3 SIMPLE EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR LEGS FOR SUMMER FUN Remember that ancient song: “In The Good Old Summertime.”? Well, those summer days are almost here! It’s time to leave the gym where you’ve been working out the past few months and move your activities outdoors! It’s the season for hiking, swimming in oceans or lakes, long bike rides, and running or jogging on scenic trails rather than monotonous treadmills. To enjoy these activities, you’ll need to keep your legs in good shape. I recently came across a Harvard Medical School Health Letter that covers the basics of which muscle...
GOOD NEWS FOR WEEKEND WARRIORS! We’re continually told we should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week: such as brisk walking, swimming, or biking. And we’re also advised to spread this out over the week. However, some of us can’t fit in a daily walk or trip to the gym (like, maybe we have a job!) Yet, you could still probably jam those 150 minutes in over the weekend: thus the “weekend warrior” approach. I’ve always believed that cramming a week’s worth of exercise into two days isn’t the healthiest approach, especially for our hearts. However,...
IT MIGHT BE HOME WORKOUT TIME AGAIN In 2020 and into 2021, due to the pandemic, most of us shifted away from gym workouts to exercise at home or in open outdoor spaces. Since then, a significant number of us felt confident enough to resume our gym routines. However, with the resurgence of COVID-19, marked by new variants and increased hospitalizations, concerns are again on the rise. Some businesses and schools are once more starting to recommend the use of high-quality masks. Given these developments, you might find it safer—and certainly more convenient—to work out at home. However, exercising at...
RUNNING—MAKING IT FUN & EASY I’ve been posting on running in this blog for years. In my opinion, it’s not only fun but also surpasses other kinds of exercise in its benefits. You might be telling yourself that you can’t jog or run, but most people can actually overcome their stumbling blocks rather easily. For us seniors running offers terrific health advantages: it lowers your risk of a heart attack or stroke and it’s good for your blood pressure, bones and brain. As an added plus, runners, on average, live longer than non-runners. To help you either start or get...
STAYING THE COURSE If you’ve been reading my posts over the years, you know I’m a firm believer in engaging in regular exercise to help us stay fit and healthy. But I’ve been tested over these past 5 months since I fell on my head. That fall—and its resultant concussion—caused me to lose both my energy and enthusiasm. So, I’ve had to force myself to keep running and biking several times a week. Plus, to “encourage” me to stay active, I entered the Shoreline Half Marathon here in Ventura in July and the Malibu triathlon last Sunday. The outcome of...
DO RUNNERS LIVE LONGER? You’ve heard about all the studies that point to regular exercise as the best way to help prevent many of the major conditions—strokes, diabetes, some cancers, osteoporosis, even dementia—that most expect to come along with aging. But in the past few years researchers are finding that one exercise—running—can actually add years to your life. I love to run—actually to jog is more accurate. Usually I’m getting ready for a half marathon or a triathlon. I ran in the Carlsbad Half Marathon way back in January little knowing that would be my only event this year—everything else...
WHY FUNCTIONAL FITNESS IS IMPORTANT FOR SENIORS Even though most of us are spending more time at home than ever before, it’s still important to keep physically active. Functional fitness exercises are not only a great way to keep your body moving while you’re confined, but will also improve your quality of life. Functional fitness exercises are simply those that are designed to develop your muscles to perform everyday activities such as vacuuming, yard work, carrying groceries or just sitting down and getting up from a chair. These exercises train your muscles to work together by simulating common movements you...
AT-HOME WORKOUTS DURING CORONAVIRUS TIME Last week I wrote that us older adults need more exercise than ever to help build up our immune system. (Exercising in the Time of Coronavirus) I said that many health professionals prescribe this: Go outside! Get some fresh air, catch a few rays. Go for a walk, a jog, a run, a bike ride. To get the most benefit, do this for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 or 7 days a week. This week I want look at exercise routines that you can perform at home either indoors or in your own...
EXERCISING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS So, most of us will be housebound for at least the next few weeks. Which probably means we’ll spend more time sitting at our computers (for work or play) or watching TV. But we all—especially us older adults—need to exercise. It’s good for our heart, it’s good for keeping our blood pressure and cholesterol levels down, and it’s great for curing mental stress. Especially important, in this time of coronavirus, exercise gives the huge benefit of building up our immune system. If you’ve been exercising regularly you’ll want to keep it up. Yet you...
START EXERCISING AT ANY AGE Here’s a New Year’s resolution I think we can all subscribe to: Get fitter. As we grow older, we need to keep active more than ever. But perhaps you haven’t worked out for years—or maybe never—and don’t especially know how to start exercising. If this is you, I’m giving you excerpts from two Cleveland Clinic online articles. The first is a February 2016 piece titled You Can Start Exercising After Age 60—Here’s How. Here are six practical tips to get you going. Get the go-ahead If you haven’t seen a doctor lately, that’s your first stop. He...
