Hello! Typically, these type of posts come out in January, when everyone is gung-ho about a workout program, but the truth is that exercise is a good idea all ALL times of the year 🙂
Over the years, I have done a lot of thinking about exercise. I started working out to Jane Fonda VHS tapes in the 1980’s and became a certified aerobics instructor and personal trainer in the early 1990’s. I had the leg warmers to prove it! And, I have discovered that it doesn’t have to be rocket science. There are a few things that make an exercise program effective and sustainable. Here is what I have found:
1) Keep moving. We are designed to be in motion, not sit all day. One of the simplest and most effective ways to make sure you move throughout the day is to get a gadget that tracks your steps. I have the fitbit charge 5 and I love it! It tracks my daily steps and I have it set up to buzz every hour if I don’t have at least 250 steps. I try to get up and take a quick walk around my neighborhood or the parking lot next to my office if I need to move.
A great goal is to get 10,000 steps per day. That usually takes effort around moving. If I walk for at least 30 min. and then take periodic short walks during the day, I get there no problem. It may not necessarily seem like a workout, but it’s activity and movement and it’s a foundation for good health and a sound exercise program. In fact, on about 2-3 days per week, I try to walk, bike or jog easy for at least an hour to build a base around movement.
2) Go hard and get your heart rate up at least once per week. At least once per week, you need to run fast, walk fast, bike hard or whatever else you choose to get your blood pumping. It doesn’t take a lot, but you have to break a sweat and feel out of breath.
Intervals are the best way to do this. A simple workout is something called “Peak 8”. You warm up for about 10 minutes, then you perform hard effort exercise for 30 seconds followed by 90 seconds of rest. You repeat this 8 times and then cool down for 4 minutes. This will take a total of 30 min. If that is too structured for you, simply add a few “bursts” to your walk, run, bike or elliptical workout. It doesn’t have to be an exact science. Just get the heart rate up! You can do this type of workout 1-2 times per week depending on your age and fitness level. As we get older, we don’t recover as fast as when we are young, so after you hit your 50’s, you may find that once per week is the right answer.
3) Lift Heavy things. Our bodies were designed to move and to lift heavy objects. 2-3 times per week, it is important to focus on strength work. And, don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights! Muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn doing nothing! This is especially important as we age. Once we hit our 30’s, we start to lose muscle mass. Women around menopausal age (40’s and 50’s) really need to focus on weight training for this reason. The combination of loss of muscle mass and the hormonal fluctuations that take place make it critical to keep up with strengthening exercises. Your bones will thank you for this.
The basics of a good strength routine include: Squatting, dead lifting (or swinging a kettle bell), a push (bench press, overhead press, pushups), a pull (pull ups or back rows), lunging and core work (planks, swinging a kettle bell, ab wheel). You can easily pick up a few pairs of dumb bells, a kettle bell and/or resistance bands or go to the gym a couple times per week to do this type of workout. 2-3 workouts per week should focus on total body strength.
4) Mobility. This means movement. This can look like yoga, stretching or dynamic flexibility. This keeps you limber and flexible. Again, flexibility and mobility take a hit as we age (are you seeing a theme, here?). It is important to do this most days of the week. It can look like a warm up or cool down to your strength, interval or cardio days. About 10-15 minutes per day is often enough to do the trick. If you love a yoga class, by all means go for it, but just a few minutes of focus on flexibility every day is key. You can check out this video my husband, a Chiropractor, made for his clients. You can also click here for a 10 min. yoga video I created. We do this type of exercise almost every day and I notice a huge difference if I miss a few days!
I hope that helps break down exercise in a way that seems reasonable, logical and manageable. Of course, If you are training for something, like a marathon, the equation changes. However, most people just want to be healthy and maintain a reasonable level of fitness so that they can keep up with their kids and grand kids and have the energy to live a full life.
Being active can require proper nutrients to support joint health. You can check out my Joint Health pak if you are concerned about getting the right balance of vitamins and minerals to support healthy joints. It contains high quality ingredients I think you will love and comes in easy to take convenient paks!
If you would like to speak with myself or a member of my team about your unique health needs, we are happy to help! Just click here to schedule a short, FREE call to discuss what is going on and we will try to help!
To your health,
Dr. Jeni
