Seniors' Exercise Philosophy

As usual, let’s start with review questions: (Don’t forget, no one grades you, no one even knows your answers but YOU!) Again, my email address is: dbtut@aol.com

1. What is systolic pressure?
2. What is diastolic pressure?
3. What is the pulse, and what makes it?
4. What’s a “quick and dirty” way to estimate the “maximum heart rate for your age?
5. How can counting your pulse help you with your fitness regimen?
6. What does one use the “maximum heart rate” for?

I have alluded to this subject in a past essay, but let’s revisit it: Some people eat “little” and become fat, some eat “much” and don’t get fat. And this can be irrespective of how much you exercise, et cetera. How come? No one knows really, but it for sure has something to do with one’s genes. I won’t go into what a gene is here, but will assume that you realize that this in turn has something to do with the “hand you are dealt” by your parents when you are a fertilized egg in your mother’s womb.

The same kind of mystery surrounds why some people live a long time, and others don’t – again irrespective of how much you exercise, or in some cases, how much you eat. Just think of someone famous, like Winston Churchill, who did everything “wrong,” but lived to over 90! Some explain this away by saying, solemnly, “The exception proves the rule.” (Whatever that means. Who knows how long Churchill would have lived IF he had eaten, and drunk and exercised properly!)

I have no doubt that someday “they” will figure out the real answers to these two mysteries. But, in the meantime, we just have endure all the “gurus” who offer all kinds of “formulas” to achieve leanness and long life. Fie on you if you fall for some of these, especially if they promise to do these things without much effort and persistence. These guys are successful because many of us are looking for the easy way out.

Quality of life (whatever that means for a given individual) is much more important than longevity.

So, where does that leave most of us? Eat properly plus follow an exercise routine that repeats at least 3X per week (preferably six), works out all major muscle groups, and takes into account our ages and our medical problems (if any). Do the things you can enjoy, and that are consonant with your physical state.

Before beginning any exercise program check first with your family doctor!

By the way, in an exercise regimen, what is the equivalent of “recreational meal”? (Remember a recreational meal is one where you eat what you want to, but in reasonable quantities, and once or – at most – twice a week.) The equivalent is a “recreational interlude.” That is, one does not go through an exercise routine every day but, say, five or six days a week. In the interim, usually on the weekend, one allows the body to recoup. (Even the “world” was created in six days, and the seventh day was for “rest.”)

What about walking? Walking is excellent exercise! And, one can do this either in the comfort of one’s home, or in the wonderful air-conditioned exercise room that we have in Sun City Center, or outside on the streets.

How does one do this at home? If you have a fairly large bathroom (or use whatever adequate room you have), one can alternate walking and easy jogging, making figures of eight, counting each step (in groups of twenty) up to, say, two hundred for each mode, ending up with 1,200 steps in all. If combined with other exercises at home to involve all major muscle groups, it can make an effective exercise routine. Alternate this with three days a week that you go to the exercise room. If you do some serious work in the yard, let that take the place of the exercise routine for that day.

Don’t forget! In addition to choosing a routine that exercises all major muscle groups, most important is to exercise one’s balance organs. What are these? They are the so-called semi-circular canals that are in each ear. There are three of them in each; they lie perpendicular to each other so that they control all three directions: up, down, and horizontal, no matter what is our body’s position.

It is possible, and is especially important for oldsters (!) because one of the main problems we face is falling! The better our balance organs work, the less is the likelihood that we will fall! How does one exercise the semicircular canals? Very important, and something that is NOT stressed enough.

The first thing to recognize is that one’s vision has a lot to do with balance. If you don’t believe this, try standing on one leg, first with eyes open, and then with eyes closed! You will see which you can do for a longer time. So, close your eyes when doing many of the exercises, especially the ones requiring movement of the head.

While standing straight, do motion exercises of the head and neck: bend the head and neck forward and down as far as possible (so you are looking at your feet), then turn your head back and forth slowly at least 10 times, work it up to, say, 20 over the next weeks. Bend your head and neck backwards and turn your head to the left and right several times – gradually increase the number of repetitions. Stand straight, as before, and look to the left as far as you can, then keeping the same twisted neck position strain to turn your head to look up and down and everything in between; then do the same on the right. And with all of these, do them, if you can, with eyes closed!

When you walk – inside, outside, on the treadmill without holding on, etc. – at the same time as you walk in all directions, look up (as you might to a tree you passing), down, to the sides, etc. You will find that it is not so easy to walk in a straight line and look in different directions at the same time that you are walking.

Be careful not to get up from a sitting or lying position too fast! Older people should get up slooowly so that the old arteries have more time to adjust (to contract) and keep the blood flowing to the brain. If you are dizzy after getting up, sit down again, or at least hold on to something solid and get your head and upper body lower and wait until you are not dizzy.

Even if you do not do other exercise routines (fie on you!), PLEASE, PLEASE regularly exercise your balance organs (the semi-circular canals). Falling is one of the most frequent untoward things that happen to us oldsters. Thus, improving balance, AND especially watching our step whenever up and around are two of the most important things to keep in mind.

ALWAYS be mindful of these two things when you are up and around!

Dallas B. Tuthill, M.D.
My email address again is: dbtut@aol.com Do NOT call on the telephone.
DBT