50s Fitness: What Steps Should You Take When Joining a Gym?

Once you reach a certain age, you can feel like you’re done with wellness. After all, dieting and exercise is just for young people trying to look good, right? Wrong. According to Suzy Boerboom‎, ‎Co-Founder/CEO/Franchisor of Welcyon Fitness, ‘We don’t stop moving because we grow old, we grow old because we stop moving. Many people assume that they’re too out-of-shape, or sick, or tired, or just plain old to exercise, so they avoid it completely. Others believe they should lower the intensity of their exercise due to compromised balance, coordination and strength that come with age. They’re wrong. The real danger to your health is not exercising at all. At any age, you can increase muscle strength, preserve bone density, improve balance and improve your overall health. However, only a combination of regular exercise and sensible eating can help you achieve this, so don’t let your age scare you away from the gym.’ So how can you improve your wellbeing and fitness as you age?

 

1. Add Strength Training to Your Workout Routine: Boerboom points out, ‘Most folks hit the gym and head straight for the treadmill. And while cardio exercise is vital to long-lasting health, it’s the strength-training that helps you maintain and regain strength and improve metabolism so that you burn calories for much longer after workouts. (Adults over 50 can lose around a half a pound of muscle mass every year). Before joining a gym, ask how the staff will help you get into a routine. Give preference to clubs that help create a workout program based on your goals.’

 

2. Don’t Neglect Stretching and Balance: ‘As we get into our 50s and beyond, it’s even more important to include stretching and balance exercises in our routine,’ Boerboom asserts. ‘As age increases, bodies don’t start up or wind down as quickly. Prior to a full workout, adults over 50 need to warm-up for at least five minutes in order to increase blood flow to muscles and loosen tendons. Your club should show you how to include stretching and balance exercises as part of your workout programme.’

 

3. Learn How to Eat Well: Boerboom notes, ‘It’s easy to say eat more spinach and less cookies, but the fact is most people don’t know where to start when it comes to devising a healthy diet – or how to sustain healthy eating habits beyond a couple of weeks. That’s why you should give serious thought to working with a registered dietician who can not only put you on a nutrition and meal plan that speaks to your needs and goals, but can provide ongoing counselling to keep you motivated, accountable and on the path to success. Some clubs offer this service, though most charge extra. Ask before you join.’

 

4. Get a Workout Buddy: ‘You’re more likely to stick with an exercise programme if you work out regularly with a friend,’ Boerboom explains. ‘This helps keep each of you accountable and motivated – you’re likely to look forward to hitting the gym on a regular basis. That’s why it’s important to ask a health club about its guest policies. You’ll want to introduce potential partners to your gym – but some of them will charge you a guest fee and many won’t put your guests through sample workouts; they’ll be on their own. The easier a club makes it for guests to “sample” your club, the more likely the two of you will start and stick to a routine together.’

 

5. Keep Learning: Boerboom asks, ‘How do you learn to exercise more effectively, eat right, get more and better sleep, keep your brain sharp and so on? Some health clubs put on a regular series of wellness seminars and workshops to address topics like these and provide information that can help you live healthier. Social events too may be offered, helping you connect with others and get more enjoyment from your membership. When evaluating health clubs, ask if these types of workshops and social events are part of your membership.’

Categories: balance exercises, boerboom, exercise, health, health clubs, include stretching, Joining a Gym, Over 50s, routine boerboom, social events, Strength Training

Sex and the Over 50s: Is it Your turn to Have ‘The Talk’?

In the last decade, the number of over-50s living with HIV has sky-rocketed in the UK. In 2002, the infection affected the wellbeing of 3,644 people over the age of 50, and this has risen to 16,549 in 2011. Wellness experts say that this is because, today, over 80% of British, Canadian and American adults between 50 and 90 are sexually active, and, with the fear of pregnancy gone, women are less likely to be concerned about condoms.

According to American clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky, ‘They just don’t think it can happen to them. [Sexually transmitted infections] really started making news in the ’80s and ’90s. The fears and the warnings didn’t hit their generation.’ Kuriansky suggests that not only is over-50s sexual health at risk because of a generational gap, but also a shortcoming in health services.

If STIs, such as genital herpes and syphilis, go untreated, they can increase the risk of HIV transmission. Though early diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy can dramatically improve and extend the lives of people with HIV, the symptoms can often be mistaken by older patients and their doctors for other conditions associated with ageing, such as weight loss and fatigue.

John O’Doherty, director of The Rainbow Project, a gay, lesbian and transgender rights organisation in Northern Ireland, says that the stigma of STIs has led to fewer cases being diagnosed among older men, as the issue is both cultural and generational, especially concerning older men who have sex with men. He observes, ‘We’re dealing with a community which spent a large part of their adult years being a criminal based on their sexual orientation. The new freedom and openness and visibility of our community has provided a lot more opportunities for relationships and to meet new people, so it does put them at increased risk.’

So what can be done? Doctors at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast are addressing both the problem of late diagnosis and the rise of infection among older men who have sex with men. Dr Carol Emerson, a sexual health consultant at Royal Victoria, says that they run monthly outreach clinics in gay venues because ‘some people find it a step too far to come to a [sexual health] clinic and some people really regard confidentiality as the holy grail; bringing the clinic out has increased testing, increased knowledge and increased diagnoses.’

‘Free condoms and sexual health leaflets would be a really helpful part of any service for older people’, says Steve Myers, Director of Social Work at University of Salford. ‘Websites would also be helpful – there are an awful lot of silver surfers out there. It’s empowering for people to access information themselves.’ He added, ‘Social workers need to talk to everyone about these issues…people don’t like to think about older people being sexual beings but it’s self-fulfilling – if we don’t talk about it then it will remain hidden.’

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Sex and the Over 50s: Is it Your turn to Have ‘The Talk’?

Categories: HIV, Over 50s, Sex