I started middle of winter. At first, it was painful, especially on the knees, but I read that with proper rest and nutrition, even the joints heal slower than the muscles because they get nutrients to repair via the lymphatic fluids, not the blood.

Once, I got the first footsteps on fresh snow; For a while, I was often among the first people to arrive, as it seemed there were always people at the steps that welcome 4 million yearly visitors, plus locals who exercise there regularly. 

However, after a couple of months of walking, I felt the urge to run up the 72 Rocky Steps, and to my satisfaction, I did without problems. While walking, I was working on choosing a series of exercises that covered muscles from head to toe for a 30-minute full-body routine. 

Even forced to take three breaks over three months, every time I resumed effortlessly, I felt like I was missing the action. 

    1st time: for over a month, due to poison ivy, I got helping a friend clean up the yard brush. 

   2nd: My car made the news totaled in a hail of bullets while parked near Phillys Temple University.

   3rd: Sprained ankle.

By the 4th month, The exercises became focused. They are a mix of Isometric and Calisthenics for balance, strength, and grace, with aerobics for stamina. As a goal for repetitions, I set 72 reps for each exercise; once I reached 72 reps on any exercise, I started improving performance, keeping the routine within 30 minutes.

Along with Mr. Stallone's "keep punching" mantra and the 1% better everyday principles of marginal gains of coach Sir Dave Brailsford that transformed the British cycle team from mediocrity to Olympic glory, I remained committed to my journey to live longer and better.

The 30 minutes include:

about 4 minutes of Isometrics 10 seconds routine for each exercise

about 16 minutes of Calisthenic, 72 reps on each exercise, 

and 10 minutes of jogging, climbing stairs, or knee lifting.  

During the initial weeks, I prioritized proper breathing techniques and maintaining the correct posture, which included standing straight without sudden movements.

Although some exercises proved challenging, such as squats, where I could only manage five reps and not even full squats due to stiff knees, I persevered and noticed positive changes in my body.

Not only was the routine safe and time-efficient, but it also helped me increase my stamina and flexibility. I started feeling better after each session and became more confident in pushing through challenging exercises.

The best part is a full body strength, flexibility & stamina routine that it does not need gym memberships or fancy equipment and can be done anywhere. It fits my lifestyle and helps me achieve my fitness goals.

To enhance safety, I wore knee straps for compression to reduce pain and discomfort, stabilize the knee joint and provide additional support to the kneecap—and applied analgesic creams to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. In addition, I found that my joints had improved over time (I took glucosamine and lysine supplements daily and ate collagen-rich food frequently.

After only a few months, I felt confident enough to jog up and down the seventy-two stone steps, which took around two minutes. By the sixth month, I was thrilled to realize I no longer had joint pain.