Paige Waehner - Strength Training for Seniors - Increase your Balance, Stability, and Stamina to Rewind the Aging Process

As always, if you question anything, stop. There’s always another day.

ISN’T IT “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”?

One theory many of us grew up with was without pain, there is no gain. That’s definitely outdated thinking, born more from the bodybuilding age than our current one.

What we’ve learned over time is that, first, our definition of pain isn’t the same as it used to be. If you think of the older times of aerobics, bodybuilding, and more, somehow having an injury was a badge of honor.

I remember training clients who would throw up in a trash can, thinking that was what “real” exercise was.

Now, we know a lot more than we did back then and we know we don’t have to push our limits that far to get results.

The second part of that is this question: Is pain really the threshold we want to achieve with exercise? Maybe if you’re competing in the Olympics or some mega-important race.

But what if we’re just trying to get stronger? Maybe lose some weight? Maybe we just want to feel good in our bodies.

Perhaps pain isn’t what we’re looking for to reach our goal, and here’s something I want all my clients to remember: Exercise does not have to hurt.

Is there some exertion? Of course. If you want to make big changes in your body, that definitely means big changes in how you work that body as well as how you feed it and care for it.

But for those of us who simply want to be strong in the bodies we have, we may already be in pain. For many of us, we’re dealing with ongoing issues such as arthritis, old injuries that flare up when it rains, and previous surgeries that left us a little less symmetrical than we once were.

That’s where listening to your body comes in. Yes, there is always some kind of effort, maybe a level of discomfort that comes with working out, but it shouldn’t be more than that.

It’s good to be vigilant and pay attention to how you feel. That will keep you focused on what works for your body and what doesn’t, without being afraid to try new things.

Our goal now is no pain. At all.

DEALING WITH ONGOING PHYSICAL ISSUES AND CONDITIONS

It’s rare that any of us make it to our later years without having some wear and tear and things that can get in the way of maintaining mobility. It’s this type of situation that can give you the most problems because you don’t want to exacerbate an ongoing issue.

This kind of thing is best dealt with your doctor and/or a physical therapist, but some very basic advice I give my clients:

✓ Find a workaround— Even if you can’t, say, work your lower body, you can still work your upper body from a seated position. In fact, you’ll find a variety of seated exercises in this book. Feel free to cherry-pick the moves that work for your body, however it is right now.

✓ Get professional advice— Any time an old injury flares up, this is the time to talk to your doctor or maybe get a referral to a physical therapist. Sometimes you want to know what to avoid to exacerbate the problem, something that should come from a professional.

✓ Do what you can—We’ve all had old conditions flare up and, sometimes it’s just a matter of doing whatever you can to stay moving. Maybe that’s just taking a short daily walk, doing some simple stretches, or just walking around the house. It all counts.

The goal is to keep moving in whatever form that looks like. Maybe you do everything seated or using no weights. Feel free to create something that fits where you are. And if you’re not sure, it’s okay to ask for help, whether that’s from a personal trainer, a physical therapist, or a doctor.

CONFUSION OVER HOW TO START

As simple as exercise seems, when you try to actually get started, it gets very confusing. What exercises do you do? How many? How do you know you’re doing it right?

There’s no end to the information out there about exercise, but this book puts all the guidelines together so you don’t have to worry if you’re doing it right.

Too many of us make exercise more complicated than it has to be and, yes, strength training does have a learning curve. But, everything you need to succeed is here, including:

✓ Specific exercises and workouts—The workouts here are mapped out according to science and what we personal trainers have come to learn is the best way to start. Your only goal is to try each exercise, determine which ones work for you, and use your best form for each exercise. Over time, you’ll learn much more about your body and be able to expand from these exercises.

✓ A schedule to follow—The other thing that throws us off is figuring when and how to exercise, something this program helps you with. You’ll get a suggested schedule every two weeks, but you can easily adjust it to fit with your personal schedule and how you feel. You’ll have instructions for how to adapt this program to fit your personal schedule and needs.

✓ Rest days—Rest days are built into the program but, of course, you’re in charge of when you need rest, giving you full control over your program.

✓ Suggested weights—Choosing weights can be one of the more challenging aspects of lifting weights, and there isn’t always a great way to teach that without being there in your living room. The suggested weights in this program give you a place to start, and you can always switch weights whenever something feels too heavy or too light.

TIME CONSTRAINTS

The other reason many of us skip exercise is because we’re just too busy. Life is full of things we have to do. If you made a to-do list right now, it would probably list more things than you could even do in one day.

I have that same to-do list.

Here’s news that many of my clients don’t like to hear: Exercisers are no less busy than the average person. In fact, they actually have the same number of hours in a day that the rest of us have.

If that doesn’t make you feel any better about yourself, you’re not alone.

The real key is:

Prioritizing.

It’s more about prioritizing your time than needing more of it (which, goodness knows, we’d love to be able to have), and there are some things you can do to make exercise more of a priority on your list:

a.Remember your goals: This is time-worn advice, I know, but there is something very powerful about having your goals right in front of you on a daily basis. Write them down. Put them on sticky notes and place them on your computer, your wall, your steering wheel. I have a process where I put my goals on sticky notes and, every time I reach one, I move that note to a different wall. Every day I can actually see what I’ve accomplished. Try this method and see if it works for you.

b.Schedule it: This isn’t the first time you’ve heard this and it won’t be the last. I don’t know about your life, but when I don’t schedule something it simply doesn’t get done. Take some time at the beginning of the week to schedule your appointments, including your workouts, so there are no excuses. Write it down, type it in, however you keep your calendar. Do it at the beginning of the week so it’s there in the front of your mind.

c.Do it at the same time: There’s not a “right” time to exercise. Some of us prefer early while others like the afternoon. Whatever your preference, schedule it at the same time. Your body will often instigate your workout before your mind even knows what’s happening. It’s like brushing your teeth—it becomes automatic even if you don’t feel like it.

d.Involve other activities or family members: Make your workouts more fun by involving other family members or doing things outside in the fresh air. It doesn’t always have to be inside with equipment. Plan a regular walk after lunch or dinner, something that becomes a part of your regular routine.