Fitness After Fifty

Fitness After Fifty: Take A Hike

A stroll in the country or even a long walk through a national forest may seem like a leisurely way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but hiking enthusiasts will attest that hiking involves more than just putting one foot in front of the other.  Don’t let anyone tell you that a hike isn’t a good workout.

We love hiking.  Bird watching and letting the dogs enjoy the flora and fauna is a weekly ritual in our family.  We are older now.  The backpack is lighter and the pace is a little slower, but there is still nowhere else we would rather be. The peace, quiet and fresh air are positively intoxicating.

Hiking is not a piece of cake.  You need both strength and stamina to navigate a mountain trail safely.  A dose of common sense is a good prerequisite too.  I am grateful that so many cities in the Pacific Northwest have walking/bike trails but hiking is even better.  Hiking is more fun than running around a football field track or dodging bikes or young moms with baby strollers on a city trail.

I would call hiking exercise in its purest form.  Look at it this way:

• Hiking builds endurance and strengthens muscles
• Scrambling up and down hillsides burns a lot of calories.  You will know this because your heart and your lungs work harder than they do even during a marathon running session.  If you don’t think that it works all of your muscle groups it is because you haven’t tried it yet.
• Hiking is a “Zen” experience.  It works wonders for your mood and mind frame.

Hiking is an exercise form and as such a little preparation is not amiss.  The preparation is as important as the sport itself. 

• Hiking is an aerobic exercise.  Hopefully you already do some form of aerobic exercise, or it won’t take much of a climb to have you gasping.
• You know those big muscles on the front of your thighs?  They are called quadriceps.  Combine an elevation gain with uneven surfaces and you will experience “burn” like you have never felt before. A good strengthening program will add to your outdoor enjoyment. 
• Wear comfortable socks and shoes.  A blister can ruin the experience like nothing else can.   Trim your toenails.  Long toenails can cause considerable discomfort.  Your toes tend to jam against the toe bed of your shoes as you run, slide, and scramble during the downhill leg of the journey.  The down hill leg of your journey is less aerobic but actually more difficult than the uphill climb.
• Eat a nutritious breakfast but not too heavy.  You don’t want to overload your stomach before you set out, but hiking burns a lot of calories and you will get hungry.  Carry plenty of water and nutritious snacks with you.
• Warm up a little bit before hitting the trail, especially if it starts out with a long uphill grade.

 Precautions:

• The ground may be uneven, rocky, muddy and slippery.  Keep your eyes on the ground and step firmly and carefully.
• Use small quick steps rather than long slow ones.
• If you start to lose your footing when scrambling downhill, slide on your seat.  I know you didn’t wear white pants and tennis shoes.
• Use side steps (like in skiing) for muddy hills.
• Slow and steady.  No running in the forest please, you may scare the wildlife.
• Take breaks but don’t sit so long that your muscles get cold.
• Hike with a buddy, preferable one with a good sense of direction. Stay on the trail because even experienced hikers can get lost.  Carry a cell phone but remember that reception may be spotty.
• Sign in at the ranger station and learn about trail conditions before you set out.

I hope I haven’t scared you off.  A hike in the woods is sheer joy.  It is even more fun if you pick a trail that ends at a waterfall or mountain lake. Take a picnic lunch, enjoy the silence and know that you are getting a good workout at the same time.

 

Fitness After Fifty: Wearing Headphone

When I am not reading I am listening to music or books on tape.  Needless to say when working out at the gym or walking with my dogs I am wearing headphones. I will admit to still using a vintage cassette player or a portable CD player, but headphones are still very important.  Regardless of your sound system you still need headphones to keep your listening pleasure private.

Listening to a favorite workout tape or enjoying lively music makes exercise much less tedious, so we all know that headphones are here to stay.   I know you have been told before and will likely be told again, that wearing headphones when you are walking or running out of doors is extremely dangerous.  Death and injuries are more common than you might imagine among pedestrians who are talking on phones, texting or listening to music through headphones.   Pedestrians using mobile electronics are less aware of their surroundings and seniors are no exception. 

Newer style headphones have been around for awhile, but as a casual user I hadn’t kept up with the research and technology available.   I hate ear buds and still use the foam pieces that cover the whole ear, so it isn’t surprising that an article “Headphones that don’t touch the ears,” (Don Clark: The Wall Street Journal: January 12, 2012) caught my eye.  It seems I am not the only one that doesn’t like ear buds because they fall out during physical activity and they are not comfortable.

The author went on to talk about headphones that indeed do not touch the ears, specifically a model by AfterShokz Sport by VoxLinc LLC.  I haven’t tried them yet but the idea of having headphones that rest on the cheek bones and deliver sound through bone conduction is pretty tempting.  Just the idea that you can be aware of your surroundings while enjoying a favorite audio sounds perfect.  I am looking forward to learning about other models designed to enhance listening pleasure.

Fitness After Fifty: The Older Runner

Jill Barker (The Gazette: Montreal, Que. September 9, 2008) learned that older runners can continue to benefit from their sport, if they take care of themselves.  It was good to read that research has dispelled the myth that years of running does more harm than good.

People who enjoy running have fewer injuries than people who do not exercise. This means that if the spirit moves you it is still okay to run around the neighborhood.  Of course that doesn’t mean you can trash your body either.  Health benefits from exercise are reaped by those who train responsibly.  Technique is important.  Older runners just need a little more pampering than their younger counterparts.  The pampering comes in the form of stretching, resting, not ignoring pain, splurging on good shoes and cross training.

• Stretch often: muscles lose suppleness and resilience as they grow older. The added tightness leads to decreased range of motion. The altered range of motion changes the stride length, which in turn increases the risk of joint pain and injury.  Stretching reduces muscle tightness.  Stretch after, not before, every run.
• Rest regularly:  Older runners experience more muscle damage.  This damage takes longer to repair.   Most middle aged runner’s recommend an every-other-day routine, or alternating a hard/easy workout schedule.  How far you run each day is up to you, but the more mileage the higher incidence of injury.  Figure out a goal that doesn’t put too much wear and tear on the body.
• Don’t ignore pain:  We can’t do this anymore.  A few aches and pains is one thing but pain that goes on for weeks without letting up requires professional attention.  The earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the sooner you will be back on the track.
• Cross training:  if you use the same muscles every day you will end up with a repetitive stress injury.  Mix up your routines to include other forms of exercise.
• Good shoes:  Jay Caldwell (Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage, Alaska. August 12, 2003) writes about how older runners differ from younger runners. Older people take shorter steps more quickly, they bend their knees and hips less, they bounce up and down more, and they strike the ground harder.  The heels take a beating.   Older people have less elasticity, less shock-absorption in the muscles and ligaments, less fat cushioning on the heels and less bone density.  It makes my feet hurt just reading about it.  Old people aren’t going to get any younger, but they can be smarter and they can afford better shoes.  

 

Fitness Walking: Best Foot Forward

 A growing interesting in walking for fitness has put the spotlight on feet again.  Jessica Cassity wrote an article for Prevention Magazine (April 2011) about keeping your feet feeling good mile after mile.

We all know that shoe stores have aisles and aisles of shoes for walking, shoes for running, shoes for tennis, shoes for basketball, shoes for aerobic classes and shoes  for every other activity that you can think of.  Cassity breaks it down even further as she highlights shoes for hiking, shoes for fast walking, shoes to wear if you have bunions, shoes to wear if you are an overweight walker, special shoes if you walk/run intervals and shoes that feel like you have no shoes on at all.  Mercy!  Shoes really are in the news these days.

What is the difference and do you really need different shoes for every contingency?  If sore feet are keeping you from exercising, a little research might serve you well.  If your feet hurt you probably aren’t going to do any of the above mentioned activities.

What is a hiking shoe? Most hikers wear hiking boots when they are out in the wilderness. A good hiking boots will protect your feet and keep them dry, but truth be told, they are often a little clunky and not terribly comfortable.  A hiking shoe is lighter weight and probably sturdy enough for days hikes. The hiking shoe offers a gripping surface for when you go up and down hills, but are bendable enough for you to main a smooth stride on level terrain.  Reinforced toes protect the feet from bumps against rocks and roots.  Needless to say, they are undoubtedly more flexible and comfortable than the traditional hiking boot.

Fast walking shoes are designed with a super flexible toe to make pushing off and quickening your pace easier.  The ankle padding keeps the heel in place so that the foot won’t slide around.  This sounds good; when I walk my foot slides forward so that the big toes hits against the front of the shoe and you know how that feels.  Could it be that blood under the big toenail isn’t a given if you are a sports nut?

Bunion shoes:  You know who you are if you have a bunion.  They are not comfortable and are not conducive to walking.  Think about how good a shoe with an ultra roomy toe box and expandable bunion window would feel.  It should take the “squeeze” away from swollen joints and toes.

Overweight walkers:  You know who you are too, and you know that you really need to exercise more.  There are shoes that have pockets in the rubber bottoms to reduce the impact and provide extra cushioning.

Interval running is the big rage today, but this combines several different foot motions.  If you walk but want to add a burst of jogging to your workout your feet will be happier if you have the right shoe.  An interval running shoe is not only designed for high impact but it is still flexible enough for the rolling motion of the walk.

Barefoot walking is a growing trend.  A little risky, in my estimation, but you can get minimally padded shoes to protect your feet while still giving you the flexibility and foot strengthening benefits of going barefoot.

 Of course there are new casual shoes to baby your feet too, but we are just talking about fitness now.

 

 

 

 

Fitness Apparel That Supports Aching Joints and Muscles

 

Exercise isn’t all about lifting weights or logging miles on an exercise machine.  It is about having fun and getting a sense of pure enjoyment while you are at it.  Joy gets tempered a bit when you are over 50 due to aching joints and sore muscles.  The spirit is still willing but sometimes the body drags its feet a bit.

 

I love biking, hiking, playing tennis and even running but darn it, my legs hurt and I know I am not alone here.  It didn’t take long for me to be drawn to the article by Dan A. Nelson (NWWeekend, Seattle Times on Thursday, June 11, 2009), about outdoor apparel designed to support achy joints.  What a great idea!  I am already wondering if this idea could be expanded to everyday garments.

 

Opedix (www.opedix.com) has come up with an idea for running tights that have a knee support system.  A non-stretch fabric wraps in bands around the knees and acts like a brace by keeping the joint properly aligned.  It is designed to support the outside of the knee and decreases the stress on the knee joint.  The ad talks about reducing pain, increasing joint function and increasing joint stability. The fabric is breathable, has moisture wicking properties as well as being anti-odor and anti-microbial.  They also make a Posture Shirt that is useful for painful shoulders and back.  The author of the article mentioned that he also found the shirt comfortable when working on writing projects as it contributed to better posture while hunched over the keyboard.

 

 

 

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Athletic Shoes for the Senior Athlete

 

Anyone who is serious about fitness needs a good pair of athletic shoes.  You have been dreading the words “sensible shoes,’ since you were sixteen but it is time to admit that feet, as well as everything else, change with age.  The foot begins to widen and the Achilles heel as well as the ligaments on the bottoms of the feet become more susceptible to tearing, and we won’t even talk about warts and fungus and bunions that rear their ugly heads.

 

 Proper shoes can mean the difference between comfort and discomfort, and we all know that foot pain can cripple a fitness program more thoroughly than anything else.  The foot, with its 26 bones, dozens of muscles, tendons and nerve endings take an enormous beating throughout a lifetime, so it isn’t any wonder that problems crop up as we reach “middle age”. I use the words middle age loosely because we all know that we would have to live to be 120 or beyond to be considered in the middle of anything right now, but if we do, we don’t want our feet to hurt.

 

You are probably already familiar with words like Morton’ Neuroma, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, heel bruises and bunions.  I am personally acquainted with two of these conditions right now and have to start each day with stretching exercises and ice packs just to walk comfortably.  Your feet might not hurt right now but I can tell you from personal experience that it all happens very quickly and without warning.

 

Feet are important if you still want to be able to get from point A to point B with relative ease and enjoy the journey.  Be aware of common foot problems and treat your feet kindly (a.k.a. prevention):

 

• Keep your weight down
• Avoid over exertion during exercise sessions
• Avoid concrete and asphalt (try jogging on grass or along trails rather than on asphalt of cement)
• Learn good walking, jogging or running techniques
• Wear shoe inserts (insoles or orthotics) for support and cushioning
• Wear good shoes

 

Choosing the right athletic shoe is rather mind boggling.  Your favorite sporting goods store will have walls, shelves, and racks full of shoes for every sport imaginable.  Hopefully you can find a salesperson who is also an athlete to help you wade through the maze.  Much research, done by shoe companies, has gone into injury prevention and impact cushioning.  However, independent research has concluded that there isn’t much difference as far as feel and performance when it comes to different brands, so a little research and judicious shopping will be required on your part.  I have read several newspaper articles lately and both concluded that price is not the best indicator of quality in an athletic shoe.  If money is no object, go ahead and buy the name brand advertized by your favorite sports star, but many of the less expensive brands or models are perfectly adequate for your purposes.

 

There are tennis shoes, basketball shoes, running shoes, walking shoes and cross-training shoes.  Cross training shoes are the newest addition to the exercise shoe family.  They are versatile and more economical than buying a different shoe for every sport.  They work well for running, walking, racquet sports and fitness training.  Cross trainers are good for sports in general but I will be the first to admit that I really love the shoes that I bought for running better than anything else that I have ever put on my feet, so buy the shoe that is right for what you want to do. In general you will find that running shoes are more flexible, walking shoes are sturdier, court shoes have more side support and hiking shoes grip terrain better.  If you perform the same activity more than three times a week, buy a shoe specifically for that activity.

 

Athletic Shoes should fit like a glove.  Athletic shoes should never be uncomfortable.  You should be able to find a size and a brand that meets your specifications.  Follow the recommendations as to how often you should spring for a new pair.  It is common among people who exercise to go too long before buying new shoes.

 

Take care of the shoes that you have.  As you know, it doesn’t take long for hard working sweaty feet to ruin a pair of shoes.  Always use dry absorbent socks and let the shoes air out after your workout.  If you use inserts, get the kind that can be removed and washed often.  Sprinkle talcum or medicated powder in the shoe prior to wearing and keep the outside of the shoe conditioned with special preparations for athletic shoes.

 

Most importantly, especially at this stage in your lives, is to remember that the primary function of the workout shoe is to cushion and protect your feet, as well as protecting your ankles, knees and hip joint from injury.  Take a little extra care when choosing your athletic shoes and your body will thank you.

 

 

 

Can Seniors Still Play Tennis?

 

Last week I took the plunge and signed up for tennis lessons again.  I have played on and off for years but more off than on of late because of issues related to repetitive stress injuries in my hands.  My skill level has decreased but the desire to play persists so I have decided, with the encouragement of my daughter, to try again. 

 

Granted, I am the oldest one in the class and not the best, but not the worst either.  There are still enough skills to learn to make it quite challenging and I find that a new racquet makes it a lot more fun.

 

Tennis is a low impact sport that appeals to men and women and is the l1th most popular sport in

America

for folks 55 and older.  People are retiring earlier and remaining active longer.  The new high-tech equipment is joint friendly and conditions like tennis elbow are nearly a thing of the past.  The more powerful frames make it easier to play at a higher level.  Tennis is also easy on the body and qualifies as both an aerobic and anaerobic activity.  Seniors are a motivated group who compete just as fiercely as they did in the past. 

 

The most difficult part of the game is find someone to play with, which is why I am always drawn to newspaper articles about 60 year olds training for triathlons or 77 year olds who are active in racquet sports.  Still, I have to rely on my 30 year old daughter as a playmate because my contemporaries are too afraid of getting hurt to give it a whirl.    She is taking lessons too and we would love to be good enough to be a mother-daughter doubles team.  I was encouraged by the article by Rich Myhre (Herald, January 2, 2008) about a 77 year old who is still active in racket sports despite surgeries on knees and shoulders.  Where there is a will there is a way, and wanting to get back onto the courts is certainly a good reason to spur convalescence on.

 

Tennis is fun and studies show that the boomers are the fastest-growing segment of the tennis playing population and this is likely to increase.