I have rediscovered the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises! These are the exercises for me! They take less than 12 minutes a day, give an aerobic workout, and are done before you know you've begun.
The exercises are built into levels, and the level one aspires to is based on age, as is the ultimate level one should strive to attain.
Each level requires an increase in many of the 10 exercises that make up the day's set.
For example, a person of age 21 would add one new level per day in the first block, and strive to attain level 34, while a person of age 65 would stay for 8 days at each level and aspire ultimately to level 11.
The booklet that describes all this, including what exercises are involved, is now available online in several locations.
The exercises are different for men and women, and are based on research done by the Canadian Air Force in the late 1950s.
A great deal of exercise lore has been printed and broadcast since the 1950s, so I was curious how well these would fare in today's world.
I decided to try them again!
I was looking for a way to build up my aerobic stamina and general fitness level that would supplement my daily walk, and I needed something I could be sure to comply with.
This is not an easy issue for many of us. I need something that does not require a daily decision, because I will often decide against exercise if given half an excuse.
But I did want the results, and my old RCAF Exercise booklet suddenly resurfaced as we were cleaning out old boxes in our home.
I decided to give it a shot.
The first time I did these was in 1964, when my weight goal was to move from my then 'heavy' 125 pounds down to 120. I had this figure duly recorded in the booklet. I also aspired to reduce my waist from a hefty 25 inches down to 23 1/2.
(The irony of these goals is further underscored by the memory that in those days I rode my bike back and forth to work.)
The year 2008 found me contemplating those figures with a rueful shake of the head. I decided just to get started on the exercises and not worry about the number of inches (more than 1 1/2) or pounds (many multiples of 5) I would like to remove.
So I began, 26 days ago.
The booklet dictates 8 days per level. Here's what happened:
Day 1 - Did the exercises ok, in the time allowed. Couldn't complete the running in place.
Days 2 and 3 - Ditto
Day 4 - Completed the whole set! YAY!
Thereafter I was able to keep up the pace. I did 8 days at Level 1, then added the extra repetitions and steps for Level 2. I could feel the difference, but I could also do it. Eight more days and I was ready for Level 3...and Friday I begin Level 4!
You will note that I have complied every day.
This is a totally big deal to me. I have never done that before with such perfect compliance. And I know the secret of it.
First, I always do the exercises when my husband is in the shower. This eliminates any possibility of commentary on his part, which might interfere.
Second, the exercises start innocently, with some innocuous warmups: Reach over and touch the floor 3 times, raise the legs to the chest 4 times, bend to the side 5 times, swing the arms around backward and forward 6 times.
I can do that! It's not big deal. My husband shuts the bathroom door and I start touching the floor.
And before I know it, I am a third of the way through.
The next part is easy too, repetitions of motions that work various muscle groups, all from lying on the floor.
Then comes the running in place. And then I'm done!
It gets my heart pumping and my legs feeling like they've done some work, and I've doubled the running in place I can do in less than a month.
And then comes the real payoffs: I feel proud of myself because I did it once again (and this was true even when I had a bad cold) AND after about 10 minutes my body feels fantastic!
Plus it sets me up for getting going on my day's work with a clear head and a sense that I can do anything.
I suppose I may reach a plateau at some point. Each exercise is timed, and so far that is not a strain, but maybe when I'm running in place at the Level 11 standard, I'll need to build up to it. I don't know.
But I'm determined to find out! It's fun, I'm progressing, and I am eager to get up and get started.
You can find the booklet for the exercises on Amazon, but the one I saw listed was for nearly $55 - must be considered a collector's item. I'd go with the online version, either men's or women's: good exercises for the most resistant (like me).
