Long Beach Personal Training for Seniors

DON'T JUST SURVIVE---THRIVE!
My personal training for seniors is centered around function-that is getting the client to move better.  I do this by starting from the center out and progressing slowly, steadily and within your limits.
It is easy and tempting to just sit on or in a machine and exercise.  These machines absolutely have their place, but only as a part of an integrated program that is primarily functional.  A machine doesn't require balance, stability, or focus to move the weight-with seniors the number one priority is balance, and stability.  Without those two pieces your function outside the gym can only go so far!
Use it or Lose it!  All of my Senior workouts follow the OPT model and integrate the following components:

Flexibility-work on increasing range of motion(functional mobility) by stretching tight muscles and strengthening weaker muscles

Cardio-our workouts in themselves will give you the benefits of a cardio workout because we will be moving from movement to movement with minimal rest.  I also will integrate cardio intervals into our routine as we progress

Core-Core control helps control your center of gravity.  The vast majority of our training will involve the core.  A stable and strong core is paramount to effective movement.  We must first get your inner core activated and strong.

Balance - Balance training keeps your body stable over your base of support.  I will train you with a progressive approach to balance-constantly challenging you while keeping it safe and controlled.  

Reactive - Reactive Training works to get your muscles to respond quickly-that is exert maximal force in minimal time.  The benefits of reactive training for seniors starts with helping you to not fall!  The ability to react and 'catch' your self when you need to lessens each and every year--but you can train it and get fantastic results.  Reactive training could be the difference between living an independent free life and being bound to a bed, couch or walker.

Strength-Strength training benefits for seniors range from enhanced metabolism, increased bone density, neuromuscular control, and of course strength and endurance.  
 



During the past few years, research has continued to show that sensible strength training produces many health and fitness benefits. The exciting news is that in addition to confirming the positive physiological responses already discovered, key researchers have pinpointed other benefits.

To reap all these benefits (listed below), ask your personal fitness trainer or instructor to help you design a safe, effective strength training program.

NEW BENEFITS

Researchers have discovered that strength training provides these benefits:

Low-back Pain Decreases. Several years of research on strength training and back pain conducted at the University of Florida have shown that strong low-back muscles are less prone to injury. A recent study by Risch (1993) found that low-back patients had significantly less back pain after 10 weeks of specific (full-range) strength exercise for the lumbar spine muscles.

Arthritic Pain Decreases. According to the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter (September 1994), sensible strength training may ease the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. This is good news, because most men and women who suffer from arthritis need strength exercise to develop stronger muscles, bones and connective tissue. (If you have arthritis, strength training could be a big help. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning a program.)

Resting Blood Pressure Decreases. Harris and Holly (1987) showed that regular strength training alone significantly reduces resting blood pressure. Westcott (1995) revealed that a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise improves blood pressure readings even more. After two months of combined exercise, program participants dropped their systolic blood pressure by five millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and their diastolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg.

Bone Mineral Density Increases. Menkes (1993) reported significant increases in the bone mineral density of the upper femur after four months of strength exercise.

Glucose Metabolism Improves. Hurley (1994) reported a 23 percent increase in glucose uptake after four months of strength training. Because poor glucose metabolism is associated with an increased risk of adult onset diabetes, improved glucose metabolism is an important benefit.

Gastrointestinal Transit Time Decreases. A study by Koffler (1992) showed a 56 percent decrease in gastrointestinal transit time after three months of strength training. This finding is significant because delayed gastrointestinal transit time is related to a higher risk of colon cancer.

Blood Lipid Levels Improve. Although strength training's effect on blood lipid levels needs further research, at least two studies (Stone et al. 1982; Hurley et al. 1988) have revealed improved blood lipid profiles after several weeks of strength exercise.

THE MUSCLE-FAT CONNECTION

Although endurance exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, it does not prevent muscle tissue loss. Only strength exercise maintains muscle mass and strength throughout midlife.

  • Campbell and his coworkers (1994) found that a three-month basic strength training program resulted in subjects gaining three pounds of muscle and losing four pounds of fat, while eating 370 more calories per day (a 15 percent calorie increase).

  • Westcott (1995) showed that a standard strength training program can increase muscle mass by about three pounds over an eight-week training period. This is the typical training response for men and women who do 25 minutes of strength exercise three days per week.

  • Research reveals that adding three pounds of muscle increases resting metabolic rate by up to 7 percent and daily caloric requirements by up to 15 percent (Campbell et al. 1994). At rest, a pound of muscle requires up to 35 calories per day for tissue maintenance; during exercise, use of muscle energy increases dramatically. Adults who add muscle through sensible strength exercise use more calories all day long, so are less likely to accumulate fat.


"I am Giovanni, I am 75 years old-a little overweight and unstable.  I met Dave on a golf course, and learned he was a personal trainer.  Well I have had many in my years, Dave is the only one that is hands on, innovative and different.  He outlined a schedule for my goals, and we stick to it.  If you want results see him now, you will really like the way you feel! What is so different about Dave-he asked me what I wanted to accomplish." 

The following are answers to some commonly asked questions by older adults poised to embark on the trail to health and fitness.

Q. What is the secret to a satisfying retirement?

A. Most gerontologists agree that in addition to doing something that is both mentally and emotionally rewarding, following a sensible and regular physical exercise program is the key. If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be one of the most widely prescribed medicines in the world.

Unfortunately, although most Americans know that aerobic exercise is important for improving cardiovascular fitness and for losing fat, many neglect to stretch daily or to perform the two to three days per week of strength training that it takes to become truly fit.

Also, most people don't stay with an exercise program long enough to enjoy the benefits. Instead they start out too hard, get sore and quit, then later feel guilty for quitting and start up again too hard __ and the cycle repeats itself!

It may help to know that in the fitness game, slow'n'steady wins the race!

Q. But I haven't exercised in years. Isn't it too late to start now?

Today, just as gender, social class or ethnic background does not preclude a person from enjoying and succeeding in sports or physical activity, neither should a person's age.

Middle_aged persons should keep in mind that a fit 70_year_old who has remained active can be as strong as an unfit sedentary 30_year_old. In fact, an active person will decline physiologically only by about 1/2 percent per year compared to an inactive person who will decline by about 2 percent.

If you are deconditioned, a rejuvenating exercise program can be tailored to meet your needs through modification and adaptation. Gaining access to the exercise "Fountain of Youth" is not very expensive, nor is it a painful process. For many, it is actually quite enjoyable. Remember, age is a state of mind!

Q. How many minutes per week should I exercise?

A. The optimal amount of time varies among individuals. It is dependent upon many factors such as type of activity, intensity level, and your goals and abilities.

Some interesting findings have surfaced from research conducted in recent years which suggests that more than 300 minutes of vigorous exercise per week may be counter_productive for many participants. Of course, there are various possible explanations for this. The bottom line is: More is not always necessarily better. Everything in moderation is the key to good health.

Q. How can I stick with my fitness program?

A. Most persons who drop out of exercise programs do so because they are not having fun. People will repeat those activities that are enjoyable.

It is not enough to know the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If it were, no one would smoke or drink to excess. People cling to unhealthy habits because they provide security and comfort.

It follows that exercise, to be healthful, must be something that bears repeating. Therefore, we need to seek out physical activities that we will experience as pleasurable and satisfying. Many folks find that cross training __ that is, engaging in several different types of exercise activity each week __ helps them to maintain their enthusiasm. Some say they started exercising for wellness reasons but stuck with it for the friends they met, the improved self_esteem and extra energy they gained, and, yes, the fun they were having!

Remember, the benefits of regular exercise may not show up overnight like plastic surgery. But if you really pay attention, you will see some changes very quickly!


As America’s citizens grow older, many people are forgetting to take perhaps their most important medicine: exercise.

Senior citizens are often typecast as having a weak cardiovascular system, being frail, walking slowly and presumably unable to exercise. But, according to recent studies, inactivity is the main cause of these consequences.

“What we’re finding, through exercise studies and studies of master athletes, is much of these types of changes are attributable to a sedentary lifestyle much more than aging,” says Dr. Chhanda Dutta, chief of the Clinical Gerontology Branch in the National Institute on Aging Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology.

These effects can easily be minimized with exercise, Dutta says.  In the Aerobic Center Longitudinal Study, researchers followed more than 60,000 men and women from 1970 to 2004 and determined the relationship between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness. Dutta says low fitness was associated with higher risks of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, CV disease, coronary heart disease, obesity and some forms of cancer. But the numbers were astounding. 

“In general moderately fit women and men were able to reduce their risk for various chronic diseases by 50 percent,” Dutta says. “You gain another 10 percent greater increase in lowering your risk for chronic conditions if you were classified as being highly fit.” The study classified moderately fit as participating in 150 minutes of moderately intense activities a week.  “Exercise works through pathways that help preserve functioning of these various kinds of tissue,” Dutta says. “The old adage of use it or lose it is very relevant to exercising and maintaining good health.”  In order to slow the aging process, it’s important that clients start exercising now — the earlier the better. “Unfortunately [the effects] can start as early as age 30,” she says. “From that point on it’s a downward process of losing skeletal muscle mass.”

WALKING

Fitness experts now feel that good old walking can be as valuable an aerobic exercise as jogging, swimming, or biking. In fact, walking may be the best form of exercise you can undertake. Walking is the oldest form of exercise known to man. Seventy_seven million Americans regularly walk for fitness and pleasure, reaping the following benefits:

  • Enhanced weight loss
  • Increased energy
  • Improved fitness level
  • Decreased stress and tension
  • Improved muscle tone
  • Increased ability to perform daily activities
  • Decreased risk of age_related disease
  • Improved cardiovascular health

The popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing. Walking is low risk, easy to start, and it is pretty hard to hurt yourself. Runners and with three to four times their body weight every time their feet hit the ground. Walkers, by contrast, land with only one and one_half times their body weight. Walking exercises muscles all over your body, and it is actually one of the best exercises for healthy feet. Walking is great exercise for people who are in terrific shape, and it's just as good for people in lousy shape. Virtually every cardiac rehabilitation program in America bases its exercise regimen on walking.

Get Ready

A walking program is simple to start. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes. Layer loose clothing, keeping in mind that exercise elevates the body's temperature. Shoes specifically designed for walking are best. Look for these eight features when purchasing walking shoes:

  1. Uppers of a high quality, breathable materials, such as leather.
  2. Comfortable padded heel collar.
  3. Firm heel counter (that cups the heel) to provide stability for the entire foot and leg.
  4. Heel should be held in shoe, well cushioned and supported, somewhat higher than rest of the foot.
  5. Entire sole should be designed to absorb shock.
  6. Substantial arch supports.
  7. A rocker profile sole enhances a smooth heel-to-toe motion.
  8. The toe box should allow ample room and toes should not be tight against any part of the shoe.

Every workout should begin with a gently active warm-up and a few simple stretches. Although walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, don't forget to stretch your back, shoulders, and arms. This will help loosen up any tension you may have and make your walk more enjoyable as well as more effective.

Walking is one fitness activity that allows you numerous options. Once you have reached a point at which you can walk a few miles with relative ease, you can start to vary the intensity. At this stage, you might want to evaluate your aerobic or cardiorespiratory fitness level by walking one mile as fast as you can.

Design a Personal Walking Program

Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. Set a time schedule that you can keep. Design your walking program according to your fitness level:

Beginner

Walk short distances. Begin by trying a mile stroll and increase the duration each time by 2 to 5 minutes. Forget about speed. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and shoulders relaxed. Swing your arms naturally and breathe deeply. If you can't catch your breath, slow down or avoid inclines and hills.

Intermediate

If you are in this category you can walk your way to fitness by exercising continuously for 30 minutes. Be sure you can talk while walking. If you can't converse, you are walking too fast. Walk briskly, but don't overdo it __ speed is not your focus.

Advanced

If you reach this category, you should be able to walk 30 to 60 minutes comfortably. You can concentrate on lengthening your stride or increasing your speed. Consider adding hills or inclines.

Stay Motivated

Keep in mind that there are many good reasons to walk:

  • It will make you feel great and give you power and strength!
  • It lowers blood pressure and medical bills.
  • Walking may be even better than fiber for your digestive system.
  • It will help you let go of tension and stress.
  • You don't have to pay a membership fee to walk.
  • You don't have to read instructions or assemble equipment.
  • You don't have to keep score.
  • You can check out your neighbors' yards and houses without their being suspicious.
  • When you walk you can watch the sun rise or set.
  • You can walk away from past mistakes and walk toward new goals!