EXERCISE ROOM MISTAKES

I live in a deed-restricted retirement community in Florida; the average age here is about 72 years. Among the many facilities available for all members is a monitored, well-equipped exercise room.

I use this exercise room three times per week to work out for 50 to 60 minutes each time. While not a professional physical trainer, I am a retired physician (internist), who has taken training from professionals in the past, and has ‘worked out’ regularly for many years.

Following are listed some of the simple “mistakes” older persons, male and female, frequently make in their exercise routines. They all have free access to beginners’ group training from a professional trainer, but only a few take advantage of that opportunity (that is the first mistake!). I infrequently call any of these mistakes to anyone’s attention because I have no “official status” to do so. Perhaps some of them will read this blog.

1. Noise: Often exercisers make loud and unnecessary noise when using the many exercise machines, especially when initially adjusting them. This is especially true when using the “free weights;” one should make the effort to be as quiet as possible. No matter how carefully one utilizes free weights, including dumb bells, they tend to make more noise than do machines which are usually “dedicated” to one particular kind of exercise for legs, arms or a segment of the back. It is well to consider the adjustment of these various machines as an integral part of the exercise. Usually one should squat down to carefully make these adjustments (i.e., changes for the exercisers’ differing sizes), and squatting down repeatedly is in itself a good exercise! (Admittedly, especially some of the smaller ladies may have “strength problems” making some of these adjustments quietly.)
2. Too much weight: Even oldsters, especially males it seems, have “macho” problems, and some of them seem to think they must choose a relatively large amount of weight for each machine, apparently to prove that “they can still do it,” or in the mistaken belief that “heavy” weight is necessary for a good work out. (And, often they even leave the weight stems in place!) Seldom should it be oldsters’ intent to increase one’s strength in preference to simply working out all major muscle groups.
3. Too few repetitions (“reps”): Usually it is exactly backwards: too much weight, coupled with too few reps. Specially older people should use less weight plus many more reps! A reasonable number of reps might be as a minimum, say, 20 for the arms and 30 for the legs and back.
4. Too fast: Let it be well understood that one cannot be too slow in lifting a given amount of weight and letting that weight down, but is possible to be too fast either way! And, that is what one often sees. The rubric should be: DO NOT THROW THE WEIGHTS! Yanking a weight up and rapidly letting it down is not the proper way to do any of the exercises. It is a false understanding of an exercise to, in effect, use gravity to let a weight down! That’s what one does when one yanks a weight up and lets it down rapidly. That is not a proper work out method. One should raise a weight slowly and equally slowly let that weight down. Resisting the weight’s downward motion (gravity) is when one gets the most out of an exercise!
5. Forget balance! What is the most frequent cause of old people’s breaking bones? Sure – falling! Aside from trying to be careful about how an older person goes about his or her daily activities – which is very important – one should utilize every opportunity to “exercise” the semi-circular canals that are in both ears”! These are the organs that are primarily responsible for a body’s orientation in space. I do not often see that the “gurus” recommend doing the simple things that could help “save” one’s ability to balance properly. Don’t forget, vision has a large role to play here. If you need convincing on this, just try, for example, standing on one leg, with eyes open versus closed. You will note a big difference! What you want is to save or enhance the ability of the semicircular canals to do their thing, regardless of the influence of sight. This can be done in many simple ways, most of which one can – thinking about it – come up with oneself. For example, when one is walking, say outside on the sidewalk, take the opportunity to look about in all directions – up and down and sideways – while trying to walk in the usual straight line. If you can do this at all it is because of your semicircular canals! Do things that keep them working properly. So, what do I see in the exercise room? I see people working on the “balance bar” for example, but with their eyes open at all times. Try the same exercises with the eyes closed, as well!
6. Forget aerobic exercise! What is aerobic exercise? Well, one could spend a lot of time talking about aerobic exercise, but it comes down to keeping one’s pulse up toward the “maximum” (Anyone’s “maximum” depends a lot of one’s age. That’s why the American Heart Association has come up with charts that recommend “maximum” pulse rates for different ages. Consult same.) Practically speaking, if one does an exercise that drives the pulse rate up, keeping it up is served by going smoothly from one exercise to another without too much delay in between.
7. Using too few machines! What does that mean, “too few machines”? The “correct” number of machines can indeed vary, depending upon the goal(s) one sets for him/herself. Younger persons usually are out to increase strength, and that’s a legitimate goal, within limits. Such persons often work out different groups of muscles on different days – they do not try to do it all in one go. Older people, on the other hand,usually are not out to increase their strength so much as to just work out to enhance their longevity. This goal can be met by three or four workouts per week, but with a plan that involves all major muscle groups each time. (I recommend that we oldsters work out six days a week, perhaps three in the exercise room and three “at home.” Perhaps it is reasonable to take one day a week off, and why not Sundays?) A good workout that involves all major muscle groups takes from 50 to 60 minutes, or more (not less).
8. Working out to lose weight! Forget it. Most of us do not work out enough to use up many calories. A couple large slices of bread, or the equivalent, can in very short order equal what most of our workouts use up. And using, or, much more important, avoiding taking in calories, is indeed what is necessary to weight loss. Again, we are talking of “oldsters” here. Don’t forget, “fat and fit” is preferable to “fat and unfit”! Sure, lose some weight; just do not expect your typical workouts to accomplish this alone.

Dallas B. Tuthill, M.D.