Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

What are your biggest challenges?

Like quite a few people I suspect, I “follow” a lot of fitness routines on social media. Tai Chi. Chair Yoga. Asian Pilates. Japanese Walking. Chinese Baduanjin. Shaolin. Couch to Fitness. And then there are the fitness instructors/influencers. Justin Agustin. Grow Young Fitness with Deron Buboltz. Align with Wellness with Dr. Allyson Coffin. And my two all-time favorites: Coach John Noel and Purvida with Josh Trevorrow.

But, do I actually do any of the exercises they show on their videos? NO. My biggest challenge is staying active.

In one such video, one of these fitness experts said something that stuck with me, though, four words that really inspired me: Motion is the Lotion.

When I am in one of my fitness spurts (let’s be honest, I struggle to sustain a consistent routine), I feel better all over. My left knee. My left shoulder. My left ankle. (What is it with my left side?) And recently, I can add to that list, my right hip. Aches and pains are greatly lessened, and my ever-frequent charley horses are far and few between. I sleep better, and I’m naturally motivated to eating healthier as well.

Until I lose my momentum and return to a more sedentary lifestyle.

In an essay published in March of 2025 in AARP The Girlfriend online newsletter, I documented my post-retirement fitness goals. I made a lot of progress working with a trainer once a week, swimming laps a few times a week, and walking on the treadmill at home. But then we started traveling, and my passport took precedence over my fitness routine. Even with all the walking we did while traveling quite a bit in 2024 and 2025, I know it wasn’t the same as the routines I had developed since joining the gym.

Aside from the travel, my real problem is that all of my favorite things are sedentary in nature: reading, writing, crafting. I know there are people who walk on the treadmill while listening to audio books, people who take long walks outside while using a voice recorder to work on a writing project, but those things just don’t seem to work for me.

Being retired also doesn’t help me out with this. As a classroom teacher for over 16 years, I hardly ever sat down from the time I arrived at school until the time I got in my car to drive home. It wasn’t exactly CrossFit, but I was hardly sedentary for 9 or so hours a day!

And, so, given the new year and the instinct to declare New Year’s resolutions, I will once again make an effort to get back to the gym, get back in the pool, get back on the treadmill, and remind myself that Motion is the Lotion. Wish me luck!

What are your fitness goals for the new year?

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