Any of you oldies got an opinion on being Forever Young was a great way to link music, senior singer/songwriters and trying to stay fit into our sixties, seventies and older - Exercise and ageing.
There are millions and millions of words written on this, so I'm not going to make a significant contribution. Great then that I can quote an authority on the subject, Matt Roberts, writing in The Times, February 18th, 2017, entitled 'How to exercise after 40'. Can I make a short list?
(1) We need to lift weights because it is quite normal to lose muscle as we age, hence the percent of body fat increases. This keeps up our strength. A bonus is the improvement in bone strength (ladies note).
(2) Get the pulse, breathing and sweating going twice a week to maintain stamina through healthy heart and lungs. The extra here is mental wellbeing.
(3) Pilates. The core, especially abdominals and hips. According to my coach, Ann Little, pilates is the way to tone muscle from the inside out. The spine is a particular beneficiary.
(4) Stretching. Trying to keep suppleness going.
(5) There are other recommendations such as interval training, yoga, lunges and squats, but I have no personal experience of their benefits.
There has to be a number of questions here. How safe is this? Can I start for the first time in my sixties? I have diabetes, angina, parkinsonism and so on; is this for me? Exactly how heavy, how fast, how long, and how often? I've read it somewhere that a good stiff 20 minute walk, five times a week would do it (and golf doesn't count).
Well, Matt has some great news. Two or more days off a week and take care over 30 minutes per session. It is sensible/essential to get the okay from your doctor if you worry about your health. She is more likely than not to say "go for it", starting slow with help maybe from your local gym's professional trainer. This raises the question of cost - maybe a good investment when your risk of heart and stroke disease falls and you feel better about yourself. Do I follow this advice - yes - I am one of the lucky ones who enjoys exercise for its own sake. See video on Facebook (for some reason it will not load on blogger).
The web is not consistent and some of it is contradictory, so no change there then. The best NHS site for guidelines could be this.
Motivation - getting going and then keeping going. Are there any Tricks about setting goals and freshening them up regularly. Weight loss, a specific challenge (e.g. charity fund-raiser), joining a group and so on. Give yourself a break if you don't meet your targets. There are still people who are very athletic and competitive over 70 - let them.
We have a men's section in the ladies dominated pilates class down in Holmfirth. It's a liberation movement. There's arthritis, angina, diabetes, and grumpiness. Then there's coffee in Scufflers.
So we've got coffee and exercise. Where are the senior singer/songwriters?
Here's a swinging sultan - Knofler
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