EXERCISE DOES SO MUCH FOR US—BUT IT WON’T HELP US LOSE WEIGHT Many studies have shown that regular physical activity has a wide-range of positive health effects, such as a lower risk of cancer and stroke, better cardiovascular health, stronger muscles, and slowing of bone density loss associated with age. Exercise has also been linked to better brain health and emotional well being. Plus regular physical activity should help you live longer. However, exercise by itself won’t help you lose weight. I normally engage in physical activities—running, biking or swimming and a limited amount of strength work—7 or more hours...
THE BENEFITS OF WALKING There’s no physical activity more natural than walking. And I can’t think of any activity better for our overall health. Still, I usually save going out for a long walk for the times I can’t run or bike because of an injury. For instance, a few days ago I stubbed my little toe so hard that I broke it. Running would be a hindrance to it’s healing and getting into my bike shoe was painful. After I splinted it to the adjoining toe the next day, I was able to get into my walking shoes and...
SARCOPENIA IS SCARY! As more of our population becomes overweight or obese, a condition known as sarcopenia has become common and for older seniors actually commonplace. I’m talking about it this week so that you and I can recognize its causes and symptoms. And so we can work to make darn sure we don’t develop it or if we already have it to reverse it. Here are passages from two National Institutes of Health (NIH) articles titled Clinical Definition of Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity – How Do We Treat It? The clinical definition: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive...
RECIPE FOR REDUCING STRESS: GET UP & MOVE Too much to do, too little time. Sound familiar? It seems like my life gets busier by the year. When I was much younger and looked to the far future, I thought it would be the opposite. I thought at 75, I’d probably be retired and spending time working in my vegetable garden every day, seeing my kids and grandkids regularly, going on cruises and exotic vacations. But things haven’t exactly happened that way! I’m still producing an art festival every year, putting together a new senior fitness business, and hoping enough...
FUELING AFTER YOUR WORKOUT I’ve heard for years that we should “refuel” after a major workout. During my bike rides and longer jogs I drink plenty of water and regularly consume engineered food like Clif Bars or gel packs. And even after an hour-long swim I’ll immediately rehydrate. However—at my age at least—after these workouts I’m usually exhausted or pretty darn tired and not at all hungry so have avoided the fueling. Yet, in writing these blogs, I’ve been doing more research into proper nutrition balance. And I’m reading that if I don’t get in the habit of eating a...
EXERCISE MIGHT BE THE BEST MEDICINE FOR AVOIDING ALZHEIMER’S Even though we aren’t sure what causes Alzheimer’s disease, scientists do give us various suggestions to help ward it off. My dear mother died from Alzheimer’s 17 years ago and ever since—especially because of my increased genetic risk of developing it—I’ve paid close attention to new research on how to cut risk. Here’s some basic info on the disease from Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) “Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for...
MAKE A SPLASH—WATER WORKOUTS ARE FOR NEARLY EVERYONE During winter I regularly visit the Ventura YMCA indoor pool to get in my swimming laps in training for triathlons later in the year. To me, a poor swimmer anyway, going back and forth from one end of the pool to the other is slow and boring. However, next to the lap pool is the Therapy Pool. Here, there’s often an aqua class happening with some 30 plus persons—mostly seniors—having a high old time. These folks are actually enjoying getting their water exercise! In talking with different people after the classes, I...
OSTEOPOROSIS & BONE HEALTHY EXERCISE Osteoporosis is “bad to the bone.” It causes bones to become weak and brittle. “Healthy bones continuously break down and rebuild at the cellular level. As you age your bones break down faster. For women, this is especially true after menopause. When bone rebuilding can’t keep pace with breakdown, bones deteriorate and become weaker. This eventually leads to osteoporosis.” (Mayo Clinic Newsletter, May 2018) You have several lifestyle choices for stronger bones. This includes getting enough calcium and vitamin D from food, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake. And—you guessed it—proper exercise. If you have...
BALANCE TRAINING—STAYING STEADY ON YOUR FEET When we were younger we took balance and staying upright for granted. We never worried about falling. However as we age our body’s systems that detect gravity and body positioning and promote balance and stability become less effective. Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and death for seniors. (On his 89th birthday my dad fell, hitting his head, and even though he was rushed to the hospital, died within a week.) Balance training is important for everyone. No matter your present age or physical condition you can take actions to prevent falls...
FINDING A GREAT PERSONAL TRAINER Last week I wrote Choosing the Perfect Gym. Once you’ve found the facility, you may want to now seek out a great personal trainer. Benefits of having a personal trainer include safety, education and motivation. A trainer can help you choose exercises based on your desires and needs, teach you proper form and provide you with encouragement. You’ll probably look first at the trainers the gym you’ve joined employs. You can observe how these trainers are interacting with others at your facility or ask fellow gym members for referrals. A trainer should be certified. Here’s...
