Exercise Guide

My life has been devoted to fitness. In all my research, I have found that it’s very important not only to exercise your body, but your mind as well. After all, we are total beings, and the body, mind, and spirit are all housed in one mass.

Like most people, perhaps you associate fitness and exercise with physical acts of moving your body. Perhaps negative thoughts or lethargy sometimes causes you to resist moving or doing physical things that are good for you. If so, you might care to re-train your thoughts so that when your mind says “I can’t”, your body says, “Watch this!” With a little persistence and experience, your body may more easily win out in these situations, and you will try the very thing that your mind told you that you were incapable of doing.

For example, say you are beginning a weight training program and someone suggests that you lift a five-pound weight up in the air above your shoulder. Perhaps your first instinct is to say, “I can’t do that”. This reaction occurs mainly because you have never tried that before and you’ve read articles that warn you that you might hurt yourself if you don’t execute the movement properly. A greater mistake would be made, however, if you did not try. If five pounds seems too heavy, use one, two, or three. At least you would have tried and not quit.

For years we were told that once you lose your muscle tone, you could never regain it. Tufts University has done countless studies on this subject and the results are astounding. It has been shown that even people in their 80s and 90s have been able to recoup their strength, in some cases, close to that which they had in their earlier years.

The reason muscle mass is lost is because of disuse, nothing more. Thus, it stands to reason that if we use our bodies and keep them moving and actually stress our muscles so that they get stronger, we would be able to take care of ourselves for many, many years.

I fully believe that our bodies were created for movement. If we incorporate some kind of exercise in our daily routine, we will stay strong and sharp for years to come!

Some fun ways to stimulate your mind are by doing crossword puzzles; putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing card games; challenging someone to a game of chess; or trying any other thing that keeps your mind active.

In exercise classes, I’ve observed instructors encouraging the participants to do things like using their right leg with their left arm, then changing to using the same arm with the same leg, just to add variety and to make the class think. Coordination exercises stretch the brain and keep it quick and aware.

Exercise is so beneficial to our body, mind and spirit. Exercise will improve the quality of every life. Many researchers have proven in myriads of studies that people who exercise their minds along with their bodies are much younger acting and stay vital longer. It has also been said countless times that exercise is the closest thing we have to the “Fountain of Youth”. So, go for the zest - take a walk, today! And, make movement a part of your daily life!

Bonnie Murphy is an expert in working with “mature” women. Please visit her website at http://www.bfitandwell.com. Don’t miss getting her Industry Leading E-Book entitled “Discover the Secrets to Leading A Fabulously Fit Lifestyle after 50″. Sign up for a downloadable copy at http://www.bfitandwell.com.
Phone: 907.646.4076
Email: bonnie@bfitandwell.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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My Aunt Helen once said to me “Sooner or later ole Uncle
Arthur-Itis will get you.” She lived to be 99 years old, so
apparently Aunt Helen was able to hold Uncle Arthur at
bay.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common medical
conditions, affecting an estimated 15.8 million Americans.
Usually it is chronic and occurs when the cartilage erodes
that normally cushions the joint and protects it from impact.
As bone rubs against bone, a person will feel pain and have
difficulty moving the joint. Osteoarthritis can range from mild
to severe and age is a leading risk factor.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain and swelling,
limited flexibility, grinding sensation with joint motion, and
numbness or tingling in an extremity.

In Aunt Helen’s day, doctors usually told the arthritis sufferer
to rest the joints. But if she were here today, her doctor
would likely suggest exercise and/or drugs or dietary
supplements instead.

There are prescription drugs available that help many
people and your doctor may recommend one of them.
Sometimes he may have to try several in order to find one
that helps you without undesirable side effects.

Another new treatment is a series of hyaluronate injections.
This provides lubrication and nutrition to the joint; however
some studies have found no benefit.

Also available are dietary supplements that help with
arthritis pain. Studies suggest that glucosamine sulfate, an
over-the-counter supplement, may provide benefit for those
with osteoarthritis in the knees. Other non-prescription
supplements include chondroitin and MSM which are often
combined with glucosamine into one capsule. Another
option is SAM-E, a product available in health food stores,
which some people find to be of benefit. SAM-E also helps
combat depression and should not be taken with
prescription drugs for depression.

Recently interest has developed in the role of exercise for
arthritis. Dr. Ronenn Roubenoff, MD, MHS, a rheumatologist
and associate professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition
at Tufts University in Boston, says, “Often what happens with
someone who has arthritis is that a doctor says to go out
and walk in order to reduce the pain. So the patient tries it.
But in people with arthritis, the knee is the joint most
commonly afflicted, followed by the hip, so walking hurts
and that leads to a negative cycle. The person stops
exercising and gains weight because they’re not engaged in
any physical activity. The extra weight then puts even more
pressure on the joints and the pain feels even worse.”
Indeed for every pound you weigh, each step you take puts
up to 3 pounds of pressure across your knees and hips.
Every step you take down, as when you are descending a
staircase or stepping off a bus, puts up to 6 pounds of
pressure on your lower limb joints per pound of body
weight. Gain just 10 extra pounds and you’re facing as many
as 60 extra pounds of pressure on your knees every time
you step off a curb.

Dr Roubenoff, along with Miriam Nelson, PhD and
Kristin Baer, PhD, of Tufts designed a study to test whether
certain kinds of exercises not generally recommended for
people with arthritis would help them move about more
freely and without pain.

After just 4 months, the two dozen exercisers in the Tufts
study experienced a 43 percent reduction in pain, compared
with just 12 percent in a control group that did not do any
strength training. And physical function in the exercise group
improved by 44 percent overall–almost twice as much as in
the control group.

Why is it that strength training can free up a person with
arthritis in a way that aerobics alone cannot? How can
strength exercise help a person with knee or hip arthritis to
walk and get around better, when walking without strength
training first might only cause more pain and
immobility?

Dr Roubenoff says: Think how a car functions on a bumpy
road. It’s the role of the shock absorbers to take each bump
as it comes so that a jarring shock isn’t sent up to the
passengers. If the shocks fail, the car’s spring and axle
assembly absorb the jolt, but the passengers really feel it.
In your body the muscles are the shock absorbers. The
joints are the springs and axles. Thus the better shape the
muscles are in, the better they can take each shock as the
body hits the ground, sparing arthritic joints and thereby
sparing the person further pain.

Strength training directly targets the muscles and when they
are stronger, you can walk and get around better because
the joints affected by arthritis are relieved of much of their
shock bearing burden.

I can testify that strengthening leg muscles help relieve
arthritis pain because I constantly hear participants in my
strength exercise classes tell me how getting stronger has
helped relieve their arthritis pain in knees, hips and
shoulders.

Now you’re probably asking, “What exercises should I do?”
Squats are the exercise most recommended for arthritic
knees–they help strengthen the quadriceps, the muscles in
the front of the thighs. For instructions on doing them
properly to avoid injury, visit my web site:
www.StrongOver40.com. My book “Over 40 & Gettin’
Stronger” contains an easy to learn weight training workout
for the entire body.

While squats help most people, I find that one person out of
everiy 100 cannot do squats without pain–they should not
do them and should check with their doctor.

Phyllis Rogers is not liable for any injury incurred while
doing the exercises recommended in this article.

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 which uses only dumbbells and can be done at
home. She has taught more than 1200 strength classes for
older adults Her book is available at Amazon.com and on
her web site http://www.StrongOver40.com She can be reached
at fitness9@mindspring.com and is available for speeches
and workshops.

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