Fitness Gives Me Fits
May 29th is National Senior Health and Fitness Day which is a part of Older Americans Month. The goal of this fitness day is to, “promote the importance of regular physical activity, and to show what local organizations are doing to improve the health of older adults in their communities”. This fitness day has been going on for over 30 years and attracts more than 100,000 participants nationwide. There is probably something going on in your community. I googled National Senior Health and Fitness Day (adding my state) and got some hits on different events that were scheduled. You have to be careful not to mistake past years’ events for events for this year. These events can be group exercises, health information sources, or health services like blood pressure checks, etc. It really is a good time to focus on how we can keep ourselves healthy. The whole focus is on staying healthy with the emphasis on regular exercise.
Now, the truth of the matter is, many of us (I might even be so bold as to say most of us), don’t exercise regularly. I include myself in this group of nonregular exercisers. It just doesn’t seem to be very high on my priority list. I just had my yearly Medicare wellness check along with a check on how I’m reacting to my medicines. The doctor asked me, “are you exercising regularly”? I hated that question because it exposed my failure to accomplish my New Year’s resolution, a resolution that I know will make me feel better and improve my long-term health. I wish I had a magic cure that would make it fun to exercise. This is exactly what this National Senior Health and Fitness Day hopes to do − get us to change, get us to put exercise higher on our list of priorities. To accomplish this, here are some hints that I discovered that might help us begin our journey toward regular exercise.
First, and maybe the most important hint and the thing that we need to do before we start to do anything is . . . talk to our doctor, and I mean really talk. There are general guidelines (you’ll see some of those below) but you need to consider your individual circumstances before you decide what “regular exercise” means to you. Your doctor knows you, she/he knows about your bad knee, knows about your slightly higher blood pressure, your borderline diabetes. They know how much you weigh and what medicines you take. Schedule an appointment with your doctor, the Medicare wellness check is a perfect time, and show your doctor your proposed exercise routine. Between the two of you, decide on what is the best approach for you. Schedule a follow-up appointment in 3 months. This accomplishes two things, creates an exercise routine that is right for you and gives you someone to report to who is expecting you to stick to your plan. It’s also great if you can find a partner that will encourage you to exercise and maybe even join you. One note of caution, your exercise plan is for you, stick to it, and don’t feel pressured to keep up with anyone or to slack off to accommodate a friend. Increase your exercise as you get stronger but on your own schedule. OK, here’s some guidelines to help you begin your exercise journey. Since you know yourself best, look at the general suggestions below and decide what fits for you.
Aerobic Activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. If this is too much at first, start out slow and increase as you can. Doing something is better than doing nothing at all. If you can accommodate vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, aim for at least 75 minutes a week.
Moderate-intensity physical activity – breathing and heart rate are noticeably faster, but you can still carry on a conversation.
Examples include:
Walking briskly (a 15-minute mile).
Fast dancing
Light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or pushing a lawn mower).
Light snow shoveling.
Actively playing with children.
Biking at a casual pace.
I was surprised that some of my normal activities qualified as moderate-intensity.
Vigorous-intensity physical activity – your heart rate increases substantially. You are breathing too hard to have a conversation.
Examples include:
Jogging/running.
Swimming laps.
Rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace.
Cross-country skiing.
Most competitive sports (football, basketball, and soccer).
I can tell you right now that the only one of these that I can do is the swimming, and I did swim for a period of time. It helped me elevate my heart rate and I think it’s something that I could start doing again.
Strength Training: Perform muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.
Examples include:
Lifting weights
Doing sit-ups
Planks
Balance Activities: Engage in balance exercises at least three days a week.
These activities help prevent falls and improve stability.
Examples include:
Standing on one leg
Heel-to-toe walking
Yoga poses
Planks
Balance is critical to keeping us healthy and safe. Your core strength has a big impact on keeping you from falling. Click here to see the blog I did on improving your balance. I’ve begun to get interested in plank exercises. They seem to be exercises that seniors would find easier to do. Research planks and see if they work for you.
The final word is – are you willing to invest some time today to have a more active and healthier lifestyle in the future? Circle May 29th on your calendar and make a commitment to a healthier future.
Best, Thair