I'm doing a pretty good job of moving around lately, since July. What got me started was camping for 3 weeks. And there wasn't drinking water up the river. So I would haul water every day, for boiling to use for dishes. I was roughing it except I do have some nice camp-gear. I had to walk maybe 1/8 of a mile, really not that far, and there was a steep dirt path down to the most beautiful swimming hole. I would go down there to just lay in the Sun and swim every day as well. It was in the 90s most of those 3 weeks. Anyway, I kept up the activity when I moved into Eureka, and walked about 5 days a week. Maybe over-kill, but I walked 18- 24 miles a week. It's a great town for doing that as it has such beautiful, old Victorian houses, and other lovely neighborhoods. I explored almost every one of the more, main streets/neighborhoods. So now that I am settled, I have kept up walking, but not as much because of the rain. And cold winds here too some days. So I joined a gym, and now I go there and use the weight machines. I did want to do some free-weights but just not ready for that. I also get to use the aerobic area for dancing (just freestyle) to my mostly 80s dance tunes, for now. Is anyone doing some of this type of activity, or wanting to get away from sitting too much? I have noticed huge improvement in how my body feels, or how it doesn't creak and ache as much as it was starting to. I wasn't active after I left school, and now, at 63, I really don't want to get crippled up from lack of activity. I do understand people have other health issues that prevent them from doing certain things. Please share if you would like to, maybe we could encourage each other, like today, I know I need to get down to the gym, but I am balking Denise
I go through spurts of activity, right now I'm in lazy mode. Was wearing my fitbit and watching my steps, etc. but took it off one day and then didn't put it back on for a few weeks, yesterday I thought I would and now I can't find the stupid battery charger for it. It has to be in the house unless I accidentally threw it out. The max I can walk is 3 miles in one stretch and more if it's through the day. I may look like I'm in shape but I'm not.
@Denise Happyfeet , I think that we must have been on the exact same wavelength ! I was going to start a very similar topic today myself. We have a Medicare Advantage Plan, and it includes a membership to the local fitness center. Bobby and I go there jut about every other day, and I can really feel the difference in my muscle tone, and my durability (for want of a better word). Bobby likes to use the weights and work out, and I hate machines, so I don't. I do walk on the treadmill, and use the cross-trainer, and then I swim for an hour and do water exercises. We finish up together in the steam room, which cleans out all of the pores, and then a good shower afterwards. Personally, I don't like doing exercise just for the sake of getting exercise; and I much prefer to be getting the exercise while I am accomplishing something, such as doing yard work. However, there is just not much yard work in the winter, and I do not handle the cold well anymore either. The fitness center has been great over the cold winter weather. I always spend some time in the hot tub, and the hyperthermia is supposed to kill any viruses or bacteria; probably another reason that I seldom get sick. I used to walk like you do when I was closer to your age, Denise; and I miss being able to do that. I am hoping to re-build my physical strength back up to where I can actually walk more again, and also go fishing and kayaking with Robin this summer. Swimming is a great exercise for anyone who likes to swim, and even when you don't know how to actually swim, it is an easier place to exercise when a person can't do regular exercises. I bought a Fitbug Orb at the clearance store last fall, and it can either be worn like a watch, or as a clip-on. I usually clip it on, and that keeps tracks of my steps each day. I want to get one of the Jawbone fitness trackers, and those can be charged up with an adapter , rather than having to change the battery all of the time. It will also monitor your sleep at night and tell you when you have had a good night's sleep, or when it was fitful (but not enough to wake you up).
Several of my "online" workout buddies at myfitnesspal, use the fitbit. I have a polar I'm not using because I can't find a store in this town that has a battery. I guess I could order one online. I don't like the strap around my chest though, rather have something else to use
I like my fitbit, just need to find the charger. I've looked in all the places that it should be, so next is tearing the house apart....kind of a workout because I always find something that leads to doing something else and on and on.
Being active in Maine is difficult for older people in the winter. I can't speak for everyone but I am not as much interested in being cold as I was when I was younger, so I don't go in for much in the way of winter sports. I have snowshoed two miles each way into my camp in the winter before but that's not something I would do for entertainment or recreation. I have never skated or skied when I was younger so that's not something I am about to take up now, and I'm not so interested in sliding down a hill on an sled anymore. I do walk sometimes, but when it's too cold or messy, I don't feel like doing that. So, other than shoveling snow, which I'd rather not do either, there's not a lot of exercise going on.
Wonderful to hear Yvonne, I don't like using machines, I don't think anyone does, but if you will just try one, every other day when you go, you will not believe the difference when you tone your muscles in your arms, or other areas. The pain/aches are almost completely gone that I was having. Building muscle is the best thing we can do, strength training. You can't determine how many calories you burn when you are doing weights, not for the most part. But after you do weights, your muscles burn for hours long after you are done doing the machines, or free-weights. I put a video up of a gal 93 (90 something) and she had never weight-trained, and she doesn't look all muscley but she was telling how much less pain she has now. She loves the gym bless her heart!! You go girl!!
Well, I've heard you have to pick an exercise that you can enjoy. Swimming is my fave, but now I have changed because of the difference in the way I feel, so I'm doing weight-training. Some gyms have great senior rates. But again, to each his/her own I do think that some folks won't look at the benefits of it, but instead worry that they are going to look like Schwarzenhager or something over-developed. Our bodies have a certain amount of muscle we can tone and strengthen, but without drugs, you don't get a "weird" over developed muscle.
Like Ken, we don't get much exercise during the winter months. Wouldn't think Florida would have a "winter", but it does. Sometimes even a few snow flurries. We've had daytime high temps of 45 degrees before. High of 45, but this is northeastern Florida. Anyway, we get exercise by walking around Wal Mart and a few other stores, but we just aren't a "fitness" couple. Check into cost of local YMCA and it was $90 a month for each of us, due to my wife's salary. We do have our Wii Game that gives us some exercise. Now, during the summer months, it's off to the Target Range w/our firearms and getting our powerboat out on the water. Now, there's some exercise.........launching and retrieving a boat! I can't walk "miles" due to past ankle and hip surgery. Sometimes we will take a walk around the apt. complex.
I'm pretty certain Arnold used steroids. I don't know that for a fact of course, just suspect it. He is older now of course, and if he isn't working out as he used to, or using drugs, he would eventually sag. That sagging is gravity, and none of us can beat gravity. I am more focused on strength because I naturally want to be as strong as I can be. Muscle is around our bones, nerves, it can protect against a number of things that could cause pain. Just imagine our bodies with no muscle. We would be skin over bones basically, no protection. I don't know that much about how are bodies are made, like a nurse or doctor would, but I'm trying to learn more. It's interesting for one thing, and if it helps me, and maybe some of my friends feel better, that's a huge bonus
That's all good stuff you're doing Cody, and you guys "are" moving Some body-weight stuff might be good to do, but you have to really take it slow and easy. I could not do push-ups because of my rotator cuff, so I did push-offs the wall. I also used the stretchy bands. They got me strengthening muscle almost right away. Also, if a person can do squats and/or lunges in their home, strengthening the largest muscles (quads) you would fee a huge difference. But those are just suggestions that are extra indoor types of strengthening muscle. I've heard lately that climbing stairs, or stepping up in an aerobic class is really NOT good for older people. It can cause knee problems, so we have to be careful, and be smart about what we try. It's also important when doing any activity, to know the difference between pain and muscle burn. And if I'm sore the next morning, when I've worked out right, that is a good thing. But if there's any pain when I try to do something, that's my body saying "don't do this" lol
Here's a google search of photos of different, easy, stretch band exercises. The seniors here, that are willing, do a lot of the types you see where the person sits on a chair. I did some of my stretches while sitting and watching a movie, lol! Nothing to it, but the benefits were noticeable within a couple days: https://www.google.com/search?q=Eas...wrvLAhXK7SYKHeBAAPMQ_AUICSgD&biw=1467&bih=650
LOL, yeah, that is pretty weird looking when men or women, get over-developed like that, ick I think guys get better with age. Seems like women don't get that from the "world" but I sure think we all get better with age. I'm not talking the aches and pains, or disease we might get, just that I don't like how old age is really put down by society. Seems like it anyway, especially when looking for fitness pics etc. Usually just young buff people. All the ads, clothing, makeup, are most often people who are already in great shape, or don't need any makeup, geesh.