Exercise for Oldies

[4ster]

A nice collection of exercise programs in this thread.
Whichever or whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that you enjoy doing. Consistency is the secret to successful improvement in most endeavors. If you don’t look forward to the activity, it will be that much more difficult to get motivated. Success builds on itself, so start out with attainable goals and then turn up the volume from there. Results will supply the motivation that you need to continue.

I think the biggest difference between training for someone who is in their prime or someone who is older (50+) is the amount of impact one can endure.

 

[Scruffy]

When my sister was having severe back problems, Pilates was her life saver.
I've done pilates a few times but never committed to it. I should get into it.

Same here.

I was very active as a young man: a child of two farming families will do that. Not to mention my own desires to be into sports and active. After college, when I became a professional desk jockey in my mid 20's, I concentrated on my career over my physical activity. I assumed, as all humans do, that age and atrophy would not affect me. I was a weekend warrior at play and working on my house and land. By my late 20's- early 30's I had developed severe back pain from time to time; my back would go out at the drop of a hat, and it would put me down for a week or more when it did. I was devastated thinking I was basically 'Done' in life, or that a disc fusion was in my future. After many trips to several doctors and chiropractors, with not much help, what I was ignorant to, and what no one in health care was telling me was that: there was nothing structurally wrong with me, but that my core had gotten soft, and therefore could not hold by spine from being cocked out of alignment. At the time the general theme was Pilates and yoga was something that women did to keep their figure, not real men hahah. At a moment of desperation, and thanks to my girl friend ( now wife ) at the time who pushed me to go with her to a Pilates class, my back problems soon became a thing of the past for me. That was almost 25 years ago! I went on to become a lot more active, even a Cross-Fitter for seven years ( recently on hiatus form CF, for other reasons, not sure we're going back?) Anyway, yes don't discount Pilates or any exercise regiment that strengthens you core.

 

[Brian Finch]

I wonder if @Brian Finch has some tips and tricks for us geezers.

I think for any (ski) athlete, I’d encourage a mix of the following:

•Squats
•Lunges
•Hip Hinge
•Pistol (single leg work)

Do 2 things with these!

Make em your own- google find variations!

Commit to a plan at a minimum of 6 months before assessing/bailing/swapping to a new program.

Kettlebells are a favorite of mine for the infinite variants.

 

[Rod9301]

I think people that say lift light weights are doing older people a great disservice.

Getting older means losing muscle mass and the only way to prevent this is to lift heavy weights.
Swimming will not condition you for skiing, nor will Pilates or yoga, by themselves.

They are all great exercises, but in addition you need squats if you have good technique or leg press if you don't, like me.

With heavy weights.

Long show distance jogging is ok, but you also need some intervals.

Nobody said that getting in shape for skiing is easy.

 

[Steve]

My comment about "light weights" wasn't meaning light for me, it meant light for other people. Saying to lift weights can be intimidating to people who haven't done it. For example my shoulder injury makes it impossible for me to do military presses with more than 20lbs (I used to lift a lot more.) I can't bench press much either anymore due to my shoulder.

Leg presses or squats for me are nowhere near as much as a younger person can do. It is light.

It's all relative, and yes I agree that you need to lift as much as you can getting to around 6-8 reps and increase the weights over time as it gets easy.

People who lift weight amounts that they can do 12 or more reps without having to work hard are definitely doing themselves a disservice though.

 

[John Webb]

Best way to get fit for a week's skiing is to ski the previous few weeks.ching my appallingly bad attempts at some one legged drills. It works. Drills improved within a week.).

That's what I keep telling my east coast friends in MD. They do no warmup days then think they can fly west and ski hard at Aspen or Squaw. Doesn't work that way.

One is 82 and quit several years back-still flies here to watch., The other is 79 and still skis lower advanced but gets tired way too quickly.

 

[Swede]

Stuff you can do in a cell.

Compose a program of 5-6 different excercises (legs, core, a little upper), a warm-up and a wind down.

Warm up could be running on the spot 60-90 seconds followed by high knees 30 seconds and then crawl strokes or backwards arm strokes for 30 seconds. Your pulse/breath should get up a little.

Main training, 5-6 exercises: lunges forward and backward, burpees, squats, mountain climbers, bridges, sit ups, ’moving’ planks (rotating etc.) and push ups (or pull ups) of various sorts. 10-15 reps of each (lunges and one legged stuff — 10-15 on each leg), pull ups 3-5 and then 3, 4 or 5 sets. The exercices in a set should be done in a row without paus — tabata style. Your heart rate/ pulse should be high after each set. Rest 30-60 seconds after each set.

Wind down with 3-4 flexibility excercises 60 seconds each, hips, back, legs, shoulders ...

All together the program should take 25-40 minutes depending on # of reps and sets (and fitness level). Start with 10 reps and 3 sets. If it’s too easy, increase #.

Compose a few different programs, with different excercises. One with more leg focus. One with core focus and one that drives up heart/pulse more.

Keep on it for 3-4 times a week. Add a small kettle bell (or dumb bells) after a while for squats and lunges.

 

[Rod9301]

Stuff you can do in a cell.

Compose a program of 5-6 different excercises (legs, core, a little upper), a warm-up and a wind down.

Warm up could be running on the spot 60-90 seconds followed by high knees 30 seconds and then crawl strokes or backwards arm strokes for 30 seconds. Your pulse/breath should get up a little.

Main training, 5-6 exercises: lunges forward and backward, burpees, squats, mountain climbers, bridges, sit ups, ’moving’ planks (rotating etc.) and push ups (or pull ups) of various sorts. 10-15 reps of each (lunges and one legged stuff — 10-15 on each leg), pull ups 3-5 and then 3, 4 or 5 sets. The exercices in a set should be done in a row without paus — tabata style. Your heart rate/ pulse should be high after each set. Rest 30-60 seconds after each set.

Wind down with 3-4 flexibility excercises 60 seconds each, hips, back, legs, shoulders ...

All together the program should take 25-40 minutes depending on # of reps and sets (and fitness level). Start with 10 reps and 3 sets. If it’s too easy, increase #.

Compose a few different programs, with different excercises. One with more leg focus. One with core focus and one that drives up heart/pulse more.

Keep on it for 3-4 times a week. Add a small kettle bell (or dumb bells) after a while for squats and lunges.

This is obviously better than nothing, but I believe heavy weights would be more beneficial, especially for older people.

 

[Swede]

This is obviously better than nothing, but I believe heavy weights would be more beneficial, especially for older people.

You can do a lot more than ’better than nothing’ with just your body. Weights are great, if you have them and the right instruction, but you can come a pretty far way without.

 

[Uncle-A]

All year long I walk 3 miles a day, 3 days a week, and do it in 45 minutes. That is a good pace for me at age 71, and in the fall I will add some back strengthening exercise. During the warmer months I work on home owner projects, just cutting the lawn gives me an extra 5200 steps on the fitbit. Although at the new place they will cut the grass for me. Also try to get out on the Kayak as the water warms up.

 

[Bad Bob]

Does climbing stairs while carrying moving boxes count?

 

[HDSkiing]

Seems like a good time of year to think about starting your ski conditioning (if you haven’t already). A lot of good info in the posts above to revisit.

I’m closer to 60 than 50 now and I feel as strong, maybe stronger than I did at 40 particularly on skis. The main reason, for me anyway, is that at 40 I was still grinding it out in the work force, meaning I skied maybe two dozen days a year back then. In semi retirement now I work full time skiing/teaching 6-8 hours a day for around 100 days a season at a ski area where the parking lot is over 10K in elevation. While that alone will get you into great shape the other side to it is that I absolutely must be in good shape at the beginning of the season, or I will pay dearly as it’s a sprint right from the beginning, skiiing at least 5 days straight from day one and often working through what would be my weekends. (If you love what you do, it’s not work. I also coach a lot of young advanced skiers with a lot of energy, so I have to keep up.

I’m a believer in resistance training, and going heavy to achieve strength gains. In almost every athletic endeavor or even just everyday physical activity a stronger body makes you more efficient and keeps you from tiring. It can also strengthen your bones while protecting them from that out of control skier/rider that seems to find me at least once a year, plus it’s hurts more (for them) when they hit you.

Over the years I’ve evolved my training, it’s something I do year round. I’m on skis Nov-April. Lift heavy (4 sets of 6-10 reps alternating upper and lower body 4 days a week plus a cardio session, then I run 2 days, rest one) May/June. Then take my summer vacation and travel in July so no training then, back to lifting heavy Aug/Sept.

End of Sept I change to endurance training where I do less weight but more reps (4X12) but I add in a skier specific eccentric training routine. After my lifting I do Leg Blasters (look them up) starting with a mix of half-blaster and full blaster and working my way up to 6 sets of full Blasters, which if done right will absolutely drain you! I have never felt anything as close to skiing, 6 sets (30sec rest between) and you will feel as if you have bashed moguls all day long, seriously you will feel the burn in your quads and you will really feel it the next day, especially at first.

There are variations on the leg blaster and things you can add to make it harder, but if you do only one thing do the Blasters, working up to 6 sets 3 times weekly for 6 weeks before skiing. When you get on skis that first day out it will feel like you’ve been skiing all season, your legs won’t even feel sore.

Just a disclaimer, this is my routine. I’ve trained for years for skiing and other things, so I’m not starting from scratch. If you are, see a trainer or get with a buddy who lives in the gym (we all know at least one) Lifting, like skiing is about form. Going too heavy, especially with bad form and a still weak core is a recipe for injury. Start easy, consistency is the key.

 

[VickiK]

It's been helpful reading thus far. I've been off of my exercise routine because of nagging hip ache. It doesn't feel like sciatica. Maybe bursitis or maybe IT band/pyriformis related. Now that I've stopped exercising and am taking it easy, it seems to be improving. A little ibuprofen has helped too. I haven't seen anyone for it but I will if it comes on again once I do resume working out.

 

[Seldomski]

It's been helpful reading thus far. I've been off of my exercise routine because of nagging hip ache. It doesn't feel like sciatica. Maybe bursitis or maybe IT band/pyriformis related. Now that I've stopped exercising and am taking it easy, it seems to be improving. A little ibuprofen has helped too. I haven't seen anyone for it but I will if it comes on again once I do resume working out.

I used to get a lot of hip pain and figured out eventually that it was related to quad and IT band becoming tight. Not enough stretching was causing the pain. Foam rolling helps me a lot with loosening up the joint there and eliminates the dull ache in my hip flexor, knees, back, etc. Foam rolling is pain in itself, but you can get used to it. It only hurts while you are doing it. Definitely beats being in pain all the time.

 

[VickiK]

^ Possible - I'll try the foam rolling along with a short daily stretch/mobility routine. Thanks.

 

[martyg]

At 58 I am not a believer in altering my workouts. I still do the workouts that I did when I was on a US Team, but recover after really hard workouts takes 48 hours, not 24. What I am a believer in is being smarter about recovery. Seldomski nailed it above, it is often about what we do in recovery - diet, stretching, nutrition - that influences performance and how we feel - not the workouts themselves. Having a wife who is a full-time trainer and an awesome healthy cook helps.

As far as skiing goes... I am skiing better than I ever have, but it is about refining efficient movement patterns - not fitness.

 

[VickiK]

I don't work much on stretching. I'm not lazy, I think I am simply used to being a flexible person from younger years, and have taken it for granted. The reality is that I'm not flexible in certain areas--especially hips and shoulders--as I used to be. E.g. touching my toes is no big deal and hamstring stretching is same as it ever was, but linking my hands behind my back or getting my butt to my feet in child's pose is not happening anymore. Diet/nutrition and rest/sleep - vital on a daily basis, recovery or not.

 

[Tricia]

@Andy Mink I think we found our new exercise routine.

 

[Andy Mink]

@Andy Mink I think we found our new exercise routine.

I got tired just READING this thread. I need a beer.

 

[Tricia]

I got tired just READING this thread. I need a beer.

This almost looks like an exercise.