Older adults are not trying to become performance athletes.  There are exceptions.  In most cases, older adults want to be happy, feel good, and live their life free of long, lingering, debilitating illnesses.  They want to be mobile and independent and not have to give up their reliance on themselves.  The reality is that it means exercise and eating healthfully, breathing deeply, getting outside, and having a positive attitude on life.

Most senior adults understand the importance of exercise but most don’t do anything about it.  I am often asked, “What is the best exercise for me?”  The flippant answer is simply, “The ones that you’ll do”.  But that doesn’t answer the real question.  The real answer depends on a lot of variables, such as:

• Are you doing any exercise now? If so, what are you doing?
• Have you exercised in the recent past or are you mostly sedentary? Are you starting completely from scratch?
• What kind of physical condition are you in now? What is the condition of your basic infrastructure:  Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, bone density, and internal organs?

Those are just some of the many questions you should be asking yourself before you can decide on what sort of exercise is best for you.  And of course you should check with your doctor and get the OK to start any sort of exercise program.

So should you participate in vigorous physical activity, or should you go in for a more relaxed routine?  Notice I use the word “routine”.  Yes physical exercise should become a routine part of your day — every day.  Yes, every day.  Does that mean you must lift heavy weights and run miles every day?  Of course not.  But walking, stretching, and vigorous movement of some sort should be part of your day, with more vigorous cardio and resistance movements at regular intervals during the week.  Rest and recovery are major parts to any exercise program but that doesn’t mean being a couch potatoes on days you don’t exercise.

How long should you exercise.  I would suggest at least a minimum of thirty minutes to an hour, four days a week at the very minimum.  You can break this up into increments throughout the day, but frankly you are better off with a warm up and then going straight through a regular routine until you finish.

When is the best time of day?  Any time you are doing them, but you’ll feel better throughout the day if you do them in the early morning?  What!  Get up early?  The only time I would suggest as a bad time is just before you go to bed.  It’s not a good idea to get wound up  just before bed.  And if you are doing any sort of resistance exercise or heavy cardio exercise, then wait an hour or so after eating.

What is the best way to exercise?  That depends on you, your body make up and the condition you are in now.  In most cases you can do more than you think you can.  You can lift a heavier weight, walk or run a little farther than you think.  But you shouldn’t start off trying to push yourself too hard.  Starting off by working untrained muscles and other infrastructure too hard, can result in injury.

There are many options depending on what interests you.  Many people swear by Yoga, others Pilates, and others by a simple routine they can do at home.

What kind of equipment will you need?  You can start off with just your own body, a straight backed chair, and the floor.  You can do most of the exercises you need to start by using just those tools.  You can use soup cans as dumbells to start with and then move on to real dumbells as you progress.  A pair of three to five pound dumbells will get you started after the soup cans.  And exercise bands that you can pick up at a big box store or sporting goods store make great tools.  They come in several levels of resistance and it is good to buy a set of three.  I like the wider bands that are lightweight and easy to carry.  Easy to carry?  Yes, that means take them with you and use them when you travel.  That’s all the equipment you need.

Where to exercise?  If you plan to really dive into a major exercise program, I would suggest a local health club or gym.  There are national chains in nearly every town and city.  But you can exercise at home or in a hotel room, or anywhere else there is a space to fit your body into – and for most, that’s not a lot of space.

Should you get a Personal Trainer?  That’s certainly an option, but it’s not necessary.  If you are truly out of condition and have been sedentary for many years, then it might make sense to have a Personal Trainer get you started.  Whether you use a trainer or not, you should start slowly and build up to a more vigorous routine as your body becomes acclimated to exercise.  Many people starting exercise after a long layoff, or even for the first time, try to do too much, too fast.  They ache, have pain, and overwork themselves.  Then they say that exercise is too difficult, or it doesn’t work — and they stop.  Don’t let that happen to you.

This has been a quick overview.  Nothing more, nothing less.  There are plenty of exercise books at the library and bookstores to read, but none or few are for adults older than 55.  That seems to be a cutoff point.  That must be why I am producing an Ebook/Manual of Basic Exercise for Active Older Adults.  It will be simple, clear, and useful.  Look for it online sometime in late July.

Don’t be in a hurry.  Start slowly and do what works for you.  But do something.

Thanks for reading.

The Mission of The Come Alive Project is to spread a message about Health, Fitness and Personal Energy for active older adults.  But what do I mean by Personal Energy.  To me, Personal Energy is the ability to do the things we really want to do with enthusiasm, purpose and a positive attitude, and with something left over so we can move on to the next thing we want to do.

Personal energy reflects the feeling of being alive and to be able to enjoy the experience of being alive.  It’s the ability to keep up with some of the younger people, and then keep on going.  In today’s environment that may not take a lot of effort.

It also means a belief in yourself and in your abilities, while at the same time, being realistic about what those abilities are.  In reality, most older adults are able to do much more than they think they can.  But it also means being aware of your real limitations as opposed to self-imposed or perceived limitations, often reflecting the expectations of others.  It means believing in your physical capabilities and the ability to push yourself to those limits knowing just where those limits end.

A person who is living at a high personal energy level is resistant to long term chronic illness because they take care of themselves the way nature intended.  They have the physical ability to do what their body is made to do, and to do it easily and well.

Will you get tired?  Of course.  But you know how to let your body and mind rest and recover.  You’ll sleep deeply most nights.

Older adults living at a high Personal Energy level will be fueling themselves for excellence with real and nutrient laden foods.  You’ll maintain a high ratio of alkaline to acidic foods.  That means more veggies and less meat — not no meat, just less.  You’re likely to lose excess poundage if you eat that way, too.

If you’re living at a high energy level now, you’re probably leaner than the average senior and are able to control your weight with ease.  That simply goes with the territory.  You probably move more and move faster in your everyday activities and get more done in the process.

Chances are you breathe more easily than most and inhale the breath of life and spirit.  In fact the “breath of life” or “breath of spirit” is the basis of Chi or Ki energy as practiced by many Eastern cultures.  In fact the symbol, or ideogram for Chi, represents the steam escaping quickly from a teapot and reflects the “Universal Life Energy” or as some put it, “the Breath of God or Spirit”.  The Hindu word “Prana” has a similar meaning.

Your Attitude toward yourself and toward life in general is critical to your Health, Fitness and Personal Energy.  “It all starts with the way you’re thinking”.  A positive attitude goes a long way toward maintaining a vital life.  Norman Vincent Peale, the high priest of Positive Thinking, in his classic The Power of Positive Thinking wrote:  “All through its pages, the Bible talks about vitality and force and life.  The supreme overall word of the Bible is LIFE, and life means vitality — to be filled with energy”.    And Charles Fillmore who, with his wife Mildred, co-founded together what today is the Unity Church (not Unitarian), expressed this sentiment at age 94, shortly before his death: “I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm, and I spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me.”  How can anyone with an attitude like that have anything less than the enthusiasm and energy to live a long, vital life.

And it was Unity that first published, in 1905, that famous and classic poem by a nearly unknown author, Walter Wintle, entiltled The Man Who Thinks He Can. (not sexist, just the original language). If you are one of the few who are not familiar with the poem, you can find it online by searching under its title.  It pretty well spells out the role of Attitude in the Personal Energy equation.

Is that all there is to Health, Fitness and Personal Energy?  Of course not.  But exercise, real food and a positive attitude will go a long way in supplying the high octane fuel needed for today’s senior to live a positive and vital lifestyle.  Seems simple doesn’t it?  It really is.  And spreading that message is what The Come Alive Project is all about.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?  MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.

My wife and I attended an AARP “Smart Driving” class today and it was quite useful.  This AARP course is the nation’s “first and largest refresher course designed specifically for older drivers” (from the Welcome letter in the Guidebook included with the course).  The course is based on these premises:

• Our abilities are changing.
• Our cars are changing.
• Our roads are changing.
• Our state laws are changing.

As a senior who has been driving for sixty years, I thought the class may be a bit juvenile and unnecessary, but was I in for a surprise.  The four specific areas of change that I just mentioned seem to sneak up on us gradually, just as physical deterioration happens to our bodies, gradually and insidiously, without our noticing.

Our abilities are changing as we age.  Our eyesight diminishes and our hearing declines.  Our reaction times slow as does our body’s physical ability to respond to much of the stress involved with driving.  We tire more easily and are affected by the side effects of many of the prescription medications, as well as many of the over the counter items we self-medicate with.  Many of those prescription and non-prescription medications have interactions that can cause dangerous reactions and can reduce our driving ability.

Our cars are changing too.  My wife just bought a new car, a simple Toyota Camry without a lot of bells and whistles — she thought.  But even without a lot of the bells and whistles, the car has so many new features, many in the communications area, that she is having to take a lot of time and effort to learn how to use them.

Car designers are really looking after the needs of older drivers, and that effort is to be commended.  For example, there is a device developed by the MIT Age Lab, called the “Agnes Suit”, a “garment” that looks like an old time deep sea divers suit.  Designers wear it to simulate the many limitations that affect seniors in all aspects of life, including driving.  This includes range of motion limitations, arthritis and the ability to use joints, posture, speed of movement and other physical limitations of seniors.  These considerations include getting in and out of a car, driver positioning, ability to flex limbs, and other physical aspects of driving.  Car makers are recognizing the needs of seniors.

Our roads are changing, too.  They are becoming far more complex with parallel lanes, massive interchanges, new toll lanes, different signage, and seemingly constant road construction and maintenance no matter where we travel.

And finally traffic laws are always in a constant state of flux.  Many of those laws have to do with road markings, lane changes, accommodations for bicycle traffic and the like.  It’s hard to keep up.

I was happily surprised to see an entire segment of the class dedicated to exercises an older adult should be doing to stay flexible enough to twist, bend, and swivel the neck and body.  This is important for an older driver to be able to keep up with what is going on around him or her as they navigate today’s roadways.

All in all, it is an interesting and useful eight hour, two day course.  I strongly urge you let go of your ego for eight hours and find a way to take the course.  It’s given all over the country.  Did I mention that some insurance companies offer a reduced rate to those who have completed the course?  And at $15, It’s a bargain.  Go to the AARP website to learn more.

Thank you for reading.

_______________________________________________

The Come Alive Project is a platform for spreading a positive message about Health, Fitness, Personal Energy and a Positive Lifestyle for active senior men and women.

Bob McMillan is a blogger, speaker and seminar leader about mind, body and other aspects of positive living for seniors.  Contact Bob at bob@thecomealiveproject.com.