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Apr 16

In the era of coronavirus, how do you stay fit, healthy? – Reading Eagle

Exercise Programs Comments Off on In the era of coronavirus, how do you stay fit, healthy? – Reading Eagle

For many senior citizens, especially in light of the coronavirus, the challenge of keeping up their muscle tone and body strength often proves to be a heavy lift.

These days, however, walking, hiking, stretching and even moderate running to improve cardiovascular health might be embraced with less trepidation than the thought of almost anything related to weightlifting such as pushing, pulling, rowing and lifting.

The concerns are:

In spite of questions and worries, all sorts of experts doctors, scientific researchers and front-line fitness trainers often quoted in mass media health magazines are touting the benefits of weightlifting as the most effective treatment to prevent slowdown or partially reverse age-related muscle loss.

A one-size program doesn't fit all, experts admit, but taking steps toward strength training, from the simplest to most complex program, can lead to better body balance, flexibility, extension and rotation, allowing seniors to remain mobile longer. And that's the goal.

He was actively going to the gym before the COVID-19 lockdown.

Before the lockdown, he was in an individualized weight and exercise program for three times a week, and I've really picked up a lot of strength in my upper body and knees, said David Baird, 69, of Spring Township, who attends Alliance Fitness Center, Spring Township.

Four years ago, Baird, a retired cable lineman and contractor, had an operation to implant four heart stents. He also is an insulin-dependent diabetic.

Baird said when he was in his mid-40s he started to become too sedentary. It got to a point where he couldn't walk too far without becoming winded.

I've improved greatly with this personalized exercise program, which includes time on weight and rowing machines and regular monitoring, he said.

Baird said he had joined another gym before coming to Alliance, but felt uncomfortable and more intimidated by younger and fitter clients there.

Recently, Baird said a member of his church group saw him and said: It looks like you are standing up straighter.

Baird believes strength training is the best thing I've done for myself, he said.

When I started this fitness center almost 30 years ago, we used to be called the geriatric gym, said Sarah Small, 62, of Sinking Spring, Alliance owner and a certified strength and conditioning specialist specializing in muscle activation techniques.

We started our demographic with the high-risk population, and many of our clients are 55 and older, she said. Many come in for a functional range assessment to focus on strength training.

In recent years, I've seen more doctors referring patients (those with joint replacements or osteoporosis) and more people wanting to become pro-active so they can continue to do functional daily tasks.

In the past, we were preaching to the choir, but I think interest is broadening, she said.

When people find they can't lift a coffee can from a shelf or a gallon of water without struggling or having a limited range of body motion and low energy, they often seek guidance in strength training, she said.

A strong person is tough to kill, said Colin McGee, 26, of West Reading, director of fitness at Alliance.

People are often fearful of what they don't understand, and that applies to weight training, McGee said. It's simply about adding the appropriate resistance for you and finding the right starting point.

Of course, all good things take time and effort.

McGee pinpointed three challenges in working with first-time older clients:

At Alliance, there are functional range assessments that take into account mobility, health history and individual goals, Small said.

Alliance is not a membership gym, but offers hourly sessions that can range in price from $48 to $55. A 45-to 90-minute evaluation costs $199.

With more than 30 years in the fitness business, Joanne Ewing, fitness director at Colonial Fitness, Spring Township and Sinking Spring, said 15 years ago a majority of her clients fell into the category of young or middle-aged adults.

I'd say at least 60% of our clients are 50 years old or older now, Ewing said. Maintaining balance and stability has become a big issue based on seniors' fear of falling.

There's been a growing awareness and definitely more doctor referrals, she said.

An emphasis on active-aging among baby boomers also has contributed to a rise in strength training.

Back injuries, hip and knee replacements and issues with arthritis all contribute to strength training classes, joining solid cardio programs that focus on treadmill walking or the use of cycling machines.

Ewing said Colonial Fitness has been in the local vanguard of creating exercise classes, yoga, pilates and stretching sessions that emphasize focusing the mind.

It's all about balance when it comes to exercise, eating right and managing your stress levels, Ewing said.

My goal is to live to 90 and be as healthy as I am now, she said.

Up until the recent concerns about the coronavirus and the need for social distancing and even isolation, Ewing realized that motivating seniors to undertake strength-training could be a challenge.

How do you make it fun or enjoyable?

The answer was having seniors make friends and drawing them together in active-aging circuit classes.

Socialization for seniors is so important to motivating seniors and creating a positive environment, she said.

While the deadly virus has impeded progress in that direction for a while, many seniors have learned routines that they can continue to use at home using any variety of household items to create resistance to work muscles by lifting, pulling or pushing.

The biggest fear I see among our older population is their fear of falling, Ewing said. Strength-training can help with that to increase stability.

Donna Witwer, 70, of Cumru Township, a retired administrative assistant at an insurance company who also worked as a waitress, had a hip replacement in 2016.

She began fitness programs at Colonial Fitness about two years ago and worked hard to get strength back in her legs. She takes hour-long classes three or four times a week.

I've always been active, but I know it's important for me to stay that way, she said. I think it's only natural to lose muscle strength after the age of 40, so you have to keep active to stay in shape.

Witwer has longevity in her family (her mother will turn 99 in July).

I've always been a walker, but I knew I needed more if I wanted to live to 90 and walk around and not be stuck in a wheelchair, she said.

Nicholas Rizzo, 28, who lives near Boston and serves as the fitness research director at Runrepeat.com, an online athletic shoe review firm, is a strong promoter of strength-training for seniors.

Rizzo is a former competitive Apollo lifter who became involved in the global powerlifting movement.

Seniors' fear or misconceptions about weightlifting are completely understandable, he said, in a phone interview. They know how to walk or run, but weightlifting can appear complex and overwhelming with the need to pay attention to reps, sets and loads. They should start out keeping their routines simple with chair squats or pushing against walls at home.

Rizzo encouraged seniors to ask for help at senior centers or YMCAs, and to start slow and easy and to make sure they checked with their doctors before undertaking any physical activity.

If you can, I highly suggest a personal trainer, he said. But if you feel you're weak or losing muscle strength for daily tasks, you probably need to get going. There is help available to get you to where you want to be.

Contact Bruce R. Posten: specialsections@readingeagle.com.

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In the era of coronavirus, how do you stay fit, healthy? - Reading Eagle

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