HUG-HEALTH: Physical exercise - do you need it and do you get it?!

[STHLS5]

?...*Just realized I am no longer young and right now nursing my swollen wrist and aching ankle .
.}

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Just a reminder to those who want to go back active after a long break. You have to build you strength slowly and do not think you are still in your youths. I just spend another two hours of badminton yesterday night and I have aggravated my injuries which I suffered two weeks ago.What should have been healed within 3 or 4 days is now taking more than two weeks to heal. Time to face the reality - I am getting old and way past my prime.

ST

[EricW]

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Just a reminder to those who want to go back active after a long break. You have to build you strength slowly and do not think you are still in your youths. I just spend another two hours of badminton yesterday night and I have aggravated my injuries which I suffered two weeks ago.What should have been healed within 3 or 4 days is now taking more than two weeks to heal. Time to face the reality - I am getting old and way past my prime.

ST

Time takes its toll but no one should let that dissuade them from proper exercise. Done properly, I find that it actually alleviates some of the creakiness and aches and pains associated with ageing, as it keeps your joints, muscles and tissues healthy. Not to mention your mind.

Sports like badminton, or indeed any sport requiring very quick and sudden movements, are just asking for trouble in my view. They may be fun but the nature of the sudden extreme movements is such that you run greater risk of injury, certainly if you don't do a long and careful warmup with lots of stretching, and perhaps even if you do. But there are plenty of other options: walking, running, swimming, yoga, pilates, etc. Or, if you're going to do something that requires very quick, sudden movement, warm up properly. That's always a good idea, but really critical as you get older.

[EricW]

Don't forget! A few minutes of exercise every will make a difference to your overall health.

For those interested, here's a fascinating recent article from the New York Times explaining some new research into one reason exercise is so beneficial:

http://nyti.ms/yXbdDj

[A.S.]

The Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas (where else), home of the health life style, as reported on BBC Radio 4's PM programme, 16 February 2012.

Loading the player ...

I'm speechless.

[thurston]

I always had problems with gyms, therefore...

...my suggestion for a great workout-machine:

Get yourself a dog!
(if you life in a rural area)

My "workout" is that I walk at least 1 hour a day trough the woods.
No matter what weather, rain, snow or beautiful sunshine.

In addition I play tennis once or twice a week and my uncle (because he made me remember our marathon-time) persuaded me to run at least a half-marathon in june. So I sometimes just go out jogging. But that, to tell the truth, will probably be more often when the days are longer.

[Kumar Kane]

An update after 3 months of restarting exercise and sensible eating.

After allowing myself to run to seed physically for some years - and being aware of, but carefully ignoring this thread! - I started on the journey to regain my body exactly three months ago, from a bodyweight of 105 kilos. Which, for 6ft, is obese.

At 53, I had to be careful to temper my usual enthusiasm for this, not very successfully. The usual resultant aches, pains and some minor injuries, but it is good to be now down to 89 kilos. Still have a few kilos to go, but the challenge now is maintenance. The most difficult part, I find.

On the exercise front, weights and running/swimming. And sensible eating of the right kind. With zero alcohol.

For those that want to consider weights/strength training seriously, a fascinating place to research is www.startingstrength.com. Lots of testosterone abounds on the site - certainly makes for very entertaining reading. But if one does some culling, there are diamonds to be found.

The other interesting thing looks to be learning how to swim effortlessly. I have been a casual swimmer for years, but more of the thrashing in the water breaststroke kind. I am now trying to learn the front crawl, and it is fascinating to learn that it is as much about balance in the water, and technique to move through the water like fish do, as it is about being fit to swim well. A bit like learning how to ride a bicycle.

{Moderator's comment: more simple exercises-whilst-you-listen will be uploaded in the next few days here on HUG....)