The Senior Exercise Blog

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Bodyweight Exercises

Barbells are the berries. Kettlebells really rock. And resistance bands are the bomb. But body-weight exercises can be used successfully, too, for strength and fitness training. The musculature of gymnasts is an example of what can be achieved using a trainee’s own weight for resistance training.

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Vibrant Retirement Living

I write mostly about health and fitness after 50. I’ve touched on other subjects for mature adults, such as financial fitness, having meaningful interests, and even the importance of wills and trusts. Mainly, though, my focus has been on staying as strong and healthy as possible for as long as possible. Because nothing else matters very much if you lose your health.

So fitness is high priority. Yet there is, of course, more to life than just working out. The smartest people I know look at their entire lifestyle picture, not just selected parts of it. At midlife, people who don’t think much about their retirement suddenly realize the day isn’t all that far off. Depressing? For some, yes. And that is too bad. Because when you do finally retire, you really can, if you choose to, rediscover your passion in life. I found this to be true, personally, and wrote about it in Retirement Bliss.

Today, I want to recommend a book by an internet friend, Al Spector. Just out, his book, Your Retirement Quest provides a true blueprint for all the factors that go into making your retirement years the best time of life. Al is quite a guy. A retired senior himself, he has a passion for fitness and often writes about — and still plays — the wonderful game of baseball. In Your Retirement Quest he and co-author Keith Lawrence lay out successful retirement planning in a way that few others have. If you are nearing retirement, or are now living the retirement lifestyle, I hope you’ll take a look. It really could amount to a big plus in your life.

Steve Reeves

Have you wondered how the great Steve Reeves worked out? Discover the Steve Reeves Championship Workout here.

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Questions about The Biggest Loser

I watched the Biggest Loser for most of the same reasons people are drawn to the boot camp scenes in the movie Full Metal Jacket. There is personal drama, intense struggle -- and torturous workouts with in-your-face screaming from drill instructors Jillian and Bob.

So I watched. But would I train people that way? Absolutely not. Biggest Loser participants are not just overweight and out of shape. They are hugely fat, most have serious underlying medical problems, and many are middle-aged or older. They are not young recruits being transformed at Parris Island. Yet they are pushed to their limits in much the same way.

I stuck with the Biggest Loser for two seasons and that’s enough for me. From the start, I questioned some of their methods but suspended my suspicions and criticism. The participants, I told myself, are monitored by medical doctors, so how dangerous can the training be? Moreover, they are so obese, and truly on the fast-track to early death, that extreme measures seem justified. If they lose the killer fat and at the same time inspire others watching to make positive lifestyle changes, over-the-top methods make sense.

Still, the huge weight loses at weekly weigh-ins made me wonder. Anyone who has trained overweight people knows that realistic and healthy weight loss doesn’t go much beyond losing two pounds per week. Yet double digit numbers are common on the Biggest Loser. Take off a mere two pounds in a week and you're a slacker. More troubling, though, I watched demands made during "last chance workouts" that looked dangerous.

Am I being fair?

I came across an interview with former Biggest Loser finalist, Kai Hibbard. Is she telling it like it is or just seeking more publicity? Watch and reach your own conclusions.

Then I looked up an article by natural bodybuilder and trainer, Tom Venuto. This seems to me to be a balanced assessment of the program. I think anyone living a fitness lifestyle, or wanting to, will find it worthwhile. Go here.

Once an Emmy Award-winning television producer, Lisa Fisco is now training to be the oldest female weightlifter ever to compete in an Olympic Games.

Impressive, yes . . . but she is still carrying an unhealthy amount of body fat. You be the judge.

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Nonfat Chocolate Milk Defeats Sports Drinks in Test

Old standby nonfat chocolate milk proves to be superior to sports drinks for post-workout fuel, especially after endurance training.

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A Fitness Lesson from My Dog

Steve was the only puppy in a litter that did not find a home. My daughter Jennifer spotted her and took her, just as her owner was about to take her to the Humane Society.

She was a great puppy, probably a Labrador/Catahoula cross-breed, but as she matured she displayed soreness in her hips. It turned out that she had serious hip dysplasia. One veterinarian said “she will never be normal” and to consider euthanasia.

We saw another doctor who explained a surgical procedure (an orthopedic specialist would be required) but suggested first reducing her weight by five pounds and giving an anti-inflammatory pill whenever soreness was apparent. Then let's see how it goes.

Steve never required the surgery, and she lived just two month’s shy of 14 good years. The two of us hiked and backpacked in the mountains of the western United States and a few in Canada. Once in while she would stiffen up after too much activity and I would give her the medication. The next day she would be fine.

Lesson learned: Often just attaining and keeping normal body weight works wonders in reducing joint pain, and other problems as well. Conversely, lugging around extra weight puts stress on joints and leads to problems and pain. Dogs or people, it’s the same either way.

There can be other reasons for joint pain, of course. But so often it is from being overweight or beating yourself up with too much repetitive exercise of the wrong kind. Think of it this way: Even if it turns out that surgery is needed, normal bodyweight and proper exercise habits never hurt anyone. It always helps.

Trekking Poles

Trekking poles are big with hikers in Europe, and they are becoming more common in the United States. I’ve never used them myself but on occasion I hike with a single staff. Recently, George Boedecker wrote me about trekking poles he uses on hikes up the steep hills near his home. The hikes are a ritual he enjoys with his eight rescue dogs. It’s also a cardio workout.

He’s done some research that suggests that a person burns 30-40% more calories when hiking with trekking poles. They also engage your arms and core so that hiking becomes more full-body exercise, rather than lower body alone. Moreover, they make going uphill more efficient and make things easier on your knees going downhill. And, of course, poles add to your stability when traveling over rugged, unstable terrain. Those are all good reasons to give trekking poles a try.

George knows a thing or two about working-out. Today, he is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness for Older Adults. When he was competing in lifting, he was dead lifting well over 600 lbs. at under 200 lbs bodyweight.