Wow! Winter gardening in Russia! Anyone would find that difficult on the joints, no matter her age. These days I hike like Bluebird. I try to walk 3 miles a day, sometimes 4.5, in the Colorado terrain. My problem is that I do not do it in the morning. Rather, I like afternoon walks. But it is getting darker sooner, so I am trying to train my body to get going in the morning. I know I need toning and strength building exercise, but I don't want to spend money on Curves, etc. So when we get into our house in December I will pull out the Yoga and Pilates tapes and do exercise at home. I am also interested in the rubber band resistance exercise. You know, exercise used to be incorporated into sports like ice skating, skiiing, swimming, horse back riding. Now I have to force myself to do an exercise routine.