Annual 2006
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Annual 2006
Easy Does It
Gentle exercise benefits seniors and people with health probleams. Sara E. Wilson
In 1998, Eunice Lycke began taking yoga classes, and a couple of years later, she started teaching it. That’s not such a remarkable story, until you learn that Lycke is now 84 years old and is still teaching yoga.
“Before I was doing yoga, my back was like this,” she says, motioning to show how her spine curved, “because I had osteoporosis and arthritis in my spine. But since I’ve been doing yoga, doing the cobras and back bends, my back is pretty straight at this point.”
Lycke wasn’t much of an exerciser until after she retired. A step-aerobics instructor suggested she try yoga to build upper-body strength. An intense three-hour yoga session clinched it. “I had so much energy at the end of those three hours, I went home, and I dug in the garden for two more hours, which I had not been able to do before. And I said, ‘Wow, I like this!’”
That energy rush was addictive, and Lycke has been doing yoga ever since. “I felt that my whole body was involved. I felt lighter. Like the energy was flowing through me. I like that!”
Some people train to run marathons in their 50s. But what about those of us who’ve been injured, are in our golden years, are really out of shape, or have physical problems, such as a bad back or knees, weight problems, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, hip problems or multiple sclerosis? Gentle exercise can help create health and well-being.
The Benefits of Gentle Exercise
Brian Davis, M.D., director of sports medicine and of spine care at UC Davis Medical Group, says, “Everybody should exercise to some degree. You just have to find your niche.” Besides losing weight and gaining muscle, there are other, less tangible rewards waiting to be reaped as soon as we get off our duffs. “As soon as one begins to exercise and starts to get even minimal physical benefits, immediately one begins to look in the mirror and start flexing the muscles,” he says. Exercise changes the way we think and feel about ourselves. “They begin to notice themselves as attractive, aesthetic beings,” Davis says. “I’ve seen the transformation in thousands of patients.”
Gentle exercise, such as yoga, tai chi, walking, Pilates or aquatic exercise, offers substantial benefits to people with health problems or even common challenges like being overweight. Low-impact, gentle activity is the way to go, but for some people with specific health problems, an individualized exercise routine is essential. “You have to really design the exercise program to fit that person, even though it may be low impact for, say, you or me. For somebody who already has a knee problem or a back problem, we have to be very careful.” That’s exactly what Davis does: He helps people of all fitness levels with various health issues find a way to become exercisers and transform their lives.
Paul Wright, a therapeutic fitness expert and co-owner of Savvy Fitness Associates in Folsom, agrees that exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous and painful. A welcome change in attitudes and procedures has made fitness accessible even to individuals who have limited capabilities. “There are so many opportunities to engage in gentle exercise that is extremely beneficial and safe,” he says.
Use It or Lose It
For most of us, the danger lies in becoming—and staying—sedentary. For example, it’s a common misconception that people with arthritis shouldn’t exercise because it will aggravate their joint pain. Davis disagrees: “It’s important to be an exerciser. The old adage ‘Use it or lose it’ is very concerning for folks who have arthritis because the biomechanics are already disrupted and you have to build back those mechanics.” Another common misconception is that people with bad knees shouldn’t use that joint by, say, bicycling. “But that’s the exact opposite of what we believe,” says Davis. “You really do need to get that joint moving, getting it lubricated. Cartilage actually works better when there are certain types of pressures applied across it.”
It’s Never Too Late
“Just before I retired, in 1981, I started doing exercises. Before that I didn’t,” admits Lycke. She wants everyone to know it’s never too late to exercise. She’s living proof. “This is your time to take care of yourself and make yourself a more healthy individual. This is your time to make a life change,” she says. If we exercise, we could feel better now and be healthier as we age—it’s a matter of self-preservation.
Wright says, “When we feel good, our outlook on life is wonderful, and when we feel bad, the opposite is true. Again, this is where you have the power to determine the quality of your life. You may not be able to add years to your life, but you can add life to your years.”
Getting Started
The fitness experts all agree: If you have a health condition, by all means consult with a physician before you embark on a self-improvement plan. That’s particularly true if you’re over 50 because you might have a hidden health condition. Wright says, “If your physician is not familiar with the activities you wish to engage in, have the fitness professional contact your physician with an outline of the program and the credentials they hold.” If you are going to a fitness professional for lessons or classes, make sure that person knows what your health problem is, and is experienced with working with medically challenged clients.
Davis is adamant: Soreness should not be expected. A very common response to exercise is muscle soreness that comes on two to three days after the activity. “I tell my patients that the first thing they should say to a personal trainer as they walk through the door is, ‘If I hurt in two to three days, I’m not coming back to you,’ because that would be a clear and obvious sign that they have overused their muscles.” There shouldn’t be pain during the exercise either: This could indicate that you’re damaging the same muscle fibers you are trying to build. “And, certainly, you run the risk of tearing muscles and you run the risk of stretching out ligaments, and that’s not the point of the exercise program.”
The goal for any exercise program should be slow and safe progress. “I believe everyone who is initiating an exercise program should progress slowly and safely. Our bodies need this gentle progression to achieve long-term success,” says Wright. That means listening to your body’s natural wisdom: “You have your own built-in safeguards; your heart is going to tell you,” says Davis.
“What I always tell [students] is that yoga is an individual practice . . . and if you do a posture that your body says, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ don’t do it!” says Lycke.
Trainers like Lycke and Wright are important because they can tailor your workouts to your abilities. Rose Zahnn, who owns Healthy Habits Fitness and Yoga Studio and Healthy Habits PilatesFit Studio in Sacramento, says people “should really discuss their problem with the teacher before they take a class, and that teacher can recommend modifications to poses. The teacher keeps people safe.”
Moreover, a trainer provides essential motivational support to help you stick to your routine. Clients are rewarded by feeling “stronger, more confident and able to engage in activities they had to stop because of their condition,” says Zahnn. Her Pilates trainers provide the same personal coaching. “Here they have someone who cares about them. The trainer is giving them their undivided attention for an hour, taking care of them and helping them and cheering them on, giving them positive feedback and empowering them,” Zahnn notes.
Gentle Choices
Yoga: Yoga began in India approximately 4,000 years ago as a spiritual practice. The asanas (postures) that we think of as yoga are known as hatha yoga. Yoga has three main components: body posture, breathing and meditation. People find yoga to be not only a gentle exercise that increases flexibility and strength, but also one that calms the mind and relaxes the body.
Lycke recommends trying different styles of yoga, because each offers something different. “Find the one that’s most suited to you,” she says. “Hot yoga appeals to a lot of people. I find that Forrest yoga appeals to me because it has the energy that fuels my body. Not all people are going to respond to the same thing.”
But, says Davis, “It’s very important to listen to your body. Make certain that your instructors are familiar with you and your health concerns. Yoga can be one place where people can get hurt. Some of the positions can put significant strains onto the low back or neck.”
Tell your instructor if you have a medical condition. Certain conditions require that you avoid or modify particular postures.
Yoga offers other, less physical benefits. “Yoga’s going to become more popular, I think, because it does give people an opportunity to go inside themselves to find the quiet and the peace that they have inside,” Lycke says. “For as long as I am living, I’ll be doing yoga. I don’t know how long I’ll be teaching, but I’ll be doing yoga.”
Tai Chi:
“Philosophically, in tai chi, all movement originates from a state of stillness,” explains Carlan Steward, 61, a sifu (teacher) who leads seniors-only tai chi classes in his Carmichael studio. Tai chi comprises a series of movements developed in China, and is performed in the Wu Chi posture (feet shoulder width apart and side-by-side, knees and hips just slightly flexed).
Davis says, “Tai chi is clearly low impact. It’s a very good exercise program—probably one of the most gentle—and probably has the greatest longevity and the best track record of really connecting the mind and the body together, to help with relaxation, flexibility, strength, control and, depending upon the pace at which you do it, even some aerobic fitness.”
Like yoga, tai chi has three main components to help practitioners achieve longevity and better health: holding optimal posture, remaining energetically relaxed, and having a sense of harmony and tranquility. Dropping all tension and achieving suspended breathing, the practitioner moves from a state of relaxed stillness to relaxed movement. “Tai chi can be practiced at so many different levels of exertion and mobility that the person only needs the mental energy to get started and a teacher who can teach them within their limitations,” says Davis.
Steward credits tai chi with helping him recover after a full hip replacement two years ago. “I used tai chi as my method of rehab and a couple of years later have more relaxed coordination and much better balance than before my hip started giving me problems,” he says.
Henry Gardiner, 33, has taken Steward’s tai chi class for a year and a half. He practiced martial arts until he was was sidelined by a major back injury. “I was unable to continue in any martial arts class. I had a sciatic nerve issue (damage), where I couldn’t sit or even sleep comfortably for months, and resorted to Vicodin three times a day just to tolerate being awake.” Tai chi has been a lifesaver for Gardiner. “Without it, I’d be literally dead in the water,” he claims. “It has improved my back’s condition so much that I’ve even returned to the kung fu class.”
Jackie Miller, 63, an adult literacy coordinator for the Sacramento Public Library, has been attending Steward’s seniors-only tai chi class for close to a year. She says, “My balance is much improved, as well as my inner strength and confidence. Tai chi has given me a feeling that I can accomplish what I set out to do. You are as young as you feel, and I feel great.”
Aquatics:
It’s not just “aqua-aerobics” anymore: Other water fitness programs (with exciting names like California Family Fitness’ “Liquid Sculpt,” “Arthritis Walking,” “Aqua Power” and “Wave Walk Challenge”) are splashing in all over town. Sacramento’s many pools offer aquatics classes for people of all fitness levels.
Exercising in the water provides distinct advantages not attainable on land.
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