So I have now added some exercise to my day. My goal is to do at least 30 minutes a day. I have trouble walking or running without pain, and, I can’t get to the gym every day because it is a 40-minute drive. So, I am using a piece of home gym equipment called the life-rider.

I think several version of this thing has come out over the years. It first appeared in the late ’90s. I first heard of it after I read a book written in 1996 by Covert Baily called, Smart Exercise. I remember the late-night infomercials of the SportRider, and how Bailey emphasized that low impact working of large groups of muscles in the body at once was key. Of course, back then, I was running and didn’t feel I needed a low impact exerciser. Plus, I didn’t have the money to buy the thing.

Now is a different matter. I’m much older and everything hurts. I can’t even ride my bicycle at this point, though that’s mostly because I really don’t have a safe place to ride. However, I need to exercise more than ever.

I have started using Life Rider by HealthRider. It’s the same machine from the ’90s. I acquired it from a friend a few years ago who said his mom had one in the garage that no one was using. He gave it to me. I later found out that she was upset about him giving it away. I really should send her some money for it. She let me keep it even though she was upset, and I was grateful.

It really is a good exerciser. It gets the heart rate up. It works a lot of large muscles in the body at once, just as advertised. It works you hard. It is not easy to keep it up for 30 minutes. Maybe when I am strong enough to do it without stopping I will be more willing to take my bicycle out. For now, however, this will do.