I went to my primary care physician for the annual “wellness check.” Everything seems to be okay. I weigh what I did in college (true) but I’m also 2 inches shorter. I blame gravity. Anyway – he looked at me and asked if I exercise. I told him I go to a nearby gym 4 or 5 times a week. And I play golf. He smiled and said (his words) “you’re investing in your future.”

Most mornings I go to our local fitness center between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. (when I’m not golfing or have other stuff on my plate). My normal protocol varies – 40 minutes on the NuStep or the cross country ski thingee; then an elliptical; some weights; stretching; and a few times around the walking track. I sometimes ramp up the treadmill to 15 degrees and then walk backwards at 1.1 mph (you could sell seats for that). As I reported on March 25, 2017, I have four different workout regimens. I’m usually in the 75 minute range.

What’s interesting is that over the last few years – the “crew” that shows up on these early mornings is pretty much the same. It’s the same guys and gals who toe the line to work out. The guys have melded well such that earlier this year, a dozen of us had lunch at a local restaurant whose exec is also part of the group. And earlier this week, we did the same thing. Our brotherhood is known as “The Lunch Bunch.”

Nobody’s getting younger. But exercise and social interaction provide a strong RX for health. And a group like ours provides inspiration – to show up. . . . .