I go to the gym for both aerobics and weights. (Some weeks I might get a 3rd day in at the gym.) I think we need the discipline of the alarm clock in the AM although it's nice to be able to blow it off occasionally.

 

[Khan]

I think I've set the alarm 3 times in the past (almost) 6 years since retiring.

 

[Alan]

I guess all those decades of sudden awakenings by the beeper have led me to dread any intentional awakenings, like the alarm clock. The hair on the back of my neck stood up looking at your wake up times.

But I stand in awe of your amazing fitness regimen. I also anticipate adding back a bit more structure to our lives (but probably at a later hour). For now, I am luxuriating (if that's a word) too much to stop. I'll get over it. Today: 8:30-ish awakening and breakfast with DW, then a short stretch on the rower and a round of golf. Off for a 3 mile walk, then home to dinner.

Glad you have found the right mix. Sounds like it's all good.

I hear you about beeper!!! In my job I also carried a beeper, then cell phone in later years for every week in 4 or 5, plus always could get called out to the plant regardless of being on-call or not. (I imagine you had it much worse than that).

Wow that is a lot of exercise, were you that active before, or did you decide after retirement to kick it up a notch? I plan on retiring in 2012, and would love to be disciplined enough to start on a program now and be in great shape by my retirement…. I just need to find the time, and motivation.

In 2002 I had not exercised for a few years since giving up soccer refereeing due to a knee injury, and I had never formally exercised as I played soccer, squash and tennis fairly often. My weight had drifted up to 210lb and I decided that I really needed to lose some weight.

By chance, the company decided to sponsor Weight Watchers at work and their program includes exercise so from that point on I got into the habit of exercising for an hour after work Monday through Thursday - walking on the treadmill for the first 3 years. Then we moved to Texas with my job and DW ESR'ed and joined the YMCA. She seemed to be really enjoying it so I joined also and then used to go to an hour long class Monday through Friday immediately after work at 4:30. I also had shoulder surgery in 2004 and found I could play tennis, which I did at weekends.

So, I guess I worked my way slowly into the exercise program. I also read the book Younger Next Year, recommended by folks on this site, and I really liked the idea that lots of regular exercise can stop that slow decline as you age - not extend your life, but keep you very fit up to the point you kick the bucket.

We find that we really enjoy the exercising, far more than we ever expected, and I much prefer being able to exercise in the morning - really sets me up for the day.
I used to travel a lot so the weeks

 

[Alan]

We set the alarm (clock radio) for 7:00 almost every morning. Normally my wife is out of bed first - within 10 minutes. I normally listen to NPR until about 7:25 or 7:30 and then get up. We are pretty good about daily exercise, but nothing as extensive as what you describe. Some mornings we go on a walk/hike together for close to an hour. Other days I'll jog and she'll walk. Twice a week she goes to yoga while I go to the gym for both aerobics and weights. (Some weeks I might get a 3rd day in at the gym.) I think we need the discipline of the alarm clock in the AM although it's nice to be able to blow it off occasionally.

Being able to ignore or turn off the alarm occaisionally is a great luxury that we also enjoy doing from time to time. So far we have never been at home for longer than a few weeks so get plenty of breaks from the schedule, and that will continue for the forseeable future with either long vacations or short visits to Austin to see DD and SIL.

 

[Nords]

I know, I know, but it's just that, after 9 months of retirement (20 of those weeks away on various trips) we find that we miss the regular schedule that w*rk used to provide
We are both retired engineers and I guess we just need to have structure in our lives.

I guess it could be even more painful... you could've chosen to seek that structure in the workplace.

No lifestyle criticism implied here, but I'm genuinely confused by the use of the alarm clock-- do you get frequently awakened at night, or not go to bed early enough to wake up before the alarm? This is admittedly from the perspective of a restless morning watchstander who's asleep most nights by 9 PM, usually up between 3-4 AM, and takes a 30-60 minute nap almost every day.

 

[Alan]

I guess it could be even more painful... you could've chosen to seek that structure in the workplace.

No lifestyle criticism implied here, but I'm genuinely confused by the use of the alarm clock-- do you get frequently awakened at night, or not go to bed early enough to wake up before the alarm? This is admittedly from the perspective of a restless morning watchstander who's asleep most nights by 9 PM, usually up between 3-4 AM, and takes a 30-60 minute nap almost every day.

Thanks for the concern, but we are rarely woken up by the 7:30 alarm. However, I just know that if we didn't set it then we'd sleep in and be late for our class. (I'm a bit OCD )

The 6:30 alarm on Monday is usually needed, and my Saturday tennis partner and I play at first light, so currently that is also a 6:30 alarm

 

[Nords]

Oh, I understand, that's not OCD-- that's just having a backup system in place...

I usually felt that an alarm clock was a very nasty way to start the day.

 

[TromboneAl]

I treasure waking up slowly. Luckily we always wake up at about the same time of day anyway (currently about 5:30 AM), so even if we wanted the structure, there would be no need of an alarm. I wish I could sleep later.

 

[fisherman]

Man I'm tired just from reading that work out routine.

 

[Alan]

Man I'm tired just from reading that work out routine.

It's certainly not for everyone, I agree. But man, I feel great, including my joints.

We've been on this schedule since February, with long breaks for travel, and it's not just the exercise but also the social interaction that feels so good. We have a great time interacting before, during and after the sessions plus I have a whole new audience to use my old jokes on.

We went for a flu shot this week and because it had been 3 years since I'd been there they took the opportunity to screw some money out of the insurance company and gave me a quick check up (cost me $30 co-pay, but it's been over a year since I had a company physical so I didn't complain). Nurse took the vitals then the PA came in to listen to my breathing etc. After he finished to listening to my chest and back he said, "I'm just going to take your pulse". Afterwards he said that the nurse had written down 76 when she took it, but he could tell it was not right - it was actually 54 when he took it.

I actually started exercising back in 2002 after a check-up had my bp at pre-hypertension levels of 135 / 100. Over the coming years I have seen my bp, heart rate, chol, tryglyc etc come down along with a weight loss of 40 lb. DW started at the same time and we bought a ski machine for her and a treadmill for me. She was reminding me today that we started at 15 mins after work 4 days a week, and then she got some exercise videos through work that were also 15 mins long an we'd do one of those as well.

 

[Purron]

Good for you and DW! You looked fit, healthy and fabulous in the recent pic you posted.

I'd love to see you in a tutu. Still haven't forgotten the "I rarely wear pants" comment. Can't resist the temptation to tease you about that now and again

PS Here it is for anyone who may have missed this classic moment from our English gentleman, Alan...

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/1-month-update-51418.html#post963367

 

[Alan]

Good for you and DW! You looked fit, healthy and fabulous in the recent pic you posted.

I'd love to see you in a tutu. Still haven't forgotten the "I rarely wear pants" comment. Can't resist the temptation to tease you about that now and again

PS Here it is for anyone who may have missed this classic moment from our English gentleman, Alan...

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/1-month-update-51418.html#post963367

 

[Moemg]

Alan , I really admire your workouts . That is way more structure than I want in retirement but if it fits you that's great . I think it is great to have some rules in retirement .Mine are
1- No Happy Hours before five
2- Never leave the house in something you wore to bed
3- Use alarm clocks sparingly
4- exercise daily - include walks to the kitchen in that category
5 - Have a daily serving of leafy vegetables - add celery to your bloody mary

 

[audreyh1]

After 11 years of retirement - we still use an alarm clock.

And it's usually set for somewhere between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. depending on how early it gets light outside.

Half the time we wake up and get up before the alarm even goes off, the other half we hit the snooze button as long as we want.

LOL!

Audrey

 

[powerplay]

I'm usually getting up about 5:15 and going to the pool for a water exercise class. It's a habit I've had for a number of years and I hope to keep with it. Then it's read the newspaper, have a cup of tea, and breakfast. The mid-morning classes would take care of the better part of the morning. For now I like the early morning schedule and the freedom of the rest of the day. Retirement is great!

 

[Purron]

I think it is great to have some rules in retirement .Mine are
1- No Happy Hours before five

It's five o'clock somewhere....

 

[Alan]

A great thing about being retired is being able to do exactly what suits you, and let's face it, we're all different. I used to resent that alarm going off at 5:30 every weekday because I had to earn a living, but now that I'm setting it by choice to do things I want to do, it's no problem

 

[Lakedog]

Since retiring I have not used an alarm clock once but I wake everyday around sunrise as the pup and I go on our morning run at that time, rain or shine. Before retirement I usually needed to be up at 4:30 due to a long commute, now it might be as early as 5:30 or as late as 7:00 due to time of year (and daylight savings). It is rather nice to not need an alarm anymore.

 

[Dawg52]

Since retiring I have not used an alarm clock once but I wake everyday around sunrise as the pup and I go on our morning run at that time, rain or shine. Before retirement I usually needed to be up at 4:30 due to a long commute, now it might be as early as 5:30 or as late as 7:00 due to time of year (and daylight savings). It is rather nice to not need an alarm anymore.

The pup is a good alarm clock. Varies between 6:00-6:30. But it's ok. I feed him, drink some coffee, have breakfast, cruise the internet, and around 8:15 we go our walk. Then around 9:00, I head to the golf course. Well, I go to the golf course about 4 days a week. The other days I take the mutt on a hike some where.

So I have an early schedule that includes some exercise. But not as intense as Alan's. But I also take the mutt on a good long walk late in the day, so I think I get enough exercise. Seems to be enough to help keep off the 10lbs I lost this year. Would like to lose about 3 more pounds though.