4 Myths about Fitness, Mobility, and Being a Senior

Mary Jane Detroyer NYC Nutritionist

 

When I say fitness, oftentimes people automatically click into an image of what we see on magazine covers: bikini bodies, abs, marathons and muscles. Certainly, that’s one part of fitness, albeit a very tiny shard of what fitness really is.

Essentially, fitness is independence.

That sounds odd. If you’re a healthy person who doesn’t struggle to stand to get out of a chair, who doesn’t worry about how you’re going to maneuver getting to the bus stop; if you can get pretty much anywhere you need, you might not understand what a powerful thing it is to have a body that works the way you need it to.

Today I want to focus on an important body of people that is often overlooked by personal trainers. And, moreover, these people often don’t think it’s possible to go to a personal trainer to improve their lives. I’m talking about seniors.

Here are the biggest myths I believe are perpetuated by the media  and misinformation we have about fitness, mobility, and seniors:

Fitness = youth: We live in a world where ageism exists. “Out with the old, in with the new.” Just one look at Hollywood, and we all feel that extra pull of gravity on our bodies. Ironically, the importance of being physically active grows as we age. Fitness doesn’t mean air brushed magazine covers. It means dancing with your granddaughter at her wedding

It’s too late to start: Never. Being physically active can begin whether you’re five or seventy-five. You won’t start running marathons, but by making smart lifestyle changes and becoming active, you will see incredible improvements in your mobility.

I’m in a wheelchair, so it won’t work for me:  Physical activity isn’t limited to our legs. As many challenges there are being chair-bound, there are activities: weight training, stretching, chair aerobics, Tai Chi, yoga and more. All of these improve muscle tone and flexibility.

I’ll break a hip: Exercise improves balance, muscle tone, and bone density. So the more you exercise, the less you are at risk of falling and breaking something.NYC Nutritionist

Many seniors come to me to learn skills and train  to overcome daily obstacles and regain their lives, whether it means the desire to live on their own or travel to a far-off destination. Something as basic as being able to  do a half squat can be the difference between independent living and having to live in a group home.

This triangle of fitness is key to independence, though there’s a missing key point that is central to everything: attitude. At times, people struggle with their own perceived limitations. Being a personal trainer for seniors doesn’t just mean doing an easier routine. The challenges are real, as many seniors suffer from arthritis, lower back pain, and joint pain, all of which can limit mobility. But the advances of working with seniors are exciting and life enriching.

And it’s time to take the stigma out of “senior.” I happen to be one and often say to myself, “I don’t feel like one.” But, in fact,  I do and relish it. I love my “senior” perspective. How being fit and healthy trumps the way I look in a pair of jeans; how wonderful it is to recognize beauty as an act, a word, a moment shared, and not a frozen magazine cover picture. So, yes, I feel like a senior and love it.

Next week, I’m going to discuss, in greater depth, the physical and mental benefits of exercising as a senior as well as how to build, with your doctor’s approval, a balanced exercise plan.