At my age, 10 minute exercise sessions is about my limit. This currently includes walking up 80 to 96 steps, working with 5 pound dumbbells, some pushups, & sit ups. I am not sure how to do the work with dumbbells.Should I work both hands the same way, as if using a barbell? For example: Do a press using both arms at same time. Work arms alternately? Press with one arm & while moving that arm down, do the press with the other? Presses can be done laying on the floor, bench presses, or shoulder to arms extended overhead. Is there a lot of difference in the muscles being used? Should I do some of each? Working as if using a barbell takes less time with each repetition requiring more energy. Alternating uses less effort, but results in exercising for a longer time. Each arm does the same number of repetitions using either method. I usually do 60 curls. Should I do 30 regular (Palms up) & 30 reverse (Palms down)? Should I do 60 regular? Should I do 20 regular, 20 reverse, & 20 with palms facing each other? Curl question similar to the press question: Should I alternate or work as if using a barbell? Thanx for any advice.
There are many variations you can use while using dumbbells, and there may be some minor differences in the benefits you receive. Depending on the exercise, you can hold them like you would a barbell (pronated grip) or in a neutral grip. Dumbbells will require more stabilization from supporting muscles than a barbell, but the downside is you won't be able to use as much weight. I would mix and match doing pressing and curling exercises with both arms together and performing the motion with each arm independently. If you are laying on the floor when doing a press, your range of motion will be shorter than it would be from a bench, but it will be easier on your shoulders. If you have issues with your shoulders while pressing from a bench, try from the floor. Pressing overhead can cause some people problems (shoulder impingement, etc.), but if you are careful and listen to your body, you should be ok. I think mixing hand position (pronated, neutral and supinated) would be beneficial when doing curls, and doing both "barbell-like" lifts and individual arms. Keep it varied and interesting. It will all be beneficial.
Hey, shouldn't this be in the exercise forum? not picking on y'all, just saying... My own experience-alternate working sets of muscles on different days. And throw some yoga in there-especially if y'all are pushing 60. Yoga improves balance, coordination, and flexibility-all things that will keep you from falling down and breaking something. (This looks like a good site for poses) :http://www.yogaclass.com/
Wow! Ten minutes, by my calculations that puts you at about 3-4,000 years of age. Well done for hanging in there. If you are indeed that old, I wouldn't suggest using dumbells without having good back support. Better still do swimming and bike riding (very low joint stress) or canoeing, yoga and brisk walks. Dumbells are great for muscle toning but even with low weights it is easy to put stress on your lower back without even realising you're doing it.
The key point about exercise is that you do it. Optimising the actual exercises is very much secondary. That said, you should try to gently exercise every muscle group. There is a wide range of ways to do this, and a forum is not the best place to get advice. I would recommend paying a one time gym entry and paying a personal trainer a one off session to test your abilities and recommend a program.
Hi Dinosaur, I agree with Idle Mind. If you have joined any gym take advice from your instructor. Don't put too much load on yourself while exercising.
Do you have breathing or circulation troubles, is that why you can only go ten minutes? Or are you just out of shape? Walking might be the best exercise for you if you can do it. Swimming slowly on your back is also very good, very moderate exercise. It's almost impossible to do wrong and it can loosen you up. Unless you have a nutritional problem that resulted in inadequate body fat, you will be able to float face-up very safely and easily. People who can't walk very far can do it. It could be that your best bet is to build up your strength and endurance with some more ordinary exercise first, and then graduate to weight training. I don't know how old you are. But rather than taking the responsibility for telling you what to do, I will be cautious and urge you to also discuss this with your physician!
Fraggle Rocker: I am 80 Plus with a minor heart problem & take cancer medication. The cancer medication affects my muscle mass & stamina. I have some neurological problems which affect my sense of balance. I use my visual system to maintain balance & would fall over if I closed my eyes with my feet close together. For many years, I read while walking, but dare not do so anymore. Both my cardiologist & oncologist recommend as much exercise as I can do short of noticing bad symptoms (other than muscle soreness & fatigue). When the weather gets warmer, I intend to play golf. I have given up skiing, tennis, & more active sports. Fortunately, I my normal heart rate is about 55 beats per second (I was on track & cross country teams & good at distances from 800 meters up). My cardiologist tells me my heart problems would be serious if my heart rate was higher. In my youth, I won conference wrestling titles & was very strong years ago. I am still stronger than most men my age. An article I read recently claimed that shorter periods of more intense exercise are better than longer periods of moderate exercise. The article also said than walking, while good, has been overrated as worthwhile exercise. I could do moderate exercise for 60 minutes or more (I can walk 1-3 miles at 3 miles per hour), but have decided that 10-12 minutes of more intense exercise is better. I do rapid curls until my biceps do not feel they can continue. Then I switch to another exercise, similarly working until the muscles fatigue. I keep switching the muscles groups exercised, always continuing until that set of muscles is fatigued. The 10-12 minutes include 2-3 minutes of walking up & down stairs. BTW: It is very easy to find 10-12 minutes for excercise almost every day, but difficult to find an hour.
With all of my medial problems I've developed my own type of excercise program called" Psycho aerobics in which I just think about the excercise I want to do and do it for as long as I can. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
At your age you need to maintain your strength and flexibility. Have you considered doing yoga? The breathing exercises alone will make a tremendous difference. Working with your own weight is easier than using equipment. And make sure you take your vitamin D - it will help reduce muscle loss and muscle pain that occurs naturally with age. [source]
Yes, it does seem like a good mix of Eastern and Western exercises would be perfect for him. If he has trouble with balance, improving flexibility will reduce the chance of falling down. But if he wants to increase stamina, I still wonder if swimming might be appropriate. Although probably not alone in a pool. Swimming face-up allows you to move at your own pace and gradually build up strength, coordination and endurance. Golf is mostly walking. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I hope he has a dog, they improve the quality of life immensely. A little couch potato like our Lhasa Apsos, or an even smaller purse rider like a French bulldog.
Well I hate to make recommendations that I am unsure of when I cannot see the person I am making them to. Dinosaur is presumably >70 years [which is the same age as my dad] so I would not recommend he take up swimming unless he is already a proficient swimmer. A stamina limit of 10 minutes is not what I would consider a good starting point for the pool. Hence the breathing exercises: How to Increase Stamina Through Breathing Exercises Bikram Yoga is a good option for yogic exercises to build stamina http://www.bikramyoga.com/ The only problem is getting a good instructor. A proper yoga instructor would help not only with the age and health appropriate exercises - which are relatively and deceptively easy to perform - but would also address factors like nutrition, rest and mental de stressing.
walking up and down stairs is great exercise. dumbbells are meant for one arm yes, work each arm separately when using dumbbells. a bench is not needed to get a proper workout using weights. use palms up. you should start with a certain weight. use that weight until you can do 3 sets of 30 reps. when you can do the 90 reps increase weight by 3 to 5 pounds. check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. for a better workout concentrate on the muscle or muscles the workout is targeting and "make" it work harder do not workout every day. workout every other day. when i was young and dumb i could curl 70 pounds 30 times and put 100 pound over my head 11 times.
There are several technique shared on the sportsfitnessadvisor site.The animated Images are really handy for you to exactly define you about the technique and how to perform it in the Gym. Orlando Fitness boot camp
He's in his 80s. You didn't read the entire thread before jumping in. That's the whole point of doing it on his back. You can float that way for quite a long time, while exerting minimal energy. You don't care about form. It's okay if you're not completely horizontal, just far enough from vertical that it's comfortable to hold your head with your face out of the water. As I said, I wouldn't advise him to go into a pool all alone if he's not already at least a minimally competent swimmer. But paddling languidly around on his back in the shallow end would be a good way to build up stamina at his own pace. These days everyone who can do the Sun Salutation is a yoga instructor.
True, but there are other factors, which he may be able to discuss - one is the problem of depressed immune function with cancer medication and the propensity for catching chills. The other is the loss of muscle function and pain with methotrexate. Hence my recommendations. I missed his age for some reason [ he wrote 80 plus and for some reason it did not compute as age to me] I read that he is a runner, so I assume that he still has athletic interests and ability. I guess so, but I recommend using a pool which is not frequented by too many people, due to his depressed immune function The Surya namaskar is an excellent way to build strength flexibility and stamina - simply by varying the speed at which you do it! But I still recommend using an instructor. The most important point of yoga is to do the exercises correctly which is why you need an observer when you learn them.
I'm thinking if you are a Dinosaur, maybe Yoga and Swimming. Dumbbells are pretty good for strength IF you've been working them your whole life. If not then I'm not so sure your body would be used to that movement and it's VERY EASY to damage a joint or socket.
