My dad has moved his body quite a bit in his lifetime. He is somewhere in his seventh decade, has huge rough hands, and is crazy strong. He all at once owned his own business, and worked a full time job as an metal model maker at Chrysler, one of the Big Three automakers in Michigan. He has always had a wicked strong work ethic.
He built our house from the ground up. He taught me how to lay brick and reroof a house like all the other ten year old girls. He even knows how to operated the scoopy move-the-earth thingy and a high-lo.
One thing he is not, is a life long exerciser. In the past, work was his exercise.
As for other family members and exercise habits, I have always enjoyed sports and body moving, from age of 5 to the present day, it is my therapy. Working is when my dad is happiest.
My brother, also a caveman, is instantly good at everything he tries (annoying!) and is more of a sit-ups, push ups type guy, who weighs exactly the same as he did in high school (double annoying!) and has a permanent six pack, eats whatever he wants, AND is a smoker. We can talk about that another time...
My mom has always kept moving and "loves her Denise Austin", bikes, walks, yoga-cises, and works out with me online twice a week. She is also crazy strong, but doesn't like to mess up her hair or get "too sweaty".
I never really thought my Dad would be interested in exercise. But I was wrong.
He unfortunately had a whack EKG in 2008, and was immediately admitted for an angioplasty and had a stent placed in his heart. We have a strong history of cancer and cardiac disease on his side of the family. He is a survivor of bladder cancer as well.
He came through like a champ, but it sucks to see your dad in the hospital. He had the option to go to cardiac rehab but didn't go. I remember feeling worried and really hoping he'd change his lifestyle but also knowing that lasting change has to be his idea. That is true for all of us.
He had another catheritization and more stents in 2010, and lo and behold this tough-salt-of-the-earth-rather-be-working-than-doing-anything-else-guy... went to cardiac rehab! Consistently, and no surprise to me, made connections and friends there.
This inspires me because you never know when someone is going to change. It is a reminder to always leave the room and possibility for people to make a different choice. Always have faith, and be a cheerleader.
Anyway, my dad is amazing, tough, hard working, and generous with his time.
He has not been 100% consistent since 2010, but he always gets back to it. He still works out and now has free gym access part of his medicare benefit, hooray for Silver Sneakers, and hooray for my dad! Work still takes priority, but exercise is now something he calls familiar.
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