Fran's Fitness Over 50

Do workouts you enjoy

For fitness contributor Elizabeth Enochs, sticking with workouts she actually enjoys is the key to staying motivated to exercise on a regular basis. “I used to work out nearly daily, spending hours in the gym each week. I looked forward to intense cardio and strength training — but for the last couple of years, I’ve only been interested in exercising outdoors and stretching in my house. Hikes, long walks, bike rides, and kayaking trips are my workouts of choice these days. Currently, I’m working out less than I did for most of my 20s and my workouts are easier, but I wouldn’t be exercising at all if I only allowed myself to do HIIT.”

A struggle to stay motivated

Such great advice. It’s a struggle to stay motivated to exercise, day in and day out. I’v e written that it’s not one and done. I wish it were, but you can’t exercise once and say, “I’m good for life. Never have to do that again.” Nope. as one of my workout instructors says, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.” And especially now, as we get older, exercise is crucial for our healthy aging.

In it for the long haul

I enjoy the books I listen to while running.

We’re in it for the long haul, so you have to stick with workouts you actually enjoy. Because if you don’t enjoy your workout, you’re not going to do it again. As simple as that. I don’t enjoy the act of running, but I do it a couple of times a week. Why do I do it if I don’t enjoy it? Because I enjoy the books I listen to. I see the benefits of running in my improved stamina and endurance, but I wouldn’t keep at it if it weren’t for the audiobooks I listen to on the treadmill.

CDC recommendations

Of course, the CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week for adults, so I need more than the 40 minutes of running I do a week. On Tuesdays I usually do Pilates to give my knees a rest. Why Pilates? I enjoy the muscle-lengthening feeling I get, plus it’s a terrific core workout. That half hour goes by quickly.

And a couple of other days every week I do combined aerobics and strength training workouts. I have a library of workout DVDs that I … kind of … enjoy. Combining the aerobics with weights gives me a double bang for my buck.

Do workouts YOU enjoy

But that’s what I do. You have to do the workouts that you enjoy … or sort of enjoy … or don’t mind doing … otherwise you won’t do it at all. So, go for hikes or bike rides. Or dance up a storm and get your heart rate up and the sweat running down your face (and other parts). Do yoga or pilates and get flexible. Because if you don’t exercise, you don’t get the benefits. And you can’t eat that extra half-serving of pasta.

Make it painful to not exercise

Exercise shouldn't hurt, but if the reward for doing it isn't motivating, make it hurt not to. — The exercise shouldn’t hurt, but not exercising should have consequences.

Cue the finger wag! I’ve suggested some ways to help motivate yourself to exercise, including a reward for a good sweat-soaked session. But when you really, really don’t feel like putting down the remote and getting off the nice comfy couch, and changing into your workout gear, something more drastic may be what’s needed. Sometimes you have to make it painful to not exercise.

Reward yourself to exercise

Promise yourself a real, tangible reward for getting in that exercise session today. (I’m a big fan of rewards!) Like a yummy strawberry smoothie with maybe a couple of shavings of dark chocolate, or a quiet place to read a chapter in the book you’re into, or an episode of that series you’re streaming on Netflix. Every day that you exercise, that reward will kick in. It’s OK to do nice things for yourself. Be mindful of that smoothie, though. Be sure that it fits into your eating program for the day. Remember that a smoothie is not a milkshake, although sometimes it can taste like one!

Over time, with enough rewards, you’ll actually look forward to exercising. Exercising becomes a habit, and one that you would miss if you don’t do it. And exercising is such a great habit for our healthy aging. Your brain actually equates the act of exercising with the ensuing reward – and over time you don’t even need the reward. Things become easy when they’re habits.

When the reward isn’t motivation enough

But some days, not even those tempting treats will prompt you to get up. On days like that, you need the other part of the equation.

If I don’t do X, then I have to Y

Here’s where it becomes painful to not exercise. Not physical pain, of course. How about pain in the pocketbook. Make a contract with yourself. For every day you don’t exercise and there’s no good excuse, you have to pay your favorite charity $20. These days, that’s real pain. Or, if you’ve told your friends and family that you’ve started an exercise program, then you have to tell them that you didn’t exercise. That embarrassment is also real pain.

Make it hurt in your wallet or hurt your pride. Even if you don’t actually tell your friends that you haven’t exercised, you’ll feel the guilt. That hurts too.

Make it painful not to exercise. So go do it.

3 ways to de-stress this holiday season

We’ve passed Thanksgiving. That means the holiday craziness is in full swing now. There seem to be two kinds of personalities prevalent around the holiday season: Cheerful or snarling. It’s easy to get frazzled. To let your nerves and anxiety get the best of us. But it’s important to manage stress especially for our healthy aging. We feel calmer and more able to tackle future problems, plus our immune system can even be stronger when we experience less stress. Here are some easy tips to turn your snarls into grins. Your 3 ways to de-stress this holiday season:

Plan for the tough stuff

Don’t have your shopping done yet? List all the people who you have to buy gifts for. Have an idea of what you’ll get them and plan your shopping trip(s) accordingly. And don’t forget the wrapping paper or gift bags. Now schedule your shopping runs and wrapping parties. If you’re cooking, plan your menus and shopping for that too. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli recently shared her timeline for prepping for Thanksgiving. Take a lesson from Chef Alex! Plan for the tough stuff.

Have a plan to de-stress

Easy ways to de-stress this holiday season. — A short guided meditation can also help you de-stress

Inevitably, some things will get to you. Your annoying student went one step too far. Or your mom poked her nose into your family’s business one time too many. So, have a plan to distract yourself from the stress when you’re feeling the tension. Play a short game of Fishdom on your phone. Take a bath. Go for a walk. Exercise. Dance to your favorite tune. It won’t take long. 5 to 10 minutes should be enough time to feel calmer.

Recognize things you’re grateful for

The Thanksgiving holiday may be in the rear view mirror, but being thankful should be an everyday occurrence. You may be frustrated with some things in your life. And you may feel something akin to desperation about others. But there will always be things you’re grateful for. Remind yourself of them. Yes, some days it’s harder than others to see the bright spots. But they’re there if you open your eyes. Feeling gratitude in your life leads to optimism and hope.

The American Heart Association has identified these and other activities to manage stress. But these easy 3 will get you started.

3 tips to glide through the holiday season. There will still be stress – no getting around it. But you’ll be prepared and ready to meet it head on.

Exercise intensity after menopause

Exercise is for everyone. — Exercise is for everyone

Here’s something we can all agree on: no one is getting younger. It’s also a fact that women go through menopause at some time mid-life. The CDC has emphasized the importance of exercise for everyone, at every age. So, even though women’s bodies are changing, does that mean that our exercise should change? If we’re used to intense exercise, can we continue with that intensity? Or, if we need to start doing something, what’s the right intensity level? What’s the proper exercise intensity after menopause?

The short answer

Everyone is different. You know your own body, so do what feels right.You still should challenge yourself, but you might want to be creative about the challenge.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is quite open about her menopause experience. If you recall, when she lived in the White House she famously led “fitness boot camps” for friends and came to be known as the “Drillmaster.” Everyone wanted Michelle Obama’s beautifully toned arms. Mrs. Obama still exercises, but she admits that she’s toned down the intensity. She has found that she cannot push herself as hard as she used to. Obama and her friends turn more to flexibility rather than cardio workouts. Not only that, Obama no longer leads all the workouts, but her group of friends keeps everyone fit and healthy.

The answer for me

As you know, if you’ve been reading my articles, I work out regularly. I’ve challenged myself and as a consequence can run faster now than I ever could before – because I committed to it. I still don’t enjoy it and probably never will, but that’s not why I run.

The answer for everyone

Listen to your body. If you’re feeling good, perhaps push yourself a little harder. If an exercise is especially tough, ease up. Perhaps focus a little more on lower intensity moves or work in an extra Yoga or Pilates program.

Watch the “slow weight creep”

Mrs. Obama admitted to the “slow weight creep” of menopause. As she wasn’t able to maintain the intensity, she wasn’t burning the calories that she used to. And so had to be mindful of her intake. “I have to be more mindful, not obsessive, but more mindful,” she said.

The Mayo Clinic agrees with Michelle Obama’s assessment: “Women tend to lose muscle mass and gain abdominal fat around menopause. Regular physical activity can help prevent weight gain.”

Now’s the time to improve your balance too

The Mayo Clinic also recommends working on your balance to improve stability and prevent falls. “Try simple exercises, such as standing on one leg while brushing your teeth. Activities such as tai chi also can be helpful.” Please note, though, that while tai chi improves balance over time, the improvement is cumulative. Tai Chi practice over a period of time will help your balance. The simple exercises found in the Week of Core-Centered Balance Moves can start helping you in just a couple of minutes a day.

Never stop

I’ve known many people who view retirement and aging as an excuse to quit their exercise programs. But, now is the time to get fit and strong and live our best lives – actually do the things we worked for, for all those years. Listen to your body. If you’re feeling good and things don’t hurt, your exercise intensity after menopause does not have to decrease. Take the time your body needs to recover, but don’t stop.

Keep your exercise low impact

I’m crazy, and I know it. Don’t be like me on those two days a week that I consciously engage in something that I’m telling you not to do. I run two days a week, but I’m telling you to keep your exercise low impact. Save your knees, your back and your hips. Keep a foot on the floor when you exercise.

First I’ll tell you why I do it.

Agility is not low impact. But I enjoy it. — Running Agility with Booker.

I run twice a week to increase my speed and my stamina so that I can run my dog in Agility and be where he needs me to be. My dog will always be faster than I am. I know that. But I can be in the right place to give him his cue for the next obstacle he has to do. So I need to be faster than I am now. And, perhaps more importantly, not run out of breath when I get there. This is why I keep getting on that treadmill, even though I don’t enjoy it. I’m building my speed with run / walk intervals, and going easy on my old knees. It’s taking a while, but I’m getting there. Some days are definitely easier than others, but the overall trend is faster.

High impact is not for everyone

Yes, you can burn more calories faster with a high impact workout, but low impact can be just as effective for your fitness and your healthy aging! Even though it’s easier on the joints, low impact exercise is not necessarily less stressful on the body. CITYROW founding instructor Annie Mulgrew says, “We want the body to be able to respond to stress effectively — that’s one reason why we exercise.”

Low impact exercise means that one foot is always on the floor during exercise – at least when you’re upright. Seated exercises and mat-work are different animals altogether, but they’re definitely low impact as well.

Low impact does not mean low intensity

For maximum benefit, we want our exercise to be high intensity – we’re challenging ourselves and raising our heart rate. Low impact, high intensity workouts can include speed walking with arm pumps, weight training, rowing, or cycling.

So, put a little less stress on your joints but still make it tough for yourself with your workouts.

Challenge yourself to exercise

Has your exercise routine gotten kind of flat? Are you doing the moves but feel like you’re just going through the motions? Try a challenge to give your workouts a spark. That’s right: Challenge yourself to exercise.

You’ve probably seen groups, pages and influencers on Facebook run 5- or 7-day challenges to drink more water, or use your Instant Pot every week. It’s the same idea, but with this, you challenge yourself. You’ll change your mindset and look forward to exercise because you’re getting closer to the prize you will set for yourself. Set your challenge and a time limit – for example, exercise for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. And be sure to set a prize for succeeding in your challenge! Say, download Taylor Swift’s new album.

Kelly Froelich, an NASM- and ACE-certified trainer and cofounder of the digital fitness platform Balanced, finds that self-challenges are a great way to self-motivate. “Intrinsic motivation, such as an internal desire to do something, is great to stick to something in the long run, but sometimes you need a bit of extrinsic motivation, such as a prize, to start you off,” she says. So, make that prize something you really want. And don’t get it before you complete your Challenge! That’s cheating!

Challenge ideas

If you need ideas for your Challenge, or if you need a theme, try a step challenge for walking. Be sure to increase the number of steps you have to take each day, week-by-week. Or if you’re a runner, increase the miles you run! Or try a plank challenge. Increasing the time you’re in plank position. If the plank is old hat, then try a plank variation a day! To increase strength, do a weight challenge – but you might have to buy heavier weights by the end of your challenge time. Or try a Body-Weight Strength Challenge! This article describes some of your options for this.

Be mindful of the exercises you do

Exercise is great, but we must be mindful of the exercises we do every day and the toll they take on our bodies.

Yes, exercise makes us happier. And expending energy gives us more energy, as surprising as that sounds. Exercise is a natural way to fight depression, and it also helps us sleep better. Exercise has a zillion benefits. But we have to remember that our bodies need rest and recovery too.

Build rest days into your challenge

I’m not advocating exercising at full impact and intensity every day. Especially if you’re doing a weight challenge, build lower intensity or non-lifting days into your challenge. Take a speed-walk a couple days a week and a stroll or a yoga practice on Sundays. Be sure to do the work to meet your challenge goals, but be mindful of what your body needs. Schedule your workouts, including the exercises you plan on so you don’t lose track of your intense days and your rest days.

Challenge yourself to exercise. Don’t forget that you’ll get two prizes at the end: your Challenge prize and the prize of being more fit!

Exercise to improve memory

Now, where did I put my …

We all forget stuff. And most of the time there’s nothing to worry about. We probably didn’t pay attention when storing that information in our brains the first time. But, of course, as we get older, one of the biggest concerns most of us have is not being able to remember things. Here are exercises to improve our memories, as part of our healthy aging regimen.

Change how you remember things

When you want to remember something, really focus on it. Here’s a brain exercise to improve your memory: focus on the environment – sounds, sights, smells surrounding the thing you want to remember. Remember those things as well as the thing itself. Don’t try to do more than remember this new thing while you’re doing the focus exercise.

Dr. Darren Gitelman, senior medical director of the Advocate Memory Center at Lutheran General Hospital, says, “It is thought that, in a way, you don’t remember the same memory over time, but rather, you remember the memory that is reinforced over time. If the context shifts what you recall, and this modified memory gets strengthened over time, then eventually, what you may recall may be a memory that has been shifted by the context, rather than the original memory itself.” So the context may shift and your memory can change. But if you remember everything surrounding the memory, these stronger context clues will help us remember the memory more accurately.

Connect new information to things you already know

Dr. Gitelman says that connecting new information to familiar images and thoughts will help you remember the new stuff. Say, for example, I learned something new about Boston Terriers. If I connect that information with a specific mental image of my Simon, it will help me remember it.

Rehearse new information

When I played piano years ago, I memorized each piece in multiple ways. From the beginning, of course, but also from the end. Phrase by phrase, or however it made sense. When you memorize and rehearse, new information becomes a memory.

Take care of your brain

Eat right, get enough sleep and exercise to improve your memory.

Other ways you can improve your memory: Eat right, exercise, get enough sleep. Yes – exercise to improve your memory. Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, says that studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people who don’t. “Even more exciting,” McGinnis says, “is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions.” If you exercise, your brain can grow!

Exercise also can boost muscle memory. That complicated piece of choreography in an aerobics routine will get easier, not just because we practice it, but also because the fact that we’re exercising helps our memory.

We want that big brain for our memory! So, I’m going to keep on exercising.

No time to exercise?

You’ve heard the arguments about the benefits of exercise for your healthy aging. And you … sort of … believe them. But – who has the time? If you’re saying, “I have no time to exercise!” you owe it to yourself to squeeze in a short but effective workout.

Everyone has 22 minutes

150 minutes a week. That’s all the CDC recommends for exercise. So if you have 22 minutes to get your heart pumping while you climb some stairs, take the dog for a walk, ride the stationary bike, you’ve met the guidelines!

Short workouts will keep you on track

If I’ve only got a half hour, I can still get in my workout and have time to clean up. Because that clean-up is important. I don’t have to worry about being late to an appointment and I will still feel virtuous that I exercised. But you’re saying, “How can I choose a workout, do it and get cleaned up in a half hour? That’s ridiculous!” Planning. Plan a week’s worth of exercise in advance. If you have a calendar for your appointments and commitment, schedule your workouts on the same calendar. I use Google’s free calendar so that I can color code my different appointments.

But are short workouts effective?

Now you’re probably saying, “I love the idea of short workouts, but will they work for me?” The short answer is, “Yes!” If those 22 minutes of your workout are intense and heart-pumping, it will get your blood and oxygen moving. You’ll get the memory-boosting benefits of a good workout, and you’ll release some endorphins and feel great after you towel off. So, never say you have no time to exercise.

In fact, exercise physiologist Jenna Gillen at the University of Toronto, and her team showed in a study that just one minute of very intense exercise in a workout lasting 10 minutes total can improve fitness and health. Notice the words “very intense.” This is beyond maximum level – something I’m not really up for most days.

Plus, shorter, more energetic workouts can help you stay motivated to exercise. They’re done in no time, and you may actually look forward to your next workout. You won’t be bored with the workout, so won’t be tempted to procrastinate and then run out of the short amount of time you have to exercise.

I can’t do an intense, vigorous workout every time

I hear you. At my age, I just can’t face the treadmill and running for every workout. And that’s OK. Dr. Jennette Berry, family medicine physician at Advocate South Suburban Hospital, believes that fitting in movement throughout your day, no matter the length, is important for your health. “Exercise can help control your blood pressure and can help prevent future heart disease.”

The next time you find yourself thinking, “I have no time to exercise,” remember that no matter how much time you give it, exercise is always good.

The danger of overdoing exercise

Exercise is good but don’t overdo

I’ve been telling you about the benefits of exercise for a long time. The first time I listed some of the benefits of exercise was way back in 2015 in my article “Why Exercise ?” Exercise burns calories so you can eat more (still my favorite reason!), it can combat some health conditions and diseases, it boosts your mood and gives you energy, and on and on. Exercise is good, but don’t overdo it.

I remember years ago when I used to go to a gym there were women on treadmills and stationary bikes for hours and they wondered why they kept getting sick or weren’t losing any weight. In all probability, these people were overtraining.

Cortisol and “fight or flight”

Cortisol is a hormone your body produces when it’s under stress, or when your body thinks it’s under attack. If you’re walking along and a big dog jumps at you from behind a fence and starts barking, you’re still going to jump. Your heart is going to beat faster, even though you know that it can’t get to you from behind the fence. Your body is designed to automatically protect you from threats. It produces adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline speeds up your heart and makes you hyper-aware of threats.

When you realize that you’re safe and the threat is gone, your heart rate goes back to normal and your breathing slows down. According to the Mayo Clinic, cortisol “curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with the brain regions that control mood, motivation and fear.”

Cortisol and exercise

So, when you overdo exercise, your system thinks it’s under attack and produces cortisol. And keeps producing it. So your body retains elevated levels of cortisol. It can interfere with the way your body works normally and even slow down your metabolism, according to Louis Cohn, a physical therapist at Aurora Sports Health. Cohn says, “When starting out, aerobic sessions should be kept between 30 and 45 minutes. You are then able to obtain the positive effects of cardiovascular training without the negative effects of over-training.” So it turns out that over-exercising can be just as bad as not exercising at all.

Moderation in everything

My workouts are 30 to 45 minutes 3 or 5 days a week. On days when I don’t have anything pressing, I’ll do a 50-minute workout. This works for both aerobic and weight training. And remember to rest the muscle group you worked the day after that strength program.

So, like chocolate, exercise is good, but don’t overdo. Be sure to listen to your body. If you’re tired or if your body is aching in ways that are weird, you may be overdoing exercise. Take a break. Do something less stressful for yourself. A gentle yoga or pilates practice might be a good “rest day” activity. And be sure to eat well to fuel your body.

4 Steps to compassionate resilience

Being mentally tough, or “resilient,” is what all the psychology “experts” are talking about in the last couple of years. While it’s crucial to our well-being and healthy aging to be able to bounce back when the going gets tough, it’s also important to stay kind – what I call “compassionate resilience.”

Awareness

If you’re feeling panicked by events in the world, the first step is to be aware of that feeling, and then how you’re going to interact with those events. Is it panic? Or overwhelm? Are you frustrated? If you’re an observer, observe without judgment of yourself. If you’re a doer, figure out how you can make the situation better – first for yourself and then, perhaps, for others.

Be aware of how your feelings affect you. Identify them – is it fear or anxiety that you’re feeling? Why? How will the happenings far away affect you here and now? Or here and later. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, identifying the things that are causing that feeling will help you to start on unraveling the tangle of burdens that you feel pressing upon you. Nurse practitioner Deborah Stamm of the Center for Health and Integrative Medicine at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital says that naming the emotion “lessens the intensity and reminds you that you are in control of the emotion, not the other way around. It keeps you connected with your logical brain, and you are better able to think of new ways to handle situations that arise.”

Action

If that outcome is not something we want, how can you change it? Changing the narrative from, “I’m scared” to “I’m going to write to my Congressperson” will make you feel that you’re accomplishing something worthwhile. You’re being mindful of the moment, you dispassionately thought about the situation and decided on a course of action. At the same time, though, be sure not to let yourself think too much about the future. Do what you can now and put the situation aside until something changes or something else can be done about it

Be grateful

Stamm says another crucial aspect of resilience is gratitude. She says our brains are wired for negativity but, in contrast, optimism leads to resilience. We have to work on our positivity, to balance our brains. See my article “Five Ways to Maintain Positivity” for a start. Stamm recommends writing in a gratitude journal for a start on triggering positivity every day.

Be kind to yourself

Finally, to boost your resilience, be kind to yourself. If others talk about you in negative terms, don’t believe them! It’s easy to be down on yourself. We all do it from time to time. “I’m too fat.” “I shouldn’t eat that chocolate.” “My hair is terrible.” It’s easy to get caught in that trap. But – don’t! Eliminate that negative self-talk! You are worthwhile. The things you do are amazing! Believe that.

Be grateful for the great things in your life. Believe that you’re worth every good thing that comes your way. Identify your feelings, especially the negative ones so that you can create a plan of action to turn your own narrative around. All this will lead you to compassionate resilience. You’ll be mentally tough – but still kind and compassionate.