tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:33:11 +0000Healthful EatingExercise DemonstrationsFitnessInspirational PeopleMental HealthOverweightThoughts on Strength, Health and Fitness for seniors.http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)Blogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-132202631270717514Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:31:00 +00002008-08-17T17:54:02.940-07:00The Gray Iron Fitness blog has moved. Blogger has been great, and I appreciate the many friends who have written kind words and added me to their lists.The move is a practical one because I have opened a new enlarged fitness web site (http://www.senior-exercise-central.com). My blog and the Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter are a part of the new web site.Please take a look at the new blog site here. http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-new-address.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-4005934997769840792Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:56:00 +00002008-08-12T13:06:52.226-07:00To: Gray IronThanks for your latest newsletter - I always look forward to it. Perhaps in a future issue you could consider recovery. I train Monday Wednesday Friday - why? Tradition. Occasionally I train Monday and Thursday having read about the importance of recovery, and some even recommend seven to ten days between training.Any observations you may have would be interesting. I see that http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/good-questions-from-uk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-6720086645192286978Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:26:00 +00002008-08-08T16:54:28.223-07:00FitnessMental HealthSince my web site and newsletters are designed as services to people over age 50, the following “Dear Abby” item from today’s newspaper caught my eye.A reader writes Abby: “Could you please tell me at what age can a person claim to be a senior citizen?”(I’ve often wondered that, too. -LF)Abby answers: “I have known some people in their 20s who were ‘older’ than many vibrant people in their 80s. http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-is-senior-anyway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-5789526875554856142Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:35:00 +00002008-07-30T09:59:18.752-07:00FitnessThe argument against stretching before training or a competition is that it may "dampen" muscle strength, and in some sports "loose joints" increase the risk of injuries.A report in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2008, says that a little easy stretching before training does not dampen muscle strength.The Gray Iron interpretation is that you should save the more http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/to-stretch-or-not-to-stretch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-1385904672869824148Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:06:00 +00002008-07-26T19:34:45.189-07:00OverweightWhen I see fat people – and there are so many these days it’s hard not to see them – I often wonder what it would take to motivate them to lose weight. Does that sound condescending? Well, I’m a fitness advocate. It’s my job to wonder about these things.I know that fat people really don’t want to be fat. I don’t think anybody does. But if personal pride in their appearance doesn’t motivate them, http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/big-bellies-and-dementia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-8272238283017873312Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:08:00 +00002008-07-30T10:02:46.272-07:00If you look only at the first part of this recent Washington Post article, you may want to write the editor and give him or her a piece of your mind, or cancel your subscription, if you are a subscriber. Just kidding. But what is it that I’m talking about? Well, they get pretty graphic about the ravages of aging in an article titled, “How Our Bodies Age (And What You Can Do About It).” Take a http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/only-for-bravest-of-seniors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-9154402051195453973Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:31:00 +00002008-07-21T12:21:27.405-07:00Healthful EatingOverweightMaybe the most effective weight loss program is to move out of the Southern United States. But the thing is the southern states are the nation’s fastest growing region. I don't mean to pick on Southerners. Still, the fact is there’s a serious obesity problem down South, where more than 30 percent of adults in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee are considered obese. This amounts to more than just http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/too-much-good-cookin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-9136352031065102538Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:55:00 +00002008-07-08T13:24:02.045-07:00Mental HealthThe people at AARP know when you turn 50 and they send you an invitation to join up. To them, you’ve just crossed that line — you are a senior.It’s been more than 20 years since I found my invitation in the mail box. At first, it was a punch in the stomach. Then I would joke about it with friends. But the clock stops for no one. Acceptance sets in. People who don’t think much about retirement http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/act-2-of-life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-8142749924100164415Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:04:00 +00002008-06-22T19:20:42.256-07:00FitnessHealthful EatingWell, maybe not so much as we thought, according to a report in Scientific American. So read on and learn some pretty encouraging news . . .Dean Ornish, MD, is founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and a clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco (U.C.S.F.). He said the following:"We found that simple changes have a powerful impact on gene http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/is-our-fate-all-in-our-genes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-6471361644101089964Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:00 +00002008-06-12T21:21:22.857-07:00Mental HealthThis may step on some sensitive toes, but for a long time I have believed that the law of diminishing returns comes into play at some point, probably sooner rather than later, in all talk therapy. No, I'm not an expert, just a guy with an opinion formed by observation and life experience. However, I do happen to live in a place many people consider therapy central. That is, I live in the San http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/is-grief-counseling-bunk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-1083409626586386866Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:28:00 +00002008-06-10T09:34:27.160-07:00Healthful EatingIs it really important to get that perfect carb-to-protein ratio within an hour after a workout? I must admit that I try to come close to it. Now it seems that sports doctors are thinking the whole timing business is an exaggeration and maybe even a myth. Two Canadian doctors, athletes themselves, have studied the matter and concluded that its importance is negligible, when applied to most peoplehttp://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/post-workout-carbprotein-ratio.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-8959621105373846131Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:06:00 +00002008-06-06T08:46:18.177-07:00I am not a golfer. It’s a wonderful game that never appealed to me. In my view, Mark Twain had it right: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”But let’s give credit where credit is due. According to a study in Sweden, the death rate for golfers is 40% lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status. That adds up to a five year increase in life expectancy. And golfers with a low http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/old-golfers-never-die.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-8111619899583134726Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:31:00 +00002008-06-03T10:50:21.987-07:00It’s a common annoyance in plenty of gyms and health clubs, obnoxious characters who make really loud grunts and groans with practically every exercise repetition. You know the type. Fortunately, those who crave that kind of attention tend to gravitate to certain gyms and are therefore avoidable. I’m grateful that I don’t hear much of it where I workout. But it does happen. And if you've been http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/gym-grunter-is-silenced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-191971799472861794Sat, 24 May 2008 03:32:00 +00002008-05-23T20:51:07.620-07:00As you will see, Pat Cunneen understands the progressive resistance exercise concept. His plan follows: Easy Exercise for People Over 70 (You do not need expensive equipment)Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5 pound potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/old-friend-shares-secret-workout.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-2719849313491573843Tue, 20 May 2008 17:49:00 +00002008-06-12T09:20:44.772-07:00Mental HealthAccording to Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard, in a very important way our brains may be improving with age. Excluding diseases such as Alzheimer's, Carson suggests that forgetting where you left your car keys or people's names at a party may be good not bad. Can it be so? You're probably a skeptic. I don't blame you if you are. But it's worth checking out the story, don't http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/stop-presses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-4169044238081287465Thu, 15 May 2008 17:56:00 +00002008-05-22T16:53:54.229-07:00I dodged colds and the flu the past winter season. Of course summer colds happen too. But there are fewer of them going around. So how did I get so lucky?Though not 100 percent perfect, pneumonia and flu shots offer pretty good protection. I recommend them. Colds are a different matter, and there are all kinds of myths about them. Even today, many people think you get a cold by being cold. You http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/gym-equipment-dangers-lurking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-1947887523551486746Wed, 07 May 2008 16:28:00 +00002008-05-12T08:54:21.211-07:00Healthful EatingThe people at Wellsphere have come up with a great new service, one of those neat items that makes you wonder: “Why didn’t someone think of this before?"Here’s the deal: Restaurant chains, for the most part, are fighting legislation that would require them to show the nutritional information of their dishes. Eventually, they may lose the battle, but you don’t have to wait for that to http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/eating-out-stroke-of-genius.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-2145488678814885758Thu, 01 May 2008 02:38:00 +00002008-05-12T08:57:12.191-07:00FitnessThere have been recent news accounts of people being overweight (read fat) but still being fit. By fit, let's assume it means the overweight subjects had healthy cardiovascular systems and adequate muscle -- in spite of their excess. And that they were no more likely to contract heart disease, diabetes, etc., than leaner people.You have to wonder: Just how fat were the test subjects? And exactly http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/fat-but-fit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-1075165083137487939Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:09:00 +00002008-05-03T11:11:21.525-07:00Healthful EatingWhile waiting in line at a store checkout a few days ago, I entertained myself by snooping at what the shoppers if front of me were buying. One young woman had five or six kinds of candy bars and several cans of Red Bull on the conveyor belt. I cringed at the thought of all that candy bar sugar but had no idea what was in Red Bull.Then yesterday I read a report about Red Bull having something to http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/red-bull-express.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-4262993048098720761Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:40:00 +00002008-04-27T10:17:17.618-07:00FitnessI subscribe to several health, fitness, and bodybuilding newsletters and read as much as possible about trends in those fields. I sort through the information looking for things that might be applicable to senior fitness. Some of the material is useful but, generally speaking, much of it not suited for people over 50.Why is that?Generally, around age 50 (the year we all become eligible to join http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/smart-training-for-seniors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-3907736979797368409Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:02:00 +00002008-04-15T20:52:52.425-07:00Healthful EatingOverweightGray Iron read this twice just to be certain it is real. The French parliament, it is reported, adopted a bill that would make it illegal for anyone to publicly incite extreme thinness. The bill soon goes to the senate. Overweight French people must be laughing. Of course body weight extremes at either end of the scale are serious matters — but a government passing laws making it illegal to “http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/are-french-serious.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-3184131470103075838Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:15:00 +00002008-04-07T21:07:12.213-07:00FitnessOverweightThe evidence keeps piling up and growing stronger: Women who carry excess fat around their waists are at greater risk of dying early from cancer or heart disease than are women with smaller waistlines -- even if they are of normal weight. That's the conclusion of researchers from Harvard and the National Institutes of Health. Previous studies have shown http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/battling-belly-fat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-1551167123022532510Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:07:00 +00002008-04-10T09:45:23.327-07:00A popular term of worship in recent years has been “multi-tasking.” It is worn by many as a badge of honor. But I believe that only jugglers are truly good at keeping several balls in the air at the same time. Most of us function more efficiently if we keep a shorter list, trying not to do too many things at once. Personal experience and observation have led me to think this way. I also believe ahttp://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/is-multi-tasking-good-thing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-4615225335658630086Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:16:00 +00002008-03-30T16:55:11.171-07:00Exercise DemonstrationsPhoto Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo BooksAgain from high in the Austrian Alps, daughter Jennifer demonstrates the exercise of the month, Squat Thrusts.Squat Thrusts are a total body exercise that can really get your heart pounding and lungs gasping. Sound like torture? Nah, just a heck of a good workout. Still, if you're unfamiliar with this one, enter with some measure of http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/photo-sharing-video-sharing-photo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19555518.post-4629223246741770996Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:49:00 +00002008-03-26T22:15:36.028-07:00In part 1 of this post, I wrote about the young woman who was assaulted and then killed while hiking on a mountain trail in Georgia. I gave my thoughts about hiking alone and mentioned having personal knowledge of tragedies that occurred to people simply on a hike or walk. I will briefly mention three. 1. My great aunt, a widow in her mid-eighties, was out for walk near her apartment in a http://grayironfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/hiking-ounce-of-prevention-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Grayiron)0