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?
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
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…
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The snapshot on the left was taken by my wife on September 30th
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
Fit after 50!!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have a question about your blog, could you please email me? Thanks!!
Melanie