Fitness For Seniors

Here is a workout consisting of kettlebell swings and sandbag exercises.  The workout will exercise all your major muscle groups and provide a good cardiorespiratory training.  20 kettlebell swings 10 front sandbag squats 20 kettlebell swings 20 shoulder sandbag squats (10 each side)  20 kettlebell swings 15 sandbag wide grip lift from floor and place above shoulder height Perform as many times as required using a  weights and an intensity that matches your fitness objectives.  Example: 20 kg kettlebell and a 20 kg sandbag. Repeat 3 times in 40 minutes

This workout will help you maintain you leg muscle strength and endurance. Try to not rest for too long between sets.   400m walk 6 km per hour 10 x 20 kg bag deadlift 10 x 20 kg bag squat 10 x 20 kg left side bag shoulder squat 10 x 20 kg bag right side bag shoulder squat 10 x 20 kg wide hold lift 10 x bag pushups Repeat 3 times

The sad deaths of elderly persons due to COVID-19 is very revealing. Many of these persons are frail and have cardiovascular issues or other chronic non-communicable diseases. . COVID-19 is likely to become endemic and may become a significant contributory cause of death of elderly persons. In the past, pneumonia was the major cause of death of the elderly. Vaccination has contributed to the decline of this disease as a cause of mortality. What has also caused this decline in mortality is the rise of non-communicable chronic diseases as causes of mortality. The "joke" in the old days about pneumonia no longer being a cause of death of the elderly, because "cancer and heart disease will get your first", can now be augmented with COVID-19. If COVID-19 is indeed destined to become endemic, we need to take steps in our younger years to prepare ourselves for old age.   In most cases, chronic non-communicable diseases are a cumulative consequence of a failure to take act...

 Resistance band training session Trainees: Moderate level of fitness. Warm up and activation Stretches  Pullup bar hang for as long as possible - three times 100 rear delt resistance band pulls (25 rep sets - RH and LH) using a light band 100 glute extension (from lunge position) using a light resistance band (25 rep sets - RH and LH) Get back up 10 x Get back up with one arm 10 x Ladder (10-9-8...1) Resistance band chest press (medium band) Resistance band row (medium band) Resistance band deadlift (medium band)       Repeat twice Stretch and cool down (led by my wife) Total time: 70 minutes.

Today's workout  Round 1 (100 repetitions) 20 x DH 20kg swings 20 x SH 20 kg swing pulls (10 right + 10 left) 20 x SH 20 kg single arm swings with mid pulls (10 right + 10 left) 20 x SH 20 kg single arm alternating swings (10 right + 10 left) 20 x 20 kg cleans (10 right + 10 left) Round 2 (150 repetitions) 30 x DH 20kg swings 30 x SH 20 kg swing pulls 30 x SH 20 kg swings with mid pulls 30 x SH 20 kg single arm alternating swings 30 x 20 kg cleans Round 3 (150 repetitions) 30 x DH 20kg swings (15 right + 15 left) 30 x SH 20 kg swing pulls (15 right + 15 left) 30 x SH 20 kg single arm swings (15 right + 15 left) 30 x SH 20 kg single arm alternating swings (15 right + 15 left) 30 x 20 kg cleans (15 right + 15 left) Round 4 (100 repetitions) 20 x DH 20kg swings 20 x SH 20 kg swings with mid pulls 20 x SH 20 kg single arm swings 20 x SH 20 kg single arm alternating swings 20 x 20 kg cleans Total 500 repetitions 42 minutes 311 calories 78 Fitbit zone minutes Double handed swings Single ...

Here are some simple weighted club exercises. Only one of the exercises involve swings.  Weighted clubs  have an uneven weight distribution. They are often referred to as Clubbells (which is the registered name owned by Tacfit LLC  - very good training company!). Clubs are available in weights as low as 2 kg.  A 2 kg club is suitable for untrained persons. A 4 kg club can present a challenge to someone who regularly works out, without focusing on strength development. A 6 kg club is probably suitable starting point for persons who workout on gym equipment. (In Singapore, you can purchase clubs weighing as much as 16 kg).  I have a 6 kg weighted club, and after a few weeks of training, I still find single handed exercises a challenge.  These exercises are aimed at building that initial strength that you need to progress on to more difficult single handed exercises. Double handed front press. This exercise will build strength in your shoulders, chest and arms...

Today's workout 10 x 24kg double handed swings 10 x 56kg suitcase deadlift 5 x pullups 40 x endless rope pulls 5 rounds - 30 minutes 

Here are three exercises, which if you try to perform daily for the rest of your life will help you stay mobile and allow you to perform activities of your daily life. These exercises will train the muscles that you need to stand, walk and lift and help you recover from a fall.    If you practice these exercises daily, you will have a better chance of remaining active and independent throughout your senior years. Sit to stand This is an exercise involving movement from a sitting position to a standing position.  Why is it useful?  One of the most common activities of daily living is standing up. We spend much of our time sitting; at a desk, on a bus or train, in a car, on a sofa, at the table. Unless you take action, as you age, your glutes will weaken. You will have issues with back pain. Eventually, you will lose the ability to stand and be dependent on others to help you.  If you practice moving from a sitting to a standing position for the rest of your life,...

Becoming immobile in your old age will make you  dependent on others. When you are no longer able to move, unaided, from a seated position, to a standing position, you will then be unable to care for yourself. Being unable to stand up independently will lead to an increased rate of muscle loss and a more rapid deterioration of your physical and mental health. Moving from a sitting to a standing position requires the combined activation of your quads, glutes, core and back muscles. Growing old with vigor will require you to safely train these muscles. How do I start if I have never trained before. You may wish to start by benchmarking your level of fitness against fitness norms for seniors. A good place to start is the Rikli and Jones Senior Fitness Test.  This bank of 8 tests is designed to help  gage your level of fitness. Ideally these test should be performed with the aid of a trainer - but the tests are quite simple, and another person can help you determine your leve...

Here is my trainee's training activities for today. The focus has been on developing developing lower body strength (glutes, hamstrings and quads) as well as shoulder (deltoids and rotator cuff)   Warm up with stretches (5 minutes) Exercise 5 x TRX inverted rows followed by 5 x wide grip external rotation of the rotator cuff. 5 sets. 5 x 5 kg dumbbell push press (right side and then left side). 5 sets each side 5 x 6 kg dumbbell push press (right side and then left side). 5 sets each side 5 x 5 kg dumbbell push press followed by 5 kg dumbbell strict press. 5 sets each side. 5 x 6 kg dumbbell push press followed by 6 kg dumbbell strict press. Right side followed by left side. 5 sets each side. 15 x 10 kg sandbag front squats 15 x 15 kg sandbag front squats 15 x 10 kg sandbag front squats with placing the bag above shoulder height 15 x 15 kg sandbag front squats with placing the bag above shoulder height 20 x 12 kg kettlebell swings Cool down with light stepping (5 minutes) Note...

Here is today's workout: 50 x 20 kg kettlebell swings 15x24 kg squat lifts 15 pushups  Repeat as required.  (I completed 5 rounds in 1 hour).  One of the advantages of kettlebell exercises is that you are always in the floor and not fixed to a bench.  As a result, you are able to mix in bodyweight exercises. If you were using a bench in a gym, you may need to give up your bench to someone else. An empty bench is an unoccupied bench. 

One of the issues that persons who work in reception face is that they may need to sit for long periods of time.  It is recommended that you stand up every 20 or 30 minutes and stretch. Unfortunately, some jobs do not allow you to regularly leave your work area and you may find that you need to sit for extended periods.  Here are 5 exercises that you can perform during quiet periods while still remaining in your seat.  The exercises use mini-bands. Mini-bands are very cheap and you can easily carry a few in your bag.   You should try to perform each exercise for at least 1 minute. Resistance exercise for at least 1 minute will help to fatigue your muscles which help strengthen your muscles and will cause your body to engage more muscle fibres, leading to better neuromuscular activation. Single arm  pull This exercise uses a mini-band to work your upper back muscles - your traps and rhomboids. You can also change your hand position to introduce more bicep ac...

 Today's workout: 60 x kettlebell swings - Double and alternating single handed 15 x right side kettlebell snatches 15 x left side kettlebell snatches 10 x right side kettlebell strict presses 10 x left side kettlebell strict presses 10 x wide grip sand bag lift with carry and place at above shoulder height  Repeat as required. I used a 16 kg kettlebell and a 20 kg sandbag. I completed 5 rounds and finished the workout off with 20 double handed swings for a total of 500 repetitions. The workout took 1 hour allowing for sufficient time to allow my heart rate to settle and to demonstrate kettlebell exercises to a friend. If appropriate, do consult with your medical professional before embarking on a rigorous exercise program 

Here is a simple kettle workout consisting of 3 compound moves - swings, lift and place and cleans. 10 x double handed swings 10 x (squat) lift from the floor and place above shoulder height 10 x double handed swings 5 x right side dead cleans 5 x left side dead cleans Repeat as required with an appropriate weight. I used a 24 kg kettlebell and repeated the sequence for 1 hour. If appropriate, consult your medical professional before embarking a rigorous exercise program.

What are weighted clubs? Weighted clubs are exercise tools that, as the name suggests, look like a club (just like kettlebells look a bit like a kettle, barbells look like a bar and dumbbells look .....) They are available in weight ranges from 1 to 2 kg to about 20 kg. They start from about 30 cm long and their length increases with the weight.   Lower weight clubs  are best to start with for users of all ages - perhaps 2kg for the untrained person, 4 kg for the trained person and 6kg for a person who lifts moderate weight.    Weighted club movements A weighted club can be swung for power based exercises or moved with a greater slowly with a firmer grip for a greater strength development through concentric, eccentric and isometric muscular development.  Unlike a dumbbell or barbell and more like a kettlebell, the weight is not distributed evenly but is distributed along the distal half of the device, which is in excess of 40 cm away from the hands.  T...

Working from home may have made you weaker than you realise.   Think about this.... Do you feel tired when you go shopping. Feel relieved when you finally sit down. Have lost interest in heading outside to walk or exercise? Due to COVID-19 restrictions, working from home (WFH) has become a norm for many of us. As a result, we commute less, we walk less and we stand less. For many, having food and groceries delivered to our homes has transitioned from the exception to the norm. What once were habits are now vices. It's not just physical Our bodies have become used to inactivity. Our muscles have become weaker and we now have even less motivation to move. Physical activity tires us quickly and staying seated is now the preferred state of being. We have also become psychologically attuned to the idea that work more important that good health. Because we are continually doing our jobs, we regularly kick work goals; and this gives us joy. We may have forgotten the joy that movement and ...

Here was my morning workout.  40 x kettlebell swings 10 x kettlebell lift (squats) and place 10 x right side cleans 10 x left side cleans 10 x pushups Repeat 5 times. Adjust to your own needs and level of fitness. I used a 20 kg kettlebell. Consult your medical professional before embarking on a rigorous exercise program.