Over 50? Try these three moves
An article trending online the past few weeks has been causing a stir among personal trainers and other fitness professionals. The article, “Exercises You Should Never Do after Age 50,” is from Reader’s Digest. As a 52year-old guy who likes to push the exercise and fitness limits a bit, I was intrigued when it appeared on my Facebook feed. Upon further inspection, the article outlined 14 exercises that should be modified if you’re over the age of 50. Fair enough, not everyone over 50 can safely do burpees or participate in spinning classes, but many can and many do.
The thing that struck me was that almost all of my clients (of ALL ages) do some variation of the 14 exercises listed. My friend Steve is 52 and training for a triathlon this year. This morning I worked with a couple, both in their 70s, who completed a full hour of weight lifting and also attend spinning classes twice a week, and an 81-year-old client performed a variation of the pullup in his morning session. On and on it goes.
While the tone of the Reader’s Digest article felt a bit alarmist, it did make a good point and echoed the approach I take with my clients. I don’t believe that any movements are off limits for anyone if they can modified or altered in some way. Typically, this means changing the range of motion used during the movement, the amount of weight lifted, the speed of the exercise and
the impact or “pounding” involved. I don’t believe the restrictions (or modifications) should be based on age, but on an individual basis after considering injury history, exercise experience and health status in relation to chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, back pain and obesity. I’ve met 30 year olds who can’t perform a pushup safely while I know many, many 50 year olds who can easily complete the most intense workout imaginable.
Taking all of the above into consideration, I’ve come up with three moves that are essential for everyone over 50 to add to their exercise regimen to help perform their activities of daily living with ease.
1. Anterior Reach: Standing on one foot (with or without holding on to something). Bend forward at the waist (and slightly at the knee) reaching to the floor
with the hand opposite of the foot that you are balancing on. Imagine bending to take your golf ball out of the cup or to pick up a set of keys on the floor. This exercise is amazingly effective to build strength around the knees and hips. Work both sides equally.
2. Pushups: There is no greater upper body exercise than the pushup. It can be performed against a wall, a counter top or from the floor (from the knees or the toes). Pushups not only develop the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps, they also bring into play the muscles of the core, the hips and even the muscles around the shoulder blades, which can help develop better posture.
3. Rotations: Many movements in real life require the ability to rotate while maintaining muscle control, while most gym exercises are performed in a linear fashion. To work your body in rotation, grab a small
weight or medicine ball in both hands while extending your arms straight out in front of you. With feet flat on the ground, move your arms back and forth in a controlled manner across the front of your body. Imagine moving your hands from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock in front of you while holding a muscle contraction in your abdomen.
I would recommend adding these three moves to a walking routine to make it a more complete workout and remember to always seek the approval of your physician if you are a new exerciser or having any concerns about performing the moves.