Loves to Move-always

Loves to Move-always fitness
older adults
movement

01/30/2025

I am in my late 60's now and there are just some workouts that I will sadly never do anymore. High impact and High Reps in Aerobics are just not realistic anymore. I don't do any workout that has multiple Burpees or moves from standing upright to the ground too quickly- I find it hard to keep the pace and it is jarring on the body as well. That being said, I can still do some Burpees and it good to challenge yourself as long as it is not too stressful on the body.
The good news is that you can always modify and there are still so many wonderful options for people to workout even as they come into their elder years

12/10/2024

I remember when I was a kid, I used to see images of women walking with books on their head to improve their posture. A little weird but okay. Posture to me represents good body alignment- head high, shoulders back and abs in tight- it should never look too rigid or forced.
As we get older, there is a tendency for our shoulders to round so it is always important in a fitness regime to pull the shoulders back. It is one of the first moves to include in a dynamic warmup and can also be included in the stretch as well.
It is good to be aware of your posture-having a full length mirror close by when you work out can prompt you keep your posture in check and standing tall

12/07/2024

Working on balance is so important at any stage of life but it is crucial when we reach our senior years because we tend to be not as steady on our feet as we used to be. Falls are something that happen with surprising frequency to older people and the results can be devastating. Many people die and others struggle to regain the functionality they used to have before the fall.
I know that I struggle with balance- I had stopped working out regularly for over 6 months last year due to a move and having to put all my exercise equipment and dvds in storage. When I resumed my regular routine. I found that my balance was way off. I struggled with moves where I had to lift on leg up off the floor and hold it for more than a minute. I have to constantly work on it and challenge myself with some imbalance and unsteadiness.
I find Yoga and standing Pilates are really good options for working on balance and any well designed fitness routine should have some balance work included

12/03/2024

The third major component of a fitness routine is flexibility. It helps you remain injury free, reduces stiffness in the muscles and just makes moving around easier and with a better range of motion. Plus it just feels good!
Yoga is one of the best ways to improve your flexibility- there are Yoga classes all over the place these days and so many different styles from Chair Yoga to more advanced Power Yoga options. Tai Chi is also great for expanding range of motion in a very gentle way. Pilates helps lengthen the muscle which also assists in flexibility. One of personal forms of exercise is Essentrics- also known as Classical Stretch. I really love the way it feels doing it and I always feel stretched out and taller when I finish a routine.

11/29/2024

The second component of any fitness routine and the most important one in my opinion is Resistance Training. Some of the things you use for Strength Training are free weights, tubing or bands or machines if you are working out in a gym. Pilates and some forms of Yoga are great for using your own body weight .
As we get older, there is a natural decline in muscle strength and loss of bone density increases the likelihood of fractures and falling. Injured areas are usually found in the hip, wrist spine and sometimes the ribs. Osteoporosis can sneak up pretty silently before symptoms make themselves known. It runs in my family but so far, I do not have it and I am positive that working our with weights for over 25 years is the reason.
The good news is that consistent strength training can help reduce bone loss and can be done at any stage of life.

11/15/2024

One of the main component of a fitness routine is aerobic exercise. The main reason for including is to keep your heart healthy and increase blood flow to the brain which prevents strokes. It also improves memory and thinking ability and combats the decline in brain function.
For me Cardio is often the most fun part of fitness because it makes you feel energized and alive. There are so many options for aerobic exercise- running. swimming and cross country skiing are just a few that come to mind.
As a woman in my 60's, I do not do any high rep, high impact workouts anymore- too hard on the joints. Some of my favorite exercises are -in no particular order- walking, kickboxing, dancing and aquafit. I would love to know what you like to do-please let me know in the comments!

11/11/2024

Many People do not like working at home-they might feel they will not be motivated enough or they live in a really tiny space that is not conducive to a fitness routine. Many gyms have good Seniors discounts for older fitness buffs so that is one route to go. Community Centers, Churches and even some Residences have a wide variety of programs for Seniors as well. Many of the programs are kept at a low price to encourage older people to keep fit.
If you live in a small town, there might be a walking program and if there is not one, perhaps you could create one for your friends and neighbors. One important benefit of working out with other people is the social aspect, which becomes so important for the elderly to prevent loneliness.

11/08/2024

One concern you might have is where do you go to work out? When I was younger, I had convinced myself that real exercise only occurred in a Gym and anything else fell short. I could never quit make the whole Gym thing work for me- either it was too expensive or too far away for me to go consistently. I did enjoy the YMCA for a bit but was not able to use all of their schedule due to work and other things going on in my life
When I found Fitness DVD'S and VHS for that matter- yeah I know I am old and out of date - I was really surprised at the variety of good workouts- it was like a huge light bulb going on in my head.
I could exercise whenever I wanted with minimal equipment and still get a great and satisfying workout.
DVD's are not really a thing these days but there are so many options for working out at home and many of them cost almost nothing. Youtube is amazing for fitness and I will be recommending some good choices there as well as streaming possibilities in later posts

11/04/2024

Exercise is important for every age group but I would argue for older adults it is crucial. When I was younger, a large part of why I exercised- when I did- was to look better. Nothing wrong with that, I guess but as a woman in her 60's I know longer care as much about looking good to fit into a bikini or skinny jeans. What I care about is that a certain level of fitness keeps me strong and active. Adults over 65 who do no form of exercise are much more likely to experience ill health and a steep decline in their ability to function. It is really a case of either use it or lose it.

11/02/2024

I suspect for a lot of Seniors trying to get into fitness either again or for the first time can be a little overwhelming. How do I start? Should I work out at the Gym or at Home? How many times a week should I exercise? How do make sure I do not injure myself ? What forms of fitness are the best for me at this time of life? And finally the most important question- why is Exercise so damn important at this stage of Life? In the next few days I will be exploring some of these questions- stay tuned!

10/26/2024

When I started to work out regularly at home, I saw the physical results pretty quickly. I dropped 2 sizes within 6 weeks and was looking better than I had in a long time. I am not going to lie- vanity was a big part of me keeping up the work. But I also started to realize some other important benefits as well. Because I was working out with weights, I was getting a lot stronger and I could walk 20 minutes to the local Supermarket and carry my own groceries home with no problem. The other big gain was in my mental health- the mild depression I had been dealing with since my marriage broke up seemed to dissipate , even if it did not completely disappear. I remember feeling lighter and happier after finishing a workout. The benefits of fitness were becoming more and more important in my life

10/22/2024

In the early 2000's my marriage imploded- I was depressed and sad, to say the least and I was looking to make changes to myself.
My sister had a birthday coming up and she asked for a yoga Dvd. I went downtown to a book store which had a lot of workout Dvds. As well as buying her gift, I bought a couple of 'The Firm' dvd's- I remember one of them was called Tough Tape 2. I had obtained a set of dumbells from my Airmiles shortly before and I was looking for a way to use them. I could not even get through the workout the first few weeks, but I kept at it and eventually was able to do the whole thing in one session. I discovered I like working from home with no distractions and I could do it when it was convenient for me. I began doing it 4 to 5 times a week and within about 6 weeks, I had dropped about 2 sizes and was also a lot stronger. It worked!

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