Fit & Well:
Getting Fit at Any Age
by David Oshman and Patricia Oshman

Remember to always get your doctor's permission to start any new exercise program. Listen to your body. If a movement causes you pain, stop and consult your physician.

Here are some recommended entry-level exercises you can do at home:

Exercise 1:

Standing behind a chair with one hand on the back of the chair for balance, slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in an imaginary chair. At first, you should only squat a few inches before standing back up. Remember to put most of your weight into your heels and keep your spine tall, looking straight ahead. Stay with these little squats until you can do 12 without difficulty. Gradually work at going a little lower until you are sitting in your imaginary chair (bending knees no more than 90 degrees).

Exercise 2:

The next exercise is wall push-ups. Stand facing a wall with your feet about 2 feet from the wall. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height and shoulder distance apart from each other. Slowly bend your elbows so that your head moves toward the wall. If you are beginning, you may want to go only part way before you straighten your arms and return to the starting position. If you can do 12 wall push-ups in good form, you can gradually challenge yourself by moving your feet a little farther from the wall.

Exercise 3:

You get to sit for the last exercise. Start with both feet resting flat on the floor. Next, raise one leg off the chair, hold for three seconds, and return to start. Repeat the same exercise on the other leg. To challenge yourself, you can straighten your leg at the top of the movement (lift on count one, straighten on count two, bend on count three and rest on count four). As with all the other exercises, you should be able to do 12 lifts on each leg before you increase the difficulty.

It's important to perform these exercises every other day - always have one day of rest between the days you strength train. You should start to notice significant improvement in your strength levels in four to six weeks.

If you have the resources, get a personal trainer to assist you in developing an effective and safe program.

Precautions

There are risks associated with exercise. The following are some suggestions to reduce those risks and increase benefits.

Remember the No. 1 rule: If it hurts, don't do it. Modify or avoid those movements

Look for a certified fitness leader. If you do step aerobics, be sure the instructor (or video) uses music slow enough for you to put your foot all the way down when you step off the platform. Staying on your toes because the music is too fast risks injury to your foot or leg.

Get the right shoes for your activity. Your feet, ankles, shins and knees are more vulnerable now. Protect them with shoes that cushion and stabilize your feet and absorb shock during the specific motions of your activity.

Drink enough water. You should be drinking 1 to two quarts a day.

Start slow and steady. You don't have to exercise vigorously to start getting benefits.

Cross-training

Seniors can develop customized routines that fit within their abilities and interests. Cross-trainers ideally integrate aerobic exercises (such as swimming, jogging or biking), anaerobic exercises (such as weight training) and flexibility exercises (such as yoga or tai chi) in the course of a days exercise.

The specific exercises and sports that you engage in should be determined by your interests, as well as restrictions due to safety concerns (avoid biking in a crowded city) or age-related disabilities (limit high-impact and stress-causing sports like tennis if you have painful joints).

Here is a sample cross-training program for all-around conditioning.

Note: This sample program requires a daily commitment of up to one hour total exercise time.

Day 1

Brisk walking with hand weights
Stretching
Upper body weight training

Day 2

Jogging
Stretching
Lower body weight training

Day 3

Swimming
Yoga

Day 4

Bicycling, rowing or cross-country skiing
Stretching

Day 5

Brisk walking
Upper body weight training or circuit weight training

Day 6

Jogging at a varied pace
Stretching

Day 7

Day of rest or walking comfortably
Yoga

David Oshman is is an in-home trainer and lifestyle counselor. Trish Oshman is a certified trainer and nutritionist. Visit their Web site at www.fitness-life.com, or e-mail them at oshman@fitness-life.com.
Copyright 2004 Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc. The Maryland Gazette July 7, 2004, BYLINE: David Oshman and Patricia Oshman