OK I am sitting working, how can I use sitting cardio training?

I am working at my computer this afternoon and I want to add some exercise. I came across a workout for seniors that worked on strength training, flexibility, and balance. That got me thinking are there workouts to do boxing or kickboxing from a chair. On my browser was several options. For example if you learn the moves you can create your own program to box a few minutes To 30 minutes. I saw worked out from Paula

Paula Bowers demo of
Kickboxing

Bowers that have a kick boxing work out for 13 minutes. I tried it and it was aerobic. The movements really give the abs a workout. There were other exercise programs that would be good for people who were disabled or injured in still wanting to work out. The workout that Pahla did can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_Eh_mXPNI
You can modify this workout by slowing down the punches and kicks. Moving your body at your pace give you motion, flexibility and easy on your joints. At the pace Pahla works out is more cardio and strength training and a good goal as you get used to the workout. I always think it is a good idea to watch the program first and see how of the movements work, then adapt them as you need to.
It is a known fact that many people sit. Yes it's a good idea to move around through out the day. I like the idea turning my workstation into part of my fitness program. I asked a question, "How can we use sitting to exercise?" At some point in our life we may have to. Boxing workouts can actually help sitting to become a healthy exercise. Keep walking.

7 Strength, Balance, and Flexibility Exercises for Older Adults from Go4...

Along with the Fatman exercises that I've developed that helps us to maintain our strength and flexibility, here are some good ideas that are very practical. As we get older we have to find a way to keep ourselves moving as strong. Keep walking

Do you know what your targeted heart rate should be in exercise?

When I exercise, how do I know what my heart rate should be? Our targeted heart rate changes as we get older. One of the best answers to that question comes from your personal physician and in my case, information comes from my cardiac specialist. In my case the doctor wants me to exercise to improve my aerobic health. For my age and fitness level in exercise I should not go above 117 heart rate. 

The share care article, “Ask the Expert: What Should My Heart Rate Be During Exercise?” gives a formula that gives you a target you should shoot for. 

One of the things that we realize is that we can't train the same way as we did when we were younger. Now I think it's possible that an older person has kept their fitness level high. If so then they should be thinking fitness goals given by a doctor who knows them. There has been changes because I know of no athlete who competed a high level in their 20’s and 30’s can do the same in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond. We do age and we have to factor that in.

Now myself, my fitness is below par. So I have to start where I am at. Progress is slower. When I am exercising I aiming for reaching 75% heart rate to have aerobic exercise. How do I know I am there? 

To get a handle on your heart rate start with the number 220. Then subtract your age and you will get your heart rate. What trumps this is your health. If you are in poor physical condition then you will need a doctor’s advice. 

Generally most people the formula works, but people find away to be unique. For example in the last 40 years we are generally heavier then earlier generations. Our obesity changes our fitness.

So I start at the number 220 and I subtract my age of 66 and I reached 154. (220 - 66 = 154) This optimal number.  I next want to know, "What is 75% of that number?" (154 X .75 = 115.5.)  Round off the number and I am at 116. My target heart rate has moved from 117 to 116. Well, it has been about a year since my cardiologist gave me my goal. 

We don't want to get too intense!

How do I know where I am at? Fitness monitors and how do I feel? I want to be breathing harder but able to talk. I want to sweat but not two heavily. If my monitor or body tells me to reduce my exertion then I will do it. With practice I have gotten pretty good at reading my body. It is real easy to over exert, but now the risk is too high. A heart attack is not the goal. 

        HIIT High Intensity Interval Training really helps me here. Brief increased levels of activity my heart rate goes up then I go back to my control speed which still raises my heart rate but that heart rate goes down to safe levels for me. For example in intense biking where I either increase my resistance or speed that I'm peddling my heart rate reaches a 110-115. I maintain that for a couple minutes then I either lower my resistance or speed and sometimes both and my heart rate goes down to a 100 or below. 

I know from other studies that if I push my blood through the arteries 15% I am helping clean my arteries to keep the blood flowing. As my fitness improves and breathing becomes easier I should be able to spend more time in my exercise at that 75% heart rate. 

The bottom line is we have to learn to read our bodies as we get older and be aware of her own personal fitness goals. Check out the link below Keep walking

https://www.sharecare.com/health/heart-health/article/ask-the-expert-what-should-my-heart-rate-be-during-exercise?partnerid=HCA-CONT-WICH&cmpid=sc-et-em-00-up-050418&eid=1100069048&secureID=xGMyIl3IGPrasYnUgKpSEoMJqJ3NyrvSF2yKqwpL_m8nQWH8pRcCfP-Hlb30jwI9SkXWmn_bDh7i8fdmmG8-qA

Looking for guest bloggers on this topic, "Are seniors discriminated against in healthcare?" Do bald lives matter?

In a recent hospitalization that I had for a lower leg infection I encountered an unexpected problem. Due to my age and handicap I was restricted to bed and I could not get out of bed unless I was supervised. An alarm in my bed would activate if I got up on my own. I could not use the restroom or get up and sit in a chair unless I was supervised.

I did not know that I had an alarm on my bed until I was sitting on the side of the bed and used my arms to raise my lower body to adjust for comfort. A loud alarm sounded and all the staff rushed into my room with determined looks for war to put me back in bed. I was actually was obeying the bed rest order. The alarm was too much. 

Historically, I have a good track record for being appreciative, compliant, and cooperative when I am in the hospital. Rarely will I complain, all though I do whine too much to Barb, but with the staff I am patient, sweet and in best humor. (Being this way is best for manipulation.) When I went through a hospitalization after having serious surgery the first few days I was out of it. I was told I was a good boy but at times said silly things.  I was unable to get up until the third day but was then encouraged to do so. 

Now with age and disability I was getting the strong feedback of a loss of rights. My whole life I have  pushed against my disability and did everything possible to stay independent and self-reliant. I was in the hospital for an infection, not for fall prevention. Behaviors in the hospital like going to the bathroom or getting up from bed and moving over to the chair were all activities I could do without ever falling. There may become a time when, due to aging, this may become an issue. 

I talked to a couple of my doctor friends about it and they told me they would put me on bed rest.  I argued that it is still conjecture and that it is my continued right to walk on my own. Since I was compliant the alarm was removed. I told them I would set off the alarm continually until they removed the alarm. I worked out a schedule where the aide could walk with me as I walked the unit. I put in a protest to the administration that I believed my rights were violated. I had the opportunity to speak my mind and then I let it go because I was there to heal from an infection not some gray life matters protest. In my case I may have to say, “Bald lives matter.” 

I know there is a balance between rights and disability issues as we age. How we are devalued as we age is of real concern. 

If you'd like to Post a comment about older people rights or like to write a guest blog on the issue of senior rights let me know. You may have an opposing point of view.

I have a hypothesis. If people's values are diminished then I think it's quite possible their healthcare will be compromised and diminished as well. What do you think? Keep walking

Broken by an adventure, his story is even more remarkable, Theodore Roosevelt a life well lived

I had known that President Theodore Roosevelt suffered from depression later in life. I watched the other day the PBS' program the American Experience about Theodore Roosevelt's exploration of the Amazon. This trip would break any of us and probably most of us would remain dead in the rain forest, yet this remarkable man survived. 

He had originally planned a trip into the wild where supplies and equipment would have given him an adventure that was more suited to his age and health. While on the ship he was challenged to take and exploration trip mapping an unknown river deep into the Amazon jungle. The change in the trip made it closer to the exploration of Lewis and Clark, Fremont and Carson that opened the frontier of American to settlement, Livingston in Africa. 

Roosevelt was not prepared for this kind of trip. Roosevelt was not fit for it, but he was mentally. He

Roosevelt's clothes are very loose, the river still bears his name

had true grit. At a period of time with no antibiotics or adequate malaria medicine, Roosevelt was done in by a cut in the leg and malaria. The food supplies were not sufficient and nothing was packed for a river are trip. They actually had to cut out their own canoes from logs and portage them hundred of times. To make matters worse they had to deal with Indians hostile to their presence. The trip changed from map making to a trip to survive and in the final stretch to save the life of a president.

The president lost fifty pounds. In the photos, you could see that Theodore was once a muscular man who had built himself up from a weak childhood. Gone was the over weight man, but weight-loss was because of starvation and illness. Getting malaria in a time where you have to keep moving is a testament to his will power.

Kermit is sitting on ground with legs crossed

Fighting at the same time an infection in the tropics would kill most men. Roosevelt at his weakest, his son Kermit took over the decision making. The exploration took on a new mission, save the president's life. It was his son's finest hour. 

The trip cost Roosevelt with his health ruined for the next five years of his life. In this fight for his life, Roosevelt character is seen and thinks a wonderful story. 

Roosevelt gained all his weight back and then some. Like today there were people wanted to discredit   Roosevelt for his exploration into the unknown. As I see it there is no need to do so. The majority of us given the same conditions the jungle would have grown over our bones. I think we can lean a few things:

• Choose adventures that are doable - we ain’t 20
• Some our biggest battles is fighting disease or infections - plenty of courageous fights for life going on
• Take a moment when your children step up for their finest moments - and sometimes that comes when they take care of you
• Enjoy life and live everyday with thanks both to God and others who are there for us - but more for each other
• My respect for Theodore increased as I learned more of his battles in later life. Even in his weakest moments there was character. Bully for him and his son Kermit, who did well taking care of his father. Later Kermit Roosevelt would commit suicide from years of alcohol and loss. Sometimes it is good to see a brighter moment in his life and think kindly of people who often suffer with depression and alcohol - we need to boost our kindness

Springtime, brrrr!

I was having a thunk which is half way between a thought and a yawn. On one side I am glad I am not coaching spring sports any more. My poor son coaching girl soccer it is cold this spring. His team this year has a chance for success for the season and later state competition. Cold or not it is fun to coach when kids have talent. But where he is at is even a few degrees colder near the Wisconsin boarder. Go Pretzels.
Skyler, my four year old grand-daughter is quite the athlete. She is already a seasoned mid-westerner oblivious to the cold. Kendall is competitive with grades, she is doing well in honors classes at JT.
I was hoping this week to be biking some of the trails, but it has been little cold for Barb and in truth I would be dressed like an Eskimo. Spring is coming, but I hope it comes before June.

Skyler & Daddy going
to a dance

Some of my explorations this year will be stargazing, camping, biking, bird watching and fishing. For my birthday not yet here I have treated my self to continued studies in Biblical Greek. I am almost done with my studies in Hebrews and I am looking forward to writing about the effects of unbelief in the life of the believer.
My weight is still moving down the BMI scale and my indoor biking keeps my body in motion. There  are other opportunities opening up to serve the Lord and I am thankful.
I have done a lot of reading related to weight and age issues as well as aging issues related to the brain. But right now I am glad I am not coaching - too cold. Keep walking

Facing up to the 10th cause of death in aging men

In walking with the fat man, we face probably four major issues as we age. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia are the culprits who prevent us from a healthy aging. If we are able to age healthy we face normal aging process where we just wear out, overcome due to pneumonia for example. But there is more…

According to an article that I read from Todays Geriatric Medicine March April 2018, p. 23-27 How Physicians Can Help Prevent Elders Suicide, the 10th cause of death among elderly man is suicide. 

Why as we age is suicide a factor? You may have come across the phrase, “Getting old is not for sissies.” For men loss of spouses, increasingly becoming disabled, chronic pain and illnesses, early onset of dementia, in particular terminal conditions set the stage for depression and suicide. 

Only 5% of people who are depressed will commit suicide in their lifetime. But men who reached the age of 85 are more open to the idea of suicide believing that their situation is hopeless. Finding hope in terminal conditions may be the hardest thing that we have to do. The article shares insights in how the doctor can intervene and I think the ideas are well worth reading.

Depressed thinking with people who reached the age of 85 is I think reasonable to assume that there many reasons to be depressed. Pain and suffering from chronic terminal diseases can take a toll on our mental health. Losses all prepare us for the biggest loss in life, our own. We all have a lot in common with those who are suffering with depression as they age. Eventually in our life there are problems that we cannot solve. There may be strategies to help us cope better, but sometimes we face an outcome that we cannot overcome.

I am not endorsing suicide, but I understand it. One of the things that comes into play as we age we may lose cognitive ability to make good decisions. Becoming disabled is very stressful. In many types of dementia there is actual loss in brain matter relating to decision-making and other cognitive skills. There are many types of medicine that can fog our brain. 

I would like to mention two things to consider:

• Because at 63, 25% of us could be clinically depressed. At the age of 85, 50% of us are suffering from some type of dementia. Dementia directly affects how we think and evaluate things. If we see signs of the negative change and you're more likely to see it in a family setting then in a doctors office, we should be part of the intervention. Does the elderly man have a gun? Is it time to confiscate the gun especially in cases of dementia or in periods of depression? The loss of the gun should be determined by the condition the elderly man faces. Will he recover from depression? Is there in the dementia now going to be part of a permanent condition? Is the treatment for some other disease clouding up his use of the brain? It is reasonable to me that we respond to safety of the elderly man and his family.
• At a time on a person may need mental care the most it is actually harder to get professional help. Medical coverage is not available. There are two sides to the coin in my opinion. One his medical care is too expensive to begin with. I'm sorry but I believe greed enters into the equation. On the other hand, we make it too difficult for people to get mental health care in the first place. The criteria of harm to self or others is to narrow. If we treat the heart because we discover the many things go wrong, why haven't we taken the same approach with our brain? The brain is the most complicated organ in our body. Isn't it strange that we should not assume that things may go wrong as we know with our heart. Our brain only faces greater challenges as we age, and yet we ignore this and don't improve how we treat this stuff. 

Vital connection

We need to stay connected. Many of the elderly are isolated, alone dealing with serious medical problems and loss of loved ones. This problem is only going to get worse. Our children and grandchildren live in a lost world isolated on their devices. They are too preoccupied to play one of the biggest rolls in their lives. They don't have time to learn to love and care for their grandparents or parents. You can't call them because they only respond to a text. Maybe? But they're actually building isolated walls for themselves. This aging stuff will fall harder on them. 

I will follow up this post with ideas that are more positive. I think it's a good idea to read about the issues as we age. I'm one hand we can't dwell on them, but on the other hand we need to be informed with the things that we are facing. Living better with whatever we face is one of our goals. Keep walking