50 Days are up already???

Monday marked the end of my “Fit after 50” challenge. It’s certainly true that time seems to “fly by” as we age!

First of all, I want to thank the American Physical Therapy Association for developing the “Fit after 50” campaign. Also for the many health tips that were posted through the “Move Forward” website and Facebook page. A link to the website is provided at the end of this post.

As I look back on the past 50 days, these questions come to my mind…

• Was I as faithful as I should have been with my diet? Probably not.
• Did I exercise as consistently as I had hoped to? Not entirely.
• Have I made some significant changes in my body composition and fitness level? Certainly.
• Am I motivated to continue improving my fitness through a healthier diet and regular exercise?

 ABSOLUTELY!

It is often said that it takes at least 6 weeks to develop a habit. If I have learned anything over the past 7 weeks, it is that I need to stay more consistent with exercise and activity. Once exercise becomes a “habit” it can become difficult to live without it!

Here are the results of my post-program tests according to the Adult Fitness Test established by The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition 

(protocol can be found at http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/ ):

                                                                                  

                                                       PRE-TEST           POST-TEST          AGE RANK                  

-          Timed 1.5 mile run                           15:10              14:58            40th%-ile

-          Maximum # of push-ups                    28                   33                90th%-ile

-          Maximum # of pull-ups*                      9                     9                  unknown

-          # of half sit-ups in one minute            46                  57                85th%-ile

-          Sit and reach flexibility test                16”                18”               85th%-ile

-          Body Weight                                     185                176

-          Body Mass Index (BMI)                   28.1               26.8            Overweight

-          Waist circumference                        35 ¼              34 ¼      Increased risk of disease

      (*Pull-ups are not a part of the fitness test protocol, but I had added it for my own curiosity)

      As you can see, I generally improved in most of the areas which were tested. I lost a total of 9 pounds and trimmed an inch off my waist (even more around my “belly”, which certainly made the Sit and Reach test a little easier!). The most progress was made in the Half Sit-Up test, since a lot of my training involved exercises which included the core. My overall strength improved slightly with the push-ups, but no change with the pull-ups. Not a big surprise since my program focused primarily on interval training to “rev up” my metabolism, rather than strength training exercises. I was a little disappointed that my BMI score still places me in the “overweight” category, but I’m certainly much closer to my optimal weight range.

      And, as promised, a pre and post program photo…

 

      The snapshot on the left was taken by my wife on September 30^th as we were taking our last canoe ride with our Shih Tzu on Big Star Lake in Baldwin (yes, it was warm enough to be in shorts!). 

      The picture on the right was taken following a quick 10-mile bike ride on Thanksgiving morning (making room for more turkey!).

     

      Lastly, I would like to correct the opening statement of this blog…Monday did not mark the end of my “Fit after 50” challenge, but rather, today marks the beginning of my continual “Fit after 50” challenge!

      I have faith that you can do this too!

      So, are you with me??  

      Keep striving to stay fit!

      Don Freehafer, PT

      FREEDOM PHYSICAL THERAPY

      www.freedom.pt.com

      Visit the APTA’s “Move Forward” website at http://bit.ly/OrO6wA for daily tips on how to stay 

      Fit after 50!!

The middle of "the race"...

The middle of the race is always the toughest…and physical challenges can seem like mountains!

 

I am 40 days into my 50 day fitness plan, realizing that the “middle of the race” is certainly tough…and it is often difficult to stay motivated!

 

Similar to participating in an organized event such as the 25K River Bank Run here in Grand Rapids, there is always a lot of “hype” at the beginning of the race that gets your adrenaline flowing and you can’t wait for the opening gun to sound off. The crowd is cheering and you click off the first couple of miles with ease. Then you reach the midpoint of the race (and during the next several miles), wondering if you will ever see the finish line. The cheering crowd becomes a blur and you begin to wonder why you decided to do this in the first place. As you approach the finish line, you begin to get a surge of energy as the cheers become louder…and then you cross the finish with a feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment, making all of the training and effort worthwhile!

 

Well, it’s been several years since my last river Bank Run, but the memories of the accomplishments in each race will live on indefinitely. One of the challenges of staying “Fit after 50” is to listen to your body and make adjustments in your exercise routine as needed. For me personally, I have had to give up distance running due to an ankle fracture/dislocation in my twenties that has become quite arthritic. In addition, there are degenerative changes in my lower back following an injury in my early 40’s which required an epidural injection (the MRI of my lumbar spine is about a page and a half long). I have also inherited a condition known as atrial fibrillation, which involves intermittent episodes of irregular heart beats. Add a little high blood pressure into the mix, and the list is becoming quite long! So, as you see, having committed my life’s work to helping others who are in pain or have physical limitations, I am certainly not personally immune to some of the health challenges that can occur as we age.

 

However, I do realize that these issues are no excuse for me not to pursue a healthy lifestyle. I have simply learned to “mix it up a little” when it comes to activity. Instead of distance running, I have substituted infrequent short runs, “power walks”, or interval sprints.  One of my favorite “runs” is through a wooded path that we have behind our backyard. It takes about 3 minutes to sprint the full loop. I like to repeat 3 times, attempting to better my time with each lap. When it comes to distance training, my bicycle has become my best friend…my ankle and lower back seem to tolerate this quite well. An elliptical machine is also a great option to decrease stress on the joints while working up a “good sweat”.  And then there is resistive exercise (including bodyweight resistance exercises or weight training) that helps to maintain muscle tissue and strong bones as we age.

 

So, don’t let aging or your “mountain” of physical limitations keep you from staying active. Find activities that you enjoy and that your body can handle. Try new things. Join a fitness class. Find a partner to workout with. Set goals and make yourself accountable to someone. Schedule time to exercise on your weekly calendar. Keep moving and don’t give up…the benefits at the “finish line” are worth it!

 

 

P.S.  I also just finished a day of fasting on Sunday. Haven’t done this in a long time, but it was on my heart to try it again. Several reasons to do this included:

v  “Cheating” on my diet plan (on more than one occasion!)

v  A Veteran’s Day tribute to those who have served (or are serving) our great country

v  Reflection and prayerful support of newly elected government leaders and officials

v  Thankfulness for God’s abundant love and faithfulness in my life

 

 

 

Keep striving to stay fit…

 

 

 

Don Freehafer, PT

 

FREEDOM PHYSICAL THERAPY

www.freedom-pt.com

Visit the APTA’s “Move Forward” website at http://bit.ly/OrO6wA for daily tips on how to get Fit after 50!!