Over 50s exercise Q&A with local expert, Julie Robinson

Brog13

Hi All! At least reading these messages makes me realise I am not alone with these type of problems.
I was reasonably fit until the age of about 53 (now 59) happily going to the gym, jogging (slowly) and Pilates. Then osteoarthritis seems to have got it's grip on me, and I seem to be literally grinding to a halt. I have had a shoulder replaced, which unfortunately didn't turn out as it should, and now face having it done again. The other shoulder is making alarming grinding noises, and now my hip is seizing up - I cannot perch in an armchair anymore, or bend my hip out. Even swimming seems to irritate my hip now.
Help! What can I do? Any advice would be gratefully received.

I'm sorry your shoulder replacement wasn't successful and that everything seems to be grinding to a halt. The research shows that exercise is really important for people with arthritis but it is a difficult balance trying to find something you can do without too much pain. I would ask to see a physiotherapist to find out exactly what exercises you should do and very importantly what you should avoid.

By combining some strengthening exercises along with stretching, you will hopefully be able to keep active. Even if you can't swim it would be great for you to try aquarobics (check the instructor has enough knowledge to adapt exercises for you) so you can work against resistance without straining your joints. If you don't fancy attending a class then even walking in the water and pushing/pulling a float flat against the water will work your muscles effectively with no impact. All the best!

hippinan

Hi Julie, I have similar problems with OA and am awaiting a new hip operation so regular exercise is a pain to say the least. I have been using toning machines because I was advised that they were good for all round fitness without stressing the joints, now I read that they are of little benefit apart from the motivational aspect of actually getting people out of the house and moving. What is your view do they work and how and are they worth continuing?

I have some clients who find the toning machines useful, especially if they cannot instigate the movements themselves (such as having multiple sclerosis). Any movement is good, so if you are finding them helpful then do continue. However it would be good to do some other exercises alongside this and usually you will be given a series of exercises to do in preparation for your hip replacement op.

Generally, the stronger you are the better you will recover. This one works the muscles in your buttocks: stand behind a sturdy chair and hold onto it for support, slowly take one leg back keeping your knee as straight as you can, then return to the start and try to do 6 on each leg. Gradually increase the number you can do up to 15 repetitions. Then try this stretch: lie on your back on your bed, pull one knee up towards your chest, keep the other leg straight. Just do one on each leg and gradually build up the time you can hold the stretch - up to 20 seconds. Hope the op goes well and you'll feel good as new again.

dewdneyk

Was told 4 years ago = at the age of 50 = that I would probably be down for a hip replacement in 5 years time due to osteoarthritic changes. I've took up yoga which was recommended by the local physiotherapy and had thought it was doing quite well. Lately both hips have become much more painful and I'm waking in the night with dreadful joint pain. I found a recent website that claimed that yoga could make hips worse and now don't know what to do. How do you know what a "good pain" is that means a joint is stretching and moving in a way that will be beneficial and not detrimental in the long term?

Yes I saw that article too, although for most people yoga can help rather than hinder. You may need to do some strengthening exercises to make sure you have good muscle stability before trying the more extreme stretches. The side leg lift is a great way to strengthen the muscle around the hip joint but I would check with your physiotherapist first to be shown the right technique and to ensure it is appropriate for you.

With your osteoarthritis it is difficult to exercise without pain, although stretching should not cause 'pain' but a sensation of tightness. You may find Pilates will help with your alignment and strengthening before your operation too - good luck!

grannygrumps2

I powerwalk 6 miles 4 times a week I eat very little yet I cannot get rid of a really thick waist can you suggest anything please? Many thanks (I am 56 by the way)!!

Ah the joys of the "meno­pot" - when fat distribution changes after menopause to gather on the tummy rather than hips. It is harder to shift this weight when oestrogen levels drop but here's a few things to think about. You say you eat very little, but what kinds of food are you eating? Do you have enough protein in your diet? Are you not eating enough to fire up your metabolism? You could try the 5:2 diet where you don't eat less all the time, but eat 500 calories on two days a week then eat normally (healthily) the rest of the time. This 'shocks' the body and retrains it.

As for your exercise, it's great you are doing your power walking but you also need to do some weight lifting or resistance work to improve the ratio of muscle to fat in your body. It will also help with bone density, which starts to decline after 50 too. Get some advice from a trained instructor first and then try to incorporate this into your training routine twice a week.

Nonnie

How can I calculate the highest heart rate it is safe for me to work at? The gym suggests 120 - 128 and said not to go above 140. The doctor said gym machines are rubbish and I should work as hard as I can as long as I can do more than crawl out afterwards! The gym wall chart says that high intensity for me is about 153.

The trouble is that I simply don't feel when I am working out too hard. If I don't watch the machine it is very easy for me to find I am working at 165 or even higher.

I try to achieve a greater distance in the same time on each machine and can't think of a better way of increasing my fitness safely.

I want to work as hard as I can but don't want to do what Andrew Marr did.

If you go to a gym then I'd suggest getting an appointment with a personal trainer and a proper heart rate monitor which is attached to your chest to get some accurate readings first. The gym machines can only work on averages depending on your weight and height although they are useful as an indicator.

I can understand why your doctor wants you to work as hard as you can, however it would be good to try shorter bursts of intense activity under supervision first. You will have heard the news recently of researchers working with older adults who found working at high intensity for six second bursts was safe and effective so get your gym instructors to help you and build it up gradually.

geordiesilverfish

Im lazy and greedy, I hate moving or walking, I just love pigging out and lying on sofa reading. I know I should diet, e xcersise more but I just haven't got the motivation. How can I get it.

Haha, I like your honesty! We all love doing that sometimes! If you hate moving then there's not much I can suggest. But if you keep on with your current lifestyle you will get to a point where you can't move anymore and will have no choice.

I think you should just accept you hate it, but do it anyway. The main thing is to avoid sitting still for long periods so even if every hour you just get up and walk upstairs, put the washing on the line or get up and down from your chair 10 times, you will break the sedentary cycle.

Other than that, find a friend who will make you go for a walk with them and just keep reminding yourself of all the benefits of keeping active.

Mishap

OK.....

- I have a problem with the results of a broken foot - I walk with a stick and it is jolly painful.
- I have an old slipped disc with the resultant pain down leg, nd it takes very little to set it off.
- I have arthritis in my hip
- I have painful knee from impaired gait due to broken foot.
- I have a painful shoulder
- I have impaired balance

I try......
- and walk as far as I can each day - although it is slow and of little exercise value
- swimming which I love, but is too painful (shoulder and hip mainly)
- cycling is out as my balance is too problematic and it is unsafe. And I have an indoor bike but it makes my knee and hip hurt like hell.

The slipped disc was once exacerbated by an exercise class; and recent physio also set my back off.

Now, if I was to be strictly honest I would have to say that I am heartily sick of people going on about how good exercise is for you - I KNOW it is but cannot do it!!!!

I am not overweight at all and have the luck (!?) to look younger and fitter than I am - but I know that there is an underlying unhealthiness waiting to get up and bite me, but there is little I can do.

Sometimes, when I am in the mood, I do some exercises off the internet for people who are chairbound - which I am not, but am in relation to exercise.

So........any ideas?!

You've already found the solution...you can exercise very successfully from a chair and have a total body workout without aggravating your conditions. I have taught thousands of people with complex issues like yourself, who also thought that exercise was out of reach for them, but they achieved so much and maintained or improved their mobility and fitness.

You could use my chair-­based exercise DVDs to do a home workout, then try to find a class near you. Have a look at our website as our network of instructors is expanding all the time. Also, check out your local community centre for Extend classes, Fit as a Fiddle or over 50s exercise to see if it's suitable for you. Most instructors should let you have a free trial for your first session.

stephgr

I used to love cycling in my youth but I live in a hilly area and my lungs aren't strong enough nor my legs powerful enough now. I was wondering whether cycling on an electric bike is good exercise as an alternative to a normal bicycle or whether I would be better off just walking instead?

Ideally,­ both! An electric bike will still offer you a good cardio workout as long as you try to increase the pedalling resistance for short spells. This will make sure your legs have to work harder and this prevents muscle loss.

However, walking will help you maintain bone strength as it's weight­-bearing, so if you can alternate the two that would be perfect!

constance

I did take up running at 51 and, after a year of using my friend's old shoes, treated myself to a pair of proper running shoes, which seem to have inflamed my tendons in my feet and knee! Are there exercises to do to help get over this so I can run again - exercise seems to be a great antidote to red wine.

It's usually the other way round Constance! It sounds as though you adapted to wearing the old shoes and the new positioning of your feet has caused a problem as your feet need to adapt to the new angles. It's a little like someone who wears high heels all the time, they find wearing flats painful as their calf muscles and tendons have to adapt to the new position. It is generally much wiser to wear good supportive shoes, though you may need to rest and allow the inflammation to settle.

Then some stretching exercises might help your lower legs: stand on the balls of your feet on the bottom step of the stairs holding the rail for support. Gradually lower your heels down a little and hold the stretch. Work up to holding for 10 seconds.

To stretch the quadriceps, lie on your front (on the floor or your bed), bend your right knee and grab your right foot, carefully pull the foot closer to your bottom until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of your thigh. Hold for up to 10 seconds then release and repeat on the other side.

editorjo

actually was just thinking about my own mum, aged 78, double hip replacements, arthritis and a host of other stuff to boot..... impossible for her to do much... any top tips for motivating her?

Self motivation is not easy, if it was we'd all be fit as fiddles! I have found that the best motivators in the world are our peers, so if your mum could get along to a class (whether that's chair­based exercise or seated yoga or anything she fancies) then the other group members naturally provide encouragement. After about six weeks of attending my classes I have found that newcomers start to notice the benefits to their mobility and wellbeing and this is when they move to be self­ motivated and can't wait to come to the class each week! The trick is finding something your mum can do and enjoys - a friendly class instructor can work miracles too.

peanutmum

I used to exercise regularly at the gym, and also did Tai Chi.
I have been unfortunate to have had breast cancer, skin problems (can't swim now' and now have sarcoidosis, affecting my breathing, balance and requires me to take steroids.....lovely weight gain now
Oh, I never learnt to ride a bike
I have good days and bad days, and parts of the day.
Can you help?
What ideas ?
I need to have the best time I can in retirement

You have a lot to contend with - the steroids are amazing drugs, but the weight gain is often a really negative side effect for many. I'd look at joining a Breathe Easy Group as many of them offer chair-­based exercise (see blf.org.uk) or have access to hospital physios to help with your balance and breathlessness.

Or check our website to see if we have a class near you.

never2old

My only form of exercise really is cycling. It's something I've managed not to get bored with. I did some walking in the winter months but like Beccada, I don't really get much pleasure from it and soon get bored and because of hills walking hurts my knees as much as cycling.

I cycle around 30 miles a week but it's very hilly where I live and is pretty much impossible to avoid hills if I want to go back home. This is really putting a strain on my knees. Wondered if there was anything I could do to try and make my knees last a bit longer as I would like to carry on biking for years to come. (I'm 52). Support bandages are no good as even tight jeans seem to put pressure on my knees and make them hurt even more.

Cycling is a great exercise and it's great to be able to exercise outdoors too. It sounds like you need to strengthen your leg muscles to help cope with the extra strain of cycling uphill. Sit in a stable chair and raise your leg until it is straight. Hold the position for five seconds and then slowly lower your leg. This helps strengthen the quadriceps muscle through its full range of motion. Try to do 5 - 10 repetitions every day then increase gradually up to 20 reps over the next few weeks. If that becomes easy you could use a wrap-around weight for your ankles, 0.5kg to begin with and go back to 5 reps until you get stronger.

Wallygrom

My GP always goes on at me to exercise more to help me loose some weight but I work full time and only get time to do a limited amount of exercise: I swim once a week. I do a brisk 3 mile walk once a week too and I walk a good half mile every day at work. I usually do a Wii fit session once a week at home for half an hour. I do most of the gardening and all the housework too.

I have a degenerative back disorder and also suffer from a rare blood disorder caused by early stage lupus, which causes me considerable joint pain (all joints) and leaves me very physically fatigued and am concerned that increasing exercise will totally wipe me out - what else could I realistically do?

It sounds like you are doing great, especially considering your joint pain. I think the only thing missing from your exercise regime is to do more resistance work, that is, working against a load to strengthen your muscles.

As your muscle strength increases so too does the efficiency level, so you can work a bit harder without feeling so fatigued. This needs to be progressive so you gradually increase the load you work against, whether that's with wrap­around weights for your wrists and ankles, small hand weights or resistance bands. However, I would double check with your GP about which exercises to avoid with your specific problem.

NfkDumpling

I used it - horse riding, swimming, sailing, walking - and wore it up! Now have dodgy ankles, knackered knees and a bad back. Swimming is out as my knees object strongly to crawl or breaststroke. I can't walk more than two miles straight. Horse riding is far too painful. I can still sailing - but fair weather only as can't move fast enough. I've been told my knees will probably be bad enough for replacement in a couple of years.

Any suggestions to keep supple / fit / not too overweight would be greatly appreciated."

How about exercising in the water instead of swimming? Walking in water (which is about chest height) gives you 12 times more resistance than walking in air. In other words you are working harder but without any impact or strain on your joints. Try walking forwards, sidewards like a crab and backwards for a great lower body workout. Then try to combine exercises for flexibility like yoga which will help you maintain joint mobility.

It's a good idea to get a programme of exercises to prepare you for your knee surgery, these focus on strengthening the quadriceps -­ ask your consultant or physiotherapist for this.

cazthebookworm

I have recently been diagnosed with lumbar scoliosis which makes some excercise quite difficult and indeed, painful, but I am determined to keep moving and not end up immobile, that is my worst fear! I belong to a dance/keep fit group and excercise twice a week, it is great fun and the comaraderie is half the pleasure. You are so right, "Move it or Lose it," it is so easy not to make the effort, but well worth it if you do, so beneficial.

You're absolutely right Caz, it is worth making the effort although I can appreciate how hard this must be for you with your back problem. I am a great believer in exercising in group settings, you are far more likely to stick with an exercise routine if you have fun and socialise too. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Beccada

The thing that puts me off walking is boredom, especially walking off road. Happy enough to walk to and from destinations but am often busy volunteering and don't have the time. I definitely lack the will to exercise for the sake of it. Any ideas?

I know what you mean! The best thing for me is to meet with a friend to walk and talk - the time flies and you don't even notice you're exercising. If you don't want to do 'formal' exercise, try to build activity into your lifestyle instead. Walking up and down stairs is a brilliant exercise so give yourself a challenge to incorporate this into your busy day whenever you can. Focus on the intensity so whether you're gardening, vacuuming or cleaning windows make sure you work hard enough to get warmer, start to sweat and breathe harder. Then you have a purpose and the benefits of all that hard work.

creativz

I'm 40 and struggling with exercise as I have CRPS which causes chronic pain and limited mobility, I'm also very self conscious as I've gained weight which I'm desperate to shift, although I used to love swimming it's now the worst thing I can imagine, I can't face it. I'm trying to follow chair based workouts as I can't stand for long, I'd like to be able to use my rowing machine again, any advice or recommendations on best exercise for strengthening legs whilst seated ?! This Q is for my mum also, she has similar restrictions as she's 80 and has Rheumatoid Arthritis, we both have lots of problems walking but need to keep our legs moving !!

This must be so challenging for you and your mum. Facing pain and restricted mobility makes exercise far more difficult. I'm sure you've already accessed all the information on your condition, but just in case you might find this booklet on complex Regional Pain Syndrome helpful. However, the recommendations are to swim as it avoids impact, ­ which you no longer want to do. But if you could manage cycling or rowing then you could work your heart and burn calories without having to stand up to exercise. It may be worth having a few sessions with a personal trainer who knows how to adapt exercises for your condition to check your rowing technique and give a routine you can follow at home.

Your mum would really benefit from one of the simplest exercises to strengthen her leg muscles -­ the chair-rise. Getting up and down from the chair can be really difficult at first but I have seen thousands of people improve after learning this technique. You can watch a clip of how to do it here (click on Sit to Stand).

AnnB

Are there any good DVDs you would recommend for people over 50 (or 60 or 70???) that could take up about 20 minutes a day instead of an hour to keep generally fit and a bit more toned?

Hi Ann, well I have to recommend my Move it or Lose it! DVDs as they are specifically designed for over 50s. The entire routines are longer than 20 minutes but you can choose which sections to follow each time (as long as you do the warm up and stretches at the end).

So for example, on our Fit & Fabulous DVD you could do the aerobic section one day, then the legs and balance section another day. Have a look at a clip here to find which one is suitable for you. If it's fitness and toning you are after then Fit & Fab would be best.

Sandy217

I totally understand the concept of Use it or Lose it, but when you have lost it it is hard to get it back. I would love to walk more but can't. Hip problems and breathlessness make it a chore, so it colours most aspects of my life. I try and swim twice a week but even that plagues my hip now. Is there any hope for me please?

I have taught thousands of people just like you Sandy who feel they have 'lost it'! It's vital to adapt exercises to suit you, so chair­-based exercise would really help especially as you'll be able to work out for far longer sitting down, despite your breathlessness. Have you ever worked with resistance bands?

You can do a whole series of exercises from your chair to improve your muscle strength which is vital to help you to keep moving and stay independent. You can download the Move it or Lose it! free guide to using resistance bands here.

Pittcity

I hate organised exercise. I do walk at least 5 miles a week, sometimes at a brisk pace and sometimes just dawdling. But apart from that and the usual housework and gardening, I wouldn't dream of going to the gym or taking an exercise class.
Is what I already do enough and are all these people urging me to Zumba or Samba on a losing streak with me?

Exercise only works if you enjoy it and therefore stick with it, so don't feel you have to do Zumba! It's great that you're walking 5 miles a week although you may benefit by trying to increase the time or distance as your body soon adapts. We have to challenge ourselves a little to get improvements. Research shows that walking for 20 minutes every day is very beneficial and this, along with your moderate intensity daily activities, will probably add up to the 150 minutes per week that is recommended. Just make sure your gardening involves some lifting (for resistance) and incorporate some daily stretching to make sure you keep your joints supple too.

Shirl77

I'd like to find out what kind of exercise would be best if you have arthritis. I really hate swimming, so please don't say that! ;-o

I promise,­ no swimming! I'm presuming you have osteoarthritis, Shirl and although it may be painful at first, research shows it's vital to exercise and can actually reduce joint pain over time. It's important to find the right type of exercise for your particular condition and Arthritis Research UK has some excellent suggestions on their website. You can do these at home, and in ­between just try to avoid sitting down for long periods of time.