Gray Nomad,  gray with an a for active seniors lifestyle.
Seniors Fitness. 03/24/2010
 
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Reg, 70 in Auust this year, just hiked and rock scrambled up a mountain.
 Did you know there are strength training classes for frail older people, with ages of participants up to 90?  Also 90 years does not mean you will be frail, there are 90 year olds who hike mountain trails.

Did you know that the Osteoporosis Association of Australia recommends strength and balance training for osteoporosis sufferers, not wrapping yourself in cottonwool?

Did you know the heart foundation of Australia, encourages fitness activities and walking programs?

There is some exercise to suit everyone’s needs.   The sooner we get involves the more gains we can make.

I can hardly express the joy I feel that these days I only need wear a heart rate monitor watch when I exercise and take reasonable care, to not, overexert. It is only just over three years ago when I used to set off alarm bells on a finger pulse oximeter and I was spending half a day or more once or twice a week, in emergency departments due to my pulse dropping below 40 and my becoming feint.   I could not walk across an oval without being severely out of breath.

Today I strap my Polar wearlink, heart rate, monitor strap, on around my chest, to count the calories I burn when I work out and not because of any medical concern and I will be walk jogging around the footy oval. Unless the football players are in training if they are, I will postpone the session. I plan to record my time, so asses my fitness improvement since I last measured myself over the distance.

You are never too old to get out and get yourself fit.  I was facing a death sentence back three years ago if I had continued to lead my sedentary lifestyle; I would have died young, along with the rest of my sedentary family.  I already had congestive cardiac disease and COAD faulty heart valves, scared lungs, and I could work down to ratchet knees, feet and so forth.  If you want a list of excuses for being inactive well I had them.

Of course I didn’t just jump up and begin by enrolling in a Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation  program nor begin with full body workouts ~ all things in moderation and when you are up to the,. I started in a swimming pool, playing rather than swimming even, moving as I felt I wanted to in the water, doing a few  exercises, remembered from my past, in the water, also eating portion controlled and healthier and starting my getting myself under the 100 kilo mark as one of my first major, get myself fit, healthy achievements.

Only after I was finding the water work easier and the trimmed back eating working and rewarding me with some weight loss did I add walking (initially painful to do), then as that got easier, I added a lot of walking to my get fit program.

The sorts of exercise I do now, is only because of the three years of fitness build up and health recovery that has taken place before this.  I do not recommend an un prepared senior head out on a mountain hike if they are not up to it.   Just think positive though and know you can be active and think healthy and fit, that even if the alarm bells are ringing, you still can, doctor agreeing, work towards a fitter and longer life ahead. It is never too late to fight for fitness.
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My Polar, Heart rate Monitor, Watch and chest band.
 
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