By:
Lisa Zeigel

I have heard people say they can’t wait until they retire so they can just sit around and do nothing. Others say they’ve never been as busy as they are after retiring, with all the travelling, gardening, social activities and such. Still others say they would like to enjoy their retirement years, but they have too many aches and pains, or a condition like diabetes or osteoporosis that impairs their ability to engage in recreational activities. There is a perception among people going through middle age (40-65 years) that when they reach the “golden years” (65 and older), it is expected that they will: gain weight, have more aches and pains, be taking several medications for a variety of conditions; and as they reach “older old age” (more than 85 years), they will require assistance to perform activities of daily living (ADL) or need round-the-clock care in an institution.

By 2030 it is estimated that 71.5 percent of the population will be 65 or older¹. Out of that population, if current trends continue, more than half will report one disability, one-third will report a severe disability, many will have at least one chronic condition, and many will have several chronic conditions. Besides these problems, other adverse effects of aging include loss of cardiovascular fitness (5 to 15 percent per decade after the age of 25) and decline of muscular strength and endurance. This process starts at the age of 30 and is due to atrophy and a loss of muscle fibers, particularly “Type II” muscle fibers, the type related to strength. At the same time, over half of the population older than 50 has osteoporosis, which means a loss in bone mass. Coupled with a loss of muscle mass, this quickly leads to a higher risk of fractures and injuries. On top of that, there are changes in tendon, ligament, and articular cartilage that limit the body’s range of movement. All of these results in loss of mobility and independence, can limit an individual’s ability to socialize, causes depression, and hinders one’s ability to enjoy life.

¹ The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003, A Profile of Older Americans, 2003 (Washington D.C.: author)

Do we have only aches and pains, frailty and helplessness to look forward to as we get older? Can you see yourself slowly shuffling along on a walker, barely able to look up since your spine is curved from unabated osteoporosis, and huffing and wheezing from the smallest effort? Well, hold off on those thoughts because I am here to tell you that I plan to be doing stair climbing races, playing tennis, having a full social life, and more when I’m 85 or older. I will just be following the example my dad provided — he lived to be 91 and could be seen walking all over the neighborhood, doing yard work and keeping himself otherwise very busy, right up until his last days. Since he suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, he did have bad days. In spite of this, he never gave up, preferring to keep moving instead of sitting around feeling sorry for himself.

You know what I’m going to say: Exercise is the answer for all of the above-mentioned pitfalls of getting older. I can tell you that yes, it is, judging from my experience as a personal trainer. I have had the opportunity to work with many vital and energetic older individuals, the oldest a woman of 84 and a gentleman of 80. I often think about “Irene” (fictional name), a woman who was 74 when we started training. She wanted to improve her tennis game, so she hired me to help her start resistance training. I saw that she could improve her balance, so we worked on that along with core strength and flexibility. Months later she told me she was “killing” with her serve on the tennis court. I observed dramatic improvement in all the components we worked on. She was so excited about this, she sent her friends to me, and I saw all of them make similar improvements.

The scientific facts will validate my practical evidence: Studies published in 1989 in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the American Journal of Cardiology indicate that older adults who engage in cardiovascular endurance activities can improve their cardio fitness levels by 10-30 percent. More importantly, the beneficial effect of exercise on risks of diseases is markedly evident. Included in this category are improved insulin action and glucose tolerance in defense against diabetes, lowering of blood pressure levels, positive effects on heart disease, and reduction in body fat, which helps to account for a lowering of blood lipids.

Resistance training can increase muscle mass, also by 10-30 percent. The result of this is a significant increase in strength. Neural adaptation to strength training helps older adults improve their functional ability, which is huge as this helps them maintain their independence (ability to perform ADL), giving older individuals a feeling of self-efficacy and improves his or her quality of life.

Can you be too old to start a training program? The answer is no. No matter what the extent of a person’s frailty and loss of function is, everyone can benefit from some type of movement. The first priority should be strength training before cardiovascular, due to the need to be able to balance and stabilize to avoid injury. There are many programs available in senior centers, YMCAs, city recreation centers, even in adult care facilities. These provide not only many different exercise mode options (swimming, resistance training, stretching, balance and mind/body classes), but also allow for socializing, which is a vital element in maintaining adherence to such programs. For the very weakest, assistance will be necessary, but any type of movement, whether seated in a chair or even in bed, can be beneficial.

It is inevitable that we will get older, but we don’t have to accept the perception that we have to settle for being “over the hill.” See you on the stairs.

Lisa Zeigel is a personal trainer and a group exercise instructor who has been involved in health and fitness for more than 20 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health and fitness instructor and as a National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer. She has created unique wellness education programs and has taught healthy lifestyle classes for her local community. Currently, Lisa works with all types of clients and particularly likes to focus on new and returning exercisers, combining cutting-edge techniques with the tried-and-true. Most of all, she strives to make exercising fun and easy to integrate into each individual’s lifestyle. You can contact Lisa at fitgrrl@operamail.com.