SUMMARY: Compelling research suggests improving our cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness capacity supports a longer life/health span. To improve our aerobic capacity, the intensity of effort is key, so aerobic exercise needs to be a physically “hard (enough) thing”. The most accessible…
SUMMARY: To age well, older adults (OAs) must regularly do “hard things” that challenge their physical capabilities. The most important “hard thing” is resistance exercise (RE), but OAs often don’t make RE challenging enough to be beneficial. Use the repetitions-in-reserve…
“You get what you train for” is an axiom often heard in sports training, but relevant to senior fitness as well. It means physical/functional qualities won’t improve unless you train specifically to improve them and that you keep and maintain…
September 21st is National Falls Prevention Day, so it’s a good time to talk about older adults (OAs) and falls. If you’re 65+, you’re probably at least vaguely aware of the statistics regarding the risks and frequency with which OAs…
Too often I see people doing stuff in the gym which has the potential to be physical self-abuse, so I’d like to use this blog to help people avoid exercises which can break them down. Let’s start by getting the…
If you read my blog, you know I’m an advocate of a whole food, plant-based eating pattern (WFPB). I believe WFPB gives over-50 adults and seniors the best chance to age gracefully, overcome unfavorable genetics and counteract the dietary and…
The core, often misunderstood to be just the abdominals, is actually the whole midsection or trunk of the body from hips/pelvis to the neck. Last post, I covered why it’s so important for seniors to have a functionally fit core…
Perhaps forty years ago the abdominal crunch (AC) was originally promoted as being a “safer” alternative to the classical sit up exercise. It’s still a popular “core training” exercise today, but I haven’t used it for my clients in many…
Last post I discussed Younger Next Year (YNY), a classic book by Harry S. Lodge, M.D., and Chris Crowley, which lays out the social, biological and evolutionary rationale for seven “Harry’s Rules” to live by. This month I cover the…
This month I re-read Younger Next Year, a book by Harry S. Lodge, M.D., and Chris Crowley. I chose this month to post on it to honor the one-year anniversary of Dr. Lodge’s death from prostate cancer in March, 2017…