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| The walk under the trees from Laru Beya to Roberts Grove Resort. |
Within a day of getting situated at LaruBeya, we made our way along the beach to the property next door to us, Roberts Grove Resort, a kitschy, high energy, busy vacation spot entrenched in endless activities and jammed with guests.
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| One of the three pools along the walk to the health club at Robert’s Grove. |
Over our two-plus months here, we’ve frequently meandered next door for dining in their three restaurants, but most of all, for me to use their air-conditioned health club. The fee for non-hotel guests is US $35 a month. At this time, LaruBeya doesn’t have a workout facility.
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| We duck under the bushes along the walk. |
Small, the size of a standard hotel room, the health club is less of a “club” and more a fitness room with a stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, a universal gym, and free weights. Definitely compact but exactly what I’ve needed to maintain my high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol, which I do faithfully twice a week for only 10 minutes each time.
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| I use the stationary bike or the elliptical machine at the highest level of intensity, at intervals of 30 seconds for a total of 10 minutes every other time I work out. |
This is not an easy 10 minutes. It’s 10 minutes of excruciating work. Ten minutes of groaning, grunting, sweating work. But, then, in 10 minutes, it’s over. Add to that, an effort to walk 10,000 steps per day (not always easy to do in this lazy lifestyle) and my fitness level is improving day by day.
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| The main pool at Robert’s Grove. |
Living in Minnesota, I discovered HIIT last spring while reading the book, The Smarter Science of Slim by Jonathan Bailor I worked out five to six days a week for no less than one hour per day. Not surprisingly, I got into a monotonous routine achieving little results while barely maintaining my level of fitness.
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| This picture was taken this morning by one of the women I met in the workout room. |
Most of my life, I’ve worked out in a concerted effort to avert the many illnesses that ran rampant in my family history; heart disease, diabetes, joint and spine disorders, and in many cases, obesity.
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| The wood sidewalk on the way to Robert’s Grove front desk where I pick up the key to the health club each time I work out. |
Not entirely dodging the bullet, I’ve always felt that my exercise efforts paid off, coupled with tight controls on what I ate. It was never fun and it was never easy. But I plodded along.
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| The walk along the main restaurant to the fitness room. |
As I’ve mentioned many times in this blog, 20 months ago, both Tom and I drastically changed our diet to a renewed level of health and well being, that we’ve committed to maintaining for whatever time we are blessed to have left on this earth. He lost 45 pounds, was able to stop taking seven prescription pills per day, and continues to maintain his weight. (He’d better! His clothes won’t fit if he gains it back. We’ve already replaced everything once with his weight loss).
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| The path continues… |
It’s not always easy, especially avoiding all sugar, starch, and grains, but it’s rewarding figuring out meals that are both healthful and satisfying for both Tom and me. Tom is less strict than I, enjoying foods that would precipitate illness in me and as I’ve mentioned causing him no ill effects.
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| Finally, the tiny workout room at Robert’s Grove, where I’ve worked out the past over two months. |
During this morning’s workout, I met three other exercise enthusiasts, two women, and one man, all looking fit and healthy. I had only encountered two men working out in all my prior sessions over the past two months. With only one more workout before we leave Belize in six days, I’ll look forward to my workout facilities, aboard our upcoming six cruises over the next two months.
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| This is the tight interior of the workout room. I use all of these machines at high levels (HIIT) for 10 minutes. |
Working out around the world will continue, no matter where we may be. If no facility is available, I’ll perform HIIT exercises inside or outdoors at our vacation home wherever that may be.
Tom, much to my surprise continues to walk with me each day, claiming he’s doing it “for me.”
For us, flexibility, being active, a healthy diet, some supplements, low stress, restful sleep, a harmonious life, mental challenges, including learning, searching, and discovering, surrounding ourselves with upbeat people, seems to have a profound effect on our health. Throw in a large dose of laughter on a continuing basis and we have our “prescription” for living a full and healthy life.
Of course, there’s no guarantee for longevity or avoidance of illness. But for us, it is a guarantee for happiness and well being, one day at a time.