3 of the Most Common Underlying Conditions and how you can still get fit
Alright, I gave you some time to start off on our beginners workout Video that you can do in your own home or office. So tell me….did you try it? If you did how did it go for you?If you didn’t what was your excuse for not trying it.
Incase you missed it you can check out that post and video right here
Today I want to talk about something that might be holding you back. Perhaps you use these more than you should to justify why you are not exercising or why you may be putting on weight – and that’s the underlying conditions that unfortunately more people become susceptible to as they get older. To be clear I am not talking about this from a doctor’s point of view only from a lot of experience. So let’s take a look 3 of the most common complaints and how you can still over come them.
1. Arthritis
This is probably one of, if not the most common complaint we would hear. Arthritis affects your joints and causes inflammation in them and this in turn results in pain when you move these joints. Again a lot of people use this as “it’s too sore to exercise” or “when I exercise my arthritis flares up”. But the less you move the more you give arthritis control on your body and the more it’s going to affect you.
Having arthritis shouldn’t be a reason to give up. The secret to overcoming this is first of all start moving. Keep the joints loose and oiled up. The second thing and probably more important is to build strength in your muscles. The more muscle you build around a joint, the more pressure you take off it because your body relies on the muscle more than the joint itself. There is a line between working your muscles to build strength where you may feel some discomfort (but this is a necessary evil) and then training to the point where you are exacerbating your condition. But it can be done.
2. Lower Back Strain or Injury
Again a very common complaint and often comes from years of wear and tear. Others have direct injuries to the area but in either case there are ways to overcome this and start getting fit and healthy.
Again you will hear me say this time and time again. Keep moving. Movement keeps the body loose and minimises the effect of strained muscles. Often you can feel it the most first thing in the morning. This is because during the night your muscles shorten as they relax and when you get out of bed or try to it feels really stiff.
Similarly when you start exercising you can notice an increased strain in the lower back if the program is designed right.
To overcome these obstacles you need to stretch a lot more, particularly your lower back. Try stretching first thing in the morning before you get out of bed and last thing at night. Do this consistently and you will notice the difference in a few weeks. We will be posting a video next week on some highly effect mobility and stretching exercise to help this.
With exercise you need to start off gently, don’t rush into it. Don’t overstrain or lift anything too heavy. Get a program designed for you that suits your current fitness levels and abilities. A big focus as well should be on building core strength around the muscles on your lower back and abdomen – again we will be releasing a video on the best core exercises for back strength in the coming weeks.
3. Blood Pressure
It is more common than you think. We see so many unfit clients coming into their 50s and beyond that have been told they should go on medication. Some want to take matters into their own hands and get fit before it gets to that and rightly so. Others, however, maybe too far gone and medication is a must in the immediate short term.
This leads to the “I can’t do too much now,I have to watch the blood pressure” I am sure you have heard people like this. Maybe it’s you! Fact of the matter is, having high blood pressure doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. If anything it means you need to exercise more to get it under control and off the medication.
To overcome this obstacle you need to start off slow again, very light intensity both in cardiovascular exercise and strength training, nothing that will spike the blood pressure. You have to remember that when people are exercising the medication works to keep the blood pressure down so readings on equipment will give you a false reading saying that it’s normal when in fact you could be fit to drop. That’s why we monitor physical exertion; how you feel during the workout and gradually improve and progress as you get fitter
With all of these underlying conditions (and many more) there is a way to make it work. Don’t let them take over. Get the advice and get fit. Just keep in mind if you do suffer from any of these that your results may be a bit slower than someone of an identical background who doesn’t have them as they can train a bit harder and may see quicker results so it’s about managing your expectations as well
This kind of program, help and support is just the kind of plan we provide in our Active 50s training where your program is customised and tailored to suit you and your abilities. If you think you need more help or won’t/can’t do it on your own then reach out for help. You can book a free consultation here
Please comment or post any questions in the comment box below.
To your success
Mike
