SATURDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) -- Your diet isn't all that healthy, and you haven't been to the gym since who knows when. You can't shed those pesky 20 extra pounds, but what's the use, you may ask -- after all, you're well into middle age.

To all that whining, Dr. Dana King would say: "It's not too late. If you make [healthy] changes now, it has a tremendous impact." Particularly on your heart. Even in middle age.

I just heard on NPR that yoga is trying to make its way into the 2020 Olympics! Some practitioners of Bikram yoga (the fast-paced yoga, where you sweat it out in a heated room) are creating a competitive-style of yoga, in which seven poses are performed within a few minutes for judging and perfection.

We all know walking is great exercise. It helps the heart and lungs, it builds strong muscle and it's good for our bones!

It's also a good social activity. We can walk with friends, catch up with our lives and if you are like me, walking can lead in just the opposite direction. It can be a time to be alone, with no-one talking, no little fingers tugging at me and no-one asking me what's for dinner! I can smell the air, listen to the geese and feel the breeze. Just me and me.

I can also feel my waist line getter smaller and my legs becoming leaner. And who doesn't want that benefit?

A recent article discusses one man's success with weight loss (15 pounds in just 45 days) as a result of playing Wii Fit. He said, "the game made it 'especially easy' to work the training into his daily life."

Monday morning at the gym. It feels so heavy. I have to admit, after having a day off, my resistance was formidable.

Resistance is the most dependable workout partner you can have. I don't believe you ever get over that initial feeling of, "I just don't want to do this." In or out of the gym, that feeling means that whatever you are about to embark upon will be a growth experience for you.