Quote:
Originally Posted by wdfifteen
Just don't overdo it. Keeping active is good, don't get me wrong, but listen to your body.
|
I'm 55 years old now, and figured I better get in shape now, not going to be any easier at 65, right?
You are right, don't over do it.
The main thing is just to keep active, don't try to set any distance or weight records.
Be nice to yourself.
My goal was one pound off a month, not a week, that way I could not be disappointed if I stagnated which always happens.
My other goal was also modest and simple;
to look good in clothes. To me this means the chest sticks out further than the stomach so that clothes lay nicely.
This goal will be achieved as well, some amount of immediate gratification keeps me going.
RE: how did you do it?....................link below has more information.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/870610-exercise-thread.html
Here is the list, if you need such things.
1. Mind
2. Diet
3. Exercise (
doing more than just walking - break a sweat).
RE-1 Mind: Early morning exercise starts with going to bed early, eating very lightly in the morning, waiting 45-60 minutes before starting. Keeping your head free of stress and distraction is you first job of the day, no work e-mails, no stress, don't even turn your cell phone on.
Think of this like sex, the best sex is vacation sex because you have nothing else on your mind (
no stress or other distractions) and can "be in the moment".
RE-2 Diet: Moderation, no bingeing. More green on your plate than anything else. Learn to like salmon, in your morning eggs, on your salads and so forth often. This is the one food which works on my brain and keeping your head sharp is as important an keeping your body sharp.
RE-3 Exercise: Pace yourself, let your body know what you will be asking it to do, and give it an opportunity to respond. If all you can do is walk a couple of blocks and climb up and down a few flights of stairs then that is okay. If it takes you an hour to do what others can do in 1/2 hour, that is okay too, listen to your heart.
Fit body Boot Camp (I tried five weeks recently) and
Title Boxing (one session last week) are good if you need that "group experience" for motivation. However I feel you surrender control of your routine, but they do push you up to that next level.
Following an upper body one day, lower body the next is going to be difficult to integrate into someone else's program (
which is why I like doing it on my own). Six days of exercise, rest on Sunday is my schedule, once in a while the body says take another day off, and I listen.
In the over 30 year old Arnold S. book I have, it says something like;
Exercise is for the muscles you already have, Bodybuilding is for forming new muscle.
If you just want to return to where you used to be way back in your prime, be aware that in as little as two weeks of non-exercise, muscles start to lose mass and strength.
Also keep in mind that as we age maintaining muscle strength becomes more important. One article I read recommended strength training over aerobic exercise for the elderly.
My biggest foe is my bench set, I know from past experience that it can do all types of harm. It seems like I do close to an hour of warm up before touching it, and then I'm only using it for 5-10 minutes.
So far I have not hurt myself, and that is the key to maintaining my activity level.
Do not over do it.
If you do use weights, I recommend swimming right after, or at least the next day to stretch your muscles back out. This too is in that old Arnold S. book.