To all my peeps who believe sweating...working up a good lather?...will help you lose weight. Well, you should be down a few belt notches by now. With high humidity and daily temperatures hovering near 100, the least amount of effort should produce buckets of weight reducing sweat. Think of how much you'd lose doing actual physical work.
Just think, you don't have to run off to the sauna or wear one of those plastic garbage bag sauna suits.
Haven't loss much have ya? Despite what many believe, sweating is not a weight losing process. Sweating is how the body cools down. It's called "evaporative cooling." Lick the back of your hand and then blow on it. Feel a cooling sensation? Now blow on the back of the opposite dry hand. Notice the difference? If you were a dog, you'd pant, huh,huh,huh. Elephants flap their ears. Reptiles craw under a rock.
People do loose weigh sweating but it's not fat which is what we think we're loosing. It is liquid, mostly water with some other bodily stuff like sodium and chloride which gives sweat its salty taste.
Athletes who have to make weight...boxers for example...may sweat off a pound or two in order to qualify for competition. Sometimes they wear sauna suits to do this.
Notice how weigh-in is always at noon or before. But the match is always held hours later? What do you think the dehydrated athlete is doing just after weigh-in? Consuming liquids...and eating.
The body wants to maintain balance. Sweat off a pound of sweat...you will put it back on with the next glass of water.
Warning:
Elevated body temperature and water loss while wearing a sauna suit can lead to dehydration or a possible heat stroke and, in extreme cases cause death. Thus, a sauna suit should not be worn while doing extreme exercise or in hot conditions. Many authorities discourage sauna suit use during exercise under any circumstances. A sauna suit is not intended for wear in a sauna.
Want to lose weight? Not exactly you don't. Your legs have weight. What many of us want is to lose fat. To do this, you must consume fewer calories than the body needs. Generally and simply speaking, the body most efficiently converts fat to energy at a heart rate of 60 to 80 percent of the heart's maximum pulse rate or beats per minute. It is also a pulse rate in which a moderately conditioned exerciser can hang the longest without tiring. The longer you hang, the more calories you burned.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
A misstep, a chance visit, a life saved
A woman,63, a university administrator, recently fell and fractured a bone in her right leg near the ankle. The injury required an operation and back home she went with instructions for limited movement.
During convalescence, the woman, a recent widow, unknowingly developed a pulmonary embolism...blood clot in the lung.
Pulmonary embolism occurs when blood clots become lodged in a lung artery, blocking blood flow to lung tissue. Blood clots often originate in the legs.
Blood clots are more likely to form in your legs during periods of inactivity, such as being confined to bed for an extended period after surgery, a heart attack, or... a leg fracture.
What this grandmother of two felt, not knowing the seriousness of what she was going through, was a sudden onset of shortness of breath and lightheadedness all coming shortly after the cast was removed from her leg about a week after the operation. She along with other family members associated the symptoms with the events...the excitement of the day along with her lack of exercise.
However, the following day, the woman felt worst. She tried to tough it out until her daughter, by chance, paid a visit and became alarmed at what she saw.
Ambulance was called and off to the hospital they went. There, the condition, the clots, were discovered. A life was saved.
A near death experience, caught in time. All this from a fall, started by a stumble from which the woman, a few years ago, could have easily avoided.
September 23 is Falls Prevention Awareness Day.
A time in which we celebrate the first of autumn while promoting public awareness on how to prevent falls among older adults.
Each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls. Many suffering debilitating injuries which can haunt them for the remainder of their lives.
During convalescence, the woman, a recent widow, unknowingly developed a pulmonary embolism...blood clot in the lung.
Pulmonary embolism occurs when blood clots become lodged in a lung artery, blocking blood flow to lung tissue. Blood clots often originate in the legs.
Blood clots are more likely to form in your legs during periods of inactivity, such as being confined to bed for an extended period after surgery, a heart attack, or... a leg fracture.
What this grandmother of two felt, not knowing the seriousness of what she was going through, was a sudden onset of shortness of breath and lightheadedness all coming shortly after the cast was removed from her leg about a week after the operation. She along with other family members associated the symptoms with the events...the excitement of the day along with her lack of exercise.
However, the following day, the woman felt worst. She tried to tough it out until her daughter, by chance, paid a visit and became alarmed at what she saw.
Ambulance was called and off to the hospital they went. There, the condition, the clots, were discovered. A life was saved.
A near death experience, caught in time. All this from a fall, started by a stumble from which the woman, a few years ago, could have easily avoided.
September 23 is Falls Prevention Awareness Day.
A time in which we celebrate the first of autumn while promoting public awareness on how to prevent falls among older adults.
Each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls. Many suffering debilitating injuries which can haunt them for the remainder of their lives.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Fall Prevention
As we prepare to promote public awareness on how to prevent falls among adults over 65, my homework assignment has suddenly become more than collecting statistical data.
My sister, the co-captain of her high school cheer leading team, the girl who stepped onto the track and caused some boys on the track team to go sit down because they feared she might out run them, is a year and two weeks shy of the milestone. She recently took a tumble on her front porch steps and suffered fractured bones and a dislocated right ankle. Treated and released, she is recovering comfortably.
About a year ago, our aunt, then 85, took a similar tumble down a short flight of back porch steps.
Aunt Eula, a retired award winning elementary school principle, sometimes thinks she is still running it...or that she should be.
She can still wear her skirts hemmed awfully close to the knee while wearing heels. She has over ruled medical authority on taking meds and the family has gently suggested that because she can...is not a reason why she should.
The tumble is a case in point.
A new front door to her home was installed to replace the old which had been placed on the rear porch to be removed later.
Ms, aunt Eula, the boss, all five feet nothing and maybe 135 pounds, a tomboy in her youth, could not wait for the door to be removed. So....!
Fortunately, a passerby heard her cries for help. Aunt Eula, fractures to her wrist, waited patiently on the ground until fire and police arrived to remove the door from her body, made to look even smaller and more frail under that big old wooden door.
We are a blessed family. We will smile about these things at Thanks Giving dinner but for many older adults and their families, falls are no smiling matter.
Each day, 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65. This will go on for the next 19 years. Over the course of their remaining years, statistics show that a third will fall. Of those who do, a significant number will suffer debilitating, even fatal injuries.
Of those who recover, many will suffer a fear of falling which in turn can lead to limiting the very activities that can prevent falls or reduce the seriousness of an injury due to a fall.
In 2007, the last year for figures, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reported that over 18,000 older adults died from unintentionally falls.
Fall Prevention Awareness activities, set for September 23, the first of autumn, is to draw attention to the dangers of falling. It is sponsored by the Center for Healthy Aging in cooperation with the National Council on Aging.
My sister, the co-captain of her high school cheer leading team, the girl who stepped onto the track and caused some boys on the track team to go sit down because they feared she might out run them, is a year and two weeks shy of the milestone. She recently took a tumble on her front porch steps and suffered fractured bones and a dislocated right ankle. Treated and released, she is recovering comfortably.
About a year ago, our aunt, then 85, took a similar tumble down a short flight of back porch steps.
Aunt Eula, a retired award winning elementary school principle, sometimes thinks she is still running it...or that she should be.
She can still wear her skirts hemmed awfully close to the knee while wearing heels. She has over ruled medical authority on taking meds and the family has gently suggested that because she can...is not a reason why she should.
The tumble is a case in point.
A new front door to her home was installed to replace the old which had been placed on the rear porch to be removed later.
Ms, aunt Eula, the boss, all five feet nothing and maybe 135 pounds, a tomboy in her youth, could not wait for the door to be removed. So....!
Fortunately, a passerby heard her cries for help. Aunt Eula, fractures to her wrist, waited patiently on the ground until fire and police arrived to remove the door from her body, made to look even smaller and more frail under that big old wooden door.
We are a blessed family. We will smile about these things at Thanks Giving dinner but for many older adults and their families, falls are no smiling matter.
Each day, 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65. This will go on for the next 19 years. Over the course of their remaining years, statistics show that a third will fall. Of those who do, a significant number will suffer debilitating, even fatal injuries.
Of those who recover, many will suffer a fear of falling which in turn can lead to limiting the very activities that can prevent falls or reduce the seriousness of an injury due to a fall.
In 2007, the last year for figures, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reported that over 18,000 older adults died from unintentionally falls.
Fall Prevention Awareness activities, set for September 23, the first of autumn, is to draw attention to the dangers of falling. It is sponsored by the Center for Healthy Aging in cooperation with the National Council on Aging.
Monday, June 13, 2011
You have to be functionally fit to avoid hard work
I've said on many occasions that older adults should concentrate on functional fitness. Meaning that at the bare minimum, we have to be fit enough to do the things we are expected to do on any given day. A little exercise, now and then, makes work easier.
One of my clients, Charles, 62, has improved his fitness from last year when he had trouble cutting his grass to where he now cuts his lawn and knocks off his mom's yard too.
Hugh, also 62, is a professional gardener. A hip injury a few years ago slowed him. Over the winter, he decided to do something about his physical fitness. His workouts included working on skills consisted with gardening. To duplicate moving bags of soil, fertilizer and mulch, Hugh corrected some bad habits picked over the years by concentrating on using his legs to lift 20 pound dumbbells.
He also worked on endurance, as it fits his work, by walking rapidly over short distances from one point in the gym to another.
He had to make decisions on the go, as on his job, by having to change directions on these short walk sprints. Changing directions on the move helps improves balance.
Recently, Hugh said he has resumed some duties that he had passed off to a subordinate.
Don, a friend, 70 plus, wanted a tree removed from his back yard. His baby girl was to be married. The wedding was to be in the back yard. The tree was in the way. Don, retired, likes to fiddle-faddle but in a nice way. After years of hard work, he's earned the right to faddle but in doing so, Don is in surprisingly good shape.
Two old guys took a twenty inch chain saw to the tree. Cut it into fire place logs. Stacked them and cleaned up the mess. Took three days, but we got it done. We celebrated with a beer and called it a day. Forty- eight hours later, a flawless affair was enjoyed by all.
A few days ago, Bob, another friend who owns a home remodeling company, stopped by to help hang a repaired window and it's frame over the garage door.
About a story and a half up, the decision was to use scaffolding from which we could safely work.
Absolutely nothing involved hard work. Pulling the scaffolding from Bob's truck and assembling it was as close as we got to heavy lifting.
As the early morning sun approached the ten o'clock sky, there was a fair amount of lifting, holding in place, manipulating this and that and climbing onto and off the scaffold.
Both Bob and I are 66, so there was some walking back and forth because we forgot something.
Bob's a funny guy and he paces himself by telling stories. So there were spells of hardy laughter. Swapping tales.
Laughing takes energy. All of this took energy. Not hard work energy but 90 minutes of continuos movement energy. Bending...twisting.
After getting the window in place, we repaired and painted the window trim and completed the job by re-adjusting the electrical line that supplies power to the garage from the house.
We put up scaffolding. We took down scaffolding. All tools put back in place. Swept
up. Job completed. Paid Bob. Tall glass of cool water. Overstuffed chair. ZZZZ, continuos movement ends.
One of my clients, Charles, 62, has improved his fitness from last year when he had trouble cutting his grass to where he now cuts his lawn and knocks off his mom's yard too.
Hugh, also 62, is a professional gardener. A hip injury a few years ago slowed him. Over the winter, he decided to do something about his physical fitness. His workouts included working on skills consisted with gardening. To duplicate moving bags of soil, fertilizer and mulch, Hugh corrected some bad habits picked over the years by concentrating on using his legs to lift 20 pound dumbbells.
He also worked on endurance, as it fits his work, by walking rapidly over short distances from one point in the gym to another.
He had to make decisions on the go, as on his job, by having to change directions on these short walk sprints. Changing directions on the move helps improves balance.
Recently, Hugh said he has resumed some duties that he had passed off to a subordinate.
Don, a friend, 70 plus, wanted a tree removed from his back yard. His baby girl was to be married. The wedding was to be in the back yard. The tree was in the way. Don, retired, likes to fiddle-faddle but in a nice way. After years of hard work, he's earned the right to faddle but in doing so, Don is in surprisingly good shape.
Two old guys took a twenty inch chain saw to the tree. Cut it into fire place logs. Stacked them and cleaned up the mess. Took three days, but we got it done. We celebrated with a beer and called it a day. Forty- eight hours later, a flawless affair was enjoyed by all.
A few days ago, Bob, another friend who owns a home remodeling company, stopped by to help hang a repaired window and it's frame over the garage door.
About a story and a half up, the decision was to use scaffolding from which we could safely work.
Absolutely nothing involved hard work. Pulling the scaffolding from Bob's truck and assembling it was as close as we got to heavy lifting.
As the early morning sun approached the ten o'clock sky, there was a fair amount of lifting, holding in place, manipulating this and that and climbing onto and off the scaffold.
Both Bob and I are 66, so there was some walking back and forth because we forgot something.
Bob's a funny guy and he paces himself by telling stories. So there were spells of hardy laughter. Swapping tales.
Laughing takes energy. All of this took energy. Not hard work energy but 90 minutes of continuos movement energy. Bending...twisting.
After getting the window in place, we repaired and painted the window trim and completed the job by re-adjusting the electrical line that supplies power to the garage from the house.
We put up scaffolding. We took down scaffolding. All tools put back in place. Swept
up. Job completed. Paid Bob. Tall glass of cool water. Overstuffed chair. ZZZZ, continuos movement ends.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Why do we stretch? Because it feels good.
Old guys sitting around Micky D's like to stretch. The truth be told... few can do it better. The only folk known to stretch the truth more are politicians running for something.
Guys who once swapped tall tales at the corner saloon now do it with a cup of coffee at a diner. Cheaper than a bottle of beer and we don't have to dodge police on the drive home. Besides, the light is better. We can see what we're smiling at.
Prepositionally speaking, life at the end...can be just as carefree and rewarding as in any other life stage. But we have to work at it. If stretching the aging mind is healthy, then so is stretching the aging bod.
Stretching the truth in tales that can leap tall buildings, comes natural to outdoors men, athletes and Don Juans. It can be healthy, relaxing and enjoyable. Women are not bad at it either.
Loss of flexibility, like gray hair and a thickening middle, is part of aging. Like gray, our tummy, hips and back of the arm...loss of flexibility is a negative that can be corrected.
Aging gets blamed unfairly for lots of things associated with a decline in physical fitness but inactivity is also to blame. Exercise including stretching, has been shown to maintain and improve physical fitness. Think cardio, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination. All can be improved through moderate exercise.
Consider Ed, 63, a new client who is starting out on a new adventure. He is recently retired. Over weight pretty much all his life, he probably does not give a hoot about working out in a gym. What Ed cares about is walking his dog, working in his flower garden and assisting his mother.
Health issues, his weight for example, has slowed him to the point that he has considered, with doctor approval, a physical fitness program. Just so that he can do what he enjoys, walking the dog, his flowers and caring for mom. Each activity involves an element of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination.
Another benefit to being all we can, is staying on our feet. Strengthening the aging bod is protection against the leading cause of injury to adults over 65...falling. The ability to recover from a misstep. "I'm down on the floor and I can get up," brags Bill Walls.
A friend, Walls, 74, is a retired furnace repairman who occasionally gets busy with someones furnace. This means he is stretching, bending and crawling around on a cold basement floor. To say that Walls is as agile as a teenager is streeeeetching the truth. But Walls is over 70 and he's one of the guys mouthing off at Micky D's.
Notice how, in wild life documentaries, a prey animal, when threatened, will do anything and everything to stay on it's feet, even when attacked by predators. Falling is not good. As aging adults, we must do everything we can to avoid it.
In the United States, 20 to 30% of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head traumas.
With age, tissue making up muscle tend to become less elastic. Muscle loses range of motion and becomes less flexible. The lost effects posture, a drag on our youthful appearance. It also effects balance and agility, we become vulnerable to falls.
Stretching lengthens muscles which helps us to zip a dress or reach an item on a top shelf, or craw around on the floor with grandchildren. It helps us maintain mobility and balance which can help us get to the bathroom in time. Just ask Ms. Jay. At 86, she is still quite active. She is independent, lives alone in the home she has owned for over 60 years, though she concedes that she has moved closer to the door leading to the rest room at church..."Just in case."
Bob, 80 plus, slowly drags himself into the gym each Sunday morning about 9.
"Been out late again," I say. "Yep," he smiles. Bob dates back to Gas Light Square. He is a long time Saturday night swing dance enthusiast.
Bob, Ms. Jay and Walker, whether they exercise at a gym or not have been life long physically active people. Slowed by age but not yielding to it, they remain active and independent.
Some names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Some information obtained from the American Senior Fitness Association, About.Com, and the American College of Sports Medicine
More on stretching.
Guys who once swapped tall tales at the corner saloon now do it with a cup of coffee at a diner. Cheaper than a bottle of beer and we don't have to dodge police on the drive home. Besides, the light is better. We can see what we're smiling at.
Prepositionally speaking, life at the end...can be just as carefree and rewarding as in any other life stage. But we have to work at it. If stretching the aging mind is healthy, then so is stretching the aging bod.
Stretching the truth in tales that can leap tall buildings, comes natural to outdoors men, athletes and Don Juans. It can be healthy, relaxing and enjoyable. Women are not bad at it either.
Loss of flexibility, like gray hair and a thickening middle, is part of aging. Like gray, our tummy, hips and back of the arm...loss of flexibility is a negative that can be corrected.
Aging gets blamed unfairly for lots of things associated with a decline in physical fitness but inactivity is also to blame. Exercise including stretching, has been shown to maintain and improve physical fitness. Think cardio, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination. All can be improved through moderate exercise.
Consider Ed, 63, a new client who is starting out on a new adventure. He is recently retired. Over weight pretty much all his life, he probably does not give a hoot about working out in a gym. What Ed cares about is walking his dog, working in his flower garden and assisting his mother.
Health issues, his weight for example, has slowed him to the point that he has considered, with doctor approval, a physical fitness program. Just so that he can do what he enjoys, walking the dog, his flowers and caring for mom. Each activity involves an element of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination.
Another benefit to being all we can, is staying on our feet. Strengthening the aging bod is protection against the leading cause of injury to adults over 65...falling. The ability to recover from a misstep. "I'm down on the floor and I can get up," brags Bill Walls.
A friend, Walls, 74, is a retired furnace repairman who occasionally gets busy with someones furnace. This means he is stretching, bending and crawling around on a cold basement floor. To say that Walls is as agile as a teenager is streeeeetching the truth. But Walls is over 70 and he's one of the guys mouthing off at Micky D's.
Notice how, in wild life documentaries, a prey animal, when threatened, will do anything and everything to stay on it's feet, even when attacked by predators. Falling is not good. As aging adults, we must do everything we can to avoid it.
In the United States, 20 to 30% of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head traumas.
With age, tissue making up muscle tend to become less elastic. Muscle loses range of motion and becomes less flexible. The lost effects posture, a drag on our youthful appearance. It also effects balance and agility, we become vulnerable to falls.
Stretching lengthens muscles which helps us to zip a dress or reach an item on a top shelf, or craw around on the floor with grandchildren. It helps us maintain mobility and balance which can help us get to the bathroom in time. Just ask Ms. Jay. At 86, she is still quite active. She is independent, lives alone in the home she has owned for over 60 years, though she concedes that she has moved closer to the door leading to the rest room at church..."Just in case."
Bob, 80 plus, slowly drags himself into the gym each Sunday morning about 9.
"Been out late again," I say. "Yep," he smiles. Bob dates back to Gas Light Square. He is a long time Saturday night swing dance enthusiast.
Bob, Ms. Jay and Walker, whether they exercise at a gym or not have been life long physically active people. Slowed by age but not yielding to it, they remain active and independent.
Some names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Some information obtained from the American Senior Fitness Association, About.Com, and the American College of Sports Medicine
More on stretching.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Slip-sliding down a muddy hill can be hard on the bottom but good for the spirit
Why spend hard earned money on medication for an ailment that can be cured, let alone prevented, by going for a walk?
At three dollars and some odd cents per gallon, I'm starting to walk to Micky D's.
Experts, those academic types who have lots of time to think, study and research stuff, now feel that good old walking is as healthy an exercise as jogging, swimming or dancing.
What took them so long to figure that? Walking is extremely popular. Among the nearly seven billion folk making themselves at home on Earth, nearly everyone of them has tried it.
Walking is inexpensive. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes, said Harold Rainwater of Asbury College, Wilmore, Ky. Rainwater is one of those thinkers.
For most of us, walking is easy to do and hard to get hurt.
Good shape are lousy, walking is great exercise, Rainwater said. "Virtually every cardiac rehabilitation program in America bases it's exercise regimen on walking."
So walking we will go.
Nature trails, advanced walking, are an extension of regular exercise but for serious hikers, the outings are not always routine.
Recreation areas like Forest Park in St. Louis are great for beginners but if challenge is why you eat Wheaties, try the 14 mile Chubb Trail linking West Tyson County Park with Lone Elk Park. Out I-44, from the Lou towards Six Flags, just the other side of 141. On the north side amongst those big old hills.
The trail is demanding but not overwhelming. Faint of heart need not try.
Switchbacks, drop offs, rocky, long descents and steep climbs. Playing tag with the Meramec for a mile or so, the Chubb, near the river's bank, is sometimes muddy and worst... flooded. From the parking lot, the trail meanders invitingly and then with out mercy... the hills... one after the other. Going and returning. Don't remember walking down hill. Must have...just don't remember it.
Once on a cold rainy, muddy day, I stopped at a site over looking a small creek trickling towards the river. Good judgment and common sense said call it a day and turn back but Nooooo not me. Down the slope I went, crossed the creek and up the other side where I slopped on for another few miles.
As I said, it was raining and muddy and upon my return to the creek, and it's overlooking slopes, things were worst.
About the height of a one story building, I figured if I lowered my center of gravity and with good foot placement, I just might...swoosh, I went. Sliding, twisting, reaching, grabbing for a twig, a root, a rock, anything. Boing, boing to the bottom and splat short of the creek.
I arrived in one piece but was covered head to toe in mud. Gee! It felt good to be a kid again.
At three dollars and some odd cents per gallon, I'm starting to walk to Micky D's.
Experts, those academic types who have lots of time to think, study and research stuff, now feel that good old walking is as healthy an exercise as jogging, swimming or dancing.
What took them so long to figure that? Walking is extremely popular. Among the nearly seven billion folk making themselves at home on Earth, nearly everyone of them has tried it.
Walking is inexpensive. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes, said Harold Rainwater of Asbury College, Wilmore, Ky. Rainwater is one of those thinkers.
For most of us, walking is easy to do and hard to get hurt.
Good shape are lousy, walking is great exercise, Rainwater said. "Virtually every cardiac rehabilitation program in America bases it's exercise regimen on walking."
So walking we will go.
Nature trails, advanced walking, are an extension of regular exercise but for serious hikers, the outings are not always routine.
Recreation areas like Forest Park in St. Louis are great for beginners but if challenge is why you eat Wheaties, try the 14 mile Chubb Trail linking West Tyson County Park with Lone Elk Park. Out I-44, from the Lou towards Six Flags, just the other side of 141. On the north side amongst those big old hills.
The trail is demanding but not overwhelming. Faint of heart need not try.
Switchbacks, drop offs, rocky, long descents and steep climbs. Playing tag with the Meramec for a mile or so, the Chubb, near the river's bank, is sometimes muddy and worst... flooded. From the parking lot, the trail meanders invitingly and then with out mercy... the hills... one after the other. Going and returning. Don't remember walking down hill. Must have...just don't remember it.
Once on a cold rainy, muddy day, I stopped at a site over looking a small creek trickling towards the river. Good judgment and common sense said call it a day and turn back but Nooooo not me. Down the slope I went, crossed the creek and up the other side where I slopped on for another few miles.
As I said, it was raining and muddy and upon my return to the creek, and it's overlooking slopes, things were worst.
About the height of a one story building, I figured if I lowered my center of gravity and with good foot placement, I just might...swoosh, I went. Sliding, twisting, reaching, grabbing for a twig, a root, a rock, anything. Boing, boing to the bottom and splat short of the creek.
I arrived in one piece but was covered head to toe in mud. Gee! It felt good to be a kid again.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Never to old to learn something new
Once, at a dressy affair at a downtown St. Louis hotel, I escorted my frail, then 84 year old father to the rest room. Ready to leave, he stopped before a mirror, used his palm to brush back his hair, centered his tie, reset his pocket square and when satisfied all was well, grabbed his walker and we left. If he could, he'd have added a glide to his stride. A cut to his strut. In trying to remain physically, emotionally and spiritually fit, vanity counts.
As the care giver for my mom and later my dad, like so many, they were divorced, I learned a few things about aging. I'm trying to apply that knowledge to my skills as a physical fitness instructor.
I'm hitting the books again for additional training in working with older adults.
By year 2030, the number of folk 65 and older in the United States will be 70 million. Those 85 and older will be the fastest growing segment.
You'd think studying for this exam would be easy since I am one. A senior. But it's not. It's the details.
It's a lot like driving someplace new. We men, stereotypically speaking, want to wing it 'till we're lost... and then we read the directions.
The course centers on designing exercise programs for older adults.
What exactly is an older adult? Depends on who is talking but since I paid the American Senior Fitness Association to teach me, let's stick with their rules.
Middle-Age, 45 to 64. Young- Old, 65 to 74. Old, 75-84. Old-Old, 85-99 and Oldest-Old, 100 and over. We are living longer and exercise, like everything else, must adjust to a growing...older population.
At 66, I'm in the young-old group which is better than being old, young.
Lots of folks get old, young. Some, for reasons beyond their control but for others...aging prematurely is clearly within their control.
That's what health and wellness programs for aging adults are all about...avoiding becoming old, young. Exercise is part of the plan.
Goo-gobs of evidence show that exercise can reduce or prevent some of the decline associated with aging. Physical activity, both aerobic and strength, is good for the heart and promotes fat loss. It controls blood pressure and reduces blood sugar. Lowers stress and increases energy levels. It improves joint stability, balance and coordination.
Effective exercise helps us get to the rest room in time.
Functional exercise, that which we practice in the gym so that we remain independent at home, is the nail upon which I hang my sweat shirt of exercise.
For dad, physically active for much of his life but in his final years, sitting and standing while working on his wood carvings, bathing and personal grooming was close to all he could do independently and that... he took seriously and did well.
Then there was the time, scooting along on his walker at church one Sunday morning, he challenged another old- timer to race...but that's another story.
The World Health Organization recommends that older adults, with poor mobility, practice the skills needed to enhance balance and to prevent falls on 3 or more days a week. World Health also suggest that muscle-strengthening activities be done on two or more days a week.
When health keeps seniors from doing the recommended, then they should do as much as they can.-WHO
For a younger aging adult, not accustomed to exercise, skills such as hygiene, grooming and makeup, are enough to build an effective exercise program. Admit it or not. The intent of a well groomed, well dressed individual is to look good. To be physically fit is to complete the look. Exercise is an extension of makeup.
Persons motivated by a health issue, high blood pressure, also exercise to achieve a goal. Lower pressure.
On the other hand, exercise for an active older athlete, is an activity that they have always engaged. It is... who they are.
A friend, an avid hiker, once routinely walked a mile in thirteen minutes and some odd seconds, said he is now doing good to walk it in 20.
"But I can still hike 10," he said upbeat. "Just takes me longer," sighed he.
Thanks to a former president of the United States, shuffleboard, the image often used to illustrate old folk at play, is being replaced by the senior George Bush, who celebrates birthdays by jumping out of airplanes.
Lead by the likes of George the 41st, Boomers, who have never been quite about anything, are not likely to be quite about getting old-old.
As the care giver for my mom and later my dad, like so many, they were divorced, I learned a few things about aging. I'm trying to apply that knowledge to my skills as a physical fitness instructor.
I'm hitting the books again for additional training in working with older adults.
By year 2030, the number of folk 65 and older in the United States will be 70 million. Those 85 and older will be the fastest growing segment.
You'd think studying for this exam would be easy since I am one. A senior. But it's not. It's the details.
It's a lot like driving someplace new. We men, stereotypically speaking, want to wing it 'till we're lost... and then we read the directions.
The course centers on designing exercise programs for older adults.
What exactly is an older adult? Depends on who is talking but since I paid the American Senior Fitness Association to teach me, let's stick with their rules.
Middle-Age, 45 to 64. Young- Old, 65 to 74. Old, 75-84. Old-Old, 85-99 and Oldest-Old, 100 and over. We are living longer and exercise, like everything else, must adjust to a growing...older population.
At 66, I'm in the young-old group which is better than being old, young.
Lots of folks get old, young. Some, for reasons beyond their control but for others...aging prematurely is clearly within their control.
That's what health and wellness programs for aging adults are all about...avoiding becoming old, young. Exercise is part of the plan.
Goo-gobs of evidence show that exercise can reduce or prevent some of the decline associated with aging. Physical activity, both aerobic and strength, is good for the heart and promotes fat loss. It controls blood pressure and reduces blood sugar. Lowers stress and increases energy levels. It improves joint stability, balance and coordination.
Effective exercise helps us get to the rest room in time.
Functional exercise, that which we practice in the gym so that we remain independent at home, is the nail upon which I hang my sweat shirt of exercise.
For dad, physically active for much of his life but in his final years, sitting and standing while working on his wood carvings, bathing and personal grooming was close to all he could do independently and that... he took seriously and did well.
Then there was the time, scooting along on his walker at church one Sunday morning, he challenged another old- timer to race...but that's another story.
The World Health Organization recommends that older adults, with poor mobility, practice the skills needed to enhance balance and to prevent falls on 3 or more days a week. World Health also suggest that muscle-strengthening activities be done on two or more days a week.
When health keeps seniors from doing the recommended, then they should do as much as they can.-WHO
For a younger aging adult, not accustomed to exercise, skills such as hygiene, grooming and makeup, are enough to build an effective exercise program. Admit it or not. The intent of a well groomed, well dressed individual is to look good. To be physically fit is to complete the look. Exercise is an extension of makeup.
Persons motivated by a health issue, high blood pressure, also exercise to achieve a goal. Lower pressure.
On the other hand, exercise for an active older athlete, is an activity that they have always engaged. It is... who they are.
A friend, an avid hiker, once routinely walked a mile in thirteen minutes and some odd seconds, said he is now doing good to walk it in 20.
"But I can still hike 10," he said upbeat. "Just takes me longer," sighed he.
Thanks to a former president of the United States, shuffleboard, the image often used to illustrate old folk at play, is being replaced by the senior George Bush, who celebrates birthdays by jumping out of airplanes.
Lead by the likes of George the 41st, Boomers, who have never been quite about anything, are not likely to be quite about getting old-old.
Friday, February 25, 2011
No if and or buts
There is always a 'But' out there, someplace. Just when you have things all figured, along comes a 'But' as in..."But on the other hand."
We try to hide our 'Buts' by saying ... "There is always an exception to the rule." But that is just an attempt to avoid saying but.
I thought I had exercise all figured out. After an enthusiastic workout, I like to relax my semi-retired butt in an over stuffed chair inherited from my father.
And then somebody stuck a "But" in my face.
My dad, Everett to some, Mr. Glover to many others, was a deeply religious man and like Jesus, was a carpenter. I have furniture in my home made by him before I was born 66 years ago. As he aged, he found fussing with tools and precise measurements too much. Dad turned to his hobby...whittling, carving, wood sculpting. Bas-relief and some free standing.
He spent his last years with me, his eyes and fingers seeing something in a piece of wood that no one else could see. A horse, his version of the Thinker, the ascending Jesus.
When he wasn't carving, he spent a good deal of time in his overstuffed chair, often favoring it for the night over his bed.
That is where he chose to be when the time came. In his comfy chair.
Christine, my sister and a neighbor, Rev. Turner were there and so was I. Dad was 86.
I took over the chair and soon discovered it's magic. When I sit there... don't want to get up which is now getting to be a problem. Regular visits to the gym including 90 minutes of huffing and puffing. Nature trail hikes covering up to 10 miles ...but I'm now finding, this may not be enough.
Why? Because some folks who study these things, say that although I may be moving enough, I'm not really moving enough.
Physiologist, kinesiologist, medical doctors, health organizations, even some gym rats, all endorse a daily minimum of 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous activity, three days a week. Jogging, basketball, high impact dancing and so-on.
If that's too much, then 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five days a week. Moderate meaning, action in which breathing is heavy but you can hold a conversation. A good walk, light house cleaning, dancing preferably to ballads.
If you want to loose weight and keep it off...add another 30 to 45 minutes per day.
But...but now come the academic types. The researching experts are telling me that my efforts may not be enough to keep my 'Butt' healthy.
A resent study of men 20 to 89 by the University of South Carolina found that those who sat the most had the greatest risk of heart problems.
The kicker was that many of those men also exercised regularly and led physically active lifestyles. Vigorous men but for various reasons, work or leisure, also sat for long hours. More than 10 hours a week riding in a car combined with more than 23 hours of sitting at work or at leisure, increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, the study states. Even when age and weight were taken into consideration, workouts did not make up for sit-ins, the study found.
A finding published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reached a similar conclusion. Their study encouraged those who work at computes all day to get up and take a walking break.
That's me in my dad's chair. So excuse me for a sec. while I take a walking break.
Hup,two, three four. Walking in rhythm, Movin' in sound, Hummin' to the music, Trying to move on. -The Blackbyrds.
I'm back.
A vigorous life style combined with lots of sitting has made some us, ‘‘active couch potatoes," said Gretchen Reynolds, a writer who borrowed the phrase from physiologists. Reynolds covers fitness for a number of publications, including the New York Times, Oprah Magazine and Women's Health.
Many of us are probably more active than we think. We just haven't put it all together to make our daily lives work for us instead of against us.
Take out a piece of paper and pen. Jot down all the physical things that you do over the course of a day or week, no matter how minor or insignificant. Consider each physical act, even fidgeting, to be a form of exercise and then improve on each activity.
Standing as much as possible instead of sitting, even at work. Walking to the water fountain farthest from your desk. Picking up something, anything within reason, that has fallen to the floor, even if it is not your stuff.
Fidgeting??
Yes, frequently shifting positions is a physical act. It's not much but it helps for those who must sit for long hours at work.
Find away to Move More and Sit Less. No if and or buts.
Related articles:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/phys-ed-the-men-who-stare-at-screens/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/the-hazards-of-the-couch/?src=me&
We try to hide our 'Buts' by saying ... "There is always an exception to the rule." But that is just an attempt to avoid saying but.
I thought I had exercise all figured out. After an enthusiastic workout, I like to relax my semi-retired butt in an over stuffed chair inherited from my father.
And then somebody stuck a "But" in my face.
My dad, Everett to some, Mr. Glover to many others, was a deeply religious man and like Jesus, was a carpenter. I have furniture in my home made by him before I was born 66 years ago. As he aged, he found fussing with tools and precise measurements too much. Dad turned to his hobby...whittling, carving, wood sculpting. Bas-relief and some free standing.
He spent his last years with me, his eyes and fingers seeing something in a piece of wood that no one else could see. A horse, his version of the Thinker, the ascending Jesus.
When he wasn't carving, he spent a good deal of time in his overstuffed chair, often favoring it for the night over his bed.
That is where he chose to be when the time came. In his comfy chair.
Christine, my sister and a neighbor, Rev. Turner were there and so was I. Dad was 86.
I took over the chair and soon discovered it's magic. When I sit there... don't want to get up which is now getting to be a problem. Regular visits to the gym including 90 minutes of huffing and puffing. Nature trail hikes covering up to 10 miles ...but I'm now finding, this may not be enough.
Why? Because some folks who study these things, say that although I may be moving enough, I'm not really moving enough.
Physiologist, kinesiologist, medical doctors, health organizations, even some gym rats, all endorse a daily minimum of 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous activity, three days a week. Jogging, basketball, high impact dancing and so-on.
If that's too much, then 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five days a week. Moderate meaning, action in which breathing is heavy but you can hold a conversation. A good walk, light house cleaning, dancing preferably to ballads.
If you want to loose weight and keep it off...add another 30 to 45 minutes per day.
But...but now come the academic types. The researching experts are telling me that my efforts may not be enough to keep my 'Butt' healthy.
A resent study of men 20 to 89 by the University of South Carolina found that those who sat the most had the greatest risk of heart problems.
The kicker was that many of those men also exercised regularly and led physically active lifestyles. Vigorous men but for various reasons, work or leisure, also sat for long hours. More than 10 hours a week riding in a car combined with more than 23 hours of sitting at work or at leisure, increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, the study states. Even when age and weight were taken into consideration, workouts did not make up for sit-ins, the study found.
A finding published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reached a similar conclusion. Their study encouraged those who work at computes all day to get up and take a walking break.
That's me in my dad's chair. So excuse me for a sec. while I take a walking break.
Hup,two, three four. Walking in rhythm, Movin' in sound, Hummin' to the music, Trying to move on. -The Blackbyrds.
I'm back.
A vigorous life style combined with lots of sitting has made some us, ‘‘active couch potatoes," said Gretchen Reynolds, a writer who borrowed the phrase from physiologists. Reynolds covers fitness for a number of publications, including the New York Times, Oprah Magazine and Women's Health.
Many of us are probably more active than we think. We just haven't put it all together to make our daily lives work for us instead of against us.
Take out a piece of paper and pen. Jot down all the physical things that you do over the course of a day or week, no matter how minor or insignificant. Consider each physical act, even fidgeting, to be a form of exercise and then improve on each activity.
Standing as much as possible instead of sitting, even at work. Walking to the water fountain farthest from your desk. Picking up something, anything within reason, that has fallen to the floor, even if it is not your stuff.
Fidgeting??
Yes, frequently shifting positions is a physical act. It's not much but it helps for those who must sit for long hours at work.
Find away to Move More and Sit Less. No if and or buts.
Related articles:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/phys-ed-the-men-who-stare-at-screens/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/the-hazards-of-the-couch/?src=me&
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The leading edge of the Baby Boomer generation turned 65 last month
While trying to kick ice free from the driveway, aftermath of a recent storm, both feet "unexpectedly" left the ground and horizontal I went. Thud, splat. A booty bounce right in front of son, Bennett.
"Wait, Wait, don't tell me,"...there is nothing unexpected about slipping and falling while standing on ice and kicking at it.
Ben was quick to offer assistance and check to see if the old man was okay. Thanks to the extra padding that seems to be permanently fixed to my waist and hind'ny parts, I can report no ill effects other than to my pride. I can smile about this fall but it's time to take these things seriously.
Falls, a threat to the health and independence among older adults, are the leading cause of debilitating injury among those over 65. In 2007, last year for figures, 81% of deaths from falls were among those over 65, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, about a third of all adults 65 and older, fall.
Most falls are not fatal but many result in moderate to severe injuries such as lacerations, bone fractures or head traumas. These falls, even tumbles involving no injuries at all, can result in a fear of falling for older adults. Fear alone may cause some seniors to limit their activities, leading to reduced mobility which causes a loss of physical fitness, which raises the possibility of that which is feared ... falling.
How can older adults take steps to reduce the chance of falling?
The combined wisdom of those who study these kinds of things, physiologist, gerontologist, health and wellness organizations, have put together a long list which includes:
* Exercise regularly. Focus on leg strength, flexibility and balance.
* Ask doctor or pharmacist to review medicines that may cause dizziness or drowsiness.
* Have eyes checked by an eye doctor.
* Make homes safer by reducing trip hazards, add grab bars, and improve the lighting.
* Last but not least...bad, snowy, icy weather? Stay indoors.
Practice getting up from the floor. Don't wait until you fall to try and figure how to get up.
"Wait, Wait, don't tell me,"...there is nothing unexpected about slipping and falling while standing on ice and kicking at it.
Ben was quick to offer assistance and check to see if the old man was okay. Thanks to the extra padding that seems to be permanently fixed to my waist and hind'ny parts, I can report no ill effects other than to my pride. I can smile about this fall but it's time to take these things seriously.
Falls, a threat to the health and independence among older adults, are the leading cause of debilitating injury among those over 65. In 2007, last year for figures, 81% of deaths from falls were among those over 65, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, about a third of all adults 65 and older, fall.
Most falls are not fatal but many result in moderate to severe injuries such as lacerations, bone fractures or head traumas. These falls, even tumbles involving no injuries at all, can result in a fear of falling for older adults. Fear alone may cause some seniors to limit their activities, leading to reduced mobility which causes a loss of physical fitness, which raises the possibility of that which is feared ... falling.
How can older adults take steps to reduce the chance of falling?
The combined wisdom of those who study these kinds of things, physiologist, gerontologist, health and wellness organizations, have put together a long list which includes:
* Exercise regularly. Focus on leg strength, flexibility and balance.
* Ask doctor or pharmacist to review medicines that may cause dizziness or drowsiness.
* Have eyes checked by an eye doctor.
* Make homes safer by reducing trip hazards, add grab bars, and improve the lighting.
* Last but not least...bad, snowy, icy weather? Stay indoors.
Practice getting up from the floor. Don't wait until you fall to try and figure how to get up.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Good shoes can be sweet music to the feet
Winthorpe P. Coltrane, some call him Roscoe, I call him Trane, started jogging on a treadmill at a local gym about ten years ago. He was 62 and had never been much of an athlete or a musician.
Four times a week, sometimes more, Trane shows up with a smile and a kind word for anyone who crosses his path.
Courtly is an adjective not used to describe guys at the gym but it fits the gentle man who is somewhat vague on how the nickname Roscoe came about. The character does not fit but I think the moniker has something to do with the sheriff from TV's Dukes of Hazzard.
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.
Today, Roscoe or Train, breezes through two miles on an indoor track at a beautifully laid out facility on the Lou's south side.
Sleek,140 pounds of lean mean running machine on a 5'8" frame. An efficient, no wasted motion runner. A slight bounce to each step. Eyes set, arms pumping not unlike a locomotive. Train, that's Roscoe.
Running can be demanding on the joints of older adults. It can also be demanding on the shoes.
Roscoe figures he's put nearly 300 miles on a pair of two year old moderately priced joggers. He had also begun to complain of sore feet...tired legs...and thought maybe age was catching up. That he was running to much, when a friend suggested new shoes.
Roscoe purchased a new pair and, "I'll be darn if I didn't feel better from the get-go," said he.
Folks who pay attention to these things, experts and so on, say shoe stability starts to break down after 300 miles.... depending on running style, body weight, and running surface.
Even if the shoe's outward appearance looks okay. It's internal structure, the guts that makes it a good shoe, maybe shot.
A shoe's mid sole layer provides stability and a shock absorbing cushion. It usually wears out before the out sole shows major signs of wear, says Elizabeth Quinn, an exercise physiologist.
When a mid sole wears out the shoe looses functional stability. It is this loss that leads to increased stress and risk of injury to runners.
Roscoe was half right. Age indeed was catching up...just not his. It was the shoes. The new pair confirmed what his friend had suggested.
Back to full strength, Trane completes his daily double with a 60 yard dash...so spirited....that you'd expect a touch down dance afterwards. Good shoes can be sweet music to the feet..
Quinn Tips for buying Running Shoes
Four times a week, sometimes more, Trane shows up with a smile and a kind word for anyone who crosses his path.
Courtly is an adjective not used to describe guys at the gym but it fits the gentle man who is somewhat vague on how the nickname Roscoe came about. The character does not fit but I think the moniker has something to do with the sheriff from TV's Dukes of Hazzard.
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.
Today, Roscoe or Train, breezes through two miles on an indoor track at a beautifully laid out facility on the Lou's south side.
Sleek,140 pounds of lean mean running machine on a 5'8" frame. An efficient, no wasted motion runner. A slight bounce to each step. Eyes set, arms pumping not unlike a locomotive. Train, that's Roscoe.
Running can be demanding on the joints of older adults. It can also be demanding on the shoes.
Roscoe figures he's put nearly 300 miles on a pair of two year old moderately priced joggers. He had also begun to complain of sore feet...tired legs...and thought maybe age was catching up. That he was running to much, when a friend suggested new shoes.
Roscoe purchased a new pair and, "I'll be darn if I didn't feel better from the get-go," said he.
Folks who pay attention to these things, experts and so on, say shoe stability starts to break down after 300 miles.... depending on running style, body weight, and running surface.
Even if the shoe's outward appearance looks okay. It's internal structure, the guts that makes it a good shoe, maybe shot.
A shoe's mid sole layer provides stability and a shock absorbing cushion. It usually wears out before the out sole shows major signs of wear, says Elizabeth Quinn, an exercise physiologist.
When a mid sole wears out the shoe looses functional stability. It is this loss that leads to increased stress and risk of injury to runners.
Roscoe was half right. Age indeed was catching up...just not his. It was the shoes. The new pair confirmed what his friend had suggested.
Back to full strength, Trane completes his daily double with a 60 yard dash...so spirited....that you'd expect a touch down dance afterwards. Good shoes can be sweet music to the feet..
Quinn Tips for buying Running Shoes
- Shop in the afternoon (or after a work out) feet swell during the day.
- Measure your foot while standing.
- Try on both shoes with the socks you plan to wear.
- -more tips
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Combining natural interest and abilities with exercise
Ms Bea, a stout, middle aged woman of many interest, one of which is photography another is lifting weights. Unusual for a woman of any age, lifting weights. "I tried it once in a previous effort at working out," she said.
Ms Bea is not a body building, weight lifting, female version of Arnold. Her interest was based on therapy in recovering from an injury.
However, like many who start an exercise program, Ms Bea relapsed into inactivity... or perhaps it was just a long "Time Out." At any rate, she's back.
Strength training in general and lifting weights in particular is not an exclusive locker room for men. Women train as well, however records from the Center of Decease Control and Prevention, show that less than 18 percent of women over 45 engage in some form of regular strength training. By age 65, the percentage falls to 10 percent and slides further with age. Records date to 2004, last available figures.
But there are compelling arguments for why women in particular and men over 50 should practice some form of strength training at lease twice weekly, sites Elizabeth Quinn, an exercise physiologist and fitness consultant to About.Com.
Numerous studies show that strength training helps to lose body fat, reduce the risk of injury, decrease the risk of osteoporosis, reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
A reduction in muscle strength is part of normal aging but some of it is due to lack of use. Muscle mass can be restored, even to some degree among the elderly, through training.
Upon her return to active training, our friend, Ms Bea, stands to benefit from Quinn's list of 10 reasons why women should strength train, which include becoming stronger but not gaining bulging muscles. Women have less muscle mass than men and produce much smaller amounts of testosterone, a hormone needed to build muscle. In short, bulk ain't gonna happen, under normal conditions, no matter how strenuous the effort.
Ms Bea has another interest that should help develop a healthy fitness life style. She kinda-sorta likes to hike.
"I guess you can call it that," she said. "Sometimes I stop the car and take a picture of something that catches my eye. Sometimes I have to walk a ways (hike) to get to it."
A complete fitness routine includes not only strength but cardio exercises as well.
Benefits of moderate cardio activity like hiking, volleyball, shooting baskets, and water aerobics, contribute to improved endurance, and like strength training, cardio benefits include weight loss, increased bone density, stronger heart and lungs.
St.Louis has a number of scenic, easy striding, beginner hiking trails.
Ms Bea's interest in photography can encourage nature trail hikes which in turn benefit photography. A perfect health and wellness symbiotic relationship.
Thrown in strength training and Ms Bea has the makings of a life long fitness routine that covers her natural interest and abilities.
Myths of women weight training: http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm
Healthy Aging: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/121610p18.shtml
American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise for older adults: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Past_Roundtables&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2836
Ms Bea is not a body building, weight lifting, female version of Arnold. Her interest was based on therapy in recovering from an injury.
However, like many who start an exercise program, Ms Bea relapsed into inactivity... or perhaps it was just a long "Time Out." At any rate, she's back.
Strength training in general and lifting weights in particular is not an exclusive locker room for men. Women train as well, however records from the Center of Decease Control and Prevention, show that less than 18 percent of women over 45 engage in some form of regular strength training. By age 65, the percentage falls to 10 percent and slides further with age. Records date to 2004, last available figures.
But there are compelling arguments for why women in particular and men over 50 should practice some form of strength training at lease twice weekly, sites Elizabeth Quinn, an exercise physiologist and fitness consultant to About.Com.
Numerous studies show that strength training helps to lose body fat, reduce the risk of injury, decrease the risk of osteoporosis, reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
A reduction in muscle strength is part of normal aging but some of it is due to lack of use. Muscle mass can be restored, even to some degree among the elderly, through training.
Upon her return to active training, our friend, Ms Bea, stands to benefit from Quinn's list of 10 reasons why women should strength train, which include becoming stronger but not gaining bulging muscles. Women have less muscle mass than men and produce much smaller amounts of testosterone, a hormone needed to build muscle. In short, bulk ain't gonna happen, under normal conditions, no matter how strenuous the effort.
Ms Bea has another interest that should help develop a healthy fitness life style. She kinda-sorta likes to hike.
"I guess you can call it that," she said. "Sometimes I stop the car and take a picture of something that catches my eye. Sometimes I have to walk a ways (hike) to get to it."
A complete fitness routine includes not only strength but cardio exercises as well.
Benefits of moderate cardio activity like hiking, volleyball, shooting baskets, and water aerobics, contribute to improved endurance, and like strength training, cardio benefits include weight loss, increased bone density, stronger heart and lungs.
St.Louis has a number of scenic, easy striding, beginner hiking trails.
Ms Bea's interest in photography can encourage nature trail hikes which in turn benefit photography. A perfect health and wellness symbiotic relationship.
Thrown in strength training and Ms Bea has the makings of a life long fitness routine that covers her natural interest and abilities.
Myths of women weight training: http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm
Healthy Aging: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/121610p18.shtml
American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise for older adults: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Past_Roundtables&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2836
Friday, January 21, 2011
Snow in the Lou
Got some serious snow the other day, at lease nine inches. St. Louis is not exactly the snow capital of the midwest but starting Wednesday night, we gave it our best shot. The fluffy stuff tumbled in until late Thursday morning.
My old snow blower, which failed me last week during a light snow, cranked right up and plowed through the stuff like Jim Brown going off tackle. Cleared a 70 foot driveway, the sidewalk, and part on a neighbors drive in less than an hour.
The neighbors drive? Yes sir. Something about a big snow blower, like a potato chip, can't start this rascal up for one.
As said before, clearing snow is a form of exercise. But even with the blower, moving nine inches of snow takes effort.
Walking back and fourth and distributing the snow so that it is out the way. Shoveling steps and that part of the walk to narrow for the blower. Cleaning a path to the trash can, not only for yourself but for the refuse collector and don't forget the postal workers.
AND...stopping every few minutes to lower a rising heart rate. Even with the blower, this is work.
But the best thing of all about the snow ....being retired and living across the street from a small park with it's pines and oaks, ....what a pretty site. I took time to enjoy it all.
Snow shovel tips from eHOW.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_13048_shovel-snow.html
-Anthony, St. Louis
My old snow blower, which failed me last week during a light snow, cranked right up and plowed through the stuff like Jim Brown going off tackle. Cleared a 70 foot driveway, the sidewalk, and part on a neighbors drive in less than an hour.
The neighbors drive? Yes sir. Something about a big snow blower, like a potato chip, can't start this rascal up for one.
As said before, clearing snow is a form of exercise. But even with the blower, moving nine inches of snow takes effort.
Walking back and fourth and distributing the snow so that it is out the way. Shoveling steps and that part of the walk to narrow for the blower. Cleaning a path to the trash can, not only for yourself but for the refuse collector and don't forget the postal workers.
AND...stopping every few minutes to lower a rising heart rate. Even with the blower, this is work.
But the best thing of all about the snow ....being retired and living across the street from a small park with it's pines and oaks, ....what a pretty site. I took time to enjoy it all.
Snow shovel tips from eHOW.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_13048_shovel-snow.html
-Anthony, St. Louis
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Weights, weights, don't make me.
To be physically fit, one must endure a degree of discomfort. It's the price we pay to get what we want.
Ms. Jackie, an older middle aged woman, new to physical fitness as it applies to the grunts, groans and sweating of gym workouts, balked at lifting 25 pounds at a bicep curl work station. It was a five pound increase over her new routine, to which she had quickly adjusted and a 10 pound increase over where she had been a few weeks earlier.
Lifting 15 pounds 10 times, three times a week... after week, after week? It was past time for a slight adjustment. A similar routine, using the least amount of effort was practiced at the other work stations. Nothing wrong with this. Just don't expect much progress.
The body adjust in time to the work it is given by working more efficiently. Working more efficiently means not working as hard, means not burning as much energy, means not burning as much fat.
About 5'6" and 185 pounds, I knew Ms Jackie could do more. She disagreed.
Encouraged by her doctor to loose weight, Ms Jackie followed his advice and his recommendation to join a Fit For Life exercise program at a local YMCA.
Fit For Life is a grant funded program designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle through exercise.
Like many FFL participants, Ms Jackie, over weight and borderline hypertensive, was initially a bit self-conscious.
Stuff humming and clanging. Men and women moving about in various stages of undress. Sistas with they hindnies all up in the air, wiggling and jiggly all over the place.
Sleek looking tigeress, shimmy through workouts. Effortlessly.
Being self-conscious in a gym setting is a waist of time. Most folks are not paying nearly as much attention to you as you think for the reasons you might think. They are to busy concentrating on personal objectives.
For the most part, Ms Jackie had adjusted to gym life. Regular attendance. Reasonable enthusiasm. Running into old friends and making new ones. She keeps a journal of her training schedule...10 minute hamster trot (treadmill), 10 minutes on the recumbent cycle. Fifty minutes for Zumba.
Strength training through weights had become a challenge. Ms Jackie, locked in on 20 pounds, had no intension of moving up to 25. She reminded me that she only wanted to tone up a bit and not get bulky.
I reminded her that 10 repetitions at 20 pounds is not going to produce Arnold size muscles.
Many women spend most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise and not enough on strength training. In part, some women view weights as not feminine. There is a fear of appearing masculine. There is also a lack of knowledge.
Women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as men.
Myths of Women's Weight Training.
http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm
Why women should lift weights
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/women/a/aa051601a.
After all the explaining featured in the above links, after all my sweet talk...
even reminded her of Michelle Obama's celebrated arms...Ms Jackie wasn't getting up off 20. She did however adjust the weights to 25 pounds and strained against it in a failed attempt to lift and thus prove her point.
"Twenty-five pounds is just to much," she sighed.
This dance was going no where. Time to change the subject.
I asked about her grandchild.
"How old is she now"?
"Three," said Ms Jackie. She went on to talk about a recent shopping trip. That she had picked the little darling up to...
"How much does she weigh," I interrupted.
"About 30 pon..."
There was this long glare from Ms Jackie as I stuffed a smile.
Ms. Jackie, an older middle aged woman, new to physical fitness as it applies to the grunts, groans and sweating of gym workouts, balked at lifting 25 pounds at a bicep curl work station. It was a five pound increase over her new routine, to which she had quickly adjusted and a 10 pound increase over where she had been a few weeks earlier.
Lifting 15 pounds 10 times, three times a week... after week, after week? It was past time for a slight adjustment. A similar routine, using the least amount of effort was practiced at the other work stations. Nothing wrong with this. Just don't expect much progress.
The body adjust in time to the work it is given by working more efficiently. Working more efficiently means not working as hard, means not burning as much energy, means not burning as much fat.
About 5'6" and 185 pounds, I knew Ms Jackie could do more. She disagreed.
Encouraged by her doctor to loose weight, Ms Jackie followed his advice and his recommendation to join a Fit For Life exercise program at a local YMCA.
Fit For Life is a grant funded program designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle through exercise.
Like many FFL participants, Ms Jackie, over weight and borderline hypertensive, was initially a bit self-conscious.
Stuff humming and clanging. Men and women moving about in various stages of undress. Sistas with they hindnies all up in the air, wiggling and jiggly all over the place.
Sleek looking tigeress, shimmy through workouts. Effortlessly.
Being self-conscious in a gym setting is a waist of time. Most folks are not paying nearly as much attention to you as you think for the reasons you might think. They are to busy concentrating on personal objectives.
For the most part, Ms Jackie had adjusted to gym life. Regular attendance. Reasonable enthusiasm. Running into old friends and making new ones. She keeps a journal of her training schedule...10 minute hamster trot (treadmill), 10 minutes on the recumbent cycle. Fifty minutes for Zumba.
Strength training through weights had become a challenge. Ms Jackie, locked in on 20 pounds, had no intension of moving up to 25. She reminded me that she only wanted to tone up a bit and not get bulky.
I reminded her that 10 repetitions at 20 pounds is not going to produce Arnold size muscles.
Many women spend most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise and not enough on strength training. In part, some women view weights as not feminine. There is a fear of appearing masculine. There is also a lack of knowledge.
Women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as men.
Myths of Women's Weight Training.
http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm
Why women should lift weights
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/women/a/aa051601a.
After all the explaining featured in the above links, after all my sweet talk...
even reminded her of Michelle Obama's celebrated arms...Ms Jackie wasn't getting up off 20. She did however adjust the weights to 25 pounds and strained against it in a failed attempt to lift and thus prove her point.
"Twenty-five pounds is just to much," she sighed.
This dance was going no where. Time to change the subject.
I asked about her grandchild.
"How old is she now"?
"Three," said Ms Jackie. She went on to talk about a recent shopping trip. That she had picked the little darling up to...
"How much does she weigh," I interrupted.
"About 30 pon..."
There was this long glare from Ms Jackie as I stuffed a smile.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
St. Louis received a few inches of snow the other day. Shoveled my sister's drive and walk before returning home to crank up the old snow blower to knock off my crib.
But couldn't get the blankly blank thing to start. So I shoveled my steps, drive and walk.
Shoveling snow is just another form of exercise however it goes better if one is in shape, especially older folk.
A shovel of snow is rather light. It is 15 minutes of repetitive motion that drives up the heart rate that gets a poorly condition person in trouble. At 66, I've long given up hopes of becoming a world class athlete or acquiring a Greek God physique.
So my fitness routine is functionally realistic.
There is nothing in my home more than 80 pounds that I have to lift by my self. But I do have to sweep the walk, tend my flower garden, clean house, move groceries from the car to the house and put them up.
Each activity involves the repetitive motion of a rather light weight. It also includes bending, twisting, stoop and squatting.
I don't have to workout like an NBA all star to be fit but I do have to be conditioned to do well anything and everything that I'm expected to do on any given day. Cutting the grass, digging up weeds, and in the winter, shoveling snow. Oh yeah...and keeping my weight and blood pressure under control.
For basic cardio, a good 30 to 40 minute brisk walk is hard to beat. For a more intense workout, try cycling, jogging, and rowing. Ten to 15 repetitions of light weights ...working the chest, back and shoulders, arms and legs. Stretching, especially the lower back completes the routine. Remember to stretch and hold. Never bounce.
Finally got the snow blower to start...but a day later after much of the snow had melted away.
But couldn't get the blankly blank thing to start. So I shoveled my steps, drive and walk.
Shoveling snow is just another form of exercise however it goes better if one is in shape, especially older folk.
A shovel of snow is rather light. It is 15 minutes of repetitive motion that drives up the heart rate that gets a poorly condition person in trouble. At 66, I've long given up hopes of becoming a world class athlete or acquiring a Greek God physique.
So my fitness routine is functionally realistic.
There is nothing in my home more than 80 pounds that I have to lift by my self. But I do have to sweep the walk, tend my flower garden, clean house, move groceries from the car to the house and put them up.
Each activity involves the repetitive motion of a rather light weight. It also includes bending, twisting, stoop and squatting.
I don't have to workout like an NBA all star to be fit but I do have to be conditioned to do well anything and everything that I'm expected to do on any given day. Cutting the grass, digging up weeds, and in the winter, shoveling snow. Oh yeah...and keeping my weight and blood pressure under control.
For basic cardio, a good 30 to 40 minute brisk walk is hard to beat. For a more intense workout, try cycling, jogging, and rowing. Ten to 15 repetitions of light weights ...working the chest, back and shoulders, arms and legs. Stretching, especially the lower back completes the routine. Remember to stretch and hold. Never bounce.
Finally got the snow blower to start...but a day later after much of the snow had melted away.
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