Gravity Fx Fitness

Want to live long and healthy like Jack LaLanne?

There are no guarantees in life, but your best bet is with regular exercise that includes resistance training! Your muscles are the motors that power all your movements, so you better keep your motors (muscles) tuned up.

I’m currently training a couple that are 81 and 80 years old, respectively, so this gives me a little insight.  Since most of my clients are in their 50’s, they have aging parents that are currently dealing with health issues at this moment.

I’ve known this older couple for about thirteen years and they have been off and on massage clients of mine.  The husband started training with me about 5 months ago and when he first came in I was startled by how physically weak he had become and how poor his balance was.

He and his wife had been long time members of a healthclub, did ballroom dancing and did aerobic exercise in their basement, using a treadmill, elliptical machine and stationary bike.  They’ve both had some health issues the past couple years and had eased off on the strength training.

It’s well known that we tend to lose muscle strength and lean muscle tissue as we age.  It might not be quite as well known that this can be kept to a minimum with proper resistance work.  Muscle strength is important in order to keep your mobility as you get older, as well as keeping your bones strong, reducing the risk of falling and staying independent.

Let’s take Jack LaLanne for example.  While he had definitely not maintained all the strength and muscle mass that he had in his 40’s or 50’s, he did enough work to stay healthy and independent into his mid 90’s, without any long hospital stays or nursing homes.  Maybe there’s a message in that statement – that it takes work to stay healthy, though there are never any guarantees.

Back to my client, after 5 months his leg strength has improved greatly and so has his balance….coincidence?  Unlike most programs for the over 50 crowd, I put my clients in standing positions for the majority of their work, for a very simple reason.

Life’s activities occur mostly while standing so this provides the most carryover to your daily activities.  What are some of the most challenging movements for seniors – getting up from a chair, going up stairs and bending over to pick something up.  Coincidentally, I train all three of these movements with him.

The one exercise that we do lying down is a horizontal leg press.  We have gradually moved him up to 160 pounds with both legs and will probably not go much higher, seeking to maintain this, as the force going through his spine might create some issues.  He works on going up and down the stairs at his house to keep that function working well and we have him do step ups to reinforce that ability.

After listening to a podcast from a top strength coach I got the idea to have him do farmer’s walks, which is just holding some weights in either hand while he walks from one end to another.  This is a simple way to work on grip strength and build functional core strength.  We just started with this and he uses 12 or 15 pound dumbbells in each hand and we encourage him to look straight ahead to reinforce proper posture.

Since most people of this age have some posture issues, we work on rowing movements for the back of the body, with the hope of pulling them back to a more neutral position.  Not sure if this can be totally corrected with everyone of this age but I believe it can definitely be prevented in most people with proper training.

Bottom line, he is working hard to delay the effects of aging and he is definitely walking with much better balance and he is a little more independent, as well.  It takes work to stay youthful.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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I just came across some new technology that could possibly revolutionize the fitness industry – something that could appeal to the 85% who don’t use traditional healthclubs.

I recently read an article about a new computerized isometric system called bioDensity.  These isometric
machines allow average people to increase their strength and bone mass in exercise sessions as short as 5 minutes.

Naturally this sounds too good to be true, but they have some strong data to back it up.  The idea is to create a very strong stimulus to the muscles, something powerful that requires little time.

I have done something similar in the past with barbells and other weight equipment, but this is totally different.  There are four exercises that involve multiple muscles and joints, exercising the entire body in one brief session.

This is geared toward those 50 and over who are de-conditioned and want to slow down the aging process. Performance Health Systems opened a test clinic in 2005 and gathered data for a three year period with 500
subjects with an average age of 52.

These participants experienced  an average strength gain of 123%  and an extremely high retention rate, likely due to the limited time required.  Clients can come in their street clothes and leave quickly.  This will definitely appeal to those who dislike exercise or typical healthclubs.

Another group using the technology has opened the Stand Strong Clinics, which incorporates a Power Plate whole body vibration platform.  Part of the goal is to prevent falls in seniors.  Vibration platforms stimulate the nervous system and can help increase balance and bone strength.

The Stand Strong program has increased the strength and overall quality of life for its participants.  They also have seen a significant increase in balance and stability, likely decreasing their risk of falling.

I think the main thing is that it introduced many people to resistance training who wouldn’t otherwise have participated.  I enjoy strength training but most people don’t – yet we all need it to fight the aging process. So this may prove to be a vital option for those who are overweight and de-conditioned.

Definitely something to keep an eye on.

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…..and the best way to lose fat!

A study involving seniors showed that exercise, specifically resistance training, can reverse the aging process. Researchers at McMasters University Medical Center in Ontario, looked at the effects of strength training on 25 older men and women, with an average age of 70.

These healthy seniors were able to rejuvenate muscle tissue and reverse cell aging, attributed to age. Researchers looked at mitochondria function. The mitochondria are referred to as “the powerhouse” of cells. A decline in mitochondria function was shown prior to starting this exercise program.

The strength training actually reversed this cell decline to levels similar to those of younger adults. The participants also improved their strength about 50 % in this twice a week, 6 month program. They had never done any formal weight training.

An interesting note, 4 months after the study ended, most of them were no longer exercising at a gym, but were doing resistance training at home with simple objects, including resistance bands. They were still as strong with the same amount of muscle mass.

Another study has shown that older adults with muscle atrophy are associated with functional impairment and physical disability. Sarcopenia – reduced skeletal muscle mass in older people – may be an important and potentially reversible cause of morbidity and mortality. Older women may be more susceptible to these ill effects. This study was reported in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.

A third study found that physical activity and leg strength were important predictors of mobility decline in older persons. Meaning, for best prevention results, you need to be physically active and do strength training for the legs.

You’ve heard me say it before – “move it or lose it.” Not only do you need adequate movement for prevention, but you need to do some resistance training to maintain lean muscle tissue.

The good news is that this can occur at home with basic exercises and little equipment.   Bodyweight exercises such as squats, stepups, and pushups can be done by most anyone.  These exercises can be modified to adapt to individual conditions.

Pushups can be done off the knees or against a wall to start and then progressed to a more demanding version.  Stepups simulate the motion required to go up stairs, something that can be challenging for many seniors.  You can start with a low step and then progress to a higher one as your strength improves.

Bodyweight squats will help strengthen your lower body and make it easier to get up from a chair.  You can hold onto something for balance if you need to.  Dumbbells are a simple, but effective way to increase your strength.  They can also be used at home.  Combine them with the bodyweight exercises mentioned and you too can turn back the clock on aging.

Combine bodyweight exercises with dumbbells, tubing or bands, and joint mobility training and you just might find the “fountain of youth.”

Get moving!

Brian

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