The 50 Plus Male

In my August 3rd post, Refining the Physically Fit Male—Surviving the Urban Jungle, I discussed how turning fifty years of age seems to somehow serve as a beacon to so many of us for the ineluctable downturn in our general health.  Obviously age is an important component of our fitness level, but I’m convinced this avenue of thought is more illusory than real.  Maintaining our physical well-being is going to take the good fight, but this is a battle we can win.  To help you get started, let’s take a look at a couple of fairly easy entry points that cover two significant areas of fitness for everyone, particularly the 50 plus male:  cardio (heart)  and our core (abs, hips, back, glutes).  While the real purpose here is to provide suggestions for those of you who haven’t been exercising and want to start “slowly,” our discussion should still be beneficial to those of you already following an exercise regimen.

Many of our towns have formal running clubs for 50 plus year old males (and females).  By and large, however, the beginner is a bit intimidated by these organizations out of fear of not being able to (figuratively and literally) keep up the pace.  The truth is that most club members are very friendly and eager to help; common sense dictates that such efforts will aid in recruiting new members.  Generally speaking though, the truth is that many 50 plus males simply have no desire to run…well gentlemen, how about walking?  There have been many articles written extolling the healthful benefits of taking regularly-scheduled walks by experts in the field.  I’d recommend taking a look at Walking.org, which even has a section for the over 50’s demographic group.

I take regular walks with my wife Nita after we finish dinner.  We do this 3-4 times weekly throughout the spring, summer, and fall months; even making the occasional foray during winter.  We walk at a brisk pace, but follow the old adage that if you can’t maintain a conversation while  you’re walking, it’s time to slow down the pace.  We find the mental benefits of our walks as important as the physical; we converse about items as simple as how our day went to meatier subjects like the news of the day.  Neets (my nickname for Nita) and I have mapped out three walking routes that we label our “short,” “medium” and “long.”  We mix these up during the week to help alleviate the tediousness of always following the same route.

As far as appropriate footwear is concerned, there are many fine athletic shoes specifically designed for walking.  I recently purchased two pairs of walking/hiking shoes from Merrell, which is a well-respected brand.  You can go to their web site, which details the line by a variety of parameters, including specific activity. So far, I’ve been very pleased with both pairs of shoes; I bought the Chameleon Iso for the lightweight design, and the Intercept, a heavier shoe which I use when walking in our local parks.

Now lets’ discuss what for many 50 plus males is a sensitive issue, namely our gut.  Too many 50 plus males look down at their stomach and wonder “what happened to my abs?”  First, let’s get a crucial point across…when thinking about your core, it’s not just your abdominals coming into play; you have to consider your back, hips, and glutes (that’s our butts guys).  I found my mid-section turning to jelly a couple of years ago, and knew I had to do something.  In addition, as many of us 50 plus males have experienced, past medical procedures (in my case two hernia operations) need to be addressed in terms of allowable or recommended physical exercise.  I have come across a  short exercise program that provides a good entry point for those of you who haven’t exercised in a while and “prefer to walk before you run.”  It can be found by all Comcast CATV subscribers; simply go to the On-Demand menu and click on:  Life & Health/Discovery Health/Exercise & Diet/Ab Workout.  This mini-workout (approx. eight minutes) is hosted by Gilad Janklowicz, a veteran in the fitness field who is associated with FitTV.  While it focuses on the abs with some fairly basic exercises, other core areas are utilized and there is a yoga-like stretching section at the end that serves as the cool-down portion of the regimen.  I used this workout  for two weeks when I first started to attack my jelly; it provided a good way to eventually ease-in to a more strenuous routine.

Once you’re ready to move up to the next level, go to the On-Demand menu and click on:  Sports & Fitness/Exercise TV/Abs/Jackie 1-on-1 Core.  This is a higher level routine that lasts approx. 23 minutes and really works all areas of your core.  It is hosted by Jackie Warner, best known for her Bravo show “Work Out.”  Don’t over-exert yourself when first trying this routine; it’s pretty tough so rest when needed.  I frequently rested the first 2-3 weeks I followed this regimen and slowly found my core strength increased to the point where I could complete almost every rep with Warner.

I’m now at the point where one of my workouts consists of completing the Janklowicz ab workout twice (back-to-back) mixed in with some other exercises I’ve learned.  My other workout consists of completing Warner’s routine, but really trying to strictly adhere to it without any cheating.  I’m on the lookout for another solid core routine to add to my mix, because another lesson for you to learn is to practice “muscle confusion;” you don’t want to fall into a rut by doing the same exercises all the time, as your muscles will adapt to this and you will no longer realize all of the benefits of the exercising.

For those of you who are not Comcast CATV subscribers, the links provided will guide you to the appropriate internet sites where you can learn more about these trainers and their routines.  Additional info for Warner, along with the ability to purchase the Jackie 1-on-1 Core program can be found at Exercise TV or at the Exercise TV Store.

The crucial point I need to reinforce for you is lose all thoughts of any inevitable downfall in your health…don’t become sedentary.  If you can motivate yourself to just get started and gradually ramp-up your efforts at a speed and comfort level appropriate for you, the mental, emotional and spiritual improvement in your life will accompany the physical.  You’ll be happier and so will your wife…and guys, we all know the benefit of that:  “happy wife, happy life.”

-Neal