exercise and aging Archives - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Functional fitness moves – not just a trend

I don’t want to exercise just for the sake of exercising. Exercise is not my favorite thing to start with, so I’m only going to do it if it makes my life better in other ways. Focusing on functional fitness moves makes sense, then. “Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently,” according to the Mayo Clinic. These exercises combine moves the way we move in everyday life. And, in fact, when we do functional moves, we’re getting at least double the benefit of the exercise. That’s efficiency.

The workouts I do have incorporated funcional moves for years – I never knew it. That’s how a 30-minute functional workout can take the place of a 45-minute one that doesn’t employ functional moves. And, the moves frequently use weights, so we’re getting the strength training we need for our muscle and bone health. The moves involve multiple joints and multiple muscles in the same exercise. Employing functional exercises makes moving around doing everyday activities easier, which improves our quality of life, increases our independence, makes us more optimistic and more resilient.

One functional fitness move is the squat with an overhead press – hold a pair of weights that are challenging for you, bend your arms so the weight is at the same level as your shoulder and have your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat, bending your knees so that they’re behind your toes if you look over them. Stand up and press the weights overhead. Bring the weights back to the starting position and repeat. You’re working most muscles in your body with this one.

Another functional move is the deadlift with row. Stand tall, holding challenging weights, keeping your knees soft. Bend from the hips keeping the weights close to your legs. At your lowest point, bend your elbows and bring the weights up to your waist, keeping your arms close to your sides. Bring the weights back down and stand. Repeat.

You get the idea – with functional fitness moves, you’re performing multiple moves, working more than one part and getting ready for whatever your day brings.

Try a smaller goal for the win

February goal

We think of resolutions as a New Year thing – because that’s the biggest new start of the year. But, here’s another way of looking at goals. We’re given a new start every month, every week, even every day. So, don’t look at your failure from the week, month, or year before as a complete flop, because you get another chance. If you like resolutions, start a February resolution now. If you prefer goals, start working on a February goal. You’ll be more likely to achieve a smaller goal anyway. And those small goals lead to bigger ones.

Those smaller goals count

Sure, you can have a big goal in mind when you create your smaller monthly goals. But those big goals are daunting. If a goal is too big, I’m frozen into paralysis and unable to accomplish anything. The overwhelming challenge of that big project or goal makes it impossible to continue. But smaller goals are more achievable. They’ll keep the momentum going. And they’re easier to attach milestones to. Plus, we have to remember that celebrating every milestone is even more likely to keep us on the path to that bigger goal.

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says that a long journey starts with a single step. You’ve got to start somewhere. And starting on the road makes you more likely to continue.

Breaking big projects into smaller goals also helps to reduce the fear – that paralysis we face when encountering something massive – and can also help to clarify the direction that the final project will take.

An example

Say your goal is to work out 4 times a week for a year. That’s 52 weeks, 4 times. Or 208 workouts. That’s a lot of workouts. Very daunting. But, break that up. Your goal for February is 16 workouts. 4 short weeks. That’s much more doable. And you can break that up even further. One week is only 4 workouts. A power walk on Sunday with the family, intense cardio on Monday, strength on Wednesday, and yoga on Friday. Celebrate afterward. Perhaps a new playlist? And you’re pumped for next week. You’re focused, you’re locked in. Your self-confidence is soaring. You’re resilient – you can tackle anything.

And that’s what smaller goals can do.

Goal for the year: do more squats

I know – most of us hate squats because we have bad knees. I know I do. Experts say the squat should be the number one exercise we seniors do. Let’s explore the why first, and then the how to make this our goal for the year..

The benefits

Squats will give you legs that can go forever. If we want to be able to walk from a distant parking space to the store, squats will give that gift to us. No more wasting time circling, looking for a close parking spot. Our legs will be strong enough to carry us wherever we want to go. Trips to Disney with the grandkids? You’ll be able to outwalk them through the parks. Hiking trips with friends? No problem. And if you’re used to seeing new cities from a bus window, you’ll be able to take walking tours instead pretty soon.

When you do more squats, you’ll be strengthening your thigh muscles and protecting your hip and knee joints. Exactly what we all need. When you do squats correctly without overextending, you will be improving muscle tone. You’ll experience that when you’re able to get out of low-slung chairs and sofas. No more struggling to stand up.

And you may live longer. Studies have shown that people with stronger quadriceps muscles (the ones on the front of your thighs) tend to live longer. Another side benefit – the way your legs look will change. You’ll actually see muscles. And that’s kind of cool, especially for us older folks. So that should be our goal of the year: do more squats!

Here’s how:

How to do a proper squat. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. If you have hip issues, it’s OK if your legs are a little farther apart. Point your toes slightly outward. If you’re nervous about this, face a kitchen counter to start and hold on.

Bend at your knees and push your hips back like you are about to sit in a chair. Keep your back as straight as possible, chest up and heels planted on the floor (you can even try lifting your toes in your shoes). Tighten your core. Keep your weight evenly distributed. Make sure your knees don’t extend forward over your toes, because you can risk hurting your knees. You should be able to see your toes beyond your knees when you squat. There’s no need to go deep, because standing up is the more important part of the exercise.

To stand, push the ground away with your heels and exhale.

Aim for 2 sets of 8 squats each to start. Go at a slow pace – 2 seconds down, 2 up. And incorporate squats into your workouts 3 times a week.

As you get stronger, let go of the counter. You can hold your arms straight in front of you as you squat and at your sides as you stand. Or, if you tend to hunch over, cross your arms in front of your chest to help keep your back straight.

When you can successfully do 2 sets of 15 squats, try holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Start with light ones.

There are lots of variations, but start slowly and build up. You’ll be able to get out of that chair without using your hands in no time.

Every workout counts

Something to remember as you procrastinate, as we all do: every workout counts. When you lace up your sneakers, or hit the mat or the pool, you’re doing yourself a huge service. It means that you love yourself. You care about yourself. And you want to have the very best future possible.

Switch your schedule and move your body

When you’re not feeling it, when you just don’t have it in you to do the workout you had planned, that’s okay – do a different one. Or take a walk. Put on your favorite playlist and dance. You’re moving your body and that’s a start. You can switch your schedule and do your strength workout tomorrow. Every workout counts. If you don’t feel like doing a particular workout, chances are you wouldn’t give it the focus it – and you – deserve.

I was disgusting

I have to tell you that I skipped yesterday’s planned workout. I caught a cold, and while I knew that I’ll be fine, the mat work just was not going to be good yesterday. It was the sneezing, drippy, messy, totally disgusting day of the cold. And while the experts all say that if a cold is just in your head, you’re fine to exercise, I did not want to drip all over myself and my mat. So I rested. And today I feel better, so I did my scheduled workout.

Your resilience shows

When you exercise regularly, especially as you get older, your body gets used to moving. It enables you to do the things you want to do. And when you switch up your workouts for your healthy aging, your body adapts to the different requirements you place on it. You’re resilient – you know that your body is strong and you can withstand the trials and tribulations you’re sure to face.

So, do yourself a favor and make sure that every workout counts.

The simplest can be the best

Why walking is a game changer for your healthy aging

Aging is different for us than for our parents. It seemed like our parents and grandparents welcomed the aging process. I remember my grandmother being terribly vain about her appearance, but not really doing much for her physical well-being other than visiting the doctor regularly. Exercise was not a priority for that generation. I think my grandmother would have laughed me into next week if I suggested she just take a walk with me. Walking is a game changer, though. The simplest exercise can be the best.

Movement of any kind is good

Movement of any kind can help us live longer and be happier. The World Health Organization says that inactivity can lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. And adding walking to your day is as easy as lacing up your sneakers. Park a little further away from the grocery store. You’ve got a cart for the groceries you buy, so walk the extra distance. And if it’s one of those deals where you rent the cart for a quarter, you’re getting double the benefit when you have to walk it back for your quarter.

The simplest exercise can be the best

Walking is easy. You don’t have to think about it – walking is just something we’ve done since babyhood. But it turns out that the simplest exercise can be the best – because you’re doing it.

Walking adds “repeated resistance” to our leg muscles and bones, making them stronger. Our hip, knee, and ankle joints’ mobility benefit from walking, too. And walking increases our endurance, too. If we want to continue participating in activities, then endurance is crucial. We want to be able to outlast those dogs or grandkids.

The number of steps you take can be a fun number to track, and that’s important, but the time and intensity of your exercise is the thing that matters most. If you’re taking a leisurely stroll, then you’ll have to do it for longer. But if you’re power-walking, then you’re working those legs at a higher intensity and the minimum 20 to 30 minutes three days a week should be sufficient. The latest guidance is that participants in a study who walked 8,000 steps twice a week had lower mortality from any cause than those who were sedentary.

So, go ahead. Lace up your sneakers and take a walk.

Who knew I was ahead of the times?

The motivation secret I told you about a year ago

Enter dopamine anchoring. Do you like to fold laundry? It’s not my favorite job, either. Do you like compiling a big report on Friday afternoon? Nope – I’m thinking about the weekend. It’s no surprise that we tend to procrastinate over jobs that we don’t care for. And then it’s a mad rush to get them done right before a deadline. But I told you about something I do that makes a task I don’t like a whole lot easier. It’s that little treat that keeps me going on the treadmill. Experts are now calling it dopamine anchoring.

Make work seem less like work

The theory is that when you pair a task with something that you enjoy, then the task feels less like work. “The term draws on the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is linked to pleasure, anticipation and motivation,” said Lauren Mastroni, a career expert at CV Genius. “The ‘anchoring’ part refers to creating a consistent link between that positive emotional payoff and the task you’ve associated with it.”

So if you consistently pair the same reward, say listening to your favorite music, with the same task, say compiling weekly reports that are due, then eventually your brain automatically associates compiling that report with a pleasurable activity, listening to your music. I have a favorite channel on Pandora, and listening to that helps me with the bookkeeping. Yes, I know, I have an accounting degree. But that doesn’t mean that I enjoy the work any longer. But I get to listen to my favorite tunes.

I’ve been using dopamine anchoring for months

You know that I’m not a running fan. But in the months that I’ve been listening to an exciting audiobook during my time on the treadmill, I’ve (kind of) turned my opinion about running on its side. Running is still hard and I don’t really look forward to it, but it’s the only time I get to listen to that book, so I keep on doing it.

Productivity expert Ryan Zhang says, “Over time, you stop dreading these tasks because your brain knows something good is coming.” And that’s why I keep putting on my running shoes. I want to find out what happens next in my book.

So I’ve anchored something I enjoy (escaping with an exciting book) with something I used to dread doing (running). Psychotherapist Meg Gitlin says this is powerful medicine. “Pairing a dull or difficult task with something pleasurable ― like listening to music while cleaning or enjoying a favorite snack while studying ― can help reframe the task as tolerable or even enjoyable. Over time, your brain learns to associate the task itself with positive reinforcement. This can improve consistency, motivation and even mood regulation.”

Instead of procrastinating, enjoy the chore

Instead of procrastinating over your least favorite chore, you’ll be looking forward to doing it because you’ll also be doing something you really enjoy.

So if you have a few laundry baskets piled with clothes or sheets that need folding, perhaps you should pop in your earbuds and listen to a podcast or music, or stream your favorite TV drama. You’ll save time that you used to waste procrastinating, and you’ll feel so productive having completed a chore that you dreaded. But what are you going to do with all those laundry baskets?

Not wanting to exercise is normal

It’s really not you – not wanting to exercise is normal.

It turns out that not wanting to exercise is normal. It turns out that as we get older, lots of systems in our body decline. You knew that – eyesight, hearing, cognition, memory. And we don’t want to exercise. That’s because of declining systems in our brain. Namely, our dopamine synthesis and dopamine receptors. That means that cognitive control, emotion and mood, motor function, positive reward, and motivation are also naturally declining. That means our natural enjoyment of life, our happiness and our motivation to exercise really does decrease as we get older.

It’s just not the same as before

So it is normal that we don’t feel like doing anything but mindlessly binge a series on Netflix. Or that we lack ambition to do anything but sit around. A recent article in Psychology Today notes that since our dopamine levels decline, we don’t get the satisfaction out of doing anything like we did in years past.

That’s depressing. I get that we all may not care that not wanting to exercise is normal, but how about the enjoyment that we get from other activities? I certainly want to experience the happiness of a good meal with friends or the enjoyment of reading a good book or listening to an amazing musical performance.

So how can we get back to feeling all these things?

First off, know that what helps one person feel things or become motivated may not work for another. We all feel things differently – we’re not wired the same.

Future to present – focus on the now

In looking at what made older people happy, one theory suggests that people’s motivation shifts from considering the future to being anchored in the present. And for motivation to exercise, older people are more likely to join a group to exercise rather than doing it alone. I guess I’m the weirdo here (preferring my solo exercise). So focusing on relationships can help you get fit as well as make you happy. Be with people you enjoy spending time with and encourage them to join you in exercise. It will help your body, your mind, your resilience and your healthy aging.

For those of us who prefer to go it alone, then continue to make exercise a habit. And find the joy in the little things – one more push-up. One more tenth of a mile. I listened to a great book while running.

We can boost our motivation to exercise

No wonder we don’t feel like exercising! We’ve been missing a vital piece of the puzzle. You know how frustrated you get when you’re putting together a jigsaw puzzle and there’s a piece missing? Either you dropped it on the floor sometime or it was never in the box to start with. That’s what has been happening with our exercise. Here’s the missing piece to boost our motivation to exercise!

Add this to your motivation toolbox

Yes. Even after all these years, I need to (figuratively) give myself a kick in the behind to get up and exercise. I don’t enjoy it, I never have. But it’s a habit now, and you know if you ignore your good habits the thought just hangs over you like a cloud the rest of the day until you do it. Do you enjoy exercising? Didn’t think so. That’s why it’s so hard to get motivated. But what if you learned of a new element that, when you add it to your motivation toolbox, it fires you up and gets you moving?

It works with your step tracker

Many people already use a device to track their steps. I talked about this a few weeks ago – it’s fun to get that affirmation when you reach your step goal every day. And that’s great as far as it goes.

We already know about the benefits of exercise. How it boosts our cognition, improves our strength, helps our sleep, and helps us to lose weight. Exercise helps us become more optimistic and resilient, and certainly encourages our healthy aging. But knowing about those benefits doesn’t get us to the gym or pushing “Play” on exercise videos at home. But the addition of a mindfulness app can help us go the rest of the way – beyond tracking our steps. When we’re aware of our body and how it moves, we’re more likely to add the strength elements and additional cardio conditioning we need.

Add mindfulness training

According to a study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, researchers from the University of Bath discovered that the combination of step tracking with mindfulness training boosted participants’ motivation to continue exercising. And participants also exercised for a longer period of time every week that they used that combination.

So, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to search for a mindfulness app to install on my phone. It’s the missing piece to boost our motivation to exercise.

Best exercises for healthy aging

I think about healthy aging quite a bit because I write about it. But I don’t think people my age should think about it. I think my peers should be actively doing everything they can for their healthy aging instead. The first thing many people think about relating to fitness is exercise, so here are the best exercises for healthy aging, according to many experts.

Strength

At our age, we have to focus on strength. When we’re strong, we can do things like get out of a chair without assistance, or climb stairs. When we’re moving against resistance, whether that’s our own body weight, free weights, or even resistance bands, that’s making us stronger. Strength training improves muscle mass, bone density and circulation. And the current recommendation is to do strength training twice a week to promote healthy aging.

Endurance

The dreaded aerobics. When we improve our endurance, we can walk for longer periods of time, making those walking tours a distinct possibility when we’re on vacation. Hikes with family and friends at home are also on the table. We exercise our heart and lungs when we work on our endurance, so we won’t get out of breath getting to the store from a far space in a parking lot. Cardio work also can be great to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

Mobility

During the day I can feel myself stiffen up if I don’t move around. Flexibility or mobility work helps us maintain or improve our range of motion. I can tie my shoes. I can reach a spot on my back that has an itch (mostly). A good way to get mobility work in is to incorporate it into our warm-up or cool-down from our strength or endurance work. Don’t skimp on flexibility, but it’s important not to overdo it, either. Incorporate movements that feel good to you.

Balance

Improving balance can help reduce falls. This one is really important to me, and balance exercises are certainly some of the best exercises for healthy aging. I suffered a fall a number of years ago which led me to promoting balance exercises. Here’s a nasty statistic: falls account for three quarters of deaths in people over 75 in the US. Don’t be a statistic. Download Your Week of Core-Centered Balance Moves and join the private Facebook group Balance for Fitness Balance for Life. A variety of balance exercises are highlighted, none of which take more than 2 minutes a day or require changing into gym clothes.

Cognition

Exercise your brain. Like every other body part, your brain needs work to keep it stimulated and operating at peak efficiency. We know that when we exercise our body, our brain benefits. A variety of brain exercises also help keep us engaged. And it’s not just Sudoku puzzles or crosswords that help. Jigsaw puzzles, arts and crafts, and other puzzles help.

One more thing helps keep us fit and engaged – interacting with others. So get moving and stay healthy.

Shiny object syndrome got you?

Shiny object syndrome has you procrastinating? Just start.

Tough day yesterday

Yesterday was a tough one. My younger dogs started brawling. My old one eliminated all over the house. Our stock was short. I couldn’t find a parking place within a block of a delivery I had to make. And I couldn’t find half the stuff on my shopping list. Funny how the smallest irritation just puts you over the top. We use the single-serve applesauce in our dogs’ food – I know, we could use a big jar and just spoon out what we need. But it’s a time-saving thing. The single-serve containers are more efficient in this case. Anyway, when I returned home and it was time to start my workout, the shiny object syndrome took hold. I kept looking at my newsfeed. At my dogs, waiting for them to start in again. Anything to put off starting. But, no. I told myself. Do it. Just start.

Put your mind to a task

So I did and got in a really good workout. Once you put your mind to a task, good things happen.

But if you’re floundering about, trying to figure out a good fitness program to do, shiny object syndrome kicks in and your scheduled workout time can come and go in a flash. If you’ve promised yourself on New Year’s that since you know you need to do it for your healthy aging, you would exercise four times a week at 10:30 in the morning for 35 minutes. But you may have already broken that resolution.

Be specific

Physical Therapist Erik Krol has three tips for setting fitness goals that are completely doable. First – be specific. In our example, the exercise wasn’t specified. It’s important to do your research and find a program that you can see yourself doing for weeks. I have a library of fitness videos that I rotate through. They allow me to get a good workout in and not invent a new program for myself.

But not too specific

Second tip for fitness goals – don’t be too specific. Have some flexibility for unexpected events. If my shopping took longer than usual yesterday, I have the flexibility of switching out a shorter workout.

Enjoy the process

And third, take it one step at a time. Don’t jump ahead of yourself and do exercises you’re not ready for. Accept that fitness is a journey that you’ll be on for life. Enjoy what you can of the ride, and celebrate every small accomplishment. If you’re just starting out and you’ve successfully walked a mile for the first time – that’s definitely worth a celebration. And on days when you feel the shiny object syndrome kicking in? Just start your workout. You’ll be glad you did.

Don’t let that shiny object syndrome rule your life. You’re stronger than your distractions. Just start.