How much longer can I exercise.....??

As we age the one thing that always comes to mind is how much longer can we exercise in the same way we did twenty or thirty years ago.

My opinion as a 78 year old, as long as you can and my experience is that can be for a long time if you consider your limitations as you age.

Biking in Provence, Fr.

As a distance runner I no longer run marathons and I don't try but I can still run short distances with some bursts of speed. I also add some hiking, long bike rides and lots of tennis which is so much easier on the body as one ages and also supplies the needed aerobics.

I try to go to the gym 4-5 times a week for a maximum of 40 minutes. No more heavy weights but lots of reps with light weights interspersed with stretching. The gym always ends my day of exercise and comes after some tennis or jogging or hiking or bike riding. The workout in the gym, in my opinion, is the most physically exerting and should come at the end of your day of exercising.

All of this may take 2 1/2 hours, a perfect day of exercise for us as we age. This routine works for me but you have to find what works for you. Let me say finally if you don't feel like exercising on a particular day then don't it, there is always tomorrow, just don't make a habit of it.

Remember: Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Women, If You're Moving Move Even More..........

The real heads up for women in their 30s, 40s or 50s is to get moving and if you are moving, move more. For women over 30, physical inactivity is the greatest single contributor to heart disease and should be considered when you choose not to be active.

My Jody in Provence

This dosen't mean that you have to go to a gym, pilates sessions, yoga or any thing else that you may not want to do. Start with some brisk walking that will include steps when available. Then, once you finish,  do some simple stretches when your muscles are warmed up. All of this should only take you one hour a day and will make a vast difference in the way you feel and look.

New research is now revealing information that even small amounts of vigorous exercise could significantly lower a person's risk of dying prematurly. Those that ran a little or a lot gained at least 30% more longivity compared to those who never did anything. This is certainly motivation enough to start your running, jogging, biking or even very brisk walking TODAY!

It's so easy, just go out the door. Once you're outside your attitude will change and of course the best part of exercising is finishing!! Then see how good you feel. Hope that just hearing this will make you feel better.

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website aprimelife.com coming soon.

Food is to enjoy not abuse....!!

First and foremost food is for nourishing the body and sustaining us in a healthy manner, not to satisfy every taste bud you may have. Food should not make us unhealthy, conversely it should make us healthy, alert and vital.

The following is an extreme example of eating food with no thought of nourishment to the body: every year on the 4th of July there is a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's held on Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY. This contest is about who can eat the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. The winnner will have ingested 20,000 calories in that period of time, an awful way to treat your body.

Siblings Lunching

We seem to be living in a time when eating is not as pleasurable as it should be. Why? I believe we're in too much of a hurry just going on to the next thing, whatever it may be. How many times have we sat down to eat and the first thing we do is put our smart phone beside the plate where the food will be placed. This allows us to constantly look over at this piece of technology so not to miss any e-mail's, texts or phone calls.

You're not as smart as your smart phone when you allow this to happen. This is a time when the body is most content, when you're feeding it, and no distractions should be a part of this time. Avoid listening to the news, getting into confrontational conversations or anything that makes your body feel stressful. All this so called vital information while you are eating is not nearly as important as your bodies well being. Think about it when you next sit down to eat.......!

Remember.....

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Grumpy at 70.........nah!!!!

In a recent study done about men turning 70 years old indicated that they, we, become "grumpy"!

As a 77 year old I must admit that I'm not always the cheeriest person, but grumpy, nah!
The study said the reasons for this phenomenon of grumpiness are as follows: health issues, loneliness and lack of resources.

Two grumpy old guys and me

I found it interesting that the number one reason were health issues. I've felt this way for a long time and have even stated it in my blogs for the last three years. My experience is the more I exercise i.e., moving as in running, jogging, swimming, walking, tennis, golf and anything that gets me to move, the better I feel psychology and physically, hence not grumpy!

For any of you out there who have just finished your daily exercise routine, whatever ever it may be, ask yourself if you felt grumpy afterwards. Most likely you will feel a sense of accomplishment and that never leads to,"grumpy".

Loneliness can be helped by exercise. If you're doing any sport it's usually with someone else, golf and tennis are examples but also when your running or at the gym there are people around you that are doing the same thing as you so here is an opportunity reach out and get connected.

Lack of recources was listed in last position, as it should be in my opinion, because without your health or friends money becomes less important in your life. So start out with a daily exercise routine and then follow it by a real attempt to get connected with friends, family and the rest will take care of itself  and remember.........

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website aprimelife.com coming soon

Value the food you eat..........

How not to eat!

Food ......it seems to be everywhere now days. We are inundated with a constant barage of the Food Channel hosting celebrity chefs talking about how to make food more tasty, not to mention fatting, TV food eating contests to see who can eat the most and the fastest, advertisement of foods everywhere, (internet, TV, radio, posters, books, etc.) and directed mainly at children. Wonder why we have a growing epidemic of obesity in this country.

We are very fortunate in this country because there is an abundant supply of food at our disposal to allow us to stay healthy but the facts are it's hurting us more than helping.

Food is a nurishment to the body and should be used in that way. Always think about taking that next bite when you're really not sure you want it. Do you really want it, this is the time to sit back and let what you have already eaten digest itself. You may be surprised and realise you're satisfied and no more food is necessary.

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website aprimelife.com, coming soon.

Learning to exercise.....?

I recently read of a very expensive study to determine whether or not our exercising habits are genetic or a learned process. Seemed unecessary to study something that really doesn't matter, genetic or environment. We only need to exercise, simple huh?

I grew up in a family that did not exercise per se but my parents would take us hiking on the weekends whether we liked it or not. I remember how my brother, sister and I hated the whole idea of getting up early on saturday and then having to hike up the trails in the hills behind our neighborhood. But by the time we came down and got back into the car and headed home for breakfast I remember how good we felt and how much fun it was.

Jogging on Venice Beach

My parents weren't athletes but they both loved to walk and hike and were very proud of there good health. To this day all three of us still walk or jog and do some other forms of exercise on a daily basis, so is this genetic or are we products of our environment? I for one believe that this was a learned trait taught to us at a young age and we never forgot it. Are there any genetics involved, who really knows, but what I do know is that my brother sister and myself learned by being taught the good effects of exercise which has stayed with us all our lives.

I believe we are products of our environment first and then somewhere the genes kick in.

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Exercise or a prescription drug.....?

It seems whenever we're diagnosed with anything,
 like being a candidate for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis etc., we are often prescribed a drug or an operation. In some cases that's the most obvious remedy and possibly the correct one. But in too many of those cases it's the quick answer without any thought of a more natural way to combat the disease, like eating less and exercising more.

Arnold & Jody in NY

The amount of research that has been done in these areas is enormous and very costly. I believe were doing studies that have little or no value, we waste time, intellect, resources and were convincing people without generating evidence. As a 77 year old I feel strongly that it's much easier to stay healthy without so-called drugs, that all have some side effects, by simply taking care of yourself starting in your early 50's. My experience is that little aches and pains that begin to surface as we age is all about aging and usually nothing else. Most of these symptoms will go away. If they persist then and only then see your primary care doctor. Trust in yourself that you are the best judge of your own health.

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Healthcare is "taking care of yourself".....

Don't wait for the healthcare system to take care of your needs....all the information is out there for you to make the right choices and take care of yourself.  I believe eventually the healthcare system will be considerably more accommodating to those who need it but it's still not there for so many people. That being a given the best solution to this problem is "take care of yourself."

Daily Exercise

Let me elaborate on this simple method. It's not hard to take good care of your health, start with a little exercise everyday like a brisk walk followed be some simple stretching. If you never do any more than this for one hour a day you'll dramatically improve your health. Add to that eating less with a greater variety of foods (veggies, fruits, etc.). As a 77 year old who has done just that, I guarantee you a healthier life.

Understand this is not a condemnation of the medical profession, it's doctors, research or hospitals, it's a opinion based on my experience of many years with these groups.

The overwhelming amount of time given to paper work, administrative concerns, bureaucracy, potential lawsuits, conflicts of interest and their profits makes your health in those hands not in your best interest. To fight this system and then wait for it to get better can have grave consequences for your health and well being.

Be smart and get control of your health and not wait for a dysfunctional healthcare system to become functional to help you.

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Patience as we age and try to lose weight.......

The one conversation that I seem to hear all the time from my contemporaries is about losing weight and the struggle it is for them. Well it is harder to lose weight as we get past our 50's for several reasons: we're usually not as active, our metabolism has slowed down and were still eating and drinking the same way we did when we were in our 20's and 30's. All these things make losing weight almost impossible. Also remember it took many years to gain this weight, in some cases 30 years, so have patience and give yourself some time to lose the weight.

A 60 year old friend of mine had a goal of losing at least 20 pounds in 6 months, in my opinion a lot, but that was his goal. When he only lost 12 pounds he became discouraged and went back to his old eating habits and stopped working out convinced that he was never going to reach his goal. This resulted in gaining back the 12 pounds and added 10 more unwanted pounds for a total of 22 pounds.

 My advice: Don't get discouraged!

Enjoy this journey in which you'll have learned to exercise everyday and to eat a healthier diet. If you lose only 1 1/2 pounds a month that means 18 pounds a year and in two years 36 pounds. My experience is that's the way to do it.      Have Patience, it's worth the (weight) wait!

Keep it Simple, Consistent and Fun.

Watch for my website, aprimelife.com coming soon.

Eat, sleep and exercise the formula for good health as we age......

This seems like a no brainer, it's what we do every 24 hours. We have to sleep, eat and move so the important question is the level at which we do theses three important ingredients for better health.

Speaking as a 77 year old I need more sleep today than when I was 50, at least 8 hours, why because I just don't function as well with less sleep. I believe the body needs more time to recover as we age. This isn't a bad thing only a reality of aging.

Arnold at 77

The amount we could eat and drink when we were 30 years old was fine for that age but it's not a good idea to eat and drink that much when entering your 60's and certainly not in your 70's. What I've learned as I past my 60's was eat less, exercise more and get a good nights sleep. So let me elaborate a little.

This didn't just happen over night I began to gain weight in my late fifties because I was eating the same amount I did in my 30's...so I cut down on the amount of food I ate. In a period of a few years of eating less, cutting out fast foods and increasing my vegetables and fruit intake, guess what, I lost weight. I just changed my eating habits. I began exercising more which made the need to get more sleep a must.

There is no magic formula to a healthy life as you age so follow these three endeavors with enthusiasm and leave the rest to nature.

Keep It Simple, Consistent and Fun.