Keep Active - Get Movin' at 50 Plus
Session 6 - Sticking to It
Beginning a fitness program is only half the challenge. To get fit, you have to stick with your plan. After a while, you'll be able to do more and reap even greater benefits.
Stay The Course
Believe it or not, one of the biggest complaints of people new to fitness is that their routines quickly become boring. And boredom sometimes leads them to forgo fitness entirely and lose the benefits of an active lifestyle. Don't let this happen to you. The following tips can help you maintain your fitness level by avoiding burn-out or boredom.
- Choose activities you enjoy.
- Schedule your activity, just as you would any other appointment.
- Find a training partner.
- Listen to recorded books or music during endurance activities.
- Cross train to reduce boredom and to work different muscle groups. For example, play tennis on Monday, walk on Tuesday and garden on Wednesday.
- Set goals and track your activity so you can evaluate your progress. Reward yourself when you reach a goal--a new tennis racquet or a belly dancing lesson.
- Have a backup plan. If it's raining on the day you planned to walk, work out with an exercise video. If the treadmills are full at the gym, try the stair climber.
- If your routine has become routine, add a new or more challenging activity.
Thinking Points
- Do you have specific health or fitness goals?
- If so, how can you craft a fitness program to help you meet those goals?
Step It Up
When you first start out—especially if you're brand new to fitness—even a little activity can be a challenge. But once you've made fitness a regular part of your life, you may want to "up the ante." As your body adapts and you become more fit, you can gradually add more challenging activities. Best of all, the more vigorous your exercise, the greater the benefits. Just be careful not to overdo it.
By establishing well-written goals, you can make fitness a way of life. But a goal is just a wish if it isn't SMART:
- Specific. Be precise. Write down exactly what you expect to achieve.
- Measurable. Include amounts, times, days, and other milestones for gauging success
- Achievable. Set your sights on an attainable goal, yet one that causes you to stretch, to go beyond what you're doing today.
- Relevant. Although it's nice for your spouse, kids, boss, parents, and friends to want you to be successful, your goal should matter to you, first and foremost.
- Trackable. Behavior change doesn't happen in a fell swoop—it takes time. Record your progress over days or weeks to see how much you've achieved.
Endurance
An endurance activity is anything that raises your heart rate and breathing. First, build up the amount of time you spend on endurance activity. If you're walking, for example, gradually increase your time to 30 minutes. Once you've mastered that, increase the difficulty of the activity. Walk faster, or walk steeper hills. For positive peer pressure, join a walking group.
Strength Training
Each performance of a strength-training exercise is called a repetition or "rep." Reps performed in succession are called a set. If, for example, you perform the arm raises pictured here for two sets of twelve reps, that translates into performing the exercise a total of 24 times. Don't forget to rest for one to three minutes between sets.
When you've reached the point where 12 reps of the same exercise is very easy for you (the 12th rep is as easy as the 1st), it's time to increase the amount of weight you're lifting. Be conservative when increasing weight. Adding just one pound can produce the resistance needed to stimulate further gains in strength.
Meeting Your Goals–Realistically
According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the amount and type of fitness activity you pursue should depend on your activity level and personal goals.
- If you're sedentary or inactive, find ways to fit at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity into your days. Be sure to include weight-bearing activities.
- If you're moderately active and have specific health goals, keep your active daily lifestyle, continue accumulating 30 minutes of daily activity, and choose activities that correspond with your health goals.
Recommended Activities to Meet Your Goals
| Health goal | Recommended activity |
|---|---|
| Improve cardiovascular health | Aerobic exercise for extended period or at higher intensity |
| Improve bone health | Weight-bearing activities; resistance exercises |
| Increase lower back strength | Static stretching in mid-back, abdomen and thighs |
| Boost psychological well-being | Enjoyable activities and fun atmosphere. Aerobic exercise over time has also been shown to boost psychological well-being. |
If you're moderately active and have specific fitness goals, keep your active daily lifestyle, continue accumulating 30 minutes of daily activity, and choose activities that correspond with your fitness goals.
Recommended Activities to Meet Your Fitness Goals
| Fitness goal | Recommended activity |
|---|---|
| Improve aerobic fitness | 20-40 minutes vigorous activity, 3-5 days per week |
| Increase muscular strength/endurance | Resistance exercise, 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps for each muscle group, 2-3 days per week |
| Increase flexibility | Daily static stretching, 10-30 seconds, 2-3 times each muscle group |
| Gain muscle mass | Eat more calories, especially carbohydrates; include resistance exercise |
| Lose weight/tone up | Reduce calories, increase duration of aerobic work, include resistance exercise |
Glossary
Cross training: A method of exercising in which you alternate between different activities to avoid boredom and prevent straining one part of the body repeatedly.
Rep: A single performance of an exercise for a specific muscle group.
Set: A number of reps performed in succession.
Keep Active: Get Movin'
Any activity is better than no activity. If you can just walk around the block, keep at it and you will be able to do more. Remember, the key to becoming active and staying active is to make fitness a regular part of your life—and to have fun doing it.
AARP Resources
AARP on Physical Activity
AARP's tips sheets on everything from getting motivated to working out.
Get Fit on Route 66
Convert your exercise minutes to miles on this free virtual journey.
Step Up to Better Health
Clip on a step counter, choose an Internet trail, and start walking in this 10 week program.
Additional Resources
Forget Something? A walk might help you remember
National Institute
on Aging
1-800-222-2225
The NIA publication "Exercise: Getting Fit for Life" reviews the four types of exercises you need to do to have the right mixture of physical activities.
