By Michael A. Amaral, MD
Spine & Sacroiliac Specialists
Atlanta, GA

Make Exercise A Habit
Find a convenient time to work out regularly at least two to three times a week. It's easier to stick with a regular program. Try to exercise at the same time of day on the same days of the week.

What is important is to make it a baseline habit. Some say that exercise is more efficient if done first thing in the morning. But if you're like me, and hate getting up and exercising right away, you'll never make it. My own best time seems to be between 5 and 7 p.m., when my muscles are warmed up.

Exercising regularly is more important than forcing yourself into the most efficient period of the day. In fact, it's the most important thing of all. Once again, think about incorporating an exercise routine into your life as a long-term commitment. To be successful, begin with what is comfortable so that you can maintain your regular program. As you experience benefit from your routine, then slowly add to it. Attempting too much too soon can be a recipe for failure – be gentle with yourself – start with what you can do now and build toward the future.

Join A Gym
Each time I come back home with the good intention of working out, I get sidetracked, even though I do have a nice exercise set-up in the basement. There are just too many distractions around.

When you join a gym, the only thing you have to worry about is getting there. Once you're there, there isn't much else to do than work out. Seeing others exercising is motivating and you'll go through your exercise routine like a breeze. The home gym is better kept as a back-up.

It is best to exercise in a supportive, upbeat environment that makes you feel good about what you are doing. Make sure that your gym's facilities are spacious and clean, including the changing rooms and restrooms. You also want a gym that has many sturdy exercise machines. A pool is a plus. Swimming and aquatic exercises make for a great cardiovascular workout.

In addition to weight training machines, cardiovascular machines such as treadmills, stationary bicycles, step masters, cross country skiing machines, etc., should also be available.

There are many decent facilities around with reasonable prices. Do compare before you commit. A word of caution: some facilities make it difficult to leave. Make sure you check the exit clauses of the contract. You should be reimbursed pro rata for any unused time.

Use Machines, Not Free Weights
Free weights may be the essence of weight training, but as you age, they become more difficult to pick up and move around. Lifting a free weight the wrong way or dropping it may cause injury.

Machines are designed to work from a comfortable sitting or lying down position. Weights can be easily adjusted. Make sure you are instructed in their safe use. I suggest machines that use the sitting position.

Most gyms use professional quality machines that are designed to sustain intensive use. The brand of machines is not as important as you using them regularly and with proper form.

Invest In A Trainer
A trainer is invaluable in getting you started, even if you're already experienced. A trainer can help design a program to improve your performance as well as instruct you in the safe way to use the gym's machines. Look for someone with the proper certification.

A trainer can also evaluate your starting weight levels and monitor your progress. It's well worth the expense until you have established a routine that is working for you.

One word of caution: A trainer will probably want to design a classic exercise program, but you want him/her to follow the directives of this book. Although most exercises will be the same, there are important differences that make up the substance of this book.

Keep A Journal
It is said, "Who fails to plan, plans to fail"! A journal will help you organize your workouts and monitor your progress. Your trainer can show you how to keep track of your weight, sets of repetitions and types of exercise done. A cheap notebook with a pencil is sufficient for this purpose.

Remember - we exercise to live, not live to exercise. Keep it simple! Check your weight once a week. Note your degree of motivation and energy on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being your best. If you are repeating the same workout routine as the last time you were there, just write "routine". Detail the exercises when you change the degree of resistance or the number of repetitions.

Moderation
There are two important principles of exercise that need modification for the mature athlete.

The first can be called "increase in performance". In the younger age group, it is usually recommended to continuously increase the resistance and the number of repetitions and sets. This gives a feeling of achievement as well as increasing strength. The sky is the limit!

But, this approach is not recommended for the mature athlete. Even the hardiest material has a breaking point and the muscle might be strengthened beyond the coping capacity of its tendons and fascias. At this point, the latter might tear and cause significant injury.

Increased stress on discs, bones, ligaments and joints also places a limit on what can be safely done. There comes a time when one reaches a plateau. As you get older, increasing resistance and repetitions also increases the risk of injury, and injury is to be avoided.

The second often-recommended principle is to exercise to the point where the muscle can no longer perform. This is called "muscular temporary failure" and may be fine for the younger competitive athlete. "Temporary failure" places much more demand on the tendons because of the more sustained contraction. This increases the risk of injury.

In my opinion, as you age, muscles should not be exercised to the point of temporary failure. There is no fixed answer as to how much is enough, but a good compromise between sufficient effort and lower risk of injury seems to be when there is a burning feeling in the exercised muscles for the last 1 to 2 repetitions.

Learn How Mature Athletes Can Benefit From Resistance Training
Learn About The Advanced Principles Of Exercise For The Mature Athlete
Learn How Mature Athletes Can Avoid Injuries

Excerpt from "Being 81, Feeling 18: Slow Aging and Regain the Vitality of Youth" by Michael Amaral, MD. To order a copy of the book, send $14.95 to Spine & Sacroiliac Specialists, 550 Peachtree NE, Suite 1770, Atlanta GA 30308, or visit the Spine & Sacroiliac Specialists Web site at www.spineandsacroiliac.com.

Copyright 2006 Michael A. Amaral MD. Reprinted with permission.

The inclusion of this book excerpt on our Web site is for informational purposes only. It does not represent an endorsement by Medtronic Inc., and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Before starting any exercise program, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional.

Unless Noted Otherwise, All Articles and Graphics Copyright © 2008, Medtronic Sofamor Danek, All Rights Reserved.
Please review our Privacy Policy, Editorial Policy, Terms Of Use, Credits or Contact Us for more information. RSS Feed

We comply with the
HONcode standard for
trustworthy health
information: verify here.