Fit For A Lifetime
By
Gloria Keeling
“Use
it or lose it!” We’ve all heard it and most of us know it’s true. So
why aren’t more of us exercising? Becoming and staying “Fit for a
Lifetime” is challenging at any stage of life but it’s especially
challenging if we are over 50 and haven’t started yet. Even though
active seniors are the fastest growing demographic group of new
exercisers it is still a very small percentage of the baby boomer and
beyond generations. There are many reasons for this, not the least of
which is inertia. It’s easier to do what we’ve always done than to
change an established pattern. Motivation plays an important role in
beginning an exercise program.
Besides inertia there are the issues of
availability of programs and qualified instructors, and the discomfort
most out of shape people (of any age) feel going into a gym. Our
established routines are safe and oh-so comfortable. Change is
challenging but research suggests that seniors who welcome challenge
live a happier, more involved life. Time also is a factor. Beginning a
fitness program can seem like a loss of personal free time but it is
actually one of the best ways you can use time. When we are fit we have
more energy for everything in our life.
The feeling that becoming involved in
fitness is a surrendering of freedom is partly a result of the heaps of
conflicting information about what kinds of activities we need and how
much time we must spend on each activity. I’m a “fitness expert” and am
still sometimes mind-boggled at the variety of differing opinions from
other “experts”. One of the main goals of this column will be to
clarify what is most important for the active, mature adult who wants a
healthy, long life. Naturally this varies with specific goals but there
are a few fairly simple basics in the realm of fitness just as there are
in the realm of physics, gardening, car repair or any other human
endeavor. Helping you make fitness an enjoyable part of your everyday
routine is my mission in life.
Living fully today, and every day from now
on, depends on the choices we’re making as we journey through life.
Choices lead to change and change is the one thing that is inevitable,
good or bad. This is really apparent when it comes to our physical
fitness. If we aren’t participating in activities designed to keep us
fit and healthy we are aging faster than necessary, and while that is
certainly a choice it is one I would like to help you change. If you
are participating in fitness activities good for you! Use this
information to expand and enrich your exercise experience.
In my fitness philosophy there are six
required components we must include in our programs if we want to be
generally fit and healthy. Each one is important and an efficient
exercise combines two or more of these elements. Don’t be discouraged
by this list. You can accomplish everything on it in one hour a day.
1.
Aerobic or
cardiovascular exercise is the
component most seniors participate in, probably through a walking or
jogging program. This is important for a healthy heart.
2.
Muscular endurance
is attained through low intensity, high repetition exercise. A walking
program gives your lower body muscular endurance. Easy push-ups against
the wall would do the same for your upper body.
3.
Muscle strength and
size can only be gained by
doing very high intensity, low repetition exercises. This is where
weight training comes in and I can’t emphasize enough how essential it
is for seniors. What we perceive as aging is in large part just the
wasting away of muscle and bone mass. Weight training not only halts
this wasting but actually reverses it to build muscle and bone.
4.
Flexibility
as we age ensures that we will be able to reach up to high shelves, bend
over to pick things up, turn and look behind us, wash our backs and our
cars, and accomplish all the other small tasks of everyday life that
keep us independent.
5.
Balance and
coordination exercises keep our
reflexes sharp enough to drive safely, go up and down stairs without
fear, play tennis, do the hokey pokey with our grandkids and generally
give the appearance of a youthful person coming down the street…not a
doddering old one. All of these first five components help prevent
injury as we age, especially falls.
6.
Peace of Mind
is ordinarily not included on the menu of required elements for a
well-rounded fitness program. As I get older I know with
certainty that it is the single most important of all the components.
Worry and anxiety lead to stress and stress is directly related to many
of the ills that plague us as we age. We all need a way to develop
stress hardiness. It’s because of this belief that I added the practice
of t’ai chi ch’uan, yoga and meditation to my regime of aerobics and
weights. These disciplines are considered Mind/Body Fitness and their
definition is “fitness with an internal component.” It’s simple to
include the practice of internal awareness into exercises that also
accomplish the first five components of fitness. The exercise pictured
is a good example.
Opposite Arm and Leg
Balancing includes
components 2,3,4,5, and 6. Maintaining the position creates muscle
strength and endurance. Holding the entire weight of your body on one
arm and leg for a period of time will help maintain bone mass. The lift
in the limbs requires flexibility in the hip and shoulder joints. The
exercise cannot be done without engaging concentration and balance.
Focusing on and maintaining a slow, steady breathing pattern takes this
seemingly simple posture into the realm of mind/body fitness. Knowing
that you are Strong, Stretched & Centered enough to accomplish this
exercise contributes to your sense of self-esteem and consequently your
peace of mind.
THE
POSITION:
In the beginning you can do this exercise
with a fitness ball or stack of pillows until you feel steady and secure
without them.
Begin on your hands and knees with your arms
directly under your shoulders a little wider than shoulder width. Your
knees should be six to eight inches apart in alignment with your hips.
Lift the abdominal (stomach) muscles toward the spine to keep your back
supported and in neutral position, it shouldn’t sag or arch. Let your
head be a natural extension of your spine, don’t lift or drop it. Have
enough padding so your knees are comfortable but not so much it throws
you off balance.
THE EXERCISE:
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale
as you slowly lift the opposite arm and leg to level with the body. Be
easy with yourself in the beginning. You may only be able to lift your
arm at first, or your leg, or perhaps both, but only a few inches off
the mat. Once you are fully extended attempt to lengthen through the
limbs. Hold for up to ten slow, deep breaths, release and do the other
side. For variety alternate sides, lifting the limbs as you exhale and
bringing them back to the floor as you inhale. Build up to ten on each
side. This requires more balance because there is more movement.
THE RELEASE:
Upon completion
of the exercise lie on your back, breathe and gently pull your knees to
your chest for at least one minute. Relax and thank your body for doing
the work.
Tel (310) 451-5886
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