Baby Boomers  are the fastest-growing age group  in the countries fitness centers and health clubs. Two hot new high paced classes now popular with the over 50 crowd are  Zumba which melds Latin dance moves with exercise , and Nia a low impact aerobics exercise program that combines Latin dance with Tai Chi and yoga.

Polls show that baby boomers are  as a group experimental, individualistic and  free spirited. These traits mark them as very different from the generations before them and should mean that the trend towards staying engaged in physical activity will continue all of their lives.

Women over 50 in particular  are more better educated, more independent,  working and handling  family responsibilities more than any generation in history.

Most “boomers” believe that “old” is 78 and they are the first generation to really feel that living to 100 is a achievable goal.

Men and women 50 and older like and will spend on luxury items such as cars, houses and travel and in many cases have paid off their homes so have the money to spend. They believe they’ve worked hard all their lives so now they deserve what comforts and pampering they can afford. Health club membership for the over 50 and fit (or wanna be fit)  is the perfect gift.

Dr Oz identified the 5 health concerns that are of most concern to women over 50. Their responses were;

• Energy
  Bones
  Weight
  Chronic Disease
  Alzheimer’s

The doctor then went on to recommend a nutritional supplement to help alleviate each of these.

For optimal bone health Dr Oz recommends Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D.

Chronic Disease can be prevented with simple Multi Vitamins. Of course there are many reasons for chronic disease but these vitamins may help with many heart, bone and cancer problems.  One multi vitamin a day with less than 2500 units of iron and Vitamin A is all you need.

For loss of energy in women over 50 he suggested 200 mg a day of Co Enzyme Q10. Co Enzyme Q10 aids the mitochondria which is the power house of the body that provides the fuel we use all day.

For weight loss he says take about 15 grams of chia seeds daily. An excellent source of fiber that you can sprinkle on almost anything that’ll help give you that “full” feeling thus fending off over eating.

Turmeric is his recommendation to ward off Alzheimer’s Disease. The science is still not clear on why Turmeric is so effective in fighting Alzheimer’s but it is. It has something to do with preventing the build up on the neurons of the brain that is associated with the disease. Turmeric is widely used in India and it is believe to be the reason that they have such a low instance of Alzheimer’s. He suggests a half teaspoon a day.

In a previous post I covered the causes of sarcopenia and discussed how the muscle loss associated with age can effect our health and quality of life. In this article I will go over how resistance exercises can help us avoid or reverse this.

The medical community has shown that all healthy adults benefit from some type of exercise which will raise their pulse for at least ten minutes at a time. This should be done for a total of at least 30 minutes a day 3 – 5 days a week.

This is known as endurance exercise and while the benefits are many, improved cardiovascular health, strengthened joints, increased mental sharpness, increased metabolism and more energy come to mind, this kind of exercise really does little to build muscle so is ineffective at fighting the loss of muscle mass.

To prevent or reverse losing muscle mass requires some kind of resistance training, exercises that cause the muscle to work against an opposing force. This causes the muscles to grow or at least not decline. An added benefit is that it also helps the bones retain their strength and density.

In a study of women aged 50 to 70, the women who strength trained gained 1% more bone density in the hip and spine while the group that did not lift weights lost 2.5 % bone density. Those who trained had strength increases from about 35 to 76% above the control group. Balance improved 14% and general physical activity increased by about 27%.  – About.com
Resistance training is optimally done using weights but the typical weights found at the gym can be subsituted at home by using cans from the pantry, milk jugs filled with water or even socks filled with sand. It’s important to note here though that the stronger one gets the more resistance one will need in order for the training to remain effective.

A lot of older people that I know swim on a regular basis. Swimming is an excellent resistance exercise and it combines the benefits of endurance exercise.

Another good choice is resistance bands. They’re cheap, portable and can be stored in a drawer.

Whatever your choice make sure you incorporate some resistance and strength training, 8 to 10 exercises of 8 to 12 repetitions, twice a week into your fitness plan.

Next time I’ll cover some examples of the best exercises for resistance training for those over 50.

In the previous post about aging I covered sarcopenia, the term that scientist use when discussing the loss of muscle mass, stooped posture and slowed uncoordinated movement that often besets older people. This is the combined result of biological changes in the body that include a slowing of synthesis of needed proteins, a loss of the hormones testosterone and HGH (human growth hormone) and the dieing off of neurons that the body uses to stimulate the muscles to action.

According to a USDA website these normal aging processes begin to occur at around the age of 45 when we start to lose about one percent of muscle mass per year. The loss is accelerated at the age of around 60.

Leading a sedentary life will make the effects of sarcopenia worsen as we grow older. This has been proven over the years by tests performed by NASA who noticed “old age” type symptoms of otherwise very fit astronauts who returned from long periods in space where their movement and exercise where extremely limited.

Doctors and scientist have discovered  that sarcopenia and the  muscle degradation that the astronauts faced have  a common cure: resistance training . Doctors have long recommended at least 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise like jogging or walking. This kind of exercise is great for the cardiovascular system, it may even add a little muscle, but resistance training that requires the use of weights to build muscle is what is needed to have any real gains. Multiple  studies since the late 1990s point to resistance training  as the best  tool against sarcopenia, many physical therapists and doctors  are advising resistance training  over aerobic exercise.

Beginning resistance training in mid-life delays and reduces the appearance of sarcopenia later and  one study showed that elderly people aged 78 to 84 who went on a program experienced an average increase in protein synthesis of 182 percent. Another study, funded by the USDA, found that elderly participants who trained  for 45 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks saw an average increase of 32 percent for muscle fiber and a 30 percent increase in strength.In effect, reversing the signs of aging!

Exercises for Fitness Over 50