See you at the gym!
My wife and I started the Beacon 35 years ago, when we were relatively young. While I was never what you’d call athletic, I was trim at the time and in decent shape for my age.
By the time I turned 50, however, I realized that was no longer the case. Though we had two young children at home, I still managed to be mostly sedentary, and it showed.
As you might guess, publishing a newspaper is not a physically demanding occupation. But it did repeatedly expose me to articles about healthy eating and the importance of staying active and strong as one ages in order to better face the challenges ahead.
I decided I could no longer fail to follow the Beacon’s good advice.
So, for my 50th birthday, I asked my family for two things: a package of sessions with a physical trainer and the forbearance to let me eat something completely different from the rest of them for some months, in keeping with the recommendations of that trainer.
It wasn’t easy, but it worked. I lost a good bit of accumulated fat and learned how to properly use the equipment at a typical gym.
Fortunately, the somewhat extreme diet I went on was not something I had to follow long-term. But the exercise program was.
It’s been more than 15 years, and I still “follow the program.” Well, it’s not exactly the same program, but another set of weight-bearing exercises designed specifically for us “over 60” types.
Even when I travel, as I did recently, I do my best to find a nearby gym where I can work out every day or two.
Sometimes those gyms are peppered with huge guys and fit ladies who look like they would make great personal bodyguards.
But on this trip, I ended up at two different gyms, each with a widely diverse clientele. There were teenagers working out after school, gym rats, younger seniors (like me) trying to hold it together, and a significant number of truly older adults (I’m guessing 80 and up) who clearly knew what they were doing and did it well.
I’m used to seeing young studs hoist weights in each arm that I would be lucky to roll across the floor. But this time, I saw older men and women, some looking rather frail to my eye, doing leg presses and other exercises with about double the weight I can currently muster.
It all goes to show that the more you do, the more you can do.
The point, however, is not to impress other people with how much you can lift or press. The important message is that we can all increase our strength by engaging in regular exercise (either under supervision or following excellent training) and thereby boost our quality — and enjoyment — of life.
Study after study has shown that, at any age, starting an exercise program — especially weight-bearing exercise — brings health benefits.
Carrying groceries, playing with grandchildren, climbing stairs, and even just keeping our balance and avoiding falls all require core strength and overall fitness. Aerobic endurance is also important.
If you aren’t currently able to do those things with ease, try to find a personal trainer at a reputable fitness facility who can teach and inspire you.
And don’t worry if the best program you can bring yourself to do is very limited. It’s essential to find something you can keep doing regularly, which means you should find something you enjoy, at least somewhat — whether it’s walking, swimming, using free weights or doing chair exercises.
I’m not saying you will necessarily find the effort satisfying for its own sake (though you might). But you’ll probably find that it helps you live your best life over the years to come.
