Exercise over 50

I am by no means an exercise expert or fitness guru. I like to walk and I like to go to the gym when it’s convenient.

But I do like to follow exercise and nutrition research and trends, and not too long ago I found an exercise program for people over 50 that I really connected with. I don’t know the ages of the people who drop in to this blog, but I figure some of you must be over 50 so I thought I’d share it.

There’s no cut and dried time frame for this program. You don’t have to do something for ‘X’ number of days and then progress to the next level; you just work at your own speed and set your own tempo. Keep it simple and always stay within your comfort zone and at a level where you feel confident.

You begin by holding a 5-lb potato bag in each hand and extend your arms straight out from your sides and you simply hold them there as long as you can. Just breath normally and hold the potato bags. That’s it! Could it be any simpler? Tell me you’re not feeling stronger, healthier and more confident right now.

Do this one time every day and as each day passes, you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer than you did the time before. Just fractions of seconds at the start (remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day) but the more you work the program, the faster you’ll see those fractions of seconds become minutes.

After a couple of weeks, or whenever you feel comfortable (remember: no pressure), allow yourself to move up to 10-lb potato bags in each hand. When you’re ready then try 50-lb potato bags in each hand, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand. I’ve been working this program for about seven weeks and I’m at this level right now.

After you feel confident holding the 100-lb potato bags, then put a potato in each bag.

Please keep in touch and let me know your progress!

Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.