My fiance Stanley and I recently purchased our first home together. The location, square footage and style of the home appealed to us. However, it is terribly outdated. Nothing has been renovated or improved in the last thirty-five years. Stand and I are taking on all of the home renovation projects ourselves. With the assistance of my mom and dad we’re saving quite a bit of money with DIY updates. We’ve torn out the hideous shag carpets, painted the walls and installed new windows. Wes gutted the whole kitchen and two bathrooms down to the bare studs. We picked out new cupboards, countertops, appliances and fixtures. We’ve installed new lights, insulated, set down ceramic tiles and even put up new switch plates. Throughout the renovation process, we’ve worked for eight to ten hour days. The manual labor is exhausting, time-consuming and physically demanding. I’ve noticed that by the end of the day, my father and Stan both complain due to sore backs and knees. They barely have the energy to eat dinner and feel stiff getting out of bed the next day. Throughout the workday, they stop for breaks. My mother and I never get tired. We are always eager to get started on the next project. I am convinced that the difference is that she and I exercise every day. Even during the remodeling process, we set an extra early alarm to provide time for our fitness routine. We make it a point to thoroughly stretch our muscles. We get our hearts pumping to keep healthy and fit. Because of our efforts to workout, we are strong and healthy. We have the strength and stamina to withstand the constant squatting, lifting as well as demands of the remodeling projects. It’s a bit aggravating that my 54 year old mother has more staying power than my 30 year old fiance. My mom is in better physical shape than he is. She rarely complains over exhaustion or soreness the wayt Stan does. Despite all this evidence of the benefits of working out, I still can’t convince my finance to exercise regularly.