Don’t Let Age Change You, Change the Way You Age
The picture is of the incomparable Chita Rivera. She performed into her 90s and just passed away in January 2024 at the age of 91. As we accumulate years, there are only two options: one is out of your control, and the other is entirely in your control. If you do nothing beyond regular activities, sit much of the day, and eat what you like, age will change you.
I’ll focus on the physical effects, as these are the things we can change. For example, I can build muscles; I can’t change my eyesight.
Your blood vessels and arteries will get stiffer, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood.
Stiffer is a theme, as is shrinking and slowing.
Joints get stiffer.
Muscles and bones shrink and lose density.
Your metabolism slows.
Handgrip strength weakens.
If you do nothing or next to nothing, age will change you.
If you get active, you can change how you age. Starting early is best, so plan to start now.
The good news is there is no date limit for improvement. I can add muscle, gain flexibility, better my balance, and maintain my range of motion till the day I die.
Use Your Heart
It is very healthy for your heart to love family and friends. However, this is a muscle that needs to be active.
Everybody is different. Be guided by how you feel when you start to exercise. I believe in allowing our body to be our guide.
The government helps out with the following recommendation:
“For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.”
If we aim for moderate intensity, that means 25 minutes per day. Resting on the seventh day.
If we aim for vigorous intensity, that means 12.5 minutes per day. Resting on the seventh day.
Cardio Options
· Take a walk. Start easy. Get your muscles warmed up. Pick up the pace. Keep going. Swinging your arms will add effort in a good way. You can plan to walk for a set amount of time or set a route that you know covers the distance or time you’d like to cover. Having a dog might add some fun and motivation. Meeting up with a friend can start and end with a great conversation. You can give each other smiles and quick encouragement during the breathy portion.
· Take a run. It's similar to walking. Start a little slower until you warm up, and then, as you are warm, pick up the pace. Swinging those arms is the same deal. It's the same deal with running with your dog or a friend.
· Go for a bike ride—same idea. Start slower and build up to a pace you can keep. If you have a hilly ride, adjust for the bigger effort to ride up the hill and the easy effort of riding down the hill.
· Go for a swim. This feels completely different than a land-based activity. You can do the crawl, the breaststroke, or a backstroke. As with walking or running, get started slow, build up to a good pace, and keep going. Count and determine how many laps bring you to 30 or more minutes. Swimming is excellent exercise but doesn’t help you build bones.
· Take an Aquafit class.
· Get on an elliptical machine. I like to increase the incline for added work. Each machine has different program options. You can pick your favorite.
· Get on a treadmill to walk or run. I do like the incline option to add effort.
· Get on a rowing machine and get your arms in on the action.
· Get out a jump rope and give it a whirl.
· Go to a Cardio class online or in the gym that gets you dancing, jumping, or some combination.
· Go dancing, skiing, snowshoeing, rollerblading, etc.
· What are your ideas and preferences?
What is Moderate? What is Vigorous
The measure of what is moderate and what is vigorous is also personal.
We want to get breathy and sweaty when we are looking to train our heart and cardiovascular system.
We can measure our heart rate ourselves or with a device and aim for a certain number of beats per minute. We can purchase more sophisticated equipment to do the same.
I prefer to keep it simple. I want to get breathy and sweaty. The latter is obvious. For the former, I use a Perceived Rate of Exertion scale known as the “talk test.”
1 - Super Easy - Talking easily
2 - Pretty Easy - Still talking
3 - Moderate - Talking, but starting to think about breathing more
4 - Starting to be harder - Getting less interested in talking
5 - Hard - Saying fewer words
6 - Harder - Talking less and less
7 - Really Hard - Likely not talking
8 - Really Harder - Not talking
9 - Really, Really Hard - So not talking
10 - Maxxed out - What’s talking?
The breathy and sweaty stage is approximately 6. During a HIIT workout, you might spend some seconds around 7 or 8 before returning to 5 or 6. Those bursts of more intensity are great in short spurts. Explore to find where you are most comfortable.
According to the CDC,
“A high correlation exists between a person’s perceived exertion rating times ten and the actual heart rate during physical activity; so a person’s exertion rating may provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during activity (Borg, 1998).”
DO: Cardio three to six times a week. We all need a day of rest.
DO: Vary it up. Try a different machine or method. Variety is good for your body mechanics and also your mood.
DON’T: Let yourself get bored.
DON’T: Overtrain to the point of exhaustion or undertrain to the point of what’s the point.
DON’T: Work through the pain. If something hurts, stop, ice, rest, and maybe get it looked at.
DO: Warm up dynamically.
DO: Stretch statically, addressing all the muscles you use after your workout.
DO: Drink water before, during, and after.
Activate Joints, Muscles, and Bones
The good news is that you started this process with your cardio. You moved your muscles, explored your joint range of motion, and, if you were weight-bearing, like walking or running, stimulated your bones.
Along with the aerobic recommendations, the CDC suggests strength training two or more days a week. Strength, weight, or resistance training will counteract aging, allowing you to build muscle. Stronger muscles support aging joints, helping you to maintain your range of motion. Stronger muscles and the action of lifting weights to build those muscles will slow bone loss and encourage bone growth.
This doesn’t mean you must run to the gym and fork over for a membership. You can, if you are inclined, but you can also develop an at-home program. As a personal trainer, I build programs for people on my Mighty Fit app. You can also find ideas on YouTube and Instagram.
Luckily, several options exist to activate joints, muscles, and bones.
Bodyweight — Yoga is a technique to strength train using your body. There are many exercises, such as push-ups, that use your body as the weight.
Resistance Bands — You can purchase a set that allows you to build over time, depending on the band's strength and how you hold it.
Dumbbells — You can get a set of dumbbells. The trick here is that you will get stronger as you lift and will likely need to buy more. You might start at home with a simple set. For men, 5, 10, 15, 20 lb. dumbbells. For women, 3, 5, 8, 10. As you get stronger and more into it, you might want to join a gym or invest in heavier weights.
Kettlebells and Medicine Balls — These tools are alternatives to dumbbells and can be intermixed or used independently.
Make a program. Plan on two or three sessions a week, spaced out by 48 hours to allow muscles to recover between sessions. Dynamically warm up before. Rest in between sets. Hydrate. Stretch statically after. Enjoy a protein-carb snack.
Change the Way You Age
As a personal trainer, I learn a lot from the clients. So far, I’ve worked with people from 14 to 95 years old. People who are active move better, feel better, learn better, gain better, and eat better. People who have been less active in the years leading up to working with me are challenged. Several clients came to me because they noticed moving and doing what they wanted was becoming harder. Even though they are getting a late start, they can still improve and feel better if they commit at 78, 83, or 90. I ask people always to be kind and patient with themselves. It is always a great day when a client smiles because something that felt impossible a couple of weeks ago is now doable. That is what happens when they persevere.
The younger you commit to changing how you age, the easier it will go, and the further you will advance.
Whatever year you have reached, start now.
Conclusion
I became a personal trainer when I turned 60 because I wanted to train to age well. I am client #1. Through Mighty Fit, I can bring all I have learned about aging in motion to you. I deliver cardio, strength training, and healthy eating programs through an easy-to-use app. If you are curious, book an introductory call: https://calendar.mighty.fit/calendar-intro-call