Exercise Guide

At this moment, you have two choices. You can continue the
process of becoming weaker, day by day, as your muscles
atrophy from disuse. Or you can choose to become stronger
and to maintain your strength and independence as long as
possible.

After we reach maturation at about age 30, we begin the
long process of aging as we lose half a pound of muscle
each year–unless we work at keeping that muscle from
atrophying. This choice is even more critical as we reach
our 60s and 70s and the process of becoming weaker
accelerates.

Strength training –strength exercise–is one of the best
methods to retain muscle. Its definition is “moving the
muscles dynamically against resistanceusually weights
or body weightto strengthen muscles, bones and
connective tissues.” Strength training is also called “weight
lifting” or “resistance training.” The goal is to cause muscles
to increase in size and strength, and also to increase
tendon, bone, and ligament strength. If you are over 70
years of age, you have probably never lifted weights. And you
may not know that doing so can help retard the aging
process in your body
.
Before 1900, strength training was thought to be a form of
exercise that was not meant for the average person. It was
believed that weight training would actually diminish athletic
abilities and the only men who lifted weights were circus
strongmen.

In the 1930s, athletes began to experiment with weight
lifting and now every professional sports team has trainers
on staff and almost all athletes lift weights in order to
perform better in the sport of their choosing.

However, until the 1980s it was still believed that loss of
muscle and strength as people got older was inevitable and
nothing could be done about it. Strength training programs
for older participants placed them on a program of lifting
weights that were only one-half as heavy as the maximum
they could lift one time. Younger participants lifted at least
80 percent of the amount they could lift only once, but it was
believed that using heavier weights for older people would
cause injuries or cardiac problems.

In the late 1980s scientists at Tufts University in Boston,
Massachusetts decided to strength train a group of
volunteersmen in their sixties and seventiesat a higher
intensity than had ever been done before. They worked the
volunteers at 80 percent of their capacityand the results
shattered myths about aging. There were no injuries or
cardiac episodes. In twelve weeks, the muscles they had
been exercising became 10 to 12 percent larger and 100 to
175 percent stronger.

These results inspired another researcher to work with the
frail elderly in a nursing home environment. Six men and
four women volunteered for this program, ranging in age
from 86 to 96. In eight weeks, they increased their strength
by an average of 175 percent. Two participants discarded
their canes because they didn’t need them any more.
From this research has evolved a new interest in weight
liftingstrength trainingfor older adults. But it is more
than merely a new interestit offers older adults an
alternative to the expected decrease in physical abilities and
susceptibilities to illnesses and injuries. In other words,
seniors now have hope of remaining strong and
independent as they age. The downward spiral to the
nursing home can be bypassed or at least delayed.

I became interested in weight lifting for older adults when I
decided to become a certified personal trainer. I researched
the various organizations who offered certifications and
chose International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
because they stressed weight lifting. I attended the two-day
training, passed the test and received my certificate.
I loved lifting weights–seeing my arm muscles become
defined and my body become firmer. I decided to share this
with other older adults, so I contacted a local continuing
education program for seniors and asked if they offered a
class on weight lifting. The answer was “no,” so I submitted
a proposal for a class which was accepted.

The first class had only a handful of participants, but it was
offered again the next quarter and more people signed up.
Attendance continued to grow. I had originally envisioned
that people would take the eight-week class to learn how to
work out at home. But soon I had a core of class members
who signed up each quarter. They enjoyed the camaraderie
and encouragement of the class. They began to tell me how
strength training was changing their lives. Ordinary tasks
that had been difficult were now easy. Women told me that
they could lift bags of top soil from their vehicles without
having to wait for help. Shoulders became less painful;
knees didn’t hurt so much.

To continue learning about working with older adults, I set
up a pilot program at a local assisted living home. The
residents there experienced the same results: stronger
legs, increased independence, improved self-esteem.
Most exercise programs for “senior citizens” are done while
seated in a chair. I do not know when or where this idea
came from, but it remains prevalent. I am thankful that I
never learned how to teach exercise this way.

Because I was a personal trainer, I designed my workout
from a trainer’s point of view using strength training
principles and from the information I received from Tufts
University. I had class members do squats, ballet squats,
side kicks (lift the leg out to the side) and mule kicks (lift the
leg up behind the body). These exercises use only body
weight. With dumbbells we did overhead presses, two-arm
upright rows, biceps curls and triceps extensions. And I
encouraged them to move up in weight as they became
stronger.

Often women are afraid to lift weights because they think
they will get huge muscles–but that doesn’t happen to
females. What does happen is that the “bat wings” hanging
below their upper arms become firmer and less saggy.
Another concern is that they will have to get hot and sweaty
while they exercise. But doing a simple strength routine with
light and medium weights doesn’t have that result, either.
Many people who are unfamiliar with the concept of strength
training are hesitant to venture into this unknown arena.
They tell me that they are afraid they won’t do the exercises
correctly and may injure themselves. Others say “I know I
should exercise, but I’m just too lazy” or “I worked hard all
my life and I’m not ever doing anything hard again.”

I am asking you to reconsider this attitude and investigate
strength exercise. My web site www.strongover40.com
contains much information about aging as does my book
“Over 40 & Gettin’ Stronger” It also has instructions on how
to do a simple workout using inexpensive dumbbells that
you can buy at a discount store such as Walmart.

Why not grow old with a strong body?

Phyllis Rogers is a senior citizen certified as a Specialist in
Fitness for Older Adults and as a Certified Fitness Trainer.
She has taught over 1500 strength classes for older adults.
She has developed an easy to learn strength training
workout which is described in her book “Over 40 & Gettin’
Stronger.” You can order this book by mailing a check for
$23.95 (which includes shipping) to P O Box 4912, Marietta,
GA 30061. E-mail her at fitness9@mindspring.com. Her
web site is: http://www.StrongOver40.com

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You’ve read over and over that strength traininglifting
weightsis a fountain of youth and helps keep your body
strong as you age. And you’ve decided you’d like to buy
some dumbbells and set up an exercise program in your
home.

The first thing to do is to make an appointment with your
health care provider. Since strength training is good for
almost any physical problem, you will probably be given the
green light. But if your doctor gives you any warninglisten
and do what he or she says. There are some physical
conditions that preclude strength training.

Now that you have approval, how many weights do you
need? Where can you purchase them? How much will they
cost? What else will you need?

You’ve probably heard that you can use soup cans or gallon
jugs filled with water, and it’s true that you can. However, I
believe that you’re better off purchasing dumbbells–cans
are hard to hold onto, and jugs of water slosh around so you
don’t get the same response as you do with a dumbbell.
The one exception to this is if you are very weak and cannot
lift a 3-pound weight. In that case, you may want to use
cans of food or bottles of water rather than purchase one or
two pound weights which you’ll soon abandon as you
become stronger.

You’ll need at least three different sizes of weights for
working different muscles. For instance, you’ll need a lighter
weight for working the triceps muscle (the one below your
upper arm that we call “bat wings”) than you will for other
exercises.

Weights (dumbbells) are available at discount stores and at
sporting goods stores where you’ll have several kinds from
which to choose. The least expensive are the plain gray
metal weights with hexagonal ends which work just as well
as more expensive ones. The gray weights cost
approximately fifty cents per pounda pair of five pound
weights weighing a total of ten pounds will cost about five
dollars. The ones with round ends tend to roll when you put
them on a chair seat, which can result in injured toes,. If you
place one weight diagonally across the other one when you
put them down; this lessens the possibility of the dumbbells
rolling off the chair seat.

To begin with, you’ll need light weights, although you’ll soon
leave those behind and move to heavier ones as your
muscles get stronger. If you are a female over forty, I
recommend that you begin with: one pair each of 3, 5 and 8
pounds. A man should purchase one pair each of: 5, 8 and
10 pound weights. Men who pursue an aggressive
program, will soon need 12 and 15 pound weights.

You will need a chair without arms (a folding chair works
just fine) and a space large enough that you can lie on the
floor with arms and legs spread out for floor exercises and
stretching. If you really “get into” weight lifting, you may want
to invest in a pair of ankle weights, but you won’t need them
to begin your program. You can always add them later for
lower body exercises,

If you have arthritis in your hands, you may find that a pair of
weight lifting gloves will help make lifting the weights more
comfortable. Other equipment you’ll need includes a chair,
a towel, a bottle of water and a good pair of shoes. Please
don’t ever lift weights without shoes onit isn’t worth taking
a chance on injuring your toes.

Finally find a place to store them where they’ll be out of the
way. and easily accessibleso you won’t be tempted to put
off exercising because they are difficult to get at.
Please don’t forget to drink water while you’re exercising.
Keep a bottle of water handy while you’re working out and
drink frequently.

I suggest that you find a workout partneryou’ll be able to
motivate each other on the days you just don’t feel like
exercising, but I promise that if you go ahead, you’ll be
energized afterward. Many people tell me that they have
more energy after they have finished a workout than they did
when they came to class.

You should also create a schedule of times and days for
your workout. Write down your schedule so you won’t forget.
You should not do resistance training on successive days
with the same parts of your body. For instance, you wouldn’t
want to do upper body exercises on consecutive days. If you
want to lift weights every day, alternate upper body and lower
body. For instance, do upper body and Monday, Wednesday
and Friday, and lower body on Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday.

You’ll get the best results by doing resistance training at
least twice a week–not more than three times.
Now, you’re all set to begin your program. My book “Over 40
& Gettin’ Stronger contains complete instructions for a
strength exercise workout. You can order a copy at my web
site www.StrongOver40.com or at Amazon.com.

Phyllis Rogers is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist
in Fitness for Older Adults. She is author of “Over 40 &
Gettin’ Stronger” which contains an easy to learn strength
workout using only dumbbells and which can be done at
home. She has taught more than 1200 strength classes for
older adults Her web site is http://www.StrongOver40.com. She
can be reached at fitness9@mindspring.com and is
available for speeches and workshops.

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Good posture is a necessary component of good health. It is needed to keep your organs in place so they can work efficiently. For example, if you have sway back, your intestines press against the floor of your abdominal cavity, instead of being held in place. Slouching when standing or sitting makes it difficult for your lungs to work at their best.

When you have good posture, your muscles are in balance and your body is symmetrical. When your posture ia not good, it is usually due to a lack of muscle strength to hold your body in the needed position. For example, weak muscles of the lower back are the main culprits in not being able to mantain an erect trunk in standing and walking.

In older women osteoporosis and spinal fractures plus muscle weakness, cause muscle imbalances, which can eventually affect locomotion. Recent studies indicate that women who had a pronounced “Dowagers Hump” could improve their posture by strengthening the upper back muscles and stretching the tight chest muscles. These types of exercises also simultaneously contribute to increasing bone mass. In the strength workout I recommend, there are several exercises which help strengthen the muscles used to maintain posture.

Most of us do not know how our bodies look to others. I suggest you get a friend or family member –one who is not afraid to tell you the truth–and have them check your posture. Ideally from a back view the spine should have no lateral curvature and the legs should be symmetrical. To check your own posture, stand in front of a mirror and check to see if your ears, shoulders and hips are level.

From a side view the spine should form an S-shaped curve, bisected by an imaginary plumb line dropped from the top of the head through the center of gravity of the body. This line should pass through the tip of the shoulder, the center of the hip joint and ankle joint and slightly behind the knee joint.

To check your standing posture, stand with your back against a wall. Relax your shoulders and pull in your chin. Tighten your abdomen and buttocks. Press your back against the wall, leaving room for your hand to fit flat behind the curve of your lower back. Head, shoulders, upper back and buttocks should comfortably touch the wall.

To maintain good posture as you stand, keep your feet parallel about hip width apart. Distribute your weight equally on both feet. Bend the knees slightly. Pull your buttocks in and under and hold your abdomen in. Hold your chest up and slightly forward. Hold your head erect with your chin pulled in slightly.

Sitting is where most of us get into trouble with poor postural habitsespecially when driving or using a computer. We tend to protrude the head and neck forward and the spine tends to round forward as well. Then the weight of the head and upper body is no longer balanced over the spinal column but instead must be supported by making muscles work hard and by stretching spinal ligaments. This leads to fatigue and pain in the neck and upper back.

A good sitting position is like that for standing except the buttocks and upper thighs become the base of support on the chair and the knees are bent. Practice sitting without crossing your legs at the knees because that position interferes with proper circulation of blood in the feet and legs. The S-shaped curvature of your spine should be maintained in sitting as well. To do this, sit all the way back in a straight-backed chair and place a folded towel or small pillow in the arch of your lower back. Keep your knees apart because keeping knees close together makes you prone to slumping. Chair and desk arrangement should be such that your forearms rest on the desk with your elbows at a 90-degree angle.

Sitting can create higher pressure within the disks because when standing, your body weight is distributed over muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. When you sit down, however, your abdomen relaxes, which causes your body weight to place pressure on the disks.

Good posture makes you feel good. Because of its many benefits, such as ease of movement, good balance of muscle strength and flexibility, proper positioning of the spine and proper functioning of the internal organs, your body feels good and you therefore feel good.

One of the main reasons for developing poor posture is weak muscles, so I suggest you do a strengthening workout twice a week to keep your muscles strong. It’s never too late to work on improving your posture.

My book Over 40 & Gettin’ Stronger contains an easy-to-do strength workout. It now includes an audio CD with every copy so you can hear me give you instructions while you do the exercises. To receive a copy, send a check for $19.95 plus $4 shipping to Fitness Press, P O Box 4912, Marietta, GA. http://www.StrongOver40.com

Phyllis Rogers is a senior citizen certified as a Specialist in Senior Fitness and as a Certified Fitness Traineer. She has taught over 1500 strength classes for older adults and can be reached at fitness9@mindspring.com. Neither Senior Fitness, Inc. or Phyllis Rogers is liable for any injuries sustained during or after doing any exercise described in this article.

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