Fitness For Seniors

  T his workout will help you maintain a strong lower body. Having a strong lower body is important for your independence in old age. When you are no longer able to leave your seat, unable to walk around a shopping centre, continually worried about falling down, unsteady while standing on a moving train or bus, then you will lose your independence. A loss of independence will cause a downward spiral in your health, fitness and mental capability. The workout involves performing lunges plus heavy lifts. In this case, using a sandbag. Sandbags are one of the most flexible exercise tools for home and gym use. The workout will help improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and your strength. 20 x forward lunges 10 x front sandbag squats 20 x reverse lunges 10 x front sandbag squats 20 x left side lunges 10 x front sandbag squats 20 x right side lunges 10 x front sandbag squats Repeat as required with minimal rest between each set. Using a heavy sandbag will help to also strengthen your low...

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

Recently, 74 year old man employed as "logistics" worker fell off a truck loading platform. Sadly, the worker died as a result of the fall.  Such accidents are not rare but the risks can and should be minimized through application of the Hierarchy of Risk Controls . Should seniors work in physically demanding jobs?  The immediate reaction from the public was that seniors should not undertake such work. Some suggested that seniors should not undertake any strenuous work. Others believe that seniors should not have to work at all.  I have a different opinion. I agree that many seniors should not undertake work which requires lifting uncomfortable loads, particularly where work at height is involved. (In this case, the platform was 1 m off the ground).  Chronological age is not the same as biological age However, we must be careful not to view all seniors of equivalent chronological age as being of the same biological age.  A person who has take  steps to fig...