Hi
July 15, 2020
In this newsletter . . .
Fitness
Evolution
When I began writing about fitness I was in an age category I like to call “young seniors,” people still in their 50s. Some people in their 50s may take umbrage at being referred to as “senior.” And I understand. I arbitrarily drew the senior line at age 50, based mostly on AARP’s definition. Somehow they know when anybody in the U.S. turns 50 and an AARP membership solicitation arrives in one’s mailbox.Like many in my 50s, I had about the same strength and was still working out with the same intensity as I had been in my 30s and 40s. Even in my 60s, I noticed only small differences in ability. In my 70s, losses started to become more apparent. But they came on gradually. The phonographs on my website and the one on this page were taken at age 69 or 70. Today, at 83, I’ve shrunk in both height and most certainly in muscle size.
I have no numbers from scientific polling, yet I’m sure that much of my website and
subscriber audience has gotten older as well. I get a sense of this from email responses. Gone, I would guess, are many of the young seniors who are still pushing the limits lifting heavy iron. It’s understandable. Gradually, as many of my subscribers have aged along with me, maintaining good health and fitness has become more important than increasing how much we can lift in bench presses and squats. It is a healthy transition as we age.
Pushing the very limits of weights lifted, for example, is not the best way to treat aging tendons and ligaments. Dangers lurk. Movement and staying active is still the way to go. No question. But higher repetitions with more moderate poundage is more likely to keep us going longer and more injury free. And resistance bands are wonderful, by the way.
For some, this is not an easy sell. When you have pushed the workout limits for most of your
life, tapering off is the antithesis of what you have believed and practiced in the quest for being the best that you can be.
Yet for lasting fitness and good health, adjusting to more moderate training should evolve. Otherwise damaged rotator cuffs and other fun await many who refuse to moderate; and aching knees and backs court the relentless aging runner who refuses to taper off a bit.
One of my favorite quotes comes from the great philosopher, Dirty Harry, who said: ”A man’s got to know his limitations.” Thank you, Clint Eastwood. No he wasn’t talking about aging intelligently when he said the line in a movie. But it certainly works as a proper comment about being smart as we grow older.
As a senior, most of the fitness information you’ll need can be found here.
Stay healthy. Stay fit.
Logan
Senior Exercise Central
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Newsletter Policy
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter is a free publication sent twice monthly to subscribers. The purpose is to provide honest and realistic fitness information for people age 50 and above.
I have never been paid or received compensation of any kind to write a positive review or endorse a product. If I say that I personally use a product or service, it is because I find value in it and have paid for it with my own money.
Like newspapers, magazines and television, this newsletter and my web site contain advertising and marketing links. Naturally, I am compensated for these.
The newsletter and web site provide information to help users establish and maintain a fitness lifestyle. But fitness information is not the same as fitness advice, which is the application of exercise and dietary practices to an individual's specific circumstances. Therefore, always consult with your physician for assurance that fitness information, and
your interpretation of it, is appropriate for you.Your comments and questions are always appreciated. Simply click on the "Reply" bottom.
Sincerely,
Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com
