EXERCISE PROGRAM AFTER 50 AND BEYOND

Meet Sister Madonna Buder, born July 30, 1930. Buder is the current world record holder for the oldest person to ever finish an Ironman Triathlons. What is even more impressive is she didn't start her training till age 48. Her life is busy with volunteer work and working with charities, yet she still found time to compete in 360 Triathlons. That just goes to show you, you are never too old and never to busy to get in shape. Something to aspire to, but the first step is getting started.

The good news is you can significantly slow the aging process with exercise. For instance, you may have chronological age of 50, but a biological age of 35 if you keep moving. The body is an amazing machine and will adapt to the stresses (exercise) you give it. This adaptation occurs at any age. There are 3 key components you should include in your exercise program.

Cardiovascular Endurance:

Activities that increase your heart rate for a prolong period of time for example, walking outside, on a treadmill or on a recumbent bike are all good to starting places. If you have not exercised in a while you should start off slow. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hardest), you would want to be around a 3 or 4. As you build your endurance you should move a moderate intensity (5-6) and then a vigorous (7-8).

You want to do cardiovascular training on most days of the week. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends for moderate intensity, physical activities, accumulate at least 30 or up to 60 (for greater benefit) min/day in bouts of at least 10 minutes each to total 150-300 min/week.

Strength Training:

Activities that makes you stronger for example, lifting weight, using resistant bands or even your own body weight. In the past decade there has been much research done to this topic. After the age of 30, inactive adults can lose 3-8% of their muscle per a decade. This is huge.

What's worse, is that many people neglect strength training. That can lead to “Sarcopenia,” age related loss of muscle mass accelerated by inactivity and poor nutrition. Sacropenia is highly prevalent in America, about 20% of people over 70 and 50% over 80 are characterized as having it. It leads to significant decreases in mobility, daily function, increase risk of back injury and decrease bone strength.

Here is the real kicker, once muscle fibers are loss you do not get them back. Muscle fibers can grow (hypertrophy), but they do not multiply (hyperplasia). So, please make it a part of your exercise routine. The American College of SportsMedicine recommends a minimum of 2xs/wk of strength training. This recommendation is fine for maintenance, but if you want to see results I suggest 3x’s a week.

Flexibility/ Balance

These two components of exercise are often overlooked by individuals and trainers. They are typically performed at the end of the workout, after the muscles and tendons have had a chance to warm up.

Flexibility will improve joint mobility, decrease lower back pain and improve daily function, especially with overhead movements. Balance will decrease the likelihood of falling in elderly and improve sport performance at any age. You don’t need any equipment to preform either, making them simple to improve on your own.

To improve range of motion Stretching should be done 2-3x’s a week. Each stretch should be held for 15-30 seconds and performed 4x’s. Stretch to the point of slight discomfort. To prevent falling and improve performance, balance exercises should be performed 2-3x’s week for 20-30 minute per a day.

Depending on your balance level this can be a simple as doing weight shifts or standing on one foot. I find these two components are easily incorporated into a routine between sets after the muscle has had time to warm up as well as at the end of the workout. My clients tell me it is their favorite part, so give it a try.

Disclaimer

This article is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise program