By Leo Babauta

Last year, I was in the best shape I’ve been in for years — I was running, lifting weights, walking a lot, stretching and doing calisthenics. I lost 10 lbs. and felt really great.

This year, I’ve been neglecting my fitness (somewhat) as I’ve been much more focused on chess and a bunch of other things. I’ve been moving less (though still moving) and gaining a bit of weight. I tend to gain weight very easily!

So recently I decided it’s time to get fit again. I’ve been starting slowly, but here’s my plan:

  1. Walk more. I’m adding in some walking with family and on calls, as I think walking is one of the best ways to build a strong foundation of fitness.

  2. Sprinkle in some running. I stopped running this year because of a recurring heel injury, wanting to let my tendons recover with rest. So I don’t want to just start running a lot. As I walk, I’m sprinkling in a bit of running here and there. Building up some fitness without overdoing it.

  3. Lift a little weights. My fellow 50+ year olds … do your bodies a favor and do a little strength training. It helps you stay strong as you age. I like to do pullups and some dumbbell lifts for the upper body. Some bodyweight squats — later I’ll do a bit of barbell squats and deadlifts, but nothing too heavy. Yes, heavy weights can do wonders for your fitness, but I’m not there yet.

  4. Play basketball and ride a bike. A few times a week, I’d like to throw in some fun stuff — play a little basketball (I mostly just shoot around for fun) and ride a bike, because it’s so much fun. Just as much as my body can handle, but the more I’m able to do, the better.

  5. Eat well. I love eating whole plant foods. As a vegan, I can easily eat a lot of junk food, but it’s also so easy to eat healthy foods. I like vegan proteins (lentils, black beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts) and greens. And mushrooms. And fruits. Yum.

That might sound like a lot, but I’m not doing a lot in a given day. Maybe one or two of the things above. Mostly, I listen to my body — what does it feel up for?

Wish me luck! I’m wishing you the best on your health journey.