This military circuit kicked my butt. But I did it, Hurrah!

I just finished a military circuit training for 20 minutes. I used the bike to slow down heart rate. At thee strength movements particularly squats and lunges my heart rate went over 110+. Biking at level 1 brought my heart rate back at the 80's, 70', and 60's.
The workout

Band Bench press* or pushups - in 1:00 - here I tied two bands to my cane, cane side on chest and pulled out. A broom would work.

Squats - 1:00 backside against the walk

TRX Pull-ups or pulldowns - 1:00 again works the muscles similar to a chin up- With TRX upper body it is where you place your feet to adjust the resistance. 

Bike or jog - 3:00 I think walking in place would work as well. Consider Sansone's four basic steps. Any of her workouts will demonstrate this. They are on line.

Band Military press* - 1:00

Lunges - 1:00 each leg

Band Bicep curls - 1:00

Bike or jog - 3:00

Tricep extensions.- 1:00 (Leslie Sansone kickbacks w pulldowns)

TRX 1:00 side squats - As I step out emphasis was on stating more on the step out leg. Gave me a chance to work my weaker leg. TRX on this was excellent. 

1:00 Kickbacks

Bike or jog 3:00

Situps - 1:00 - I stack four pillows on bed and lean back two sets of 20 to 21 for the two minute ab work. When I recovered from an illness this exercise gave me confidence to rise out of bed. Along with squats a real confidence builder if you ever have to recover from stuff that knocks you out. 

Crunches - 1:00

Stretch cool down-1:00-30 minutes small steps slower rate, stretch moves

You could bike two to three minutes between each exercise. Change the exercises to your needs. If I did two minute biking the workout would be 33 minutes, 3 minutes between each one would be 44 minutes, 4 minute biking 55 minutes. 

On another day you could do 11 different exercises, use different tools. There are different exercises to work the same muscle groups. A TRX band can be simply made from a solid rope that can bear your weight. This can be done with cans and bottles, light resistant bands, just the movements or any way your doctor recommends. 

Always start out slow, be safe, (I don't want to fall) listen to your body and put in movements like I did with the bike to control my heart rate. 

I know Reeves, I'm bored with your stuff. I get it, but gee Wally I did it! Keep walking😎

More strength training this week - Variety can be the spice of life

He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. Ps. 18

Continued success through week six. 110 minutes this week were aerobic with a circuit training that included strength moves. Strength training I did 48 minutes. Short walks were less, but more fitness was done instead. On one day I did a mile walk at 4 and 3 minute segments. 
Biking remains my #1 aorobic activity. I did a few minutes each biking at a higher intensity level than before. Level 1 warm up and cool down, level 2 my control level, level 3 my intensity push and this week I did a few minutes at level 4 in two bike workouts.
Circuit training is real easy to design. You can choose weights, resistant bands, TRX, body exercises, cans and bottles and mix in 1-3 minutes of walking, biking, running. You can do this on your walks by bringing a resistant band with you. With a park bench or picnic table you have a gym. Below is a military circuit training I did using bands, TRX, and body exercises for a 20 minute workout. 
After my 4 set workout using blue and black tubes (heavy) I needed a day off. Using strength, aerobic, walking activities I was able to reach 172 minutes and still counting. 
Three things I want to leave you with is I am still at it👍 and there are a lot ways to get there which includes things like gardening, bird watching, going for walks, swimming, games, you get the idea. This week I improved my strength training and I used a few new ideas. 💬 Keep walking

Add strength training to get back into the swing of things

Many of you know by now everywhere you look there are articles and information about health. Sometimes I find new information and other times I find more support for good ideas that I have already looked at. 

The Wall Street Journal an article by Heidi Mitchell Does Stress Make  us forgetful? Heidi interview Dr. Sinja of Yale who informs us if we have stress that is controllable it helps us to perform to our ability. Our memory functions very well we are in a situation when we can plan and work towards a goal. The problem with stress is if we are presented with the situation where wehave too many tasks to perform or too short of time to do what we need to do, we get a overloaded and we panic. Instead of reacting with reason we react emotionally. Normally these things that we would remember we now forget. If we are multitasking 10 things at once, each thing that we are trying to do only gets about 10% of our efficiency. Another problem with stress if we have too many major stresses our brain functions less. 

The good news is Dr. Sinya it Informs us that if we get enough sleep, eat small healthy meals and exercise our brain heels stress and our memory can be restored.

In another article from the Wall Street Journal Laura Johannes reports The Benefit of Pumping Iron Late in Life. Research shows intense strength training helps fend off age-related disabilities. When I first started studying health in my middle 50s Dr. Cooper of Cooper aerobics centers presented studies about the benefit of strength training for aging adults. Strength training has been shown beneficial in rehabbing injuries and recovering quality-of-life for greater independence. Research is cited here where are the benefits of muscle gain from strength training and the same is true of the benefits of aerobic training appear to be about half the gain as younger people.

I would not get discouraged about that because we usually start from a weaker point in our health. The benefits we get from our muscle gain greatly improves our quality of life. I have good reason to share with you strength training should be part of your weekly routine. Strength training can have a tremendous relief over pain of arthritis and have been proven to return people back to a normal life. The article gave an example of people in their 70s. Dr. Cooper reported people in their 90s who were able to put on muscle. The strength training form and modification are key ideas.

Leslie Sansone and others have reported in their research how walking improves brain health. Walking is more healthy for you then crossword puzzles. Strength training helps with cardio health and apparently helps us boost our higher level brain tasks. Strength training is really new to you then consult a trainer. Checking with your doctor and take a look at programs for seniors to use strength training to improve muscle and joint health. Check out the articles and keep walking.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-benefits-of-pumping-iron-in-later-life-1426475062 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/does-stress-make-us-forgetful-is-that-why-we-cant-find-the-car-keys-1426527607 

Not a resolution but a revision

Not really a resolution but maybe a revision is what I have been acting on of late. BMI we often think of a weight we need to be at. A good goal if you are obese is to become over weight. The weight loss there is huge for your health. As long as you are improving your diet and fitness you are your way to greater health. Diet to me is about portion eating and eating smarter and for your health. BMI has some variable in it based on muscle to fat ratio. The best way to know that is when you get closer to a healthy weight check in with your doctor.
Another way to look at it is your waistline. How ever tall you are your waist should be 1/2 that. I know there is a difference between men and women so look up what is for you and check with doctor. For me my waist should be at 35 to 37 inches. Well my doctor would tell me to get real. So my first goal is 40 inches. Once a month I will take a measurement and report the loss or gain. When I get close to 40 I will reveal my waist size. I have to have some dignity.
My old man exercises have been a real encouragement. They are sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and flexibility moves. I am also going to work out getting off the floor. Working to increase my flexibility will help here. As we get older we should do these body exercises and find ways to get the practical benefit from it. I am not a doctor or qualified to advise you but I am thinking about it for myself. If you are unsure of yourself to get off the floor practice with the kids around or people that can help you get up. Use a stable chair right next to you or a bed. And if you need to check with your doctor first that is always the best. Try first from a sitting position, then from a laying down position. It is good to know what you got to work on. Do you play with the grand kids on the floor than you know. Maybe that's why people find yoga useful or Tai Chi. Learn more about senior fitness. Check out Web MD or Dr. Oz for ideas on flexibility. Another place may be the National Institute of Aging. Keep walking 

Try the putz workout

Walter Matthau

Besides 20 minutes on the bike, I purposely found time for 30 one minute workouts through out the day. Pushups, sit ups, one minute runs, dips, squats, walks, bringing in the groceries, stairs plus chores around the house. I think it can be part of a fitness program. If you are battling diabetes, movement throughout the day can make a big difference. Days I am researching and writing I will practice 1-4 minute workouts through out the day.
I had a friend who sat too long and had a clot that killed him. Moving is good. I like to call it my putz workout out.  Grumpy Old men

John Gustafson: Moron!

Max Goldman: Putz!
Just for fun here is Max up to no good.

Max Goldman: You mean the low-life, ass-wipe, egg-sucker John Gustafson?

Snyder: Have you seen him?

Max Goldman: The man's crazy. Loco. Always hanging out around those kinky strip bars. You know, the ones where the men take their clothes off. That's of course if he's taken his medication.

Snyder: Medication?

Max Goldman: Yes, without it he could be anywhere. Wandering around talking to the trees. I'm telling you the man's a menace, he's always drinking, starting fights.

Keep walking

Ready for day two of the stair workout

walking to Retirement with Scott, fascinating picture

My stair workout was good enough to take a day off between workouts. There was some muscles I over worked. Sore I stretched and rode my bike for 20 minutes. Today I feel pretty good so tomorrow I will give it a go. I am not running up the stairs but walking for a minute then I go to the next move for a minute. Tomorrow I will do some moves for 20 reps then move to the next move. I think I will add some band moves and walking and running as well. Breathing will be my pace and I will walk to control that. I should be able to work in 6 flights of stairs in the 30 minutes all n pace with the Clancy Brothers.
In two days I plan to do a boxing aerobic routine with weights and total gym mixed with walking and running. Mixing up the workouts should keep this ole body moving.
The trees were brilliant this week but the rains have brought a lot of leaves down. November is a good month to walk. Cool temperatures can be handled with comfortable layer clothing. After about five minutes the body warms up. Walking in the mid day see best for the wind, but watching the sun start to go down has great sky views.  Keep walking 

Strength training can work for you

Did a thirty minute walk today
As part of the fat man exercises I have been doing and suggesting modified push-ups or full push-ups for strength training. How much body weight are we lifting when we do a push-up?  If you do a push-up off the wall or have your feet out wider it increases the weight. If you do a push up off a counter or railing of deck it can be more resistance, of a top of a bench more, off the seat of the bench, off the steps the lower you go more resistance. A push up off the knees is a modified push-up and off the toes is a full push-up. Anyway you get the idea, push-ups can be done some way by most people. If you have health concerns always consult doctor.
I was reading as blog from Today I will, written by Michael Harper, MEd, Associate Director of Education at the Cooper Institute. In the blog he gives the numbers to calculate a full and modified push-up. For me in some of my modified push-ups I am lifting 150lbs. Not bad for 61. Modified body weight training can be done in gyms and the Total gym for a real good workout. Using bands that you can do movements makes resistant training work for you. We can do this as we get older. Be encouraged.
Keep walking
Check out the blog

http://todayiwill.com/2011/03/how-much-weight-is-really-lifted-during-a-push-up/#.UmmXP70o4dU

 

 

Follow up on circuit training, look into it

Today is day 2 of my circuit training I hope to do 3 times a week. Aerobic in nature I hope it helps me return to jogging and fitness routines and ups my workout. Giving a day between should help as well top recover. A lot of things I have done this year have helped me get to this point.
The basic concept is to put three fitness moves together live shoulder press, side lateral and front laterals using dumb bells or resistance bands, then do a 3 minute jog then move to squats, lunges, heal raises followed by 3 minute run. having running time of 20+ minutes and a full body workout should come close to 30 minutes. I control my pulse and respiration by slowing intensity when I need too. When your body is 61 I have to pay attention to what my body is telling me. running could be 1, 2 or 3 minutes.
 I can also take this routine to the local trails. Barb can walk with me as I jog. The benches and bands can be adapted. If you are a runner you may want to think about on the go circuit training. Push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, squats can all be done on the run, as well as a number of strength training moves with resistance bands. Many things at a park can give you different angles to simulate a full gym workout.
Wasn't today a beautiful day. Lunch hour gave me some time outdoors. Keep walking

 

Eye of the Tiger

Think of walking 1,000,000 steps. If you walk 10,000 steps a day for 100 days you can reach that goal. that is a challenge Dr. Lianne Holloway met.

I did a circuit training today that really pushed me. Three strength training routines with a tube resistance, dumbbells  total gym and in between 3 minutes of running in place. For example push-ups, sit-ups and squats then 3 minute jogging. The rest of the strength training the exercises were linked together like curls, triceps, and reverse curls. then 3 minute jog.  I did 24 minutes of running and one simulated boxing round for aerobics and 21 different strength moves. Easily over 30 minutes of exercise. I played the routine with music, Felt like Rocky, you know the scene in Rocky 2 where he and Apollo are in the hospital. Actually I felt good. Keep walking

Dr. Lianne Holloway in Seneca, IL” page on Facebook.

Have you ever worked out at Henry's gym? You can smell the sweat

Working out in my basement can only make sense if you are old school. My home is roughly a 133 years old, the basement is limestone, plaster, cement floors, dusty rafters. There is nothing about it to fel like a health club.  My equipment is around my furnace and water heater.
On hot days like today it is a place to sweat. I begin with a weight routine little modified since I was a kid working out for football and wrestling. Then I move to my total gym where I do ab and leg workouts and end doing chin-ups. My body is loose and sweaty. I have been working out to celtic jigs. Now I am in the mood for a work out with a heavy bag and box three rounds to my iphone timer. I imagine Hawk and Spencer as they work out in Henry's gym from the Robert Parker novels. Hitting the bag convinces me I don't want to fight anymore, but I like the old bag. I go up to a carpeted area where I do some body exercises, like sit-ups, push-ups squats, crunches, lunges and heel raises. About this time Barb hands me a towel and doesn't want anything to do with me until I shower.
I walk up a flight of stairs and sort of feel pretty good, the ole boy can still do it.  Keep walking

Find mindful ways to walk at work

At White Pines

School is back in session and each year there are new challenges. There is always something new to learn or to put into action. With this in mind I thought I make some changes as well. Maybe I can shake up the way I use my time at work at lunch and the way I work in the classroom. Due to my handicap I do not like to stand, but I can walk fine. I work in a great big building and the building can be my friend to walk my steps. Stairs are in and elevator out most of the time. Today it was all stairs, but there may be occasions when the elevator has to be used. Today I climbed 6 flights up and 6 flights down. At home I will use the stairs 2 to 4 times. Next my new strategy at lunch is to walk 20-25 minutes using a timer on my phone. The intensity will increase as I get back into shape. I need time to cool down and be ready for the afternoon classes and eat. Walking to assigned areas will give me 15 more minutes and walking to meet needs in class will also add time and steps to my day. I will replace my lost pedometer and I will let you know what I am gaining. My goal at work is to walk an hour and about 8000 steps at work.

Home workouts and walks will continue. Will I be able to walk and run we will see?

 There is a lot we can get from work but we have to find ways to break up the sedimentary times.  

I will be looking at ways to cut carbs and add protein at lunch. I do a pretty good job with fruits and veggies. Breakfast will be healthy but I am going to watch my serving size in cereal. My theme this year is to think skinny. I will bring some things I have done well and try to introduce new ideas to skinny eating.

One thing I have been doing is drink two glasses of water before the evening meal. I will track my progress on these things. Keep walking

Back to basics in the fat man workout

Photo from Web M.D.

I can recall sweating in August football and having to get on the same wet uniform in the afternoon doing body strength exercises, Old school right. Using our bodies for strength training is actually very old school. calisthenics is what we used to call them. They were a big part of football and wrestling training. Returning to this type of exercise this year has helped with joint pain, flexibility and strength. I am exploring other movements for a total body workout, but these I do two times a day at 20 reps. Start with the bid three, push-ups, sit-ups or crunches, squats. add the others as you go.
Push ups (modified from bench, chair, or table
Sit ups off the side of bed
crunches, reverse, side laterals and raising backside off thee floor
squats with back off the wall or off bed or chair
dips off corner counter, modified by use of legs to adjust doable weight, dips using chair with arms
lounges using door frame for balance, chair can also be used.
Three times a week I use bands of weights for a regiment of basic weight lifting moves.

Photo from Web M.D.

 Using stairs, walking, disc golf in hilly course are all part of an aerobic exercise.
The body movements do not take long.
Finding ways to do them safe and senior friendly is important. Go to Real Age or Web M.D. to get ideas that can work for you.
Nothing boost an old man more than feeling stronger. Strength training is for all of us because we need muscle to remain independent longer and to be able to do the things we need to do around the home.
Learning to use resistant tubes or bands with help you recover from injuries and illnesses. I can tell you first hand they are a big part of me dealing with joint pain. You can turn your deck into a complete gym using tubes or bands.
Fitness to round off the curve is doable,by this is meant to be able to live life more independently, healthier and more active before we go into decline before our death. Muscle growth is essential for healthy bones and exercise slows down the loss of muscle and bones. Keep walking

odds and ends, disc golf, don't expect perfection, don't give up

Hear is a way to work abs, two cans of
soup would work

Our weather this week is very much like an Hawaiian Vacation, High 70's to Low 80's. Low humidity. Yesterday Barb and I did a round of disc golf walking up and down wooded areas. There were two holes we walked through because to get an errant throw would be difficult. It was a good workout with more hills than you would walk on a golf course. Some of my throws were good for me. I am amazed the way people can throw the disc. I would have liked to have played the game when I was younger. We will do a round or two on vacation. We easily walked over an hour and probably walked around three miles. When you factor in the terrain it was a aerobic. Tonight we will walk a trail. Both of us got over 150 minutes of aerobic and strength training minutes this week.
I was studying my Bible in John 16 today and I like to share a quote from J. VernonYou won’t find peace in the church. You won’t find peace in Christian service. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ. " We need both church and service in our lives. Both have to do with people and like ourselves things aren't always peaceful. Don't give up on them for we really do need them. The other half of the quote is true as well, In Jesus there is grace, love, acceptance and provision we need to get through the stress and problems in our lives.

McGee that I have absolutely found true. "

In the New York Times this week reported the benefit of cardiac rehab even in the oldest people who experience a heart attack. You are never too old it appears to benefit. What people told me is the depression that often follows any open heart. With that follow your doctor as you go through that and get the care and support you need. It is good to know exercise helps.

http://news.yahoo.com/cardiac-rehab-may-benefit-oldest-patients-195624021.html

Keep walking

 

My theme has been summer workouts, It is good to sweat 150 minutes a week

Ann Cassidy A Walker in the Suburbs took this shot

Cooper Aerobics Think I will gave this note on adult exercise in the summer time.

"Adults ages 18-64 should accumulate 2 hours and 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity each week at a moderate level of intensity, or if vigorous activity is more your style—1 hour and 15 minutes. But you don’t have to stop there. Increasing the duration of activity to 5 or more hours each week can increase health benefits! While the recommendation is a total accumulated amount, it is ideal to spread your aerobic activity out over 3 or more days. Strengthening activities, like push-ups, sit-ups, and weight lifting are important for adults to participate in at least 2 days a week."

There is growing research that looks at exercise over a week's time. A 150 minutes of exercise has health results for adults. Walking, biking, swimming, using stairs, cutting grass, shoveling snow, strength training all can add up to a healthier body.

On the warm days of summer it means more sweating. That means more hydration as we move. I sweat more than most people in part because of my CP and my body always tensing up. Working up a good sweat in a workout and the good feeling afterward is actually good for us. Intensity may change as we get older but is a good boost.

Working out and walking indoors and out I have been careful with my Achilles tendon. It has a tendency to tighten so I have to apply good stretching and relaxing the tendon. My overall fitness has improved so I don't want any set backs. It helps to wear support shoes throughout the day. Climbing stairs also helps. My stairs to the second floor are steep but that works out as a good thing for my fitness. My plans are to do disc golf tonight. I have my stick laid out and am ready to go. Keep walking

 

Everyday living to health

Here we are in Long Beach, California in a taffy
shop, that was a good day. We walked 4 miles that
day and we didn't walk off the taffy.

What a beautiful day today. Last night was quite a storm front through the Midwest but today was awesome. I was sitting out today reading a Longmire mystery, painting trim for our bedroom feeling what we used to say "pretty groovy". Walking and loosening up this ole body, feeling good.
Restocking my tools and doing some rehabbing in the house gives me plenty of stair climbing. My grand son wants to earn some money cutting grass so their goes a workout. Turning my energy to home renewal may be a trade off.
Do lists are great way to get more steps in your day and may include movement involving your whole body. If you are aware of a step conversion charts you may see a healthy angle to the shores of life.
It has been over a year since I added sit ups, push ups and squats to my daily routine. If

Yep, a pretty good day

you start out with modified movements it works. Things like getting up from chairs, getting in groceries, doing stuff that takes muscles is easier. These workouts used later at night have helped me actually get to sleep faster. Part of that is helping my CP and relaxing and stretching out the muscles. Moderate or easy workouts in the evening can be very helpful with sleep. Dr. Oz has a PM workout that you can look up at Real Health.
Long summer days I think get all of us active. Hot days look to walking early or late. I know many friends down in Florida who walk before day light. Retired consider a pre-dawn stroll. When I am in Florida I like to swim.
Ice treatments really helped, recovering very good from a fall earlier this week. I think everything I have written in the blog is the stuff of everyday life we can do. Eating right, moving, getting pleasure out of what we do all adds up to a good day.
Dr. Cooper, Leslie Sansone and others have share if we decide to do one thing for better health it often leads to other things and in the end we feel pretty good. Keep walking   

Stength and flexibility and our Spiritual walk

Head ban, hair and smile, I am
probably watching Danny Foust

In the blog Today I Will Karyn Hughes, MEd shares strength training and stretching improves performance in golfers who average age is 57. The stretches were held for 10 seconds. I have read recent studies where stretching decreased strength performance. With any study you have to read carefully and see in follow-up studies say similar things. As we age we need to work on flexibility. In the east many elderly exercise with movements that help movement and joints. When we workout or do an activity or sport our body naturally stretches out. When our bodies warm up that is the best time to improve flexibility. Having CP I known this for years. I recall some 43 years ago my tennis coach Peter Neff at Joliet Junior College telling me at the end of the tennis season how I was moving much better.
Working out, walking, stretching are all things we can do to improve joint pain and muscle pain. For me it has reduced the amount of pain medication I take for arthritis. I am partial to less pain. Get off the lounge chair, desk, sofa and go for a walk everyday. Do it for 6 to 10 weeks and see if  you feel better. Walk at your own pace, as you walk you will move faster as you go along. In the summer walk early in the day or later in the evening, I find a naturally walk faster after the first 5 minutes. walk 10, 15 or 20 minutes at a faster pace, then slow down for a 5 minute cool down. It is your walk, your body will tell you what pace you can do.
If you are just starting a walk, remember most of us can do this, especially if we listen to our bodies. Also check with your doctor before starting a walk program.
Switching gears a little bit Earl Radmacher writes "Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Helper (John 14:16, 17). The Greek word, paraklētos, means “one called alongside to help.” In giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus shows that leadership is not so much the ability to walk ahead of someone as the willingness to walk beside someone."
In my studies on walking with Jesus that is the sense of the perspective I have been looking at it. I have been viewing the gospels from the point of view of walking along side the disciples, attempting as best I can to get an idea what was it like to be there, seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting as I walk along side. I have eaten food they would have ate and I have looked at thousands of pictures and videos to see the locations as best I can. The two thousand year gap is no small problem. Walking most days where I like keeps my body moving and I try to connect the experience together. 
It is good to know as a believer the Spirit lives in me for thee power of the spiritual life. He walks with me for fellowship and He has been with me through it all, the ups and the downs. He walks beside me to protect and defend me from both the unseen spiritual world and here in the here and now. Bad things happen to good people, but I believe God is there to hold evil down. 
Be encouraged, and keep walking 

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Jn 14:23). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

 

Wowza spring is in bloom

I have been working on workouts for Barb to incorporate resistant training with tubes and aerobic

indoor walking. There is just to much evidence for strength training benefits as we get older. The basic idea is to do a resistant exercise of 12 to 15 reps and then do basic indoor walking, side steps, knee raises, and kicks for one minute, then back to another resistant exercise. Add push-ups, crunches, half squats and before you know it you have cross trained for 20 to 30 minutes. Great for the muscles, joints, bones, heart and brain. In my page menu I have shared some workouts along this line.
Hasn't the weather been great. I know I have shared before how wonderful all the green hues are in spring. Yard work is pleasant.
Good news on my diet, feeling better. My scale reminds me I am still fat, but a little less.
Keep walking

Enjoying a sunny day

Another day in the 80's and sunny. Walking around work and I am sweating. Sweat is good but I can over do it. My work out today will be cutting grass and work three rounds on the heavy bag and weight program. With my steps today at work I will walk 10,000 steps.
Thanks to my Aunt Janelle I have added oat bran to my oatmeal. With raisins and walnuts throw in slices of bananas and strawberries awesome breakfast.
For lunch I will sit outside at the school enjoying the shade and flowered trees. I will take a couple of pictures and share them in future posts.
Yard work can give us a lot of movement that is good for us. Working after work makes the sunshine

healthy. We will do some planting this week of hearty veggies, tomatoes and peppers in a few weeks.
Strength training for me started with my old man workouts of sit-ups, push-ups, and squats with tubing a couple times a week. I still do the old man exercises daily, really helps with arthritis. The tubing I am replacing with weights and total gym three times a week. I will use the tubes for rotator cuff therapy and some range of motion.
I share the things I am doing to demonstrate there are a lot of ways to workout. Challenging yourself to be open to strength training can be a part of any of us as we move to retirement or age. take in the outdoors any way you can and keep walking

Yesterday I had an old fashion workout Robert Parker would of wrote for his character Spencer. Three rounds on a heavy bag, a long workout with free weights and my total gym, 30 minutes aerobic running. OK Spencer would have done 200 push-ups and 200 sit-ups and jogged 10 miles, but I was close. Walked to work this morning and later cut grass time. I have been good with healthy eating most of the time. One thing I am seeing is improvement on my breathing as I move. Added as well is an attempt to walk 5 to 7 flights of stairs a day.
I have been reading through the Parker novels and and it is easy to see the influence. Working a heavy bag has a lot of benefits. It is a good core exercise and strength exercise. It is one more way to work out and have variety.
 

Strength training for Seniors

Following my favorite blogs I came across a very helpful blog by Erica Howard. I have written before about how exercise can improve and extend the quality of life in our lives. She titles her blog, "Finding the Fountain of Youth". Well we know the fountain can not be found as a location but it can be experienced as we work on our flexibility, strength and aerobics. What we eat and drink helps too. She reports one thing we need as we age is muscle. One study of people average age of 78 exercised for 9 months and gained 2 lbs of muscle. Another study with 90 year olds participated in a strength program three days a week and increased strength and function 9%. Such workouts improve our functions of movement and help us with balance and falling less.
The three studies presented in article not only showed we can slow down muscle loss but that we can increase it. We won't be twenty again but I think muscle helps us move better and look better even as we age. Rounding off the curve of decline means we have more time lived better and a better chance to live the way we want, more independent. Read Erica's blog, I think you will be encouraged. Keep walking
http://todayiwill.com/2013/04/finding-the-fountain-of-youth-revisited/