Ten squats

[Dixie]

All I did was ten squats, no weight.

From 19 to 50 I was a lean, hard bodied, gym rat. Now I'm 65 and skinny-fat. The only exercise I get is dancing on the weekends. I never go to the gym. So one day, while watching TV, I decided I should get more exercise. I stood up, and did two sets of ten squats. Squats that were nice, deep, and perfect in form.

Let me tell you, the next morning I thought I had sciatica. Every time I went to stand, my butt cramped up like a mobster had me tethered to a car battery. After a few failed attempts I was standing. But my plight was far from over. Now I had to make it to the bathroom. I'll be honest. I thought about just peeing where I stood. Realizing that cleaning up involved more walking than making it to the toilet, I dismissed that plan. I started walking in small, slow, deliberate steps. By the time I made it to the bathroom, I was finally walking pretty well.

And that's how I realized I'm not only way out of shape, but I'm a far cry from 30.

[Alan A]

Try running a mile...

Actually apparently one of the best predictors of living for 5 years is the ability to perambulate - run/walk/hobble/crawl - a mile in under 15 minutes. If I could be bothered I'd go look for the citation.

[HobieMarty]

Originally Posted by Dixie

All I did was ten squats, no weight.



From 19 to 50 I was a lean, hard bodied, gym rat. Now I'm 65 and skinny-fat. The only exercise I get is dancing on the weekends. I never go to the gym. So one day, while watching TV, I decided I should get more exercise. I stood up, and did two sets of ten squats. Squats that were nice, deep, and perfect in form.



Let me tell you, the next morning I thought I had sciatica. Every time I went to stand, my butt cramped up like a mobster had me tethered to a car battery. After a few failed attempts I was standing. But my plight was far from over. Now I had to make it to the bathroom. I'll be honest. I thought about just peeing where I stood. Realizing that cleaning up involved more walking than making it to the toilet, I dismissed that plan. I started walking in small, slow, deliberate steps. By the time I made it to the bathroom, I was finally walking pretty well.



And that's how I realized I'm not only way out of shape, but I'm a far cry from 30.

Hey, good job though, at least you aren't just sitting around waiting for the reaper!!! Keep exercising, and you will eventually feel better, stronger, and have more energy !!!

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[jyl]

I can’t ski myself into shape anymore. Yet I try. Not good.

[Jeff Higgins]

I've been back in the gym for about three years after about a ten year hiatus. I just started riding my bicycle this year after about a 20 year hiatus. At 64 years old, my only real goal is to not hurt myself doing either. As such, I started oh so slowly with both, to the point of feeling silly about it. Like one set of squats, with just the bar. Same with the bench, curls, and every other exercise. It took a surprisingly long time to begin adding weight, reps, and sets to anything. It took forever to venture out of my neighborhood on the bike. Slow and steady wins the race at our age. After about six months of steady lifting I was able to start adding enough weight to get a good workout. After three months of riding I now ride one 20 mile hilly route and one 30 mile flatfish route from my house. And yes, I still get sore from both, but that "good" sore, the one that lets you know you did something. Getting old ain't for the feint of heart...

[wilnj]

I've never worked out with any real consistency until I started last April at the age of 53. I've lost 30 pounds since then.

My workouts are now something I look forward to and plan around. It is it's own reward but hearing from other people who take notice is nice too. The topper was a comment last month relayed to me by a friend that works with a young woman that's on the same schedule at the gym. She's a fairly fit mid-20's. When I saw her wearing a t-shirt from work, I'd made a comment that I knew someone else that worked there. That was it.

When my friend saw her at work the next day and the conversation came up, she referred to me as the 'jacked guy' with a beard.

But leg day is not my favorite day but it's the most productive and the constant reminder of the work I put in at 4AM as I go about the rest of my day is rewarding.

[aschen]

as you get older muscle atrophy is a huge issue. Some moderate resistance training to maintain strength is a great benefit.

Doesnt take all that much effort to build strength and muscle. 2-3 15 min resistance training workout per week can do it. Keeping excess weight off is the harder struggle.

[Jeff Higgins]

Modern exercise and diet understanding has changed a great deal from when we were all young. The modern thought is that no amount of exercise will make us lose any significant weight. Our bodies adapt. They protect our fat stores. Yes, we can get stronger through resistance training, increase endurance through cardio, but the real key to weight loss is diet. A smart diet, not the endless fad diets. Reduced portion size is A-number-one, and the hardest thing over which to exercise any discipline.

[masraum]

Don't sell yourself short. You did 20 squats!

Yep, it goes fast as you get older. Keep it up, maybe start a little slower.

You could always start here... (only posted this because it's obviously satire)






You should check out some of this guy's stuff. It'll cover all of the bases, strength, balance, and flexibility.

https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithtim

[monoflo]

Ladies of experience need a coupla light dumbells ( I don't mean old men) and do a little strength training. Men do to0 but women with their propensity to lose bone mass especially so.

Men are like sharks--stop moving and die.

[cabmandone]

[Tobra]

You lose flexibility, bone density and lean muscle mass every day, unless you do something about it.

Do something about it.

[cabmandone]

BTW.. ya ain't gettin any younger... Warm up... exercise... stretch for cooldown. Ya oughta know exercising cold is a recipe for disaster.

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Modern exercise and diet understanding has changed a great deal from when we were all young. The modern thought is that no amount of exercise will make us lose any significant weight. Our bodies adapt. They protect our fat stores. Yes, we can get stronger through resistance training, increase endurance through cardio, but the real key to weight loss is diet. A smart diet, not the endless fad diets. Reduced portion size is A-number-one, and the hardest thing over which to exercise any discipline.

This.

While working out everyday certainly helped, diligently using a calorie and macro tracking app was the game changer.

Looking at food purely as a fuel source and working within a budget was the real game changer for me. It became a sort of game in trying to see how efficient I could get.

[unclebilly]

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jyl

I can’t ski myself into shape anymore. Yet I try. Not good.

I relate. I tried my usual “ski into shape” at Mammoth a couple of weeks ago and the mountain beat me to death. 8k elevation at the base suddenly took all of my strength away.

Standing squats, (with no added weight), are a fantastic exercise as we age because the thighs are the largest muscles in the body and it really gets the blood flowing. I had a similar experience to Dixie when I did some after not exercising for a while, I could barely stand up for days. It actually showed me what being 90 years old might feel like…quite the wake up call.

[cabmandone]

^^^ NUH UH!!!

[speeder]

Congratulations wilnj and Jeff! I need to get back into a routine.

[astrochex]

Squats are good to strengthen your legs which is especially important as we get older. Working on balance is important too.

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

"Patrick Gets Butt Cramp"

Exactly!!! Lol