Wednesday, October 9, 2024


 I have been working on in-home walking, including doing a sit-walk and experimenting with sitting in different chairs. I have duplicated the four basic steps in home walking. 

  • Walking in place.
  • Kicks
  • Knee raises
  • Side to side

One of the benefits of doing in-home walking is that you also get to practice upper body movements. Since I no longer have the balance to do the in-home walking without assistance, I have been trying to adapt to workouts with my upright walker and seated workouts. Using my upright walker, I am using my body's resistance in the walking steps. But I can't duplicate the upper body movements. The resistance for my legs is excellent, and I get the benefit of building stronger core and leg muscles and bones with resistance. Using sit walking, I get to the benefit of the upper body movements and the steps done in sit walking.

I am doing these workouts for one- or two-mile walks. I am continuing my biking, so many days, I am easily doing 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercises. I do feel the difference aerobically, and when I walk with my cane, it seems as if I am walking better.

This is all about making adaptions as we get older. I do believe that what I am experiencing is the loss of balance with my handicap from that experience. I can share these ideas with you because there will be times when you are recovering from something, and sit-walking can be very beneficial.

As they get older, I have noticed that people find it harder to get up from a chair, get out of a car, or perform other independent movements. There are many reasons for this, so I don't want to be too simplistic, but I do believe that people can be helped to recover from their difficulties. Some sedimentary people would greatly benefit from sit-walking. 

Check with your doctor and always listen to your body's signals before beginning any exercise program.

Friday, December 15, 2023

Seniors can find ways to keep moving, some links to view

 I am finishing up rehab at the hospital. At the hospital they have various aerobic machines like a treadmill, upright steppers, stationary, bikes, and recumbent bikes, along with other equipment that targets, whatever weakness somebody has to work on. In my workouts, I've used the new step machines which I am finishing up rehab at the hospital. I have improved my aerobic health. Barb and I have joined Planet Fitness so that I can continue my rehab. Planet Fitness has aerobic equipment like the nu stepper and different types of bikes that I can use. Plus, I can begin resistance training and work on my strength level. When we are older, the process is slower. Still, we can do both resistance and aerobic training to increase our strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic health.

I know many people who have become more sedimentary. Many people have fallen, and the odds are they do not return to a walking life. Others have become so overweight they find movement hard. I can speak from experience as I weighed more than Nero Wolfe, the fictional detective. He weighed in at a 1/7 of a ton. You can do the math to find the actual weight.

There are ways we can exercise safely. Below, I have posted YouTube videos that deal with workouts that you can do standing or sitting. If you have balance issues or cannot stand up, do these exercises from the chair. First, check with your doctor if you can do a physical rehab. Second, watch the videos before you do them. Some of these videos can help you wherever you're at. Others may be more advanced and something you could try as you get better.

Most of the advertising you can skip after a few seconds. The ads may be questionable, and with any health ad, before you take their advice, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor or physical therapist because if it sounds too good to be true. It isn't good.

Some of the workouts are from Silver Sneakers. Again, as they get into the exercises, they tell you you can do them sitting down. A few workouts come from two physical therapists, Bob and Brad. These guys have worked with many people who have fallen and maybe broke a bone. They have all types of senior citizens workouts, but watch them before you do them.

A word about sitting and doing workouts: first, they do work. Secondly, they work on the muscles we often experience weakness when we get older. Try a workout, sitting in a chair, no matter how healthy you are. It may help you understand how the workout out might help your older friend or parent deal with their aging issues.

Exercising with balance support can be very helpful. I am not an expert. I have looked at these things and tried them out. They appear very senior-friendly. That is why I advise you to check in with your doctor. You and your doctor know your health better than anybody else, and your doctor may connect you with a support rehabilitation to start your progress. Still, some are walk-in-home, and you may have to find balance support to do the exercises. I hope you find them helpful to keep walking. Here are the links

Senior exorcises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BcPHWGQO44


Bob and Brad https://www.youtube.com/watch?y=cYHOp4h4hAm4


Bob & Brad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8_JcYAN7eU&t=607s

https://youtu.be/3dkKquMiQIk


Silver sneakers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8_JcYAN7eU&t=607s


Senior walk 2 miles advance https://youtu.be/jRWKYOhcWWU


Senior sneakers 30-minute walk or sit  https://youtu.be/cgyfL6Te_aA


 Silver sneakers 15-minute sit or stand https://youtu.be/nTdzz3-01sE


Balance (interesting) https://youtu.be/uth_9K3EmDI


Bob and Brad balance (good ideas https://youtu.be/atMJ2opvCvo




Monday, December 4, 2023

The old guy making progress

 

For me, this business cardiac rehab is an ongoing process. Over the last weeks, I have worked with all types of people who are recovering from a heart attack. If you ever wonder who the people doing the rehab are, I want to encourage you because they're just like you. Whatever your difficulties are, the people doing it have the same problems. They all wear
comfortable clothing. They are not like people you would expect at the gym working out to some physical perfection. But they are all encouraged to do as much as possible and, maybe, a little more.

I have noticed that after a couple of weeks, most people are doing more things than when they started. They go from where they are, and in a little bit, they're making progress.

Realistic expectations: When you are older, exercise. Do you feel good? The benefits come a little slower. The good news is they come. Because of the surgery or the putting in stents, you feel better. My time in rehab has helped me push myself while the staff monitors me. The feedback I am getting helps me improve my workout at home. I plan to follow up on the exercises and join the local gym with the equipment I find so beneficial.

The second part of my rehab is my diet. As you know, I haven't lost weight very successfully, but I have lost about 40 pounds at present. My next goal is always 10 pounds less. 

I aim to move from morbid obesity (Nero Wolfe) to obesity. So now I am in the 270s and want to get to the 260s. After I reach that, I will move to the 250s. Each goal will get more complicated. For me, it is unrealistic to think about being 180. I have to do a lot of work before I can think about that kind of number. So, I break it down into smaller goals.

Since the majority of us deal with being overweight, whether it is seen or not, setting weight loss goals Your goals may be different from mine. I have yet to be very successful. But since skilled people have given me a new opportunity, I am re-energized to take advantage of it. So, think about your goal. Not all at once, but a few pounds at a time.

I am still trying to illuminate my bad habits, which makes it possible for me to lose weight. Removing bad habits may be a good name for a diet when we get older. What do you think? Keep walking.


Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Rehab and making progress

I like to share two points of recovery after my heart attack. 

After my heart attack, observing the skill of the surgeons with the angiogram, I decided not to waste their effort. I revisited my weight loss failures and decided to give it another go. The main idea I decided on was to eliminate my too many bad habits. So far it's working. I dropped somewhere between 30 and 40 pounds. And I don't know how much I weighed in the hospital. And I know for sure that I have lost 31 pounds. 

Weight loss is the only variable that may help me manage the type of medicine I take in the future. If I can do it, then it is something I can do to improve my health.

Having a goal that is too large can be unrealistic. It is really about the daily behavior anyway.

I am already starting to fit loosely in the shirts and pants the next size.

The next thing that I would like to share is the rehab program itself. The rehab team monitors your heart through out the workout. And everybody's goal is different. But the one takeaway I have because of the program is the confidence to push the envelope slightly. My at-home workouts have more resistance and are more challenging because of it. There is a learning curve to experience.

Of course, the workouts are not like when I was young. That kind of workout is silly for me to try. But I am working harder and sweating, and my aerobics is starting to improve. The other people in the rehab are pushing themselves more than they would do without. I can match the resistance with my in-home biking and strength training. I also get the benefit of my upright walker in the hospital halls. Not falling is a plus.

30-minute walks, workouts, etc., are like taking daily medication. 

Besides, the work out there are lectures or talks concerning being a cardiac patient. Many of the people had multiple stents and heart attacks. So, I have to continue to listen to my body.

A heart attack is scary, but bouncing back with weight loss and rehab is doable. Keep walking

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The 7 signs of John


In the gospel of John, he gives the purpose of the 7 (miracles) signs recorded in the gospel. They are woven into his writing, allowing us to believe the good news. John 3:15 says that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

Observe the contrast between the man healed at the pool and the blind man in chapter 9. Believing is always hard for people, as you can see from reading the signs' responses. John shares how Jesus revealed who he was and his purpose to die on the cross for our sins. The signs deal with the natural world, provision, disease, and death. Jesus caused things to happen that do generally not occur.

As we age, we need encouragement to believe in God for the things ahead. I would love to see you in heaven. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I will share another chart on the "I am"s where they reveal who he is.