 | We are about to disprove the myth that you are never too old to exercise! |
Jeremy Koerber
I make it a point of professional pride to tell others about the accomplishments of our clients for two reasons.
1. I am proud of them
2. I want their stories to empower others to take control of their health
There is this great myth that at some point in life, a person gets too old to exercise. Puzzling because I
have yet to see anyone become too old for chocolate cake, wine or naps… but back to our clients. Many
of our clients range in age from 48-69+, take no medications and act/do things that people 20 years younger than they are don’t even do. The common denominator: exercise.
We cannot stop the aging process but we can darn sure slow it down and in most cases, turn back the clock a few years. And we can do it safely. Our oldest client was 96 years old when he passed away and he didn’t start exercising until his 70’s. His workouts weren’t dangerous, strenuous or lengthy. Most were 30-35 minutes start to finish. Wouldn’t you like to be playing golf 3 days a week (at a high level) well into your 90’s vs. taking meds and dealing with an achy back? This guy did it and we are seeing
more people like him every day. In fact, most all of the people that are highly functional well into their golden years are physically active. Exercise is the key.
I have a quote that I use with every client over the age of 60 which states “we’re going to train you to improve strength and balance so you won’t trip or fall, but let’s face it, we are all going to trip and fall. So, we are going to build joint integrity and bone density so that if you do fall, you don’t break anything and enough strength that you can get up off the ground by yourself.” Yes, looking and feeling good is a major reason we exercise but being able to move your body weight out of a chair or have the balance and agility to traverse icy conditions in the winter time is a premium that may keep you upright and out
of a hospital.
What does an exercise session look like for those Baby Boomers looking to beat back father time? It is really not much different than a workout for anyone else with the main difference being volume, intensity and exercise selection. Each exercise session will include components of:
1. Warm-up
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Strength or resistance training
4. Balance exercises
5. Cool-down
Don’t want to be in a gym for hours at a time? Good, I don’t either. If you are in your workout facility longer than 60 minutes, something is wrong. We spot a lot of inefficiencies, useless exercises and areas that can turn a 60 minute exercise session into a 30-35 minute session.
Worried about getting hurt? Many clients who come to us have bad experiences where a trainer did something that caused an injury and now they are a little gun shy which is a valid concern. Our main philosophy for building exercise programs is “do no harm.” This doesn’t mean you won’t get injured exercising. It does happen but when you put the right components together, the risk of injury is small and you are more likely to get hurt lifting a box in your basement or working in your garden. In reality,
the risk of being weak as we age is far greater and something I wish more people would be concerned with. For every person who tells me they don’t want to put on too much muscle or get too strong I tell them “you’re going to want that muscle when you are 80.”
Are you still nervous about exercise? Let one of our trainers develop a plan that will help you improve balance, flexibility and strength and you will see very quickly that you are never too old to exercise!
I make it a point of professional pride to tell others about the accomplishments of our clients for two reasons.
1. I am proud of them
2. I want their stories to empower others to take control of their health
There is this great myth that at some point in life, a person gets too old to exercise. Puzzling because I
have yet to see anyone become too old for chocolate cake, wine or naps… but back to our clients. Many
of our clients range in age from 48-69+, take no medications and act/do things that people 20 years younger than they are don’t even do. The common denominator: exercise.
We cannot stop the aging process but we can darn sure slow it down and in most cases, turn back the clock a few years. And we can do it safely. Our oldest client was 96 years old when he passed away and he didn’t start exercising until his 70’s. His workouts weren’t dangerous, strenuous or lengthy. Most were 30-35 minutes start to finish. Wouldn’t you like to be playing golf 3 days a week (at a high level) well into your 90’s vs. taking meds and dealing with an achy back? This guy did it and we are seeing
more people like him every day. In fact, most all of the people that are highly functional well into their golden years are physically active. Exercise is the key.
I have a quote that I use with every client over the age of 60 which states “we’re going to train you to improve strength and balance so you won’t trip or fall, but let’s face it, we are all going to trip and fall. So, we are going to build joint integrity and bone density so that if you do fall, you don’t break anything and enough strength that you can get up off the ground by yourself.” Yes, looking and feeling good is a major reason we exercise but being able to move your body weight out of a chair or have the balance and agility to traverse icy conditions in the winter time is a premium that may keep you upright and out
of a hospital.
What does an exercise session look like for those Baby Boomers looking to beat back father time? It is really not much different than a workout for anyone else with the main difference being volume, intensity and exercise selection. Each exercise session will include components of:
1. Warm-up
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Strength or resistance training
4. Balance exercises
5. Cool-down
Don’t want to be in a gym for hours at a time? Good, I don’t either. If you are in your workout facility longer than 60 minutes, something is wrong. We spot a lot of inefficiencies, useless exercises and areas that can turn a 60 minute exercise session into a 30-35 minute session.
Worried about getting hurt? Many clients who come to us have bad experiences where a trainer did something that caused an injury and now they are a little gun shy which is a valid concern. Our main philosophy for building exercise programs is “do no harm.” This doesn’t mean you won’t get injured exercising. It does happen but when you put the right components together, the risk of injury is small and you are more likely to get hurt lifting a box in your basement or working in your garden. In reality,
the risk of being weak as we age is far greater and something I wish more people would be concerned with. For every person who tells me they don’t want to put on too much muscle or get too strong I tell them “you’re going to want that muscle when you are 80.”
Are you still nervous about exercise? Let one of our trainers develop a plan that will help you improve balance, flexibility and strength and you will see very quickly that you are never too old to exercise!
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