Exercise for Successful Ageing

Go Time!

Ever been faced with training a previously sedentary older client? Jim Baker of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central is about to take you through it step-by-step, while infusing his own feelings and years of experience into the narrative. He lets us step into his trainer's mind to give us a glimpse of his own personal guidelines on how to coach, protect and encourage older novice trainees. Jim paints detailed scenarios of a method that assumes nothing until the trainee is established and all the while working slowly and patiently toward the rewards of doing everything.

There’s one thing we are entirely certain about regarding exercise for the elderly. Older adults are capable of vigorous long-term physical activity, including aerobic and resistance training, with positive adaptations. The benefits right from the start are profound. Even in the 60-90 group, training reduces the loss of muscle mass to less than 5% per decade. This is as compared to 10% per decade around 30 years of age, increasing to 15 % in the 60's and 70's, and about a 30% loss thereafter. With aerobic and weight training exercises there is improvement in VO2max, favorable cardiovascular adaptations such as reduced blood pressure, triglycerides, LDL and increased HDL, as well as an increase of skeletal muscle strength, power and endurance. Quite simply, exercise training brings with it the consolation of an active and independent old age.

-Mary Conover

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EXERCISE FOR SUCCESSFUL AGEING.pdf (143.8K)
James Baker, M.A., M. F. T. and Mary Boudreau Conover BSNed

Read Mary's collected works in Conover's Corner.

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Workout:

Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3