A favorite anecdote in many health and fitness circles is:
Q: What is the best exercise?
A: The one you will do!
While there is a bunch of truth to that I do think it’s’ an interesting topic to hash over. It doesn’t matter what age you are, figuring out the right mix of exercise routines to participate in needs attention. Let’s define first what we mean by physical activity, structured exercise, and physical fitness.
Physical activity (PA) is any type of bodily movement produced by your skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. Physiopedia has a host of terminology explanations on this topic. Think household chores, occupational demands, sports, and recreational play.
Structured exercise or just plain exercise is really part of PA but more planned, defined, and structured. You have goals, utilize repetition and work to improve your physical fitness level.
Physical fitness is defined below by the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine.
Physical fitness is one’s ability to execute daily activities with optimal performance, endurance, and strength with the management of disease, fatigue, and stress and reduced sedentary behavior.
Let’s say your main goal is to have a decent level of physical fitness for your age and desires. Components that I see as paramount to aging with strength and vibrancy are listed below. Caveat, we are specifically looking at the moving body so absolutely yes, nutrition, sleep, stress, community and spirituality all play a role in our overall wellbeing, topics for another time.
Exercise Pillars for Longevity
- Strength
- Mobility
- Balance
- Coordination
- Endurance
- Stretch
Without a doubt I see strength as the number 1 area to focus on as relates to aging. I’ve written previously about resistance training here and reasons to get strong here. Search out any of your favorite longevity gurus from Gabrielle Lyon to Mark Hyman and many more, they all talk about the cruciality of muscle strength, mass and maintenance as foundational to longevity. Whatever lights your fire in this area, body weight, free weights, machines, slow resistance training, or other modality, DO IT, with repetition and consistency. A few high quality individuals in the resistance training space to explore are Doug McGuff, Drew Baye, Steve Maxwell, Dr. Ben Bocchicchio and Josh Espinoza.
Balance and coordination are two components most often left out of many training regimes. Why? Neither are very “sexy” you don’t see someone at the gym showing off their balance techniques, but you will see someone flexing a bicep. However, one of the top risks for aging individuals are falls. Keep the quote below in mind next time you avoid working on balance.
“Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older. Over 14 million, or 1 in 4 older adults report falling every year.”
Certain movement modalities like Tai-Chi, Qi Gong, Pilates and Yoga often incorporate balance, coordination plus breathing practices into their methods. Thus, a way to get those pieces of the puzzle into your regular practice. Additionally, some personal trainers pay close attention to these elements in their training programs.
In my hierarchy of exercise for aging I see mobility slightly above flexibility, unless your job is working for Cirque du Soleil, professional dancer, gymnast or other role in which flexibility is a top priority for the job. I explain in great detail in the post Mobility vs. Flexibility and the Stretching Obsession. The short version is you can’t sacrifice one for the other.
So, you say what about endurance and cardio-vascular health? While I’m not an exercise physiologist I do have a MS in Kinesiology. And more than the degree, my main goal with this blog as well as with our SQ1 clients is to encourage mature individuals to find movement modalities for overall health enhancement. This is not for extreme athletes or anyone participating in competitive level performance.
There are individuals, like Peter Attia who heavily promote the importance of Zone 2 training and a focus on V02 max capabilities. Without a doubt these can be important training protocols if you have the time, proper team and specific goals you want to enhance. I tend to side more with Mark Sisson in looking for a variety of types of physical training that do not require a heavy load of tracking, measuring and logging.
In the Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid Mark Sisson advocates for “move frequently” at the foundation of the pyramid. This consists of breaking up your sitting time (remember too little exercise does not equal too much sedentary time), training at 180-minus your age for endurance, see Phil Maffetone’s Method for great insights there. Plus, the activities for mobility and flexibility like Pilates, Tai Chi, dancing etc. The next level in the pyramid Sisson calls, “Lift Heavy Things” i.e. do resistance training. At the top of the pyramid is sprinting. Then surrounding this structure is play and rest, two key components that inspire fun and common sense.
What I like about this it is a simple structure, easily adapted to your needs without turning your exercise agenda into a science project. Here’s a fun 3-minute video of what Mark Sisson, age 70, does in a day/week.
OK, so what do you do?
I do 2 full body resistance training sessions a week, one together with my husband Robert and one with a personal trainer, Josh Espinoza. I love the combination because each presents a different challenge, variety and opportunity to grow. I wouldn’t think of missing either one!
Minimum 2 times a week outdoor hikes with varying terrains for balance and endurance. One hike close by is a 750-foot steady steep uphill climb which elevates the heart rate. The second hike is done in the weekend in a host of locations here in the desert.
I have a 10-minute joint mobility routine particularly focused on mobilizing hips (personal problem area see post here) and opening up the chest from too much time on the computer! I like these easy-going routines (so do my joints), sometimes at the end of a workday, sometimes post or pre workout it varies.
As I work primarily from home and try to move frequently throughout the day. I’ll do some computer work standing, like meetings, phone calls etc. some sitting and even sometimes lie down on the floor to work, lots of changes up and down. I’ll even throw in a handstand against the wall now and then for an energy booster!
Sprinting options in my book must be safe! I prefer the air-bike, swimming pool and just brisk up hill walking. Personal mantra is “don’t get hurt!” Do this only every other week, or so. Lastly, having Pilates’ apparatus in our house, that gets thrown in the mix when the opportunity arises, Reformer, Wunda Chair or Spine Corrector.
Note on Cardiovascular Training and Metabolic Health
There are individuals in the fitness sector who feel you can achieve adequate cardiovascular training from HIIT and strength training workouts if done properly. A good interview on that topic with Drew Baye and McGuff here.
Additionally, as a certified health coach if trying to improve metabolic health, resistance training is a big bang for your buck. The skeletal muscle system is one of the largest storages of glucose (glycogen when stored). Resistance training offers the chance to tap into these storage centers for better blood glucose and insulin management.
“There is benefit to any type of exercise, whether aerobic or resistance, though resistance training may offer a greater improvement in insulin sensitivity for the time spent.”
Professor Benjamin Bikman, PhD, author, Why We Get Sick
Final Note
At the end of the day, it truly does come down to “the exercise that you will do.” Put the effort into your plans now, not tomorrow. The best investment you can ever make is your health, it is a sign of self-respect.
