A recent study, published in the journal Heart, said that people in their 70s who got 20 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day had significantly lower rates of heart disease than inactive people. Meanwhile, another recent study, looking at adults over 55 who showed no signs of dementia, reported that those who engaged in three 50-minute sessions of moderate physical activity a week, such as brisk walking, helped preserve what is known as episodic memory. , the ability to remember past personal events.
For a friend, David Ingram, 72, who had a heart attack and triple bypass surgery at 65 due to a genetic heart condition, the fact that he was already fit through regular exercise in the gym, according to his adviser, almost certainly saved his life. . Since his recovery he has lost 20 pounds by being more careful with his diet, but he is also participating in a long-term cardiovascular rehabilitation program, which involves continuous monitoring, weight training and cardiovascular activity on the treadmill. His treadmill is permanently parked in his living room.
“I love exercise,” he says. “I know it’s good for me and if I do it first thing in the morning it sets me up for the day. It also helps a lot with anxiety. While I’m on the treadmill I listen to podcasts or music. Right now I’m working on all the old Desert Island Discs episodes. Yes, I am knackered at the end of a session, but after 20 minutes I am fully recovered. And yes, it is a challenge, you are always outdoing your age, but I also love a challenge.
For another friend, ITC consultant Graham Zabel, 59, keeping fit is an intrinsic part of life, not a grudging add-on. He stretches a couple of times, touching his toes, in the shower every morning, walks the dog, and if he heads to the office, which he does twice a week, he cycles about eight miles each way. And he’s a fair-weather golfer. But his main exercise is karate twice a week for 90-minute sessions and an additional session on Sundays to teach a group of children, which he loves. “Karate implies technique, speed and strength; it’s also great for memory as you have to learn the kata [motion sequences and forms] and every week you have to practice a different set of shapes.
Zabel has successfully passed on his love of the sport to his sons, who are now 19 and 22 years old. The youngest, a boy, is a fan of the gym and loves soccer; his daughter did taekwondo since she was little, they did karate together for a while and she also rides a bicycle everywhere. It’s also important, Zabel believes, to have a partner with a similar attitude toward sports and exercise. “Luckily I have it,” she says. “We often go for walks together on the weekends.”
Not everyone is as motivated as Ingram and Zabel. But for all those exhausted grandparents trying to keep up with the kids, there’s an intriguing new theory called “the active grandparent hypothesis” to encourage you to get moving. Grandparents, according to a team of Harvard researchers, play a key role in intergenerational survival. By exercising more, you’re not only aligning your body with evolutionary history, you’re doing yourself and your grandkids a huge favor by staying alive.
Much of the evidence is based on one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, the Hadza of northern Tanzania, who spend four to six hours a day engaged in moderate to vigorous activity, as their ancestors. While older Westerners often go to the couch, the Hadza carry on. Hadza grandmothers, in particular, continue to forage for food while their daughters spend time caring for their own children. The food collected by the grandmother helps support the family.
Linking this to the behavior of older people in the West, the report suggests that old age in humans likely evolved with a very active lifestyle. Regular exercise keeps us lean and fit, thereby diverting energy away from harmful visceral fat. It also kick-starts the wear and tear and repair and maintenance mechanism, which includes the muscles, cartilage, and internal antioxidant system. This not only gets us back to where we were, but also improves our health. The message is clear: Even if you can’t care for yourself, do it for your grandchildren and everyone will benefit.
Starting
If you start out with near-zero physical activity for several years, it makes sense to start cautiously. Government guidelines suggest you gradually aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, such as swimming, cycling, brisk walking, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as running, playing sports, or even walking up and down stairs . You can also do a combination of the two. She also suggests building strength in at least two sessions a week, which can range from gym workouts to carrying heavy bags home from shopping or yoga. Then, in addition, to help with balance, an exercise such as tai chi or dancing.
But the idea that the type of exercise we should do should change as we age is something of a myth, says Pitt-Brooke. It’s not about your age; The basics of building cardiovascular and muscular strength and maintaining flexibility apply to all ages. “What may need to adapt,” she says, “is the intensity with which you exercise to meet the challenges of different decades and your abilities.” At age 50, your challenges will most likely be early signs of joint discomfort and a tendency to gain a little weight, depending on your lifestyle. At age 60, especially for women, there is the challenge of bone density loss, which again requires adequate exercise with weights. Walking, yes, jogging or running if you feel like it, playing tennis, climbing a lot of stairs and dancing is fine. In addition to resistance exercises with weights. For some, blood pressure rises and they may become pre-diabetic or diabetic. Then, at age 70, there is a significant muscle deficit, which influences balance and reaction times. Which is where I’m headed right now if I don’t take further action.
A good example of adapting a stance to your age if you’re out of practice, suggests Pitt-Brooke, might be the way you approach a squat. For a 50-something, it might be manageable to start with an overhead squat; a 60-something may need something like a stool, lower than the average chair; an older person may need to begin rising from a chair with arms. But the principle of squats to improve strength in the glutes, hip flexors and quads remains exactly the same. And of course, an overfit 70-something can be much stronger than a very overweight 50-year-old couch potato.
The way to follow
I have decided to take more steps to build my strength and improve my balance. The walk I do is a pleasure. Some may find it helpful to go with a friend or walk with a group. I enjoy that too, but I’m happy to walk alone. It works wonders on my stress levels, frees up my imagination for when I’m writing fiction, and clears my mind, so I can better solve the problems that bother me. Pilates remains on the agenda because it definitely helps my overall stiffness and contributes, albeit to a small extent, to strength. Pitt-Brooke believes that a progressive general muscle-strengthening program, which I’ll start with a series of online classes once a week with a trainer, while promising to practice what I’m taught a couple of times a week between sessions, could increase my functional strength, within three months, by up to 30 percent. And if I keep doing it on my own, say three times a week after one-on-one, up to 50 percent over a six-month period. That’s too tempting a prospect to miss out on, though I admit it looks like it’s going to be tough to hold on to.
I have also gotten into the habit of standing on one leg twice a day while brushing my teeth to improve my balance. I feel a little silly, like a trembling stork. But it’s a small price to pay if I can get through the next decade without falling flat on my face.
Tips for over 50
The importance of balance
Falls in old age can have devastating consequences. As Dr. Lucy Pollock, author of the excellent The Book About Getting Older (for people who don’t want to talk about it), published by Penguin explains: “People who exercise are less likely to fall. People who have never exercised and start exercising are less likely to fall. People who have fallen and then exercise are less likely to fall again. We have to get moving. Standing on one leg is a good place to start.
Basics of strength work
All work to improve muscle strength, advises certified physical therapist Judith Pitt-Brooke, involves squatting, stepping, pushing, pulling and sit-ups, using weights that gradually get heavier as you go. You don’t have to do this at a gym, but if you’re starting from scratch, it’s best to get professional advice from a trainer to get you started. Visit bridge4studio.com to see shows geared towards people over 40 and available online.
If you are reluctant to the gym
One of the few advantages of the pandemic has been the proliferation of online classes. From Pilates, yoga and Zumba to Home Workouts for Seniors by Joe Wicks and aerobics with Rosemary Conley, you really can get in shape from the comfort of your own home.
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