Peter says: I need exercise

Well I am in my 40^th year on this planet, and since my goal is to be with my family and live as long as possible, I really need to get healthier. (Lisa would say that I really need to get healthy, period. But I do go for regular checkups and, besides being overweight, I’m about as healthy as they come.)
 
Usually Lisa is the one writing about exercise, baby weight, etc., and she tries to work out when she can. I have been golfing for years but that’s hardly exercise. (Get out of the cart, walk to the ball, hit the ball and get back in the cart.) So I decided to join a men’s 35+ slow-pitch league this past summer, and that was fun, but I spent most of my time standing around and hanging out with my father-in-law, who also plays. It’s been months since I played ball or golfed and now the pants are getting a little snug.
 
So, I recently (just last week, in fact) decided I wanted to play hockey again. I’ve been toying with the idea for years but finally decided to take the plunge. Last Monday I spent $750 (ouch) to get fully equipped and last Wednesday was my first time on the ice in 25-plus years. I really thought it would be easy (I was a good skater and hockey player growing up and when I quit at 16, I was on the All Star team in my town), but man, I was wrong. I was exhausted within 10 minutes of being on the ice and let me tell you, it wasn’t because I was skating hard — it took everything in me to not fall and I wasn’t skating anywhere near the speed I used to. Obviously I haven’t used my lungs like that in I don’t know how long. (Actually, it felt like I was going to cough one up.)
 
All that aside, the time I did spend wobbling around on my skates made me feel active and alive. (I was a little worried I might have a heart attack…don’t tell Lisa.) The next morning all my muscles hurt and I was “whining” (as Lisa said) the same way she whines after a hard booty camp class. Even though it was tough, I’m looking forward to heading out for hockey night later on. Hopefully there’s more exercise involved tonight.
 
I guess the point is that having a family and kids makes you want to be better, be healthier and do more. So my new motto is: “JUST DO IT.” Wait, I think I've heard that phrase before.
 
Any other husbands (or wives – don’t want to discriminate) get out and play on sports teams? What do you do to get fit and keep fit?
 
Photo by Jennoit via Flickr