Fitness After Fifty

Gardening Counts as Exercise

 Gardening is not a piece of cake.  It can be downright hard work so it is just as important that you approach it as seriously as you do a session at the gym.  I think I can safely say that more aches and pains can be attributed to an all day session of yard work than with any other workout.

 

Before you begin your outdoor projects, walk around a bit and warm up your muscles.  A warm-up helps prevent injuries by lubricating the muscles and joints.

 

Research shows that gardening for 30-45 minutes a day, on most days of the week, can have the same health effects as any other exercise program.  You can expend the same amount of energy digging, weeding, trimming shrubs, and mowing as you can by walking, cycling, swimming or doing aerobics.  Ideally, it is better to have a regular gardening routine.  It you can do  30-60 minutes of gardening two to three times a week, it is far superior to a marathon session on the weekends.

 

Prepare your muscles for gardening just as you would for any other form of exercise.  After walking around for a few minutes do a series of stretches.  Remember your old friend the lateral spine stretch (one hand reaches for the sky and the other one toward your knees), or trunk rotations or the standing chest stretch (hands clasped behind your back, raise your hands slightly away from the back and stretch open your chest)?  These aren’t anything new; you learned them in high school gym class.  These stretches should feel good. 

 

Now that your muscles are warm and you are feeling good, you can use a few of your garden supplies to emulate a gym workout.  You can do bicep lifts using a couple of bags of soil, or do push-ups against the fence or even lateral arm-raises while holding flower pots in your hands.

 

Now let’s do some real work.  Weeding squats (use the same careful body mechanics as you would while doing any other squatting/lifting type exercise).  Stand with your feet apart and lower your body by flexing your knees.  If your knees bother you, you can stand up to move rather than moving sideways with your knees flexed under you.

 

Do you still have a hand mower?  If you have a push mower you can give yourself a real aerobic workout while you cut the grass.  Take it a little easy though, keep your spine straight and avoid hunching over.  Use your whole torso to help you push.  If you do this for 20-30 minutes you will know that you have had a real workout.

 

Grunt and groan.  Use a long-handled rake.  Stand tall and keep your knees relaxed.  Be careful with the twists and pivots. Step into the twist and rotate your body properly.  Wheelbarrow lifting can be a killer too.  Be sure to bend from the knees (not your waist) and keep your back straight.  Take a wide stance and let those thigh muscles do the lifting.  Keep the wheelbarrow close to you as you lift.

 

Now, that was a workout that you can feel good about!  No power tools for you.

Line Dancing: Senior Fitness

Dance has been a form of communication and of self expression since the beginning of time, so you are not alone if the sound of music makes you tap your toes and want to sing.  People enjoy dancing not only as an art form but as a source of exercise.  Dance is a good way to not only feel good physically but to be stimulated mentally, not to mention a good way to meet people.  Line dancing is a healthy social outlet and numerous opportunities exist for recreation dancing.  Line dancing has been popular for along time and incorporates many musical styles.  Part of the appeal is that is easier than many of the other fad dances and something that whole families can participate in.

 

The best part of line dancing is that you don’t have to bring a partner in order to participate.  No fears of being a wall flower and no reason to feel left out because you are dateless.  When you hear the music you just get in line and let the music move you.  It doesn’t matter what your age or ability level is, everybody dances with everybody.  Line dancing is performed with a group of people moving together (most of the time in a straight line and facing the same direction).

 

All Christy Lane, author of the popular “Complete Book of Line Dancing,” asks you to do is think positively, start at the beginning, go in the right direction, stand tall and have fun.  Okay, some people seem to be born dancers but you can’t let them intimidate you.  With line dancing it is more a matter of practice than raw talent.  The key to any kind of dancing is to practice, practice and practice some more.  Line dancing is easy to learn so lighten up and give yourself a chance.

 

Sure you may swing the wrong way and bump into your neighbor from time to time but that is okay.  The easiest way to ease those fears is to know which direction to go.  Line dancing is usually done in the middle of a dance floor in an imaginary rectangular space with everyone facing the same direction.    Line dancing participants will start on the same foot and move in the same direction.  So, there is nothing to worry about.  When everyone goes right, you go right.

 

Stand tall.  Proper posture means you can use your muscles more efficiently.  The standard posture for guys in line dancing is thumbs in the pockets, and for the ladies it is a relaxed fist at the waist or at hip level.  It is also okay to have relaxed arms at your sides.  Line dancing can be a great stress reducer and the benefits are huge.  To begin with, your mind is going to have to be on memorizing your steps.  Then, when you get let yourself relax and flow with the music you will find it a delightful emotional release.  It is also great exercise, just like low-impact aerobics.  Health clubs and senior centers across the countries are teaching line dancing as an exercise form.  Line dancing is a great way to blend exercise with recreation.  You will find that you can raise your heart rate up to 60-70% of its maximum.  All you have to do to increase your aerobic benefit is to gradually increase the amount of time you dance continuously.  Start with one song and gradually add more tunes until you can dance for 15-60 minutes nonstop a couple of times a week.  I am a little intimidated because my sense of rhythm is such that even an aerobic step class frightens me.  So, my plan would be to get a video and study the foot maps taught.  Once you learn how to read the foot maps and try out a few of the basic routines at home, you will be ready to join your friends.

Martial Arts and the Older Student

I inherited my interest in martial arts from my mother.  Can you inherit something like that?  I remember being totally surprised when I learned that her favorite television show was Walker Texas Ranger, because she liked to see him “kick” the bad guys. 

 

I can even remember when my roommate and I sneaked away from our college dormitory to take Judo lessons at the YMCA.  I drifted away from it years ago, but made sure that my daughter studied Tae Kwan Do as a part of her education.

 

One part of me would love to try it again, but the other part thinks that if someone threw me on a mat I would break every bone in my body.  I was heartened by several articles featured in the Wall Street Journal that discussed how the “hard martial arts like karate, judo and others,” are attracting older students.

 

It is a far cry from the popular Tai Chi classes, with its slow, graceful, non-contact movements, that are so popular with older adults.  Still, Tae Kwan Do, karate, kung fu, judo and aikido are attracting students in the over 50 set.  The plus side is that they are excellent sports for increasing flexibility and balance.  They say that anyone can do it if they really want to.

 

The kicks may not be quite as high or as powerful as the Bruce Lee head shots, but they don’t have to be.  Many schools and instructors are tailoring programs to the older students.  Classes are becoming common at community recreation centers, YMCAs and other fitness centers.  Older enthusiasts are just as excited about earning a coveted black belt as the younger ones are.  There is something invigorating about having a goal that serves to drive you on….driving yourself above and beyond what you think you might be able to do.  The idea is to learn how to control your power and think light taps instead of knock-down drag-out blows.

 

The best thing about martial arts at this level is that it combines the physical with the mental, as you strive to get each movement just right.  The older students inspire the younger ones, and the younger students energize the older ones.  One gentleman cited in the article “Kicking From the Hip,” by Robert Johnson (Wall Street Journal, May 15-16, 2010) was recovering from a hip replacement.  When he started lessons he was walking with a cane.  After two years (about half way to a black belt) he felt he was getting around a lot better, enjoying the improved balance and no longer needed his cane.   Cardiologists feel that the hard martial arts are goof for the heart, not to mention that learning survival falls and picking yourself up off the mat is a good aerobic workout. 

 

Certainly injuries can occur but you have to use good sense too, your instructors will help you to modify the intensity of the routines.  Older people should stay within the boundaries of their physical limitations.  Techniques that focus on improved posture, coordination and body awareness can only be a positive experience.  Learning how to me mindful of your body whether you are lifting weights or sitting at a desk, will spill over into other parts of your life.

 

Core Strength: What Is it?

   

Core is a popular buzzword these days and you are probably wondering what the fuss is all about.  The trainers are all talking about it, but I’ve never been quite sure what it means.  Core training is one of those nebulous terms that trainers use, and they all seem to assume that we get it.  I have yet to get up the nerve to tell them that I have no idea what they are talking about.

 

 Exercising is one thing, but what does having a “core” have to do with it?  I think Mark Verstegen in his book “Core Performance Essentials,” puts it into a perspective that we can understand.  Core isn’t something that just signifies athletic prowess; it is about surmounting the challenges of day to day living.  The author points out that day to day living is just as physically and mentally grueling as anything that you find in a sport.  He goes on to say that athletic training pales in comparison when put up against the challenges that most people face every day.  I like that.  It tells me that core exercising isn’t just about losing weight, pumping iron, or running a marathon. 

 

You need strength, endurance and agility just to get you through your daily routine, and this is compounded as you get older.  Forget the hype about weight loss and six-pack abs, what really matters is improving your physical and mental well being in order to ensure productive day to day existence.

 

The core is the new term for your center of power.  Core training centers on the strength and flexibility of your core, or your torso.  A well conditioned core means improved balance, strength, endurance, power, and speed. Gary Bredehoft writing for the Lincoln Journal Star (May 26, 2009) puts it very succinctly when he writes that strengthening the core stabilizes your pelvis, which stabilizes your hips, which stabilizes your feet.  Your core is much more than your abs.  It refers to the entire midsection of your body.  The core is your center of gravity.  It consists of your abdominal muscles, hip flexors, lower back muscles and hip extensors.  It forms the basis for all movements.

 

The core actually consists of many different muscles that run the entire length of the torso.  These muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and provide a foundation for the movement of the extremities.  Core conditioning programs target these muscle groups.  Core strength is the foundation of all movement.

 

Remember that exercise is a long term strategy not a quick fix. No matter how bad off you are right now, you are not doomed to poor health and an early exit.  The trouble is that if you don’t exercise you may very well become one of those old people who can’t get out of a chair or walk unassisted.  Your goal is not only to live longer but to live better.   Think back to how a baby learns how to move. They go from wiggling to rolling over to crawling and then finally to standing and walking.  Aging kind of reverses that process and many people lose the ability to squat, maintain balance, or even to stand upright.  Instead of conceding that this devolution is unavoidable you can challenge yourself by exercising.  Having a weak core is not part of normal aging.   Effective workouts should train you in functional movements.  When your trainer/instructor talks about strengthening your core, it is time to sit up and listen.  Core training is for older people too.