Tips for Seniors: Fitness & Nutrition

“Rome was not built in a day,” says Kirk DeWindt, Personal Trainer at Lions Gym. He explains that the same outlook should be practiced when anyone starts a new exercise regimen. It is important to start slow and build up to a regular fitness plan. Precaution also must take place. Seniors should check with their doctors to make sure their heart health will allow for physical activity. A common mistake that people make is to overdo it right away, lessening the enjoyment of the work out and often resulting in injury. Kirk says, “The best thing a senior can do is to enter into a fitness plan slowly. Work with your limitations and use what you have. Find out what you can do without aggravating any existing injuries or restrictions.”

Limber Up

Flexibility is key, but stretching is often an untouched activity by most seniors. However, this has significant impact. “Stretching is imperative,” Kirk states. “Naturally, with age, muscles tighten. This causes restrictive movement for seniors. A lot of these restrictions can be improved by taking 15 minutes to stretch every other day.” A beginner’s yoga class can also help with this. A common misconception is to stretch before exercising. Kirk advises to stretch after the workout because your body temperature is higher and it will allow for a more thorough stretch.

“Focus on flexibility, cardio and strength training.”

Let’s Talk Details

A great goal to shoot for would be a 30-minute workout 3-4 times a week. “Approximately half of those work out sessions should be devoted to cardio. Appropriate cardio work consists of activities such as walking and swimming,” Kirk explains. Other than cardio, strength training must be a focus. As a person gets older, their muscular strength and bone density tend to go. To counteract this, strength training is the answer. Modified knee pushups, lunges, squats, and working with weights can improve one’s strength.

Eating Right

“FIBER, FIBER, FIBER!” Kirk immediately exclaimed when asked about a healthy diet for seniors. Consuming insoluble fiber significantly reduces the chance of colon cancer, lowers the risk of heart disease, and avoids the development of diverticulosis. While our understanding of proper portioning of food has worsened, our awareness of nutrient rich foods has bettered over the years. The days of white breads, oil, fats and sugars are over. Kirk encourages the consumption of vegetables and whole grain foods. Also, an easy rule of thumb is to eat foods rich in color like green, orange and purple; anything bright in color is indicative of its nutrient value. Generally, the richer the color the better it is for you. That is why green beans, spinach, kale, broccoli and asparagus have more nutrient value than iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and celery.

Lastly, Kirk stresses the importance of starting your day off right with breakfast. Not doing so will lead to weight gain and sluggishness throughout the day.

You can make a decision today to improve your health by following these helpful tips. Enter a fitness plan slowly. Focus on flexibility, cardio and strength training. Include fiber, vegetables and whole grains into your diet. The rewards to living a healthy lifestyle are endless!

Enjoying the Benefits of a Gluten-Free Diet
By Ryan Nelson, Trainer at Lions Gym

Do you experience overwhelming fatigue, headaches, aching joints, poor concentration, emotional irritability, diarrhea, muscle cramps, bloating or gas after eating? If you answered yes to any of the following you may in fact be intolerant to gluten. Consider the benefits of a gluten-free diet. Basing your diet around gluten-free food is healthier and will benefit your cholesterol levels, digestion, and energy level. You don't have to worry about the little things like soy sauce and malt flavorings at first, but if you avoid the major red flags in the gluten-free diet, you will start to feel much healthier. A strict gluten-free diet means no oats, wheat, rye, or barley. This does mean you may have to make several changes in your diet. Most desserts will be off-limits, decreasing your sugar and fat intake. Healthy grains like quinoa and rice, as well as sweet potatoes and veggies will be your main source of carbohydrates. Start eating more fruits, vegetables, meats, in addition to the healthy grains I mentioned. You will also be giving up most fast food, helping avoid grease, fat, and oil. Overall, you would consume less junk food and more fresh food, which is a healthier way for anyone to eat. I have been following a gluten-free diet for more than a year and have noticed several changes, both physical and mental. I noticed after 1 month of being gluten-free that I had lost nearly 10 pounds of water weight. I noticed that I was more flexible, had more energy, and was mentally clearer. I have also found many healthy gluten-free alternatives to old gluten favorites. The change to gluten-free has been rewarding and also inspired me to be more conscious of the food I eat. Here is a gluten-free breakfast favorite of mine: Turkey bacon, onions, quinoa, slivered almonds, cucumbers, fried eggs with a dash of salt and pepper, cooked in coconut oil.

A THORN

Hello!!!
I learned something this weekend that I wanted to share with you. It is
about the thing that we have lived with and learned to ignore. Every time
you took a couple of steps forward it comes along and takes you back
three. You think it is the last time that you have dealt with it and it is
on its merry way out and BOOM!! it is laying or sitting right next to you.
Let's name it a "THORN".

Definition of THORN: one that causes sharp pain, spiny protuberance,
irritation or discomfort.

There is a thorn in your life and you have learned to co-exist with it. It
has been bugging you but you are comfortable with this discomfort. It
sits and looks you straight in the face. You say AHG!! Once in a while
you stay in a position that it really does not bother you or it becomes
less of a pain in your side. All of us have or had that thorn.

I remember my thorn. I remember when the day came when I had tolerated
enough of it. Removing it was eminent! OHH!! I can say it was easily the
most emotionally painful day when the time came to part ways with this
source of prickle. I had grown to feel sorry for my thorn. I would say
stuff like - "What would happen if it did not use me?" How would it make
it?" The thorn was growing on me.

Then began the process of removing it, which I can say took so much work
and help but it did take place. It was not POOF and it was gone. It was a
painstaking time of my life. I had to have a strong, positive supporting
team. I am talking spiritual, physical and mental. Today I can say I am a
survivor and if another thorn came, I will be the first to put it on
notice.

Who, what or where is your thorn? Is your thorn a habit that you have just
refused to let go? Get OUT of your own way my friend. Don't be the source
of this side ache. Don't let your thorn get in the way of what you want to
accomplish. Remove your thorn NOW!!! The time is now.

If your thorn is a person, remember, there are 4 types of people on this
earth. Those that either:

1. ADD
2. SUBTRACT
3. MULTIPLY
4. DIVIDE

Who or what are you choosing to be in your circle? We hope that whomever
or whatever it is that it is the best thing that ever happened to you.

That my friends is your TIP of the WEEK...

WHAT IF!!!

Hello!

I hope you had a great weekend and that you rested. I am sure you wish there was an
extra day added to the weekend because they just seem so short! Leah and I have some
good news that we will probably share at a later date, but are just SO happy about
the news!

I am sure that some of us did not have a super weekend. Maybe you were sick in the
hospital or maybe lost a job, but I want you to know that the grace of God is with
you. There is enough for even YOU! You will get through this one just like you did
the other.

This leads me to share with you about what really concerns me about all of us.
Please join me and do this exercise. You will need a pencil, a piece of paper and
your mind.

- Write down 10 things that you would have liked to have done but you did not do
this past week.
- Next write down 10 things that you wanted to do but did not do last week. It is
not okay if your list does not reach ten ....think harder though.
- Now rewrite the list again, but this time write the 10 things that you WILL do
this week. Do not set yourself up to fail but be smart.
- Then write down the 10 things that you WILL NOT do. This is important to me
because I care about you meeting your goals that we have talked about.
Not just goal for the gym but even at home with your family, friends and pets.

We cannot keep living our lives by "what ifs"...
1. What if I had been working out since January, where would I be now?
2. What if I had not stopped going to the shelter to volunteer, whom would I have
influenced by now?
3. What if I had not drank as much last month like I have been lately?
4. What if I had not laid in the sun as long as I have for the last ten years?
5. What if I had not been intimate with that last person that I met?
6. What if I had not ate that much food, would I still be losing focus?
7. What If I did not quit, how much better would my lower back be by now?
8. What if I did a couple more miles a day rather than just one mile?
9. What if I called my friend and said I was sorry six months ago rather than
yesterday?
10. What if I had told my mother and father "I love you" earlier?

This goes with everything, not just working out. I am not claiming to know it all,
but I know that there is so much pain in "what ifs" versus "I am glad I did". You
must have no FEAR! Look at the horse, it is not afraid of the sword or spear when it
is time for battle. Yet we have a bigger spirit than the horse!

Take a container and put a hundred coins in it. They could be pennies if you like.
And every day for the next one hundred days take one out until there is none left in
the container. Now remember, every time one comes out, what is left is how much time
in days you have left. This is a way to help you focus on not having "what if"
moments.

That my friends is your TIP of the WEEK...

- - - - -
Stephen & Leah Menya
www.LionsGym.com
952-474-7000

STRETCHING

Hello!

Leah and I are hoping that you are having an excellent week! This has been
a strong week for us because we are adapting to styles and habits just to
improve us as human beings. For example, more water, more new types of
veggies and for our junky part, a new type of ice cream! Anyways, I am
hoping that whatever ways you are trying to improve YOU that you are very
strong.

I am catching you at the end of the week to share this tip of stretching.
Hopefully this is something you can do over the weekend, since it will be
fresh in your mind.

Stretching - a form of exercise or a pre-exercise discipline.

This is often the misguided definition of this practice. Stretching is NOT
to be done before you workout and it is not a warm-up. To grill a steak you do not pull on it. To get it warm,you actually put it on the fire. To get heat in your
muscle system, you have to perform and sustain the physical activity until
the system temperature is raised by a degree centigrade. Research
increasingly shows that a stretching habit isn’t good for warm-up, injury
prevention, preventing muscle soreness, or even for flexibility (Paul
Ingraham, Registered Massage Therapist). I bet you are surprised by this,
but I can see why you would be. This is a bold concept.

When challenged, many stretching enthusiasts have a hard time explaining
why they are stretching. The value of stretching has been elevated to
dogma without justification. Everyone just “knows” that it’s a good thing.

1. warming up
2. prevention of muscle soreness
3. prevention of injury
4. flexibility

And sometimes you also hear:

5. “performance enhancement” (faster sprinting, for instance)

Body heat is generated by metabolic activity, particularly muscle
contractions. The best way to warm up is probably to start by doing a
kinder/gentler version of the activity you have in mind. i.e. walk before
you run

Well, my point here today is that stretching is NOT the replacement for
pre-workout or even working out. I don't want you to find quick salvation
in stretching hoping there will be weight loss. Please indulge in your
exercise program before stretching. You will be happy you did. Make it a
focus. There is a good chance you will get what you are looking for in the
end.

- - - -
Stephen & Leah Menya
Owners & Personal Trainers
www.LionsGym.com
952-474-7000

The Twitchers

Hello!

A busy week it has been indeed. Hope your Easter weekend went well. Leah
and I had a fantastic weekend. We got to relax, watch a little golf or
should I say "I" watched a little golf. : ) It was a good break from all
the rush that we have in our lives.

This week I wanted to share something about the long twitch and short
twitch muscles we have in our body. What are they and how important they
are.

Are you a better sprinter or distance runner? Many people believe that
having more fast and slow twitch muscle fibers may determine what sports
athletes excel at and how they respond to training.

Skeletal muscle is made up of bundles of individual muscle fibers called
myocytes. Each myocyte contains many myofibrils, which are strands of
proteins (actin and myosin) that can grab on to each other and pull. This
shortens the muscle and causes muscle contraction.

It is generally accepted that muscle fiber types can be broken down into
two main types: slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibers and fast twitch (Type
II) muscle fibers. Fast twitch fibers can be further categorized into Type
IIa and Type IIb fibers.

On average, we have about 50 percent slow twitch and 50 percent fast
twitch fibers in most of the muscles used for movement.

Slow Twitch (Type I)
The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel
(known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long
time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long
time before they fatigue. Therefore, slow twitch fibers are great at
helping athletes run marathons and bicycle for hours.

What Causes Muscle Fatigue?

Fast Twitch (Type II)
Because fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they
are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow
muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally
produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they
get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. Having more
fast twitch fibers can be an asset to a sprinter since she needs to
quickly generate a lot of force.

Type IIa Fibers
These fast twitch muscle fibers are also known as intermediate fast-twitch
fibers. They can use both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism almost equally
to create energy. In this way, they are a combination of Type I and Type
II muscle fibers.

Type IIb Fibers
These fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create energy and are
the "classic" fast twitch muscle fibers that excel at producing quick,
powerful bursts of speed. This muscle fiber has the highest rate of
contraction (rapid firing) of all the muscle fiber types, but it also has
a much faster rate of fatigue and can't last as long before it needs rest.

Fiber Type and Performance
Our muscle fiber type may influence what sports we are naturally good at
or whether we are fast or strong. Olympic athletes tend to fall into
sports that match their genetic makeup. Olympic sprinters have been shown
to possess about 80 percent fast twitch fibers, while those who excel in
marathons tend to have 80 percent slow twitch fibers.

Are Athletes Born or Built?

Can Training Change Fiber Type?
This is not entirely understood, and research is still looking at that
question. There is some evidence showing that human skeletal muscle may
switch fiber types from "fast" to "slow" due to training.

What can I do to improve my performance?

Keep in mind that genetic differences may be dramatic at the elite levels
of athletic competition. But following the principles of conditioning can
dramatically improve personal performance of a typical athlete. With
consistent endurance training, muscle fibers can develop more and improve
their ability to cope with and adapt to the stress of exercise.

Is fiber type the number one factor that makes an elite athlete elite?

Fiber type is part of a great athlete's success, but it alone is a poor
predictor of performance. There are many other factors that go into
determining athleticism, including mental preparedness, proper nutrition
and hydration, getting enough rest, and having appropriate equipment and
conditioning.

That my friends is your TIP of the WEEK...

See you at the gym!

- - - -
Stephen & Leah Menya
www.LionsGym.com
952-474-7000

My Body is A Temple

Hello!

Hope your week started well. Thank you again for all who showed up at the
Hope for the Child event on Friday. It was considered a great success. The
kindness and support from all who were there was just amazing! Thank you
and thank you!

Well the ingest series of what goes into your body could not be ended
better than to remind us of how valuable our bodies are and how we cannot
go replace it at a Sears or Kohls or anywhere for that matter. Our bodies
are sacred and a unique one of a kind natural occurrence. I looked up the
definition of "temple" because our bodies are temples and this is what I
came up with:

A. Something regarded as having within it a divine presence.

B. A building reserved for a highly valued function.

Well there you have it! The body needs constant attention. Please do not
get sloppy, especially at the end of the day when you have worked so hard
to watch what goes in all day and then finish with a late night snack that
does not make sense. I just want you to know that it is important that you
care for your insides as much as you care for your outsides. I know that
we try and look sharp on the outside by staying fashionable with the
current styles and trends. We also must pay attention to our insides,
because the inside will sneak up on you like a blocked artery or even
colon cancer, pancreatic cancer or fumigated lungs. These are results of
years of carelessness of what we consume.

Leah has been working hard to put a book together for our patrons, which I
understand is close to being completed. It will include all the healthy
food recipes that in 21 days can become a good eating habit. When the time
comes, I will inform you so you can acquire a copy. With that being said,
thank you for keeping up with our series. We will see you at the gym.


That my friends is your TIP of the WEEK...

- - - -
Stephen & Leah Menya
www.LionsGym.com
952-474-7000