Senior Fitness

SAMPLE WORKOUT ROUTINES

UPPER BODY Bench Press (Chest) Lat Pulldown (Back) Seated Shoulder Press (Deltoids) Incline Dumbbell Curls (Biceps) Triceps Pressdown Lower Body Machine Leg Press (Quadriceps) Hamstring Curls Standing Calf Raise CORE Abdominal Press Prone cross-raise (opposite arm/leg) Plank (2 x 15 sec) Lunges (50-foot course)

Bob Barker, beloved host of The Price Is Right, recently made headlines by announcing his retirement after 35 years. "Barker irreplaceable!" blared the entertainment tabloids. And yet, Mr. Barker celebrated his 82nd birthday a few months ago.

Eighty-two! Who really are the "seniors" among us? And what does "senior" mean in today's world? Certainly, America's population is aging by the minute. Baby boomers are rapidly closing in on their 60th birthdays. But most of those in this huge group (more than 76 million)¹ are resisting the concept of "getting older" and searching for ways to stay healthy and fit and well.

Fitness programs provide a major answer to these challenges. Yet, there are many questions. What to do? How to get started? What if I have health issues - can I still get fit?

Before we dive in, some special concerns need attention. Baby boomers and those even older must address decreased flexibility and possibly - temporarily - decreased stamina. Medical issues, including osteoporosis², high blood pressure³, and diabetes, as well as overweight/obesity, must be considered when beginning a new fitness plan.

The bottom line - have a complete physical exam with your chiropractic physician and/or family physician, and make sure you're good to go. Start slowly and easily, making gradual progress, and adding intensity and duration over the first several months.

Begin a walking-for-fitness program. Walking is fantastic exercise! Do 10 minutes at an easy pace the first day, build up to walking around the block, gradually building up over a 12-week period to a brisk 30-minute walk.

Also, begin lifting weights. Many helpful books are available, or ask a friend who knows what they're doing to show you the ropes. Start slowly, carefully, gradually. Train your upper body and lower body on separate days. Make sure you're focusing, paying attention, and working within yourself!

Nutrition is just as important as exercise in regaining the level of fitness we need to live healthy, long lives. Eating right requires some mental toughness, and it may take a while to build new habits. The payoff comes quickly, though, and is tremendously empowering.

We want to be fit for the rest of our lives. How to keep it all going? Here are a few tips from the fitness front lines -
•    Writing down a weekly plan. This keeps your workout and nutritional goals fresh. They're right there, on your desk or refrigerator, where you see them every day.
•    Vary your routines. Change your workouts every few weeks. Ride a bike if you've been walking. Use dumbbells instead of machines. Vary your fruits and vegetables, and vary your sources of protein.
•    Set up a buddy system or join a fitness club. The support of a group of friends who share your lifestyle goals, can make a big difference.

And, most importantly, have fun!
http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/
  ¹MetLife Mature Market Institute Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000.
  ²Carter ND, et al: Community-based exercise program reduces risk factors for falls in 65- to 75-year-old women with osteoporosis: randomized controlled trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal 67(9): 997-1004, 2002.
  ³Staessen JA et al: Life style as a blood pressure determinant. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 89(9): 484-489, 1996.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Exercisers

Visualization - The Zen of Exercises

Visualization - inner seeing - is a powerful tool for creating the life you want. Remarkably, visualization is also the secret ingredient in powerfully effective exercise. Visualization enhances the mind-body connection. When you "see" your muscles working in your "mind's eye", the "wiring" between your brain and your muscles grows. More nerve-muscle connections are made, and your muscles get smarter and stronger. It's a remarkable process. And it doesn't take any extra effort. Just think about it! :-)

"There I am," a very fit patient is saying, "out on my five-mile run, motoring my way up a steep incline. Suddenly, I feel a throbbing pain in the middle of my right shin. Oh, no,  I think, not again."

As things turned out, the patient recovered from the shin splints¹ quickly, but he knew he'd dodged a bullet. "Why did I get hurt?" he wanted to know. "I wasn't doing anything wrong.…What can I do to make sure this doesn't happen again?"
All very good questions. One answer is - basically − we need a plan for exercise. A powerful strategy that helps us train smart and train safe. When you're working this way − training smart and safe − then you can also train hard.

Training safe and smart means paying attention to what's happening in your body as you do your workout. "Paying attention" is a learned skill. It requires focus and repetition. Visualization is an important part of focus ─ and, if you're working on visualization, you're definitely paying attention!

You can visualize when you're running, too.
•    Visualize an erect, fluid spine and strong abdominal muscles.
•    Your head is upright, you're looking forward and slightly down, and your chest is open.
•    Your arms are active yet relaxed, and your shoulders sit comfortably on your rib cage.
•    Visualize a long stride, a soft landing, and a strong push off, with your leg kicking straight behind you.
Training smart means trusting your instincts, rather than listening to your ego. This is a tough one. At the time, it seems so important to do that last rep. Now, you can do that last rep if you maintain your form. Form is everything. If you have to sacrifice form in order to do those last few reps, you may get an unexpected, unwelcome result.

Likewise in running. When your form breaks down, that's a signal to slow down and recover your good mechanics. If your training is done with attention to proper, effective form, you'll be more likely, when the time comes, to run a good race at a good pace.

And, of course, we want to do these things to be healthy and well. The American College of Sports Medicine² states, "Resistance training, particularly when incorporated into a comprehensive fitness program, reduces the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, prevents osteoporosis, promotes weight loss and maintenance, improves dynamic stability and preserves functional capacity, and fosters psychological well-being."

As in much of life, there's a fine line between training hard and over training. Remember, the benefit of training is for the long term.
http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/

¹Couture CJ, Karlson KA: Tibial Stress Injuries: Decisive Diagnosis and Treatment of "Shin Splints". Physician and Sportsmedicine 36(6):29-36, 2002
²Kraemer WJ, et al: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Med Sci Sports Exercise 34(2):364-380, 2002