Pickleball is fast, fun, loud, and accessible to people of all ages. It is much easier than tennis, more fun than badminton, and more competitive than almost any other small-group sport. It is particularly exciting for the 50-80-year-old crowd for a number of reasons: It helps promote good balance, provides a good cardio workout, and improves eye/hand coordination.  

But injuries are common. In 2021, 86 percent of emergency room visits caused by pickleball injuries occurred in people over 60 years old. Why? 

The usual answers are poor preparation, poor stretching, more ego than skill, lack of warmup, hard court surfaces, and the high competitiveness of the games. There’s no question that warming up before any sport, slowly stretching the tissues that are about to get ballistically stretched, curbing one’s ego, and setting realistic goals are all helpful. 

However, the number one reason I see pickleball injuries (and from most sports) is mental errors. These errors start before the games. The distractions of work, relationships, and the politics of teammates all clutter the mind of the soon-to-be injured athlete.  

Next is the impatience to get the game going. Like the golfer who rushes from work to the tee, skipping the practice range, the first swings are erratic. Without being in the groove, the miscoordination of the body’s musculature causes the back to over-rotate, the shoulder to awkwardly thrust forward, and the calf, quad, and hamstring muscles to fire out of sync.  

The errors pile up. Failing to take into account how much your ankles bend, how well your knees flex (and how far they flex), how tight your hips are, and how stiff your back and shoulders are, you wind up and swing for the overhead, only to hear the fateful “pop” of something that has just torn. 

The distractions occur not just at the beginning of the game. As the points add up the heart rate climbs and fatigue sets in. But victory seems so close! The game is just too much fun and too exciting for everyone to just take a minute, take inventory of their bodies, and adjust their pace. Hormonal rushes of adrenaline, testosterone, pheromones, and endorphins obscure any hope of rational caution and metered play. Treating the injury, I invariably hear, “I knew I shouldn’t have…” 

Our minds know our bodies. The number one way to prevent a pickleball injury is to think—to be smart, be aware, and be present in your body. And to move in the ways you can, rather than in the fantasies you have. 

Kevin R. Stone, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon at The Stone Clinic and Chairman of the StoneResearch Foundation. Trained at Harvard University in both internal medicine and orthopaedic surgery and at Stanford University in general surgery, he is a world-renowned expert in biologic joint replacement. He is the best-selling author of Play Forever. Dr. Stone has served the U.S, Ski Team, the U.S. Pro Ski Tour, the Marin Ballet, the Smuin Ballet, the Modern Pentathlon at the U.S. Olympic Festival, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center.  

Rev It Up and Move More

What the Heck is Pickleball?

The post How to Not Get Hurt Playing Pickleball appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

“I was feeling run down,” she says. “I was walking fairly regularly, but having trouble finding the energy and motivation to move much.”  

She worried about losing bone density, which could cause fractures. Joint function was another concern. “I was having shoulder issues on the treatment side. Physical therapy helped, but not enough.” 

Lesley’s sister-in-law, Melody, organized a family strength-training group. It included Lesley, Melody, Lesley’s husband Gary and her brother Dave. The foursome started exercising with me once per week in my gym. 

What is strength training? 

The National Institute on Aging defines strength training as an activity that requires our muscles to contract, to lift an object against the pull of gravity. You don’t need complex equipment to get stronger. A pair of hand weights, a set of exercise bands, and our bodyweight are all effective. 

Exercises can (and should) be modified to meet current abilities. For example, if someone struggles to perform a push-up from the floor, a wall push-up is a safer alternative for building upper-body strength. 

In Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults, researchers at Tufts University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conclude,  “Strength training is one of the best ways to fight the weakness and frailty that can come with age.”   

Acknowledging Limits, Celebrating Accomplishments 

Lesley worried about pushing herself too hard. “My biggest concern was that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my workout group, let alone do the exercises!” she says.  

Fortunately, she respects her body’s limits. “Guess what? I don’t keep up,” she says. “But I am taking care of myself and improving wildly. And that’s what counts.” 

After a year-plus of consistent training, Lesley feels transformed. “I have much better balance, more upper body strength than I’ve ever had, improved endurance, and much more energy. Oh, and did I mention, I have regained the flexibility in my shoulder that physical therapy failed to restore?” 

Lesley and Gary recently added a second weekly strength-training session. “My favorite day of the week is the day after my workout, because I feel like I used to feel when I was much younger,” she says. 

If you’re interested in strength training, here are three tips: 

Start safely. Talk to your doctor and get clearance to work out. Prioritize proper exercise form. Download the free CDC publication, Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults, for illustrations. 

Consider a workout partner or group. Lesley says that training with Gary, Dave, and Melody keeps her accountable and it has brought them even closer as a family. I recommend Enhance Fitness, a low-cost, evidence-based group program. Learn more at https://projectenhance.org/enhancefitness/. 

Hire a trainer. A personal trainer will develop a workout plan that’s customized to your abilities and goals. A good trainer will answer your questions and critique your technique to ensure that you’re exercising properly for long-term success. 

Mike Harms owns a personal training studio. He holds multiple certifications in training older adults. Learn more at http://www.mhfitness.com. 

Forever Heptathlon—Your 7 Forever Exercises

No Pain, More Gains

The Quest for Strength

The post Strength Training at 70+ appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

I didn’t invent this saying, but I believe it to be true: “The best workout is one we’ll stick with.” Consistency is key. Our chances of staying consistent increase if our workout excites and inspires us.

Mark, one of my personal training clients, played football in high school and college. “No pain, no gain” was a mantra of his coaches. It was not particularly effective. Mark didn’t need pithy, potentially injurious motivational slogans. He played because he was passionate about the sport. His university, MIT, didn’t offer football scholarships, but he played anyway, all while earning his aerospace engineering degree.

I asked if he got any benefits from “No pain, no gain”?

“It rhymed,” Mark says.

Today, at 58, Mark is passionate about a variety of activities, like biking, kayaking, and travel. He also strength trains consistently. Our strength-training program encompasses more than muscle building. For example, a standing single-arm landmine press (shown in the photo) is a unilateral exercise, meaning it’s performed using primarily one limb (in the photo, it’s Mark’s right arm). Working one side of the body at a time addresses strength, balance, and the core. Also, with a landmine press the weight moves upward and outward, which can be safer than pressing the weight straight over head.

Listening to our body, focusing on proper form, and emphasizing consistency over intensity are sound fitness principles. But don’t just take my word for it. Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon, and an Olympic medal. He’s also one of the oldest men to ever qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team.

In his book, 26 Marathons, Keflezighi offers meaningful advice for athletes of all ages: “When I’m asked the secret to my success, I often say there is no secret, but the key is consistency,” Keflezighi writes. “Always pushing as hard as you can is more likely to lead to injury or being overtrained than to peak performance. The repeated right efforts are what bring results and confidence.”

Soreness vs. Pain

A strength workout can leave us feeling stiff or sore afterwards. The cause may be Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), which is a natural part of strength building. DOMS is most noticeable 24–72 hours after a workout. You should give your body time to rest and recover from DOMS, however DOMS is not a reason to stop exercising. In fact, it helps your body be better prepared for future exercise.

On the other hand, if you feel sharp pain during exercise, that’s a signal to stop or back off. The cause could be poor form or excessive intensity, which could be resolved by hiring a coach. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, then I advise seeing a doctor or physical therapist to establish a treatment plan that includes exercise.

Mike Harms owns a personal training studio. He is certified in training older adults. Learn more at http://www.mhfitness.com.

 More by Mike Harms:

Most Falls are Preventable—Get Stronger for Better Balance

The Quest for Strength

Forever Heptathlon—Your 7 Forever Exercises

The post No Pain, More Gains appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

When marathon swimmer Diana Nyad was 64 years old, she stood up and walked on her own two feet onto Smathers Beach in Key West, Florida, after swimming 110.86 miles from Cuba in 52 hours and 54 minutes. She had first attempted the crossing from Cuba to Florida 35 years earlier, three years after astonishing New Yorkers and the world by swimming around Manhattan. Nyad sped through the 28-mile New York swim in a mere seven hours and 57 minutes. The Cuba swim became the goal of a lifetime. It took her five tries—in 1978, 2010, 2011, 2012, and then triumphantly in 2013—to finally step out onto that Florida beach.

            “The epic Cuba swim touched my soul,” wrote Nyad in her 2015 memoir, Find a Way. “There is no other ocean crossing that would move me to dream again, to train like that again. Now it’s my challenge to live that same fierce way out of the water.”

            Continuing to live with the fierceness it took to swim from Cuba to Florida is no puny task. For most of us, this kind of equation works the other way around—we need a pep-talk and promises of treats to get us to step up and do the hard things in our lives. Sometimes we need to plead with ourselves just to get out of bed and seize the day. But all her life, Nyad has had the opposite problem. She is addicted to pushing herself, to setting the next challenge so that her steely will can get to work. I write this with admiration. Because what’s astounding about Nyad, who is now 75, is that her new goal has nothing to do with surpassing the records she’s already set in the water. It has to do with walking on dry land. And it’s not just about her. She wants to get all of us walking so that we can connect with this planet in a way even more primordial than swimming. Walking.

            We humans “have been walkers extraordinaire until now,” says Nyad, in a recent lively Zoom interview. “Until the car came,” and changed everything, including our bodies in this country more than any other. “Let’s get back to what human beings are built for, which is walking.”

            “We are all from one place,” adds Nyad’s longtime trainer and best friend, Bonnie Stoll. “The only thing that differentiated us was that we all walked out of Africa.”

            Their new venture, called EverWalk, began to take shape “a couple of weeks after the 2013 swim,” Stoll recounts. “We were a group of 40 people and we all had such a sense of purpose. We all had the same goal—getting the swimmer across—and a couple weeks later Diana and I are sitting around and we said how can we get the world to feel some kind of purpose and be proud? Nobody really wants to go swimming daily. But walking is something everybody can do, unless you’re wheeling in a wheelchair.” And when we’re walking, “we are looking at nature for every second. And maybe we are talking to people we haven’t met before. And … walking is good for your heart, it’s good for your soul, it is the best thing you could possibly be doing to stay in tune with your body and your mind.”

            “There are epiphanies that come when you’re walking,” says Nyad. “We handle our meetings for EverWalk while walking. People are much more free. They’re not looking at a screen and a wall. They’re looking out and up and imagining everything they can be and everything they can do. So, I think that EverWalk has really become what we felt in the ocean to some large degree.”

            Now in its eighth year, EverWalk’s vision is to get the world walking, through offering online challenges and support and organizing and leading walks all over the U.S. “Our community is very strong,” says Nyad. “We chose the moniker EverWalk because that word ‘ever’ is in there. Everybody, every age, everywhere, forever, for the rest of your life.”

Though there are EverWalkers of all ages, the virtual challenges and the in-person walks are especially popular with people over 55, because just about everybody “can walk as they get older,” says Stoll, “but not everybody can play beach volleyball anymore.” Stoll, who was a nationally ranked racquetball player in the 1980s, and is a renowned fitness coach, sends training manuals and offers tips to walkers who sign up for EverWalk events and trips.

            Nyad and Stoll are currently in the limelight because of the 2023 movie, Nyad, starring Annette Bening as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as Bonnie Stoll. If you haven’t seen it, put it on your Netflix list. Foster and Bening are riveting, real and unglamorous. Stoll felt like she was watching her actual self. As Nyad put it, “This movie honors an unapologetically fierce personality who will not give up on her big dream, and a friendship of 45 years, of two athletes going after this thing together.”

            Nyad and Stoll both knew they were athletes from a very young age. Nyad grew up in Fort Lauderdale, with the Atlantic Ocean as her playground and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in the heart of town. From the age of 10, she was up at 4:30 in the morning and working out in the pool every day. Stoll grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, playing every sport she could get her hands on, especially if it involved a racket. Her mother liked to recall the moment she realized her daughter was an athlete—when she saw her playing football, the lone girl on the field, with all the neighborhood boys.

In their early days together, Nyad was Stoll’s fitness coach, teaching her how to bring more strength and stamina to her game. For the Cuba swims, the roles were reversed. “Bonnie had had nothing to do with swimming, but she was the best coach I ever had. Because she was that athlete and because she knew me,” says Nyad. “We need to research it, but we think we’re the only pair of athletes who, 35 years later, switched roles. Coach went to athlete and athlete went to coach.”

            And now, both Stoll and Nyad are coaches. And they are ready to be your coach, if you’re ready to get off the couch and start walking.

Ann Hedreen is an author (Her Beautiful Brain), teacher of memoir writing, and filmmaker. Hedreen` and her husband, Rustin Thompson, own White Noise Productions and have made more than 150 short films and several feature documentaries together, including Quick Brown Fox: An Alzheimer’s Story. She is currently at work on a book of essays and is a regular contributor to 3rd Act Magazine, writing about topics including conscious aging, retirement, mindfulness, and health.

            Read more about their Fall 2024 challenge at EverWalk.com . And watch for more news about upcoming in-person walks, including Martha’s Vineyard in Fall 2025.

Running Down Boston

Walk This Way: Walking Can Prevent Cognitive Decline

The post Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll Want to Take You for a Walk appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

A cardiologist friend once told me that she often prescribed ballroom dancing for her patients.  “It’s great exercise for your heart,” she told me.

It is also great for your spirit and your soul, as many have found.

Shaking a leg (and/or other limbs) is not simply a meaningful aerobic workout. It also gets you learning new things, interacting with others in a joyful non-verbal way. And it can brighten up a social life.

Whether you waltz, tap or tango, there are many opportunities in most communities around Puget Sound to join the dance and “trip the light fantastic.” You can take private lessons, find classes at community centers and YMCAs or YWCAs, or sign up for extended learning adult programs at local colleges. And if you know where to look, and get on the right mailing lists, there are public dances—often with live music and frequently with short beginning classes for newbies before the main event.

Here are some ideas for exploring and connecting:

SOLO MOVES

Not so sure you want to delve into partner dancing? Then check out some of the opportunities for genres where you can enjoy group learning but move and groove at your own pace and style.

Tap dancing, for instance, is a genre that is not just for kids. It can improve posture and get the blood circulating, with routines that range from the very simple to the very intricate.

Ballet, which many also associate with young children, also offers a lot to mature amateurs. Posture is emphasized here, too, but also footwork and (above all) physical grace. It is an exacting form, but in a class for mature beginners the goal is enjoyment.

And for women, and even some adventurous men, one of the most delightful genres I’ve encountered is, yes, belly dancing. This centuries-old Middle Eastern form originated in Egypt and emphasizes hip and torso movements, both of which promote agility and spinal health.

Low-impact and weight-bearing, belly dancing also can help develop and strengthen the legs and core abdominal muscles. In addition, the artform has a sensuous mystique and fun fashion element as you learn to accentuate your moves with finger cymbals, veils, and other accoutrements. Though learning can be individualized with the help of an instructor, often group routines are taught for recitals or just in-class pleasure.

SOCIAL DANCES

The dance forms that keep you in tempo with others are practically endless in number. Choosing what excites you is a matter of taste, physical concerns and goals, and accessibility.

Partner dancing can seem daunting if you haven’t done it in a long time or have never indulged. But a good class or all-ages public dance will be welcoming to newcomers (if you come in on your own or with a partner), as well as practiced dancers.

The big question to answer is: What turns you on? If you love the old-school ballroom genres, you can focus on the waltz, the tango, even the jitterbug. Salsa dancing, which originated in Cuba and merges moves from the mambo, Pachanga, and rumba, is a big favorite in the Seattle area and beyond. And the music sizzles.

There are newer popular genres that some dance lovers I know have enjoyed. One is the old perennial swing dancing, and its cousin blues dancing, which historically emerged in the Black community and is usually accompanied by old-time blues and swing jazz music.

And hip-hop dance? Yes! These various street styles are highly energetic and, in some cases, acrobatic. The music is contemporary and the mood is upbeat. Yes, it may sound daunting to those among us who have reached a certain age. But with the right instructor, it too can be fun and adaptable.

GROUP SOCIAL DANCES

If partner dancing seems intimidating, or you just would rather move in sync with a group, there’s a lot of other dance modes that are appealing. Though dancers might be paired up, it can occur with the class dividing into arbitrary twosomes, rather than by bringing in your own partner.

Though square dancing isn’t as easy to find in some communities, it is an old American favorite with rousing country music. Another popular genre is contra dancing, a form of folk dancing that originated as country dances in England, Scotland, and France. (Various forms of contra dance you often see in movies based on Jane Austen novels, and in television series sent in the Regency Era, like Sanditon and Bridgerton.)

Then there is the great multiplicity of Indigenous folk dances derived from individual cultures. Bollywood, polka, Israeli folk dancing the list goes on and on. If you are attracted to a form that is not from your own native culture, no worries. One of the pleasures of living in a multiethnic, multicultural, multiracial society is that we can learn about, and join in, the dances of fellow citizens from a variety of different backgrounds.

So on with the dance!

To find out more about opportunities in your area, search online for classes and dances in different genres and locales.

And here are just a few of the sites you may want to peruse and email lists you may want to consider joining to get your groove on: seattledance.org; centuryballroom.com; americandanceinstitute.com; learn2dance4fun.com; suenosdesalsa.com; and lavidastudio.com.

Misha Berson writes about the arts for crosscut.com and many other media outlets, teaches for the UW Osher program, and is the author of four books, including Something’s Coming, Something Good: West Side Story and the American Imagination (Applause/Hal Leonard).

Global Grooves at World Dance Parties

Dancing to the Music of Your Age

The post Join the Dance! appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

In celebration of the Summer Olympics, here’s your challenge: List seven exercises or activities that you want to do for the rest of your life. I call this your, “Forever Heptathlon.”

Heptathletes like Anna Hall compete in seven events encompassing sprinting, jumping, and throwing. Let’s show some love to the Paris games, and to ourselves, by winning at longevity.

Here’s my Forever Heptathlon list:

• My age in push-ups. I do this every birthday. This year I’ll be 55, so I’ll “owe” 55 push-ups. As I get older, I might modify my push-ups by placing my hands on an elevated surface like a wall.

• 10% of my age in miles. When I turn 55, I’ll run 5.5 miles. When I become an octogenarian, I’ll cover 8.0 miles in a run/walk.

• My age in pull-ups. Training for pull-ups strengthens the back, grip, and core muscles. Standing incline rows, using resistance straps, are similar but less demanding. A pull-up requires moving the entire body up and down, whereas with incline rows the feet stay planted.

• Lift and carry 30 lbs. of cat litter. That’s 15 lbs. of litter for each Chaos Kitten, my gym mascots. If travel is on your Forever Heptathlon list, try suitcase carries. Stand with a weighted object (like a suitcase or kettlebell) outside your right leg. Squat down and grasp the object. Brace your core and stand up. Walk slowly for one minute, then squat to place the object back down. Repeat on the other side.

• Climb hills and stairs. Every weekend, my wife and I go for long, hilly walks. It’s a tradition we’ll continue forever. Squats build strong quad and glute muscles, which are critical to walking, climbing, and getting up. Stand with feet about shoulder width apart. Keeping shoulders proud, sit back and slowly lower yourself into an imaginary chair. Once your thighs are parallel to the ground, pause, then slowly stand. To make the movement easier, perform a sit-to-stand, where you start seated in a chair.

• Perform Turkish Get-Ups (TGUs). To get up off the floor as we age, TGUs are great to practice now. The TGU is a series of interconnected movements that takes us from flat on our back to standing, while holding a weight overhead.

• Mow the lawn. I love working in my yard. If you prefer working on your golf swing, glute bridges can help. Lie flat on your back, feet on the floor, with knees bent. Brace your core, press feet into the ground, and press your hips up. Stop when your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, then squeeze your buttocks, hold for three seconds, and lower.

Find more “forever exercise” inspiration by reading about Peter Attia’s Centenarian Decathlon.

Now, Get Started

Once you’ve created your list, I encourage you to start the exercises right away. The more we practice in the present, the greater our success in the future. Good luck and stay strong!

Mike Harms owns a personal training studio in Edmonds, Wash. He is certified in training older adults. Learn more at http://www.mhfitness.com.

 PHOTO CAPTION: Mike, 54, and Leo, 12, work on pull-ups training.

Need a little more exercise motivation? Check out these stories:

Getting to Seven

Count Your Fitness Victories

The Quest for Strength

The post Forever Heptathlon—Your 7 Forever Exercises appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

“Exercise is the most important thing you can do to maintain your cognitive health.”
—Dr. Sharon Inouye, Director of Harvard University Medical School/Aging Brain Center

Identical twins we’ll call Sarah and Susan posed a real mystery to researchers in England a few years ago. When exhaustive biometric measurements were taken, the sisters were discovered to be exactly the same in all respects. During their years in the study, however, Susan’s brain became smaller and unhealthy compared to Sarah’s. Susan’s smaller brain led, unsurprisingly, to reduced cognition and function, whereas Sarah’s larger brain continued to function normally. Susan also suffered from weakness.

In addition to their examination of physiological and cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure, researchers examined small details of the twins’ lives. The twins grew up in the same house, had similar diets, and attended the same schools. Both married at about the same age and had remarkably similar husbands and families. Their careers were also similar. Neither was subject to more stress in their life, and neither was exposed to unique environmental hazards.

When they went back to reexamine their data in more detail, the researchers found only one small difference—Sarah had stronger leg muscles. There, at last, they found their answer: Sarah walked a lot and Susan was sedentary. That small detail was the deciding factor in their vastly different mental conditions as they aged.

The researchers conducting the study know a lot about twins. They are a part of the Twin Project conducted by the Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College, London. The project has, since 1992, studied more than 20,000 twins. Its mission, as stated on its website, is to “investigate the genetic and environmental basis of complex diseases and conditions to understand how genetic variation relates to human health.” The researchers have amassed a remarkable amount of genetic data.

How, you might ask, does leg strength relate to cognitive health as people age? According to Claire Steves, Ph.D., a geriatrician who heads the Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology department, brain imaging was done at the beginning of the study. Years later, when imaging was done again, Sarah, the twin with the stronger legs had more gray matter and more white matter with less empty space in the skull. “Looking at the X-rays, you don’t need to be a neuroscientist to see that the empty spaces are much smaller in the stronger twin than in the weaker twin,” Dr. Steves says. And most people will agree that you don’t have to be a neuroscientist to know that having empty spaces in your brain is a bad thing!

Why was Sarah’s brain larger? Because, when you walk, your legs pump blood to your brain delivering more oxygen and nutrients to feed your brain, helping it to function and thrive. The legs are sometimes called “the muscle pump” or “the second heart” because they have a system of muscles, veins, and one-way valves in the calf and foot that work together to push blood back up to the heart and lungs. The vein valves open and close with each muscle contraction to prevent the backflow of blood.

We all lose muscle mass and strength beginning around the age of 30 and progressing at approximately three to eight percent per decade. The rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. This is why we all need exercise—to slow or prevent this decline. In the case of the twins, Sarah’s walking protected her from at least some of these problems since she didn’t exhibit any symptoms of frailty and weakness. Susan’s lack of walking, on the other hand, resulted in muscle wasting (sarcopenia), which contributes to frailty and falls. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 25 percent of all Americans over the age of 65 will fall each year.

By her practice of walking, Sarah was not only supplying more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the brain, but the moving blood caused profound changes in her body chemistry through a magical process called mechanotransduction. Don’t let that word scare you. If you can say mechanic transmission, it’s almost the same thing. Let’s just call it transduction.

When blood is flowing through your arteries, the blood cells create friction with the lining of that vessel, called the endothelium. The cells forming the endothelium respond to this friction by producing chemicals. It’s kind of like rubbing something to create static electricity, which is another kind of transduction.

What kinds of chemicals? Many helpful substances such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and anticoagulants. Walking also causes the muscles to produce several myokines, which are small messenger proteins that can help reduce the chemicals (tau and amyloid beta) that cause Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Marc Milstein, PhD, author of The Age Proof Brain, says, “Simply walking is really important for your brain health and people who walk 30 minutes a day can lower their risk of dementia by about 60 percent.”

According to Walking for Health, published by the Harvard Medical School, you can lower your blood pressure, fight heart disease, reduce the risk for diabetes, relieve depression, improve memory, and add healthy years to your life just by walking! Harvard advertises the booklet as, “The simple cure for the biggest health problem in America.”

Does this mean that you can delay or even escape cognitive decline if you just keep walking? Well yes, it probably does. It depends on your current health and age, any other medical conditions you may have, and how faithfully you adhere to the requirements of your walking routine. There are some requirements, of course. You should walk at least 150 minutes a week at a brisk pace of about 100 steps per minute. That’s about the tempo of Stayin’ Alive by the BeeGees, Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, or Walking After Midnight by Garth Brooks. You can walk 30 minutes a day for five days or 15, 10-minute sessions scattered throughout the week. If you really want to delay the cognitive effects of aging and stay mentally sharp, just do like Aerosmith and Walk This Way!

John Owen transitioned from life as a graphic artist/website designer to a biomedical executive at the age of 61. After 20 years in the biomedical business, he now uses his knowledge of medicine and physiology to write about successful, vibrant aging. This is excerpted from his forthcoming book on super-agers.

More articles on the cognitive benefits of exercise:

Your Brain is like a Reservoir. Replenish it with Healthy Activity.

Exploring the Connection between Muscle Mass and Longevity

Do You Need a Personal Trainer for Your Brain?

Personal Trainer for your Brain

The post Walk This Way: Walking Can Prevent Cognitive Decline appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

More than one in four older adults falls every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fortunately, most falls are preventable.

Strength and balance training is one of the CDC’s top recommendations for preventing falls. I have witnessed my personal training clients achieve significant improvements in their strength and balance, reducing their fall risk and enhancing their quality of life.

Real People, Real Results

For Jack, 81, our workouts helped him play his best tennis ever. We practiced forward and lateral balance, enabling Jack to move around the tennis court with confidence.

Janet, 69, aspires to hike every trail in her guidebook, 100 Classic Hikes: Washington. Our workouts provide a safe environment to practice walking on unstable surfaces. We use a balance pad, BOSU ball, and half-round foam roller to simulate the uneven terrain of her planned hikes.

Melody, Dave, Gary, and Lesley, ages 60-72, have formed their own exercise group to motivate each other. I’ve witnessed increases in their strength, along with the ability to perform increasingly challenging balance exercises.

Balance-Improving Exercises

One way to assess balance is the single-leg stand. Stand on two feet behind a sturdy chair, then lift one foot off the floor. Count the number of seconds you can hold this position before putting your foot down. Once you can hold it for 20 seconds, you can progress by closing your eyes.

Remember: Perform all exercises described here safely. Stand behind a chair or within arm’s length of a wall, so you can steady yourself if necessary.

To improve dynamic (moving) balance, I like the tightrope walk. Walk forward in a straight line using a heel-to-toe gait, like walking a tightrope. To make it easier, instead of walking heel-to-toe, take longer steps for increased stability.

Lateral balance is also important, for example, when getting out of a car, or when stepping sideways to avoid an obstacle in your path. Try the box drill—step sideways into an imaginary box, one foot at a time, then step back out again.

Down But Not Out

One study on balance training for older adults theorizes that falls are most likely to occur when our attention is divided.

A client in his 80s was on a sightseeing walk with his grandchildren when he tripped and fell over a crack in the sidewalk. He told me that he’d been so focused on enjoying the scenery that he forgot to watch where he was walking. Fortunately, he was unhurt. He had been doing strength training consistently and I believe this helped his bones, muscles, and joints overcome his fall.

The study recommends that balance training should incorporate dual- and multi-task exercises. Try this: Stand on one leg while performing a weighted bicep curl with one arm.

Better balance is achievable. Many exercises require no special equipment. As a personal trainer, I recommend a regimen of strength training and balance-specific exercises for reducing fall risk and improving quality of life.

Mike Harms owns a personal training studio in Edmonds, Wash. He is certified in training older adults. Learn more at http://www.mhfitness.com.

The Quest for Strength

Build Your Bones

The post Most Falls are Preventable—Get Stronger for Better Balance appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

BY CONNIE MCDOUGALL

At 6 feet 2 inches and 250 pounds, wearing full-body protection, Alan Moe makes a formidable assailant. So it feels pretty liberating that, at 73, I’m slamming an elbow into his helmeted face then sending a swift kick to his padded groin. It’s an excellent way to practice self-defense skills without worrying about hurting him. Too much. “I can take the hits but sometimes I get my bell rung,” he laughs. “It’s an honor to give people the experience of using full force.” And it’s especially important to know skills of self-defense as we age.

He role-played the bad guy at a one-day class led by instructor Andy Wilson, 52, owner of the martial arts school, MKG Seattle, where self-defense students learned the five A’s of personal safety: Attitude, awareness, avoidance, assessment and action.

“Being prepared mentally is half the battle,” Wilson says. “Having the right attitude includes how you carry yourself—shoulders back, eyes up, confident with a good stride. You don’t look like a victim.” Awareness also means to trust your instincts. “If you’re uncomfortable, don’t ignore it. Pay attention to those feelings.” Be alert to inadvertent signals, he says. Flashing expensive tech draws unwanted attention. “If an attacker sees something valuable, including jewelry or a watch, that’s a target. Keep any signs of wealth out of sight,” he advises.

Situational awareness is essential, yet people walk around with their heads down, fiddling with a smartphone. “Not only is that a distraction but it takes away the very senses you need,” Wilson explains. “That goes for earbuds and headphones, too.” Being alert allows for another skill—avoidance. “Your best option is always to avoid a problem if you can. Cross the street. Go into a store. Run away. There’s a phrase in self-defense: Distance equals time equals options.”

If it comes time to do something, a quick assessment is in order, Wilson says. Look for a way out. Are there people nearby? Is there a car, a door, anything that can be used as a barrier? Escape is always the first priority. Then, depending on the threat level, taking action follows a force continuum, which starts at one, do nothing, ramping up to five, maximum force. Level one isn’t passivity. “If someone has a gun to your head and wants your purse, give it to him,” says Wilson, “and be a good witness to give police information.” Sometimes it’s best to be verbally assertive. “Take a step back and give clear commands,” he says. “That can be calls to stop or back off. But if he keeps coming and gets in your face or grabs you, defend yourself.”

That means total commitment. “At level five we say, go nuts and go home,” Wilson says. Aim for the most vulnerable parts—eyes, throat, groin, knees and feet. He offers this pointed prompt: balls and eyeballs. “One of those will always be open. If he’s protecting his groin, his eyes are vulnerable. If his hands are over his eyes, his groin is vulnerable.” It’s not a matter of inflicting pain, he notes. “People high on drugs may not feel pain. It’s about getting a reaction. A thumb in the eye or a hit to the throat; everyone reacts to that. And then you escape.” If something isn’t working, try something else, like stomping on the top of a foot. “We don’t advocate punching, though,” says Wilson. “Effective punching depends on ability and mass.” The idea is not to defeat an assailant or knock him out. It’s to discourage and end an attack, then escape.

Weapons are a personal choice, Andy says, but if you’re going to carry something, including pepper spray, know how to use it under stress. “And remember, a weapon can be taken away and used on you.”

In his self-defense classes, ages range from teens to people in their 80s, but the strategies are the same for everyone. “I tell people, do everything to the best of your ability and modify according to those abilities,” Wilson says. “In class, you get a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Most important, it promotes thought.”

Taking the class was freeing for 58-year-old Mary O’Brien, especially being told to shout “No!” when delivering a kick or chop. “Nice girls don’t yell,” she laughs. But even more, as a nurse who must walk to and from her car in downtown Seattle, and as a woman who experienced sexual assault in the past, she found empowerment. “I feel a greater confidence to respond by setting boundaries to protect myself, my community, and even for the perpetrator’s own good,” she says, “because wounded people don’t get a license to wound others.”

Connie McDougall is a former news reporter, and current freelance writer of nonfiction and personal essays. A lifelong student and proud English major, she has pursued lessons in flying, scuba diving, tai chi, Spanish, meditation, hiking, and Zumba.

To protect yourself you also need to be strong. Check out these articles on gaining strength as we age: 

The post Self-Defense as We Age—When No Means No appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.

Mary, who is 77, knew that strength training was important. It meant being able to spend more quality time with her two grandchildren. Also, maintaining her balance was becoming a concern.

Strength training seemed intimidating at first. “I felt old,” Mary says. “I didn’t know if I would be overwhelmed or unable to do the exercises.”

When Mary started strength training with me in my gym, we emphasized fundamental movements like pushing, pulling, squatting, and hinging at the hips. Performing exercises with proper form was the top priority.

“Progressive overload” is a principle of strength training. It means that when we train consistently and increase resistance incrementally over time, we get stronger. Mary put this principle into action. Six years later, she continues to enjoy the benefits.

“I’m feeling confident in my movements” she says. “My posture is straighter. I have more energy. My walks are longer and faster. Friends have commented on my increased energy.”

There’s more. “l have a prescription for an anxiety medicine that I take as needed,” Mary says. “I haven’t felt the need for a pill since I began training.”

Secrets of Giants

Alyssa Ages competes in Strongman athletics. She lifts and moves very heavy things—like kegs, boulders, and automobiles—for sport. She weighs about 120 pounds, but possesses the raw strength to pull a 50-ton truck.

She felt “invincible,” until the day her body “betrayed” her: She suffered a miscarriage.

The process of rebuilding her body inspired Ages to explore how the pursuit of strength can transform us. She shares her findings in her book, Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength.

“Lifting weights didn’t erase the burden of my trauma, but it reminded me again that I could endure hard things,” she says.

Getting Started

I advise my clients to speak with a doctor prior to starting a strength-building program. Also, if someone has an injury or recurring pain, I recommend seeing a physical therapist (PT). A PT will provide rehabilitative exercises, which I then integrate into a client’s strength program.

As a personal trainer who’s certified in training older adults, I recommend making the investment in 1:1 training. The right coach will personalize a strength training regimen for you and will help you maintain proper exercise form.

Alternatively, or additionally, you can join a small-group class. Check out Enhance Fitness, a low-cost, evidence-based group exercise program that started in Washington state.

One of my favorite strength-building exercises is the Farmer’s Carry. Hold a weight in each hand at your sides and walk for a set distance or time. When performed correctly with the core engaged, shoulder blades down and back, and upright posture, this exercise strengthens shoulders, legs, core, forearms, and grip.

Whatever path to strength you choose, remember that progress takes time and consistency. Enjoy your journey to a stronger self!

Mike Harms is a personal trainer and gym owner in Edmonds, Wash. He is certified in personal training and group training for older adults.

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The post The Quest for Strength appeared first on 3rd Act Magazine.