Health & Fitness
The Muscles of Independence
The legs, or "Go" muscles, are under-rated and undervalued. Yet they are the ones that keep you out of assisted living. Here's a little July fitness play on keeping your Independence!
"Listen all seniors and you shall hear
The way to avoid what you most fear,
The atrophy of your legs—such a sad story;
Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Want to stay ambulatory?
Read on if for you walking is dear."
Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
As David Hume said, “It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.” The loss of strength and function of your legs may start with difficulty standing from a low chair or pushing a loaded shopping cart. If your legs continue to atrophy, getting off the toilet or ascending a flight of stairs may become impossible. There is a recent study that shows a 30 minute program of leg exercises done three times a week over six weeks can improve function dramatically.
A well designed program of exercising one’s legs involves several dimensions:
Strength, which allows you to go up and down a flight of stairs or walk carrying a bag of groceries from the garage to the kitchen. This is accomplished by exercising the glutes, quads and hamstrings with moderate intensity at a slow and rhythmic pace.
Power, which allows you to rise up from a low sofa quickly or get of the floor after playing with a grandchild. Bench squats or wall squats done with a stability ball are good exercises to help achieve this goal.
Balance, which allows you to walk on a slippery sidewalk or maintain equilibrium when you catch your toe on an area rug. Bosu, wobble boards and standing Yoga poses are effective at improving one’s balance.
Endurance, which allows you to walk your dog for a half hour and shop like a champ in the mall. The best exercise is to replicate what you are trying to do. So if walking for 30 minutes is your goal, start walking, a little at first, then work your way up to 30 minutes. Slowly when you begin your program, then a little faster when you reach your first goal.
Flexibility, which helps prevent cramps and allows you to freely swing a golf club. Flexibility, when combined with balance, will help you maintain a normal gait, thus avoiding the dreaded old folk’s shuffle. Stretching the muscle groups that were used during strength and power exercises will help keep you limber. Yoga and Pilates are also effective at increasing one’s flexibility and core stability.
Speed, which allows you to move smartly to the net to make a great backhand volley also allows you to walk fast enough to exercise your heart in its training range. Whether you walk, bike, swim, use a NuStep or elliptical trainer, the legs are the large muscle group that demands your heart pump lots of blood. Leg function and a healthy heart go hand in hand, or should I say leg in leg.
The trick is to step up and do the work. Sure, exercise is a pain in the gluteus maximus. But, like George Bernard Shaw said, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.” If you dread the words “assisted living” more than “exercise,” then it’s time to take action and begin a program to strengthen the legs, the muscles of your independence.
_________________________________________________________________
Joe Stein, B.S., M.B.A., is a certified personal trainer, weight management & lifestyle coach and owner of Renaissance Fitness & Wellness. Call 732-345-5151 or contact through www.RenaissanceFitness.com with questions or to receive a complimentary fitness consultation and session.
