Get Fit for Retirement
by Rick Jordahl
So you made it to retirement! Congratulations! It has been a long journey filled with sacrifice, long hours, setbacks and commitment but you’re finally ready to relax.
Whether you are newly retired, or have been for years, you’ve earned it.
Now, you’ll want to enjoy the benefits you worked so hard for and take the opportunity to enjoy those things you have waited so long for: time with family, grandkids, travel, hobbies.
If you’re like most retirees, you know that good health is the primary ingredient for a happy retirement. But if you’re not exercising regularly, your golden years may become your olden years.
Many retirees admit that exercise has not been a priority throughout their careers. Only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
A principal benefit of regular exercise is weight control. Recent reports project that by 2030, half of all adults (115 million) in the United States will be obese. Take action now so you’re not among them. You’ll reap many other benefits as well.
Regular exercise improves your overall health picture. It reduces the effects of stress and improves your balance and flexibility. Regular exercise can also aid in reducing blood pressure, help lower cholesterol levels and help prevent Type 2 diabetes. And you’ll probably sleep better, too.
The importance of remaining active throughout your retirement cannot be overstated. You see, muscles and aerobic fitness are not the only beneficiaries of regular exercise. There is constantly increasing scientific evidence that points to the brain as a significant winner also.
“Mental and physical exercise can keep the brain fit and help it to recover capacities lost to disease and trauma,” according to a Wall Street Journal article (Feb. 7-8, 2015 ‘Brain Heal Thyself’.)
“Retirees may find a new motivation because they see the benefits of living a longer, healthier life,” according to Whitney Alexander, group fitness director at the Sun City Fitness Center, Georgetown, TX. “Time with grandkids, travel and hobbies add up to real motivation for a healthier lifestyle than they perhaps had in their working years.”
“We find that retirees are among the most motivated because they realize they have fewer aches and pains when they exercise.” Retirees who exercise also make better diet choices, according to Alexander. “Exercisers are more likely to opt for a salad instead of french fries.”
“The benefits of exercise during retirement can be summed up in three words— quality of life,” according to Shepherd Green, personal trainer at the Fitness Center for seven years. “I’ve been able to continue participating in sports that I enjoy because I keep myself in shape.”
"The body is designed to work,” Green says. “Like a car, if you don’t use it fluids begin to evaporate, rust sets in, and soon it won’t run. It’s the same with your body; you need to work it in order for it to work for you."
Beware the Excuse!
Some retirees tell Green they can’t find the time to exercise. Others, if not overweight or in satisfactory health, say I just don’t need to. They are not alone. According to the President’s Council on Fitness, over 80 percent of adults fall short of the recommended amount of muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise.
Before you dive in to an exercise program get a physical. Ask your doctor to evaluate your capability and set an appropriate level of exercise. If you are fit to exercise but cannot find the time, reevaluate your priorities. “Your health should be your number one priority, especially when you’re retired,” Green says.
According to a Merrill Lynch retirement study, 81 percent of retirees say health is the most important ingredient for a happy retirement. “Retirees must take greater charge of their own health to achieve the retirement and lifestyle they aspire to in later life,” the study finds.
Ready to Rock
With your physical completed, and the latest photo of your grandchildren in your pocket, you are ready to make the commitment.
If your lifestyle is lacking in the exercise department walking often sparks commitment to an exercise program. The health benefits usually kick in at around 150 minutes of brisk walking per week, or just 30 minutes per day, five times per week. It gets you out, increases your respiration and heart rate and burns 150 to 200 calories. It also increases your metabolism so you will burn more calories through the rest of the day.
Try wearing a pedometer. It counts your steps and you may find that it motivates you to gradually increase your distance.
If you want to improve cardiovascular fitness you should walk three to four days a week, 20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace, according to TheWalkingSite.com. “At this pace you are breathing hard but not gasping for air.”
Regular brisk walks also establish a mindset that you’ve undertaken an important commitment and will help solidify your active lifestyle. A few things to remember: some experts recommend keeping your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle and swinging your arms. Another way to up the ante on your walks is to carry a one- or two-pound weight in each hand.
Walk tall with your head up and shoulders back. Engage your abdominals. After a few blocks and you’re warmed up go ahead and jog a block or two. But keep it sustainable. Rather than trying to make up for years of little or no exercise, it’s usually best to avoid overdoing. It’s far better to make sure you get out the next day.
If you’re thinking “but, I don’t like to exercise,” here’s the good news! You probably equate exercise with an activity you dislike. If you loathe treadmills, don’t ever get on one. If you hate to jog don’t do it.
There are activities you may actually enjoy which also provide excellent exercise. Dust off your bicycle and join a biking group, get in the pool, join a dance class, jump rope, take a hike or play softball. The point is to have fun for about 45 minutes five days a week.
It is often easier to have a schedule in mind, even if changes are made to it on occasion. Many retirees choose to walk in the morning and avoid the heat. Plus, the vigor you receive from a good walk usually sticks with you for the remainder of the day.
Aim for the Target
The American Heart Association recommends keeping an eye out for opportunities to increase your activity in other ways throughout the day. Park your car a block or two from your destination and walk. When you have the chance use the stairs instead of relying on the elevator. It all adds up.
Your heart rate is a great way to monitor the effectiveness of your exercise. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six to find your beats per minute.
A 70-year-old has a maximum heart rate of 150 beats per minute according to AHA but the number declines as a person ages. Shoot for 50 percent up to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during exercise sessions. This is your target heart rate.
(For more, go to heart.org.)
Heart rate during moderately intense activities is about 50 percent to 69 percent of your maximum heart rate, whereas heart rate during strenuous physical activity is about 70 percent to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate.
Mix it up
As beneficial as walking is, it is not the end-all in the retirement fitness world. As your body gets stronger and your stamina and muscles grow so do the needs for new challenges. "Walking uses the same muscles repeatedly and if that’s your only form of exercise after three to six months you will likely receive diminishing benefits,” Green warns.
To achieve your next level Green recommends supplementing your walking with weight- resistance training to pump up your fitness level. “Increasing muscle strength helps seniors maintain the integrity of their bones, while improving balance, coordination, and mobility.”
Strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis. “However, muscles must be challenged with a variety of exercises in order to maximize benefits,” Green adds. “Don’t fall in love with one routine or with one exercise.”
And don’t think you’re too old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention people with health concerns—including heart disease or arthritis—often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week. If you are looking to maintain your independence and continuing your lifestyle it’s your prescription. (see cdc.gov/aging)
Strength training doesn’t have to be at a gym, though it does help. After all, most
are equipped with a wide variety of machines and devices that, when used properly, are highly efficient at producing results. Plus, you’re surrounded by others with similar ideas and objectives.
You can also increase your strength with cardio exercises that rev up your heart rate, giving you two benefits for the price of one. Examples include climbing stairs at a brisk rate or doing a set of jumping jacks. For more ideas do an internet search on cardio exercises.
As with strength training however, avoid falling into a routine by taking on new cardio exercises. “Mixing it up will pay greater dividends when it comes to your cardio regimen,” Green adds.
Do it right!
How do you know the best way to exercise? You will probably benefit greatly with the help and advice of an expert to get you started. Green says that up to 90 percent of people he sees in the fitness center regularly are not getting the benefits that they could from weight resistance training. “They just get on a machine and begin without thinking what muscles they are targeting.”
When it comes to showing you how to get the most from the time you spend exercising, and how to get results, get a personal trainer. They also provide much-needed motivation by tailoring your exercises to your particular objectives and can be worth their weight in muscle.
Personal trainers help you adopt important habits that will become automatic in your workouts. For example, they will teach you the importance of warming up before exercise and stretching after, as well as providing the how-tos. They also stress the importance of proper breathing technique during exercise.
Green also stresses the importance of ‘functional’ workouts and recommends those exercises that enable the day-to-day activities that are most important to his clients.
“Most retirees want to be able to continue with those things they enjoy without hurting afterward, and that requires an individual approach.”
The cost of a few sessions with a personal trainer, while nominal, is an investment in yourself. If several trainers are available, visit with two or three before making your selection. Tell them about your knee replacement or about your COPD. Tell them your objectives and why you are requesting help. Then make your selection. You can expect excellent results.
Get in a Group
Group dynamics can help move you. The Fitness Center offers a ‘Lighten up for Life’ weight management course for Sun City residents who want to focus on the importance of diet and exercise. The 12-week program features informative speakers who instruct participants on subjects such as the importance of regular exercise, making healthier food choices and meal planning.
Each week the course features a guest speaker. “Dietitians, health care workers, personal trainers and consultants make presentations to provide their insight into the what, how and why of weight loss and healthy living,” Alexander says. “Our presenters challenge and engage participants with facts and methods on exercise, diet and nutrition that can truly turn one’s life around.”
Course instructors urge participants to look for results with a weekly weigh-in. Team support is also encouraged for those participants who might benefit from collaboration with peers. “Participants who choose to become part of a team within the program can help motivate each other by sharing their challenges and successes,” according to Alexander.
‘Lighten up for Life’ instructors encourage participants to gradually increase the duration of their exercise sessions to 45 minutes per day, or walk 10,000 steps (about five miles) per day by the end of the course.
Still need more convincing? The scientific evidence on the benefits of exercise has reached into the stratosphere. An internet search on ‘benefits of exercise’ returned over 500 million results! There are countless websites that will provide information and motivation by giving you tips and reinforcement on everything from aerobics to zumba.
Making exercise a regular part of your life is the nearest thing to a guaranteed improvement in quality of life as you will find. Just get out there and do it. Ready, set, go!
So you made it to retirement! Congratulations! It has been a long journey filled with sacrifice, long hours, setbacks and commitment but you’re finally ready to relax.
Whether you are newly retired, or have been for years, you’ve earned it.
Now, you’ll want to enjoy the benefits you worked so hard for and take the opportunity to enjoy those things you have waited so long for: time with family, grandkids, travel, hobbies.
If you’re like most retirees, you know that good health is the primary ingredient for a happy retirement. But if you’re not exercising regularly, your golden years may become your olden years.
Many retirees admit that exercise has not been a priority throughout their careers. Only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
A principal benefit of regular exercise is weight control. Recent reports project that by 2030, half of all adults (115 million) in the United States will be obese. Take action now so you’re not among them. You’ll reap many other benefits as well.
Regular exercise improves your overall health picture. It reduces the effects of stress and improves your balance and flexibility. Regular exercise can also aid in reducing blood pressure, help lower cholesterol levels and help prevent Type 2 diabetes. And you’ll probably sleep better, too.
The importance of remaining active throughout your retirement cannot be overstated. You see, muscles and aerobic fitness are not the only beneficiaries of regular exercise. There is constantly increasing scientific evidence that points to the brain as a significant winner also.
“Mental and physical exercise can keep the brain fit and help it to recover capacities lost to disease and trauma,” according to a Wall Street Journal article (Feb. 7-8, 2015 ‘Brain Heal Thyself’.)
“Retirees may find a new motivation because they see the benefits of living a longer, healthier life,” according to Whitney Alexander, group fitness director at the Sun City Fitness Center, Georgetown, TX. “Time with grandkids, travel and hobbies add up to real motivation for a healthier lifestyle than they perhaps had in their working years.”
“We find that retirees are among the most motivated because they realize they have fewer aches and pains when they exercise.” Retirees who exercise also make better diet choices, according to Alexander. “Exercisers are more likely to opt for a salad instead of french fries.”
“The benefits of exercise during retirement can be summed up in three words— quality of life,” according to Shepherd Green, personal trainer at the Fitness Center for seven years. “I’ve been able to continue participating in sports that I enjoy because I keep myself in shape.”
"The body is designed to work,” Green says. “Like a car, if you don’t use it fluids begin to evaporate, rust sets in, and soon it won’t run. It’s the same with your body; you need to work it in order for it to work for you."
Beware the Excuse!
Some retirees tell Green they can’t find the time to exercise. Others, if not overweight or in satisfactory health, say I just don’t need to. They are not alone. According to the President’s Council on Fitness, over 80 percent of adults fall short of the recommended amount of muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise.
Before you dive in to an exercise program get a physical. Ask your doctor to evaluate your capability and set an appropriate level of exercise. If you are fit to exercise but cannot find the time, reevaluate your priorities. “Your health should be your number one priority, especially when you’re retired,” Green says.
According to a Merrill Lynch retirement study, 81 percent of retirees say health is the most important ingredient for a happy retirement. “Retirees must take greater charge of their own health to achieve the retirement and lifestyle they aspire to in later life,” the study finds.
Ready to Rock
With your physical completed, and the latest photo of your grandchildren in your pocket, you are ready to make the commitment.
If your lifestyle is lacking in the exercise department walking often sparks commitment to an exercise program. The health benefits usually kick in at around 150 minutes of brisk walking per week, or just 30 minutes per day, five times per week. It gets you out, increases your respiration and heart rate and burns 150 to 200 calories. It also increases your metabolism so you will burn more calories through the rest of the day.
Try wearing a pedometer. It counts your steps and you may find that it motivates you to gradually increase your distance.
If you want to improve cardiovascular fitness you should walk three to four days a week, 20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace, according to TheWalkingSite.com. “At this pace you are breathing hard but not gasping for air.”
Regular brisk walks also establish a mindset that you’ve undertaken an important commitment and will help solidify your active lifestyle. A few things to remember: some experts recommend keeping your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle and swinging your arms. Another way to up the ante on your walks is to carry a one- or two-pound weight in each hand.
Walk tall with your head up and shoulders back. Engage your abdominals. After a few blocks and you’re warmed up go ahead and jog a block or two. But keep it sustainable. Rather than trying to make up for years of little or no exercise, it’s usually best to avoid overdoing. It’s far better to make sure you get out the next day.
If you’re thinking “but, I don’t like to exercise,” here’s the good news! You probably equate exercise with an activity you dislike. If you loathe treadmills, don’t ever get on one. If you hate to jog don’t do it.
There are activities you may actually enjoy which also provide excellent exercise. Dust off your bicycle and join a biking group, get in the pool, join a dance class, jump rope, take a hike or play softball. The point is to have fun for about 45 minutes five days a week.
It is often easier to have a schedule in mind, even if changes are made to it on occasion. Many retirees choose to walk in the morning and avoid the heat. Plus, the vigor you receive from a good walk usually sticks with you for the remainder of the day.
Aim for the Target
The American Heart Association recommends keeping an eye out for opportunities to increase your activity in other ways throughout the day. Park your car a block or two from your destination and walk. When you have the chance use the stairs instead of relying on the elevator. It all adds up.
Your heart rate is a great way to monitor the effectiveness of your exercise. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six to find your beats per minute.
A 70-year-old has a maximum heart rate of 150 beats per minute according to AHA but the number declines as a person ages. Shoot for 50 percent up to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during exercise sessions. This is your target heart rate.
(For more, go to heart.org.)
Heart rate during moderately intense activities is about 50 percent to 69 percent of your maximum heart rate, whereas heart rate during strenuous physical activity is about 70 percent to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate.
Mix it up
As beneficial as walking is, it is not the end-all in the retirement fitness world. As your body gets stronger and your stamina and muscles grow so do the needs for new challenges. "Walking uses the same muscles repeatedly and if that’s your only form of exercise after three to six months you will likely receive diminishing benefits,” Green warns.
To achieve your next level Green recommends supplementing your walking with weight- resistance training to pump up your fitness level. “Increasing muscle strength helps seniors maintain the integrity of their bones, while improving balance, coordination, and mobility.”
Strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis. “However, muscles must be challenged with a variety of exercises in order to maximize benefits,” Green adds. “Don’t fall in love with one routine or with one exercise.”
And don’t think you’re too old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention people with health concerns—including heart disease or arthritis—often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week. If you are looking to maintain your independence and continuing your lifestyle it’s your prescription. (see cdc.gov/aging)
Strength training doesn’t have to be at a gym, though it does help. After all, most
are equipped with a wide variety of machines and devices that, when used properly, are highly efficient at producing results. Plus, you’re surrounded by others with similar ideas and objectives.
You can also increase your strength with cardio exercises that rev up your heart rate, giving you two benefits for the price of one. Examples include climbing stairs at a brisk rate or doing a set of jumping jacks. For more ideas do an internet search on cardio exercises.
As with strength training however, avoid falling into a routine by taking on new cardio exercises. “Mixing it up will pay greater dividends when it comes to your cardio regimen,” Green adds.
Do it right!
How do you know the best way to exercise? You will probably benefit greatly with the help and advice of an expert to get you started. Green says that up to 90 percent of people he sees in the fitness center regularly are not getting the benefits that they could from weight resistance training. “They just get on a machine and begin without thinking what muscles they are targeting.”
When it comes to showing you how to get the most from the time you spend exercising, and how to get results, get a personal trainer. They also provide much-needed motivation by tailoring your exercises to your particular objectives and can be worth their weight in muscle.
Personal trainers help you adopt important habits that will become automatic in your workouts. For example, they will teach you the importance of warming up before exercise and stretching after, as well as providing the how-tos. They also stress the importance of proper breathing technique during exercise.
Green also stresses the importance of ‘functional’ workouts and recommends those exercises that enable the day-to-day activities that are most important to his clients.
“Most retirees want to be able to continue with those things they enjoy without hurting afterward, and that requires an individual approach.”
The cost of a few sessions with a personal trainer, while nominal, is an investment in yourself. If several trainers are available, visit with two or three before making your selection. Tell them about your knee replacement or about your COPD. Tell them your objectives and why you are requesting help. Then make your selection. You can expect excellent results.
Get in a Group
Group dynamics can help move you. The Fitness Center offers a ‘Lighten up for Life’ weight management course for Sun City residents who want to focus on the importance of diet and exercise. The 12-week program features informative speakers who instruct participants on subjects such as the importance of regular exercise, making healthier food choices and meal planning.
Each week the course features a guest speaker. “Dietitians, health care workers, personal trainers and consultants make presentations to provide their insight into the what, how and why of weight loss and healthy living,” Alexander says. “Our presenters challenge and engage participants with facts and methods on exercise, diet and nutrition that can truly turn one’s life around.”
Course instructors urge participants to look for results with a weekly weigh-in. Team support is also encouraged for those participants who might benefit from collaboration with peers. “Participants who choose to become part of a team within the program can help motivate each other by sharing their challenges and successes,” according to Alexander.
‘Lighten up for Life’ instructors encourage participants to gradually increase the duration of their exercise sessions to 45 minutes per day, or walk 10,000 steps (about five miles) per day by the end of the course.
Still need more convincing? The scientific evidence on the benefits of exercise has reached into the stratosphere. An internet search on ‘benefits of exercise’ returned over 500 million results! There are countless websites that will provide information and motivation by giving you tips and reinforcement on everything from aerobics to zumba.
Making exercise a regular part of your life is the nearest thing to a guaranteed improvement in quality of life as you will find. Just get out there and do it. Ready, set, go!