Why Fitness Matters to the "AARP" Crowd!

As one ages, it is obvious that the body suffers from acute on chronic inertia and soon deteriorates.  One of the leading causes of death is the "DREADED FALL".  The 'AARP' fall (anyone 50 or over) leads to multiple deaths and morbidity.  The CDC reports that each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls.  Falls can cause moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and can increase the risk of early death.  One out of three older adults 65 and older falls each year, but less than half talk to their healthcare providers about it.  Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and no-fatal injuries.  In 2010, 2.3 million non-fatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized.  In 2010, the direct medical costs of fall, adjusted for inflation, was $30 billion.

It is imperative that one is not only concerned with their lipids, cholesterol, ad blood pressure, but their flexibility, mobility, balance, and strength.  Being a member of a health club with a high % of healthy seniors, it became apparent that regular fitness works.  The joke among our co-workers is that at work we are lean, mean fighting machines compared to everyone else, but at the health club we would be classified as overweight, out-of-shape, and a potential medical disaster.

The balance, flexibility go first that leads to a decrease in mobility ad strength.  Avoid 'face plants' - the act of landing face first as a result of an accident or error- by getting involved.

We recommend any continuous- life-long- exercise program that one likes, but it must include cardiovascular and strength/flexibility training.  Yoga, Pilates, personal training, TRX, group workouts, or any of the number of fitness plans work.  Do not be embarrassed y the inability to perform easy exercises in the beginning.  You will and can catch up- you will surprise yourself!

Did Sisyphus Work Out?

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king of Ephyra punished for chronic deceitfulness.  He was would roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down.  He was compelled to repeat this action forever.

Sounds like real-life.  3 fitness tests you should be able to pass article recently posted on Fox News,  asked readers to evaluate their physical health.  Here are the 3 simple tests to judge your health:

1. Waist size less than half your height (Failed that one)
2. Hold the plank position (strict push-up form) for 2 minutes (Failed that one)
3. Get to and up from a seated position with minimal use of hands and knees.  Score is 1-10 with losing a point for every use of hand or knee.  Score less than 3 was associated with a five time higher likelihood of dying versus people who got an 8 or above.  (Got a 7)  This was not a controlled double blind study.

Your physical health is a great predictor of your mental health and your work performance.  In the blog I wrote last February, Prolonging Your Career, I discussed how adding the constant stretching program Restorative Yoga, my flexibility has gone from 5% to 60%.  My blood pressure has lowered and I have lost a little weight.

Some find that gyms open 24-hours are beneficial, and heading there after a shift beneficial.  Especially when a shift has been stressful, a good workout can relieve tension and enable one to return home with some of the tension productively disbursed. 

Being a health care provider is a stressful job, so it is imperative that you take care of the shell surrounding the brain by working the core surrounding your waistline with a consistent strength and conditioning program such as Yoga, Pilates, TRX, Personal Training, etc.  Working out is a Sisyphus-like task, but does have its rewards.