Kanagawa Prefecture. Ogusuyama hike-2. Jan 2023
Spiced by the thoughts about exercise routines
January 2, 2023. I decided to walk Ogusuyama Mount again. This time not descending to Kinugasa area but following Maeda River towards Akiya beach.
As usual, I took a bus to Shonan International Village (Shonan kokusai mura) and walked towards the peak. The weather was a bit gloomy, but from one of the observation towers (it is on the path marked by sign “Maedabashi” when you reach the peak) I still could see Miura Peninsula and Port Misaki far away (love Misaki seafood eateries!)
After having small lunch on a bench of the tower, I started to descend towards Maeda River. It was a nice and secluded path.
After marching for around 45 minutes, I have reached Maeda River walking path. I liked this place most along this hike.
Another 20 minutes or so and I am near the sign pointing to the main road where you can take bus to Zushi station.
I crossed the main road and relaxed for reading and tea at Akiya beach.
Ahead is what I call “the dinosaur back” of Cape Chojagasaki. Behind is Ohama beach followed by “my” Isshiki beach. Only one hour walk to home. Easy, not strenuous walk at all. Probably around 3 hours with breaks.
Now to the side theme of this post. At the peak of the mountain, I met Ito-san. He is 82, 40 years worked at the nearby Nissan factory and retired at 60.
“I come here every day”, says Mr. Ito. From where he lives, it is around 45 minutes including modest mountain climb (Ogusuyama is only 240m high). Which led me to the thoughts about exercising routines. And how important it is, especially at the older age. Creating such routine in the way you brush your teeth or empty the bowels is crucial for your life expectancy, mood and performing simple functions, like climbing the stairs, moving furniture or cuddling your grandkids (don’t have yet).
82 years old. I want to be like Ito-san when I am 82.
Not like the image below (:
I created my exercise routine many years ago. It has been evolving reflecting condition of joints, cardio fitness and just age (I am 65 this year). In Sydney I used to do successions of burpees, chin ups, squats, pushups followed by swim across Clovelly Bay, then repeating the cycle up to 10 times. Living in Japan near the river I did staircase multiple runs with body exercises in between. I still love to do it when I have no knee pain. In the last 3 years I have fully embraced HIIT (high intensity interval training), which I started in 2017 in Symetrie gym in the suburb of Clovelly, Sydney (I still train there every year when I visit Sydney).
HIIT includes circular exercises of different lengths from 20 to 60 minutes, with weights or without, with jumps or without, focusing on abs or strength or all-round, etc. Regardless of the type of exercise routines, for my one I believe in high intensity trainings as a pillar. You should be puffing and sweating, even if it is only 20 minutes. Ideal ratio is 50 seconds work, 10 sec rest, starting from 20 min. circuits and going up to an hour once you feel like it. Surely, you will be out of your comfort zone, but this is how you improve your fitness level, this is how you grow. Even after 60. And you feel so “high”, when done. During the week I sometimes go to yoga or Pilates classes, do strength training using stones and resistance bands on “my beach”. All these are relatively within comfort zone depending on the intervals between the repetitions.
But most important routine for me nearly every morning is this “puff and sweat” 50 sec work/10 sec rest circuits.
There are plenty on YouTube. This is just one example.
So, let’s find routines which we like: walking the dog, jogging, biking. Make them part of the daily life, then aim for higher levels if you feel like challenging yourself. But try to sweat a bit every day. With many drops of it.
Healthy and peaceful 2023!
Yours in travel,
IZ