This is what retirement looks like

by Charles Brennan

Retired KMOX host Charles Brennan talks about his new life of leisure.

Retirement has changed me. I’ll give you some examples.

Before I turned off my microphone at KMOX radio, I got up every morning at 5:45. Now, I regularly sleep in till 6:15.

I used to spend the early morning poring over the newspaper to stay abreast of the local issues we’d discuss on my morning radio show and then again Thursday evening on Channel 9’s Donnybrook.

Ok, I still consume a lot of news. But now, it’s because I like to stay informed. And, retired or not, I’m still Donnybrook’s resident provocateur.

As a retired person, I also sit still less than I used to. Since May, my wife Beth and I have traveled more than 20,000 miles. I’ve taken golf lessons and studied French. But retirement is not all fun and games. I rake leaves and take out the garbage more, too.

Since retiring, I’ve also led efforts to plant 10,000 daffodil bulbs in Forest Park and along the River Des Peres and to enhance a Hanley Road underpass with chalk art. Even us old guys want to make St. Louis a prettier place.

I also hike more. I log 25,000 steps several days a week. On Sunday mornings, I sometimes run up and down the steps at Cahokia Mounds 20 times or more. Why do I do it? Because I can. Also, I’m 63. Who’s going to stop me?

That reminds me of one thing that has NOT changed since my retirement: my weekly appointment at 20 Minutes to Fitness in Clayton, where I have worked out since 2006.

The half hour I spend there on Wednesday afternoons helps me build the strength and maintain the energy I need to live this glamorous retirement lifestyle.

At my side is my personal trainer Darrell Connor. He guides me through a series of exercises designed to work every major muscle group on specialized MedX equipment.

There’s no cheating with Darrell. There’s also no worry about injuring myself by performing an exercise incorrectly.

Over the years, Darrell has also become a friend. Remember those Sunday mornings at Cahokia Mounds I mentioned? Darrell runs those steps with me.

The truth is the staff at 20 Minutes to Fitness are all firstrate. Many have backgrounds in physical therapy or exercise physiology. A physical therapy assistant named Robb recently worked wonders on my sore shoulder. Others have helped me train safely while recovering from a hip replacement and a hernia.

If you’re busy, or if your strength and balance aren’t what they used to be, or you’re tired of being out of shape, I suggest you give 20 Minutes to Fitness a call. First-timers get a complimentary in-person consultation and workout. You can’t beat free.

If you’re like me, you’ll feel better and have a more positive outlook afterwards. Retired or not.

For more information on 20 Minutes to Fitness, call its local studios in Clayton (314-863-7836), Chesterfield (636-536-1504), Sarasota or Tampa, or visit 20MinutesToFitness.com.

Just 20 minutes. Just once a week.