AARP and the Gym

Like many my age (I’ll be 51 soon), I have a child who is out of the house, going to school and supporting himself. But I also have one in middle school and another in elementary school. So that means that despite being a year past my dad’s age when he retired from IBM, I’m going to be at it for a while, God willing.

But at the same time I extend gratitude to my maker for what I now enjoy and hope will be many years of health and happiness still to come, I also realize I have an obligation to myself and those who depend on me to make a serious effort to "maintain the machine".

Regular readers may know that my partner (in business and in life) is a beautiful and seriously fit woman who was in third grade when I first got married (at 19) and I want to enjoy as many years with her as the master plan allows, as well.

So here’s where I, and you, have some say over that master plan. We can look back in anger, guilt and regret or we can stay rooted in the moment and enjoy what we have now. And we can accept the accumulated effects of Father Time and mistakes we may have made in the past that make it hard for us to get out of bed and throwing a Frisbee with our kids at the beach completely out of the question. Or we can invest in our bodies and watch the payoff grow beyond what we may have believed we are capable of enjoying.

Here are a few simple rules for 50+ living that I and the clients you see pictured above hold dear and practice regularly:

• Make drinking water and getting adequate sleep as important as anything else in your life. It’s simple but many people don’t do either and are perplexed about why they don’t feel better. Do both and you will, no matter what else is going on in your life.
• Stretch or do yoga regularly to maintain your flexibility and range of motion.
• Make vegetables the most prominent food group in your diet. It’s the best mix of nutrients for the lowest calorie count by far. Going from less than 10% veggies in your diet to more than 25% could eliminate over half of your excess weight in a matter of weeks.
• Get some type of muscle training twice a week and stamina (aerobic or cardio) training in three times weekly. End each workout with core stability to cool down and to protect your back. Combing these elements provides an efficient, comprehensive exercise program.
• Forgive and move on.

It’s a good life – if you’re good to yourself.

Dan is a nationally certified personal fitness trainer and former continuing education faculty member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. He is the owner and head trainer at Tri Valley Trainer in Pleasanton, which provides personal training, small group fitness and nutrition guidance. He can be reached at Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com