Embrace Senior Fitness!

   One of the interesting seminars I took at the recent SCW New York City Mania was entitled "Strength Training For Longevity and Vitality."
    If the title conjures up images of, say, Boca Raton, remember that the general population is rapidly aging (as am I!). The median age of America was 35.3 in 2000. Today it is 47.5. The number of people 60-and up will increase five times over the next decade
     Taught by Sara Kooperman, J.D., the founder and "S" of SCW, the class combined some lecture with resistance band movements that can easily be translated to any age or strength level. The movements had their practicality: the band step-over, for example, (easily modified to lunge step-over) teaches seniors to raise their feet up when walking. There were lot's of back and bicep movements, as Ms. Kooperman, a very fit 57-year old, pointed out that seniors, as their spine lurches forward, should do two pulling exercise for every pushing movement.
   Women, smaller boned and with weight up front, should be particularly mindful of this. And guys who have worked out all their lives (being guys) have probably done twice as much pushing movements (like bench and shoulder press) than pulling movements like lat pulldowns or pull-ups.
     It is recommended for seniors to have 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise (raking the leaves,
washing the car, etc.), or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (swimming, strength training, running); or some combination of both. A one-to-one ratio of cardio and strength raining is recommended. Something like rowing or a strength training class may be considered a combination of both. A comprehensive 2017 study of 72 senior women found that two days a week of cardio and two days of strength training was the ideal mix. Three days of each left the participants fatigued, and no more fit at the end of the 16-week study.
  No surprise here: a well-planned exercise program helps against arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, back pain, and obesity. You don't have to set records: 65-75% of your one rep max is ideal for strength training, aiming for about 15 repetitions per set.
   The band session was fun, enlightening, and somewhat challenging, particularly the ones that incorporated balance, probably the weakest part of my fitness component.
     Ms. Kooperman  jokingly made a salient point at the end. "Always remember to collect the bands at the end of the senior class. They tend to want to take them along to Florida!"