When I worked in the Aged Care industry promoting activity and fitness to the ‘oldies,’ I remember saying to people that if only we had proof that exercise prevented dementia then everybody would be motivated to exercise.

Given that getting Alzheimer’s or dementia was the greatest fear of most people about getting older it seemed like a reasonable assumption. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, causes a progressive loss of memory and thinking ability. It is also known to be associated with symptoms such as an impaired gait, depression and a weakened grip.

Well, there is new evidence coming out every day linking poor fitness to increased risk of memory loss and cognitive impairment. In a recent study, researchers found that weak muscles are closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago studied 970 adults with an average age of around 80 who did not initially have Alzheimer’s. Each was rated for mental function and given a physical strength score derived from testing 11 muscle groups.

The US research showed a pattern of reduced Alzheimer’s risk with increasing muscle strength. The strongest patients had 61% less chance of developing the disease than the weakest.

Subjects underwent at least one further evaluation over an average follow-up period of 3.6 years. Of the total, 138 participants (14.2%) went on to develop Alzheimer’s.

Muscle strength scores ranged from minus 1.6 to 3.3 units. Every unit increase in initial muscle strength correlated with a 43% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s during the study period.

Participants in the top 10% of muscle strength scores were 61% less at risk of Alzheimer’s than those in the bottom 10%. Muscle strength was also associated with mild cognitive impairment that may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.

While no reason for the association was determined in this study, the researchers believe it could involve energy production in the body.

Regardless of the actual mechanism linking muscle strength and cognitive abilities, this research should boost your motivation to add strength training to your exercise routine. Many people are disciplined about aerobic exercise (though unfortunately not enough), but strength is often forgotten because people think it has to involve lifting heavy weight is a gym.

While a gym might be an efficient way to do strength training, there are alternatives that can be done anywhere. It just takes some discipline and imagination.

I do a bit of bike riding as part of my exercise program. There is a ride coming up in 6 weeks that is 230 km long and includes 1900 m of climbing. Some of my friends have suggested we do it together. It’s not supposed to be a race but more a test of survival.

I thought I’d use the goal of completing this event as an example to show how having a goal can help you get and stay fit.

I believe having a goal helps in four ways.

It GUIDES your actions and thoughts
As soon as I agreed to do this ride, I started to think about what I needed to do to prepare for it and I’m doing things I haven’t been doing (although I probably should have been doing some of them).

I’m adding a bit to each of my normal rides to get extra kilometres in my legs and I’ve planned to do a few long rides over part of the course so I know what to expect. I’m also conscious that I have to prevent my leg and back muscles from getting too tight, so I don’t get sore up after hours on my bike. I’m doing extra stretching to keep the muscles as flexible as possible.

It OPENS you up to possibilities
In setting a goal, your brain starts to be aware of what is possible.

The goal itself might be something you never thought possible. Riding 230 km would seem an impossibility until you are given the chance to consider it, and realise that with some hard work and effort you could actually do it. Many people complete activities they never thought possible.

Achieving one goal you never imagined being able to do, gives you confidence to take on other ‘impossible’ goals.

It gets you into ACTION.
Just the act of committing to doing something in the future gets you into action. If you are like me, you want to enjoy the experience of completing your goal so you will do the work necessary to achieve it.

I already ride four times a week but having this additional challenge has got me doing things I might not have done (like look for extra hills to ride up). Once you have set a goal, you start to take action toward achieving it.

It gives you a LONG-TERM perspective
Long term is relative, but having a goal takes your focus off how you feel in the moment so you make choices based on what you want to achieve in the future.

If you only exercised when you felt like it, you probably wouldn’t do much. Having something you are preparing for is often the incentive you need to get started and do what you want to even though you don’t feel like it at the time.

I know there will be days when I don’t feel like riding that bit extra or doing the stretching I need to do. Having the goal of the ride is the motivation to do it anyway. The disappointment of not achieving my goal isn’t something I want to experience.

So there are four ways having a G O A L can change your thoughts, behaviours and importantly, your fitness. If you’re not sure if this works, set yourself an activity goal and tell lots of people about it. Then go about doing the things you need to do to achieve it.

You’ll be glad you did, even if you don’t think so at times along the way!

Have you ever needed to go to the toilet but knew you weren’t going to be able to go for a while. Either there was no toilet available or you’ve been busy doing something else, like traveling or exercising. So… you just put it out of your mind and the urge to go seems to disappear.

Then, as you get closer to home or finishing what you are doing, the urge to go suddenly intensifies even though you haven’t consciously thought about it. Your subconscious however lets you bladder know the opportunity to go is getting closer.

The subconscious mind is a powerful thing.

Goal setting is considered one of the key strategies to success in life. Almost everyone who achieves greatness in life attributes their ability to get things done, to the fact that they set goals and then developed plans to achieve them.

In my book, If I’d only known I’d live this long… I talk about the importance of setting long term goals. In fact, I recommend you set a goal for you 100th birthday.

Why?

Setting a goal way in the distant future may seem futile, but just knowing that the goal is up ahead, no matter how far into the future, you are more likely to keep moving toward it.

Having a goal helps in a number of ways. I believe that one of the main reasons having a goal helps, is that it programs your subconscious mind that this is what you intend to achieve.

Your subconscious mind then starts to create opportunities and look for ways to support you in achieving your goal.

You’ll be more likely to stick to your exercise routine, you’ll push yourself that bit harder and you’ll find ways to be active that keep you fit enough to meet your goal.

Just like when you get near to home and the urge to go to the toilet increases, the urge to exercise and stay fit will increase as you get closer to the target date for your goal.

So why not set yourself a goal for your 100th birthday and some intermediate goals for the milestone birthdays between now and then. Start working toward achieving the first one and let your subconscious mind go to work on what you need to achieve the longer term ones.

Given another is just year over I thought I would get philosophical so you think about your fitness a bit differently as a new year starts.

I was reading an article about Personal Mastery recently and I realized how similar the message was to personal fitness.

In reality, fitness is a requirement for personal mastery. How can you have personal mastery if you aren’t looking after your health and are fit enough to do the things you want to do in your life.

Many people think of fitness as something separate from their contribution to the world. A ‘nice to have,’ but not really essential.

That might be the case when you are young, but the older you get, the more important fitness and health become. Mature (older) people with skills, experience and wisdom have the most to give back. How frustrating would it be if you had so much to give but couldn’t because your health and fitness let you down?

That’s why getting and staying fit is so important. Not so you can run around the block or ride your bike with your friends. But so you can continue to contribute to the world, what ever that means for you.

The article I referred to above talked about the importance of discipline.

It stated discipline stands alone as an absolute necessity for Personal Mastery. Without it, personal habits and outside influences control our daily lives. Disciplining ourselves to do the work of Personal Mastery is not the easiest thing to do and sometimes unpleasant. We choose to suffer the pain of discipline rather than the pain of regret. The pain of regret is nagging and ongoing. The pain of discipline subsides with persistence.’

If you replaced the words Personal Mastery with fitness the above statement still holds true.

It takes discipline to get and stay fit. You have to tolerate the discomfort of pushing yourself outside your comfort zone to get fitter. Being fit isn’t the easy option.

However, choosing to be fit and look after your health is much more satisfying than the feeling of regret. Imagine how you would feel if your health or fitness stopped you doing what is really important to you. It might not be stopping you now, but at some point it may well do.

So next time you are struggling to get out of bed or to put your running shoes on, think about how much worse it would feel if you didn’t have the choice and couldn’t do the other things in your life that you take for granted now.

No, not that kind of tiger!

Although I’m sure we could learn a lot about health and fitness from the big striped cat kind of Tiger.

I’m talking about the golfing kind of Tiger. I was watching the Australian Masters Golf on TV last weekend and whether you are a golf fan or not you have to be impressed with number one player in the world.

During the coverage I picked up two lessons about exercise and fitness that apply to us all. I also picked up some golf tips but I still can’t hit the ball consistently straight!

Lesson 1 – Everybody has a bad day

In the third roundTiger Woods had bad day. He just wasn’t hitting the ball well and his usually reliable putting wasn’t up to standard for him. After the press interview at the end of his round he admitted he had a bad day and said he was going to the practice round to adjust his swing. And that’s what he did. After 18 holes of golf he went out and practiced.

Tiger could easily have gone back to his hotel and slouched on the couch but that wasn’t going to increase his chances of playing better in the next round, so he got out there and refined his swing.

We all have bad days, when we just don’t feel that energetic or like doing any exercise. If you are sick then doing nothing might be the best choice, but if your feeling a bit ‘flat’ do something, just ease back a bit and take the pressure off. The important thing is to stay in your routine and maintain your exercise habit. Your body will survive a few days off exercise but your brain is harder to get started again if you have too long a break.

Lesson 2 – The stronger you are the better

While Tiger was playing, the TV commentators commented about how much bigger and stronger he was since he last played in Australia over a decade ago. They mentioned how he goes to the gym at 5.30 am every morning even on the days he is playing.

Now I know Tiger has a billion reasons to go to the gym and stay strong, but all of us need to be as strong as possible. Maintaining our muscle tissue is the main aim of fitness after age 40 and strength training is the only way to do that.

It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go to the gym at 5.30 every morning. The good news about strength training is that once we have built up our strength, it takes very little exercise to maintain it. In fact, a recent report I read suggested that one set of each exercise was just as effective as three. Basically once the muscles are fatigued, that stimulates them enough to maintain size and strength.

One set of half a dozen different exercises using the major muscle groups twice a week is all it takes.

So next time you don’t feel like exercising just back off a bit and get out there. You’ll no doubt feel better (at least mentally) if you do. And fit in two strength sessions a week; 15-20 minutes is all you need to maintain your muscle size and strength.

Bonus Lesson 3 – Drive carefully!

Are you worried about whether the exercise you are doing today could lead to arthritis in years to come?

Or are you using the risk of arthritis as an excuse for not pulling your exercise gear on and getting into it?

If so, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that researchers have confirmed that exercise does not contribute to arthritis. The bad news is…. No more excuses!

In an article put together by the Harvard Medical School, they reported a number of studies showing that exercise can be safe for joints, both in older, overweight people and in athletes.

In a study that commenced in 1993, researchers examined the exercise habits of 1279 people who where free of arthritis and whose average age was 53 years.

The participants answered detailed questions about their exercise habits, including walking, jogging, being active enough to work up a sweat, and their overall exercise level. They each provided information about knee injuries and symptoms of knee pain and stiffness. In addition, all the volunteers were weighed and measured, and they each had a full series of knee x-rays.

Between 2002 and 2005, the subjects answered the same questions about knee pain and injury, and the x-rays were repeated. The x-rays were independently assessed by two experts who had no knowledge of the participants’ exercise history.

The researchers found no link between exercise and arthritis of the knee. The most active people had the same risk of arthritis as the least active, in terms of both symptoms and x-ray abnormalities.

Whether people jogged or walked made little difference, even though jogging subjects the lower body to much higher impact and stress than walking.

Even though obesity is an independent risk factor for arthritis, physically active overweight members of the study did not have any more knee problems than their slim counterparts.

Other studies, including one from Australia, supported the view that walking and running do not increase the risk of arthritis. In fact a British study in 2005 found that both walking and muscle-strengthening were safe and effective, at reducing pain and disability in people with arthritis. Similarly, studies from the Netherlands and UK reported that graded exercise programs are safe and eff ective for patients with arthritis of the hip or knee. So what does all that mean? No more excuses.

Note – it’s still important to wear supportive shoes and I recommend running on soft surfaces whenever possible.

The World Masters Games get underway in Sydney today and prove that age is no barrier to being fit and to eing competitive.

Australia has a 101-year old man in the lawn bowls and an incredible 98-year old female swimmer competing against competitors from 104 countries.

For many people, having the goal of competition is what they need to keep them motivated to train hard and stay as fit as they can be.  For others, staying fit and healthy is the goal and the fun of competing against other people is just a bonus.  Either way the Masters Games are a great event to keep people fit and healthy past 100 years old and to show younger people what can be done with a little sweat and hard work.

If you have a competitive itch that didn’t get scratched when you were young, or you need some added motivation to get out there and stay fit, why not think about competing in the next round of Masters Games in a few years time.

This is a question I get asked nearly every year, usually from someone who just hates to miss an exercise session. I didn’t think I was going to get asked this year as winter is almost over in Australia and most of my friends and colleagues have escaped the Swine flu that is sweeping the world.

However, in the last week as a couple of friends have succumbed to some sort of flu-like disease and whether they should exercise or not has come up in conversation.

Whether you exercise or not when you’ve got a cold or flu is obviously dependent on how ill you are and the severity of your symptoms. But it also depends on where the symptoms are in your body.

If all of your symptoms are in your head (blocked or runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and/or scratchy throat) then it’s usually okay to start your workout. I suggest you exercise at a lower intensity than normal and see how you feel. If after 10 minutes or so, if you feel better (or at least no worse) you can increase your intensity and finish your workout.

If you start to feel worse or unusually fatigued, then some chicken soup, vitamin C, fluids, and a few days rest are probably the better option.

But what if “It’s not all in my head…” “

If your symptoms are below the neck (aching muscles, a rasping cough which seems to come from your chest, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea) or if you have a fever then you would be better off giving your exercise a miss and having a rest. Symptoms in your chest or body usually mean you are fighting off an infection. Your body needs all its reserves to fight the illness and get well again. It is not a time to stick doggedly to your routine.

Why you exercise The purpose of exercise is to improve or maintain your fitness. If you exercise while you have symptoms below the neck, chances are you won’t be able to push yourself very hard and even if you do, the body won’t have the capacity to adapt to the exercise stimulus, so you’re wasting your time and energy.

Not only that but it can be dangerous to work out under such conditions, and rest will help you to recover much faster.

Remember….

If it’s in your head… get out of bed. If it’s in your chest…. give it a rest.

What’s your health, fitness or exercise question?

If you have a question about your health, fitness or exercise, send it to me at david@lifelongfitness.info. That way I can make sure I’m addressing the issues you want answers to.

It was Australian Prime Minister in the 1970s Malcolm Fraser, who said “life wasn’t meant to be easy.”

I don’t agree.

I think life should be easy and you should do everything you can to make life as easy as possible.

That doesn’t mean you don’t try to achieve great things and don’t have to work hard. That doesn’t make life easy, it just makes it a struggle. (Try living on no income)

What it means is you should always look for the easiest way to achieve your goals and dreams. How can you get what you want and do what you want, legally and ethically, with the least amount of effort.

What’s this got to do with exercise and fitness? Everything.

There are hundreds of health reasons for exercising and staying fit but I believe the most compelling reason is that it makes your life easier.

By spending 30-60 minutes a day exercising, you make the other 1380 – 1410 easier. Why? Because your body is only working at 40 or 50 percent of what it is capable of.

Imagine you are doing a job in the garden at home that requires you to move bags of mulch that weigh 30 kg. (Guess what I was doing last weekend?) If the maximum you can lift is 40 kg, you are working at 75% each time you move a bag. That sounds like hard work!

If you do regular strength training however, the maximum you could lift might be 60 kg. Now each time you move a bag, you are only working at 50%.

It will be a lot easier and you could keep doing it for longer before you get fatigued. Add to that the reduced chance of injury and it makes sense.

It’s easy to find examples involving strength, but the same principle applies to aerobic fitness. The fitter you are, the easier it is to walk to the shops, play with the kids or do your job.

Saving for retirement is about investing money now to make life easier later on. Its the same with exercise except you get the pay-off straight away. Yes, being fit will certainly make life easier as you get older but it also makes life easier now.