I say, 'Use it or lose it.' I have my own fitness regime, which

Host: The morning was still young, the light soft and golden as it filtered through the kitchen window. Outside, the air was crisp with the first chill of autumn, the world just beginning to slow its frenetic pace. Inside, Jack was at the counter, his hands busy with a cup of coffee, his thoughts somewhere between the world outside and the conversation that had been quietly unfolding. Jeeny was sitting at the table, her book open but her attention on him, as always, in that gentle, patient way she had.

Jeeny: (looking up from her book, a playful smile tugging at her lips) “You know, Joan Collins once said, ‘I say, "Use it or lose it." I have my own fitness regime, which is centred around stretching, free-weights and fast walking. I also have a trainer half of the year, as I spend my summers in the south of France where I swim a lot.’”

(She laughed lightly, her eyes glinting with amusement.) “Do you think that’s true? That fitness is all about keeping at it, or else you lose it?”

Jack: (raising an eyebrow, his voice casual) “Sounds like she’s got a full-time fitness routine, huh? Stretching, weights, walking, swimming... I can barely make it through a morning without my back protesting.”

Jeeny: (smiling) “Maybe that’s the point. She’s built habits that keep her moving, keep her body in a rhythm. Not just the hard stuff, but the small, consistent actions — and that’s what keeps her from losing it.”

Jack: (taking a sip of his coffee, his expression thoughtful) “I get the idea. ‘Use it or lose it.’ But with all those workouts, it sounds more like a full-time job than a lifestyle.”

Jeeny: (nodding slowly) “It can seem that way, but it doesn’t have to be. The point isn’t to exhaust yourself with the ‘perfect’ routine. It’s about being consistent, using what you have, and finding a rhythm that works for you. Joan Collins isn’t doing it to impress anyone. She’s doing it because it feels good. It keeps her body — and mind — in motion.”

Jack: (chuckling softly) “I get that. But sometimes it’s easier to let the body just... relax, right? Skip a day, skip a week, and before you know it, you’ve lost the momentum.”

Jeeny: (smiling gently) “But that’s the thing. You don’t need a perfect routine to stay in shape. You need to keep moving. Whether it’s stretching, walking, or a swim — it’s about making those small habits stick, even when you don’t feel like it.”

Jack: (nodding, his voice a little quieter) “I suppose it’s not about how hard you push. It’s about keeping things moving. Even on the easy days.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. And sometimes it’s the simple things, like a walk or a stretch, that make all the difference. It’s not about the intensity — it’s about keeping the momentum, even when you don’t feel like pushing yourself to the limit.”

Host: The sound of the coffee machine clicking off broke the quiet. The conversation seemed to hang in the air for a moment, like an unfinished note. Jack put his cup down, thinking over what Jeeny had said. The weight of the idea that movement, not intensity, was the key to consistency felt like a revelation — small, manageable actions that built into something greater over time.

Jack: (smiling, more to himself than to her) “I suppose I’ve been looking at it the wrong way. It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing something, even when it’s just a little.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her smile warm) “Exactly. And that’s what Joan means. The routine doesn’t have to be rigid. It’s just about making sure you don’t stop moving. The body is meant to move, not to be static.”

Jack: (laughing lightly, his tone softer now) “And maybe I can start with something a little more achievable than, you know, swimming in the south of France.”

Jeeny: (grinning) “Definitely. But you can start with the basics — stretch, walk, move. The rest will follow. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it gets once you get into the habit.”

Host: The air in the kitchen felt lighter now, as if the conversation had shifted something inside them both — a small but important change in how they thought about health and fitness. Jack stood, stretching his arms above his head, a small wince of discomfort passing across his face, but there was a flicker of resolve there, too.

Jack: (smiling, more to himself than to Jeeny) “Alright, alright. I’ll start with a walk. And maybe tomorrow, I’ll add some stretching.”

Jeeny: (grinning, her voice light) “That’s all it takes. You don’t need to go full-on Joan Collins to make it work.”

Host: The light outside had shifted, the last remnants of the day slipping into twilight. The world outside felt still, yet somehow alive with possibility — and inside, there was a quiet sense of victory, of knowing that the path forward didn’t require perfection, just movement.

Jack: (chuckling softly, as he reached for his jacket) “Guess I’ll take that walk now.”

Jeeny: (smiling) “I think that’s the perfect start.”

Host: The door closed behind him as Jack stepped into the cool evening air. Inside, Jeeny sat back, her thoughts quiet but content. The idea of fitness — of health — had shifted from something daunting to something accessible, a small investment of time that could yield a world of benefits. As she turned back to the window, watching the light fade over the city, she couldn’t help but smile. The world was always in motion, and so long as you stayed in it, so were you.

And in that simple truth — the idea of movement as a lifelong habit — there was freedom.