Page 21 - July/August Kwasind

TRAINING AS WE AGE
Sheila Corneil
The reason we exercise varies from decade to decade. If you are in your 20’s or 30’s reading this, your main concern is likely pant size or performance in an activity or sport. If we lump energy, enthusiasm and endurance to excel at the demands of daily life into “performance” you probably hit the gym on a regular basis to attain both.
As we climb the chronological ladder into our 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and eventually gather under the umbrella of senior status we don’t necessarily stop training for the reasons stated above, we simply add more reasons to the list. Not only does our list of reasons to keep moving grow, it becomes more and more challenging to meet the goals of youth that once came so easily. Fat loss is harder and muscle loss is greater, and its common knowledge that there is a relationship between fat and muscle. To put it simply, the more muscle you have the easier you will burn fat. This is one of the main reasons the Fitness Department invested in the InBody Analysis machine as it breaks down your body weight by pound into water, lean body mass (bones and muscle) and fat. By providing this breakdown, it effectively allows you to focus on muscle growth as well as fat loss, to ensure your body weight dropping does not include loss of muscle as will often happen with the wrong diet or crash diets.
Once the biological and sometimes genetic truths of aging start to set in, we often face things such as arthritis, decline in mental function, instability and balance challenges, and low energy. These things quite often land on top of weight gain and joint pain caused by a lifetime of poor lifestyle habits and lack of activity. An older person coming in to tackle weight loss often presents many more challenges from the start than someone younger. Putting this person through their paces to give them the challenging workouts they will require to result in the weight loss they crave is difficult because first we have to get their body back to a place of simply being able to perform regular daily activities with ease. Things we take for granted like climbing stairs or getting up and out of a chair, bending down to pick up a weight or lifting the arms overhead are movements that may not be attainable in the beginning. This is where the focus shifts for someone in their senior years from aesthetics and overachievement in life to simply being able to remain independent and mobile.
My first evaluation of our programming when I arrived at the RCYC over a year ago was that it catered heavily to the senior demographic. These classes are very well attended and it’s a wonderful testament to the dedication of our aging population to remain healthy and mobile. I applaud our team of fitness professionals for doing such a great job at servicing these clients. In an effort to expand our programs I not only took into consideration populations that weren’t being targeted with as much consistency but am also looking to bring in programs that may provide more variety and options for our beloved seniors.
From increasing muscle to improving balance, and decreasing symptoms of heart disease, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis the list of benefits of exercise as we age is endless. Keep some of these in mind and remain focused on new goals that may be very different than they were in your youth but no less valid to the quality of your life. In fact, I think anyone over 40 would tell you the reasons they exercise now come from a far deeper place than they used to.
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Join the Fitness Section today! Summer Student Rate only $60.00 June – August
See Fitness Staff or email fitness@rcyc.ca for details.
KWASIND • JULY/AUGUST 2018 21
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