Recently the American Heart Association published a set of measures that focus on promoting a healthy heart. This list of factors identify the behaviors that anyone can do to improve their chances of preventing cardiovascular disease. The scale was developed based on many decades or research on risk factors in developing heart disease. What was stunning was how few people were able to get a perfect score.

The AHA defined “ideal cardiovascular health” in the following way:
Four lifestyle measures
-Not smoking
-Keeping a healthy body weight
-Regular exercise
-Eating a healthy diet
In addition, there were four health measurements:
-total cholesterol under 200 milligramsper dL without treatment
-blood pressure under 120/80 without treatment
-fasting blood sugar under 100 mg/dL without treatment

Using this profile, an ideal score would be 7, and a terrible score would be 0.

In the August 2011 edition of the Harvard Heart Letter presented data that showed how poorly most of us in middle age score on these criteria. This data was a shock to me, and to several other fitness professionals with whom I shared the information.

In two major studies, involving several thousand participants, guess how many were able to get a perfect score (7 out of 7)? Take a guess before you answer.

The actual number of middle aged participants who were able to score seven out of seven on the ideal measures for heart risk was an astonishing one tenth of one percent! That’s right…in one study it was only 17 out of over 12,000 participants. In the other study it was one out of 1933 participants.

What is even more depressing is that in both studies just over half of the respondents had two or fewer points. That means that for even these relatively modest criteria, a staggering number of middle aged people score very poorly on the factors that would reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The implication of this for anyone who is serious about improving their health, and living a long healthy life is that it is possible to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke by eating prudently, exercising and managing your weight. Those things are the core of a good and healthy life.

If you are reading this for the first time, I suggest that you check out the free quick start course I offer. You can sign up in the box to the right of this blog post. If you want to get the full program that will show you how to build a strong and healthy body, you can check out the book I offer called A Guide to Getting Younger After 60 You can find that offer by clicking on the tab above.

The opportunity is yours to build a great life where you are strong and healthy. You don’t have to fall apart just because some of your friends tell you it is inevitable. Check out the quick start course and the book. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you can have all of your money back.

Your future is in your own hands to a great extent. Seize the opportunity.

Richard

Last week end I went out for dinner with my niece who is a professional model. She is a former college vollyball player who has a good appetite, but always eats lots of veggies and protein. What struck me in the resturant was the dramatic contrast between her appearence and the appearence of several other diners. There were at least a half dozen men who weighed 300 or more in the resturant, and several women who must have tipped the scales at 250.

Another thing that constantly intrigues me is that when I give talks to groups of people at health fairs or other events, the audience is generally composed of seniors who are already quite fit and healthy. Few are significantly overweight, and most are very active. It seems they come to the talks with the intent of picking up some new ideas on how to care for themselves. At a talk last week, one of the audience commented “the people who really need to hear this information are not here”.

It is pretty easy to say why people are overweight….they eat too much…and eat the wrong stuff. What is much more difficult is understanding why they seem to refuse to change their ways, even though they may understand that they are killing their health. This is where I would really like to hear your ideas.

Which brings me to the main question in this blog: Why do YOU think that people…particularly seniors, who are really unfit are so resistant to doing what is needed for them to be healthy? Over the past several years I have accumulated a catalog of what I would call reasons/excuses. However, I want to hear what YOU think.

Your ideas may be helpful for someone who is struggling with their own special problem. I would also like to hear what you think might motivate someone to adopt a healthy life style after years of not taking care of themselves.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Richard

In the United States, major changes in health care insurance are coming, and they will be a nasty surprise to some people. It is evident that in the not too distant future there will be different insurance rates for people who make limited use of doctors and hospitals, and those who are constantly visiting the doctor. Up to now, to some degree the healthy people have been subsidizing those who are chronically sick.

All of us will be paying a bigger percentage of our own medical bills. Thus, it is in your own interest to be as healthy as possible so that you don’t have to incur medical expenses that come from conditions like diabetes (Type II) that are basically preventable. The answer for you is pretty simple….get into good physical condition, and stay that way for as long as you can.

This is a pretty simple money saving strategy. It also has the major side benefit that you get to enjoy the benefits of being in good condition every minute of every day. These benefits are basically that you have no real limits on the activites you may want to do…and you “feel good” almost all of the time.

The cool thing about all of this is that YOU are the one who is in control of your own health and fitness. You have full control over how you eat, train and care for your own body. No one else is involved. If you make the decision to build a strong and healthy body, you are the one who can do this.

Our goal is to live as long as we can, and be as healthy as we can while doing this. To accomplish this, you have to do two things: eat properly and exercise vigerously. You have to do BOTH of these things, not one or the other. They are completely interdependent.

Don’t fall for the fantisy of buying some pill or potion that claims to give you the fountain of youth. If you are seeking good health and fitness, 90% (or more) of your success will come through eating properly and exercising. There are some supplements that can add an increment of 3-5% to your health, but only if you have done the things that create 90% of the effect.

So…is it possible to build a strong healthy body after age 50, 60 or 70? Well….I offer myself as living proof that it can be done, and done to a level that would amaze you. How can you do this? I offer you a FREE “Quick Start” course that can show you how to get rolling on the path to better health and fitness. You can fill out the little form on this page, and the course will be sent to you automatically by e-mail.

Once you get a taste of what is involved, I suggest that you check out my full course. That is a six month guide to building a body that you can enjoy for the rest of your life. You can find that informaton on this site as well.

Again, the cool thing is that a great deal of your future is in your own hands. You can really do major things to bring about a better life for yourself and those you love. If you don’t have your health, you really can’t enjoy much of anything. So….sign up for the FREE course, and get started on the road to a healthy life in your “senior years”. Oh yes…you also take a big step toward reducing the amount you spend on doctors and health care.

Richard

There is a serious debate going on in the research community about the impact that vitamin supplements can have on our health. A few things are generally accepted, the most prominent being that vitamins are essential to our overall health. It is also generally accepted that getting vitamins through our food is more effective than through the use of supplements. None the less, a huge proportion of the US population takes at least one vitamin supplement each day.

A July 2011 article in the Harvard Health Letter may help us understand the problems of gaining a clear answer to the claims being made about the impact of vitamin supplements. Citing an opinon article by Martha Clare Morris and Christine Tangney at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago published in the Journal of the American Medical Association argued that major clinical trials show poor or inconsitent positive health benefits for supplements. The authors argued that vitamins may show little or no effect in randomized clinical trials in part because many of the participants in the study may already have optimal levels of vitamins in their bodies when the study begins. If that is the case, there is little chance that taking additional supplements will show any effect. The authors argue that people who have very low levels of vitamins may benefit from taking supplements, while those who already have adequate levels of vitamins in their system may not show any effect from taking supplements.

It is not known what portion of the population may have vitamin deficiencies. However, if you are a person who wants to be fit and healthy, I offer the following suggestions based on my many years of training and study in this area.

First of all, it is essential that you eat a diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. You should be certain that you obtain your vitamins and minerals from your food. Pills are not a substitute for proper eating. Recommended vegetables are the ones that are the darkest color. Vegetables that are “deep fried” or processed are not really going to do you any good. My advice is eat fresh food!

Second: I always recommend taking a high quality multiple vitamin as insurance. You should use supplements only as a back up to your basic eating program.

Third: Until proven otherwise, assume that mega doses of vitamins are relatively useless, and may be harmful. If you are eating properly, there is no need to “over supplement”.

In conclusion, it is probably useful to think of vitamins having a “housekeeping” function in your body. That is, if you have adequate levels, your system will function properly. If you have a deficiency, then things go poorly. However, taking more than the base requirement will not give you an added boost.

Richard

Starting out trying to get fit can be a bewildering experience.  There are so many products and so many claims, it is hard for a senior trying to get in better condition to know what to do.  This article is intended to simplify senior fitness for anyone trying to get in better physical condition.

First of all, there are three critical components to any fitness program that will give you any results that you want.  These are physical training, nutrition and mindset.  You cannot omit any of these and expect to achieve any decent results.  I’ll discuss each of these briefly, and indicate where you can find more systematic information.

Most people want an “easy” solution to getting into better physical condition.  There are literally hundreds of products that promise miraculous results with little effort.  Rest assured all of them are silly at best and fraudulent at worst.  So many people want a “quick and easy” solution that the market is flooded with all kinds of outrageous junk.  Perhaps the most unfortunate consequence of people believing in these trash products is that buying them and believing they will work may actually undercut any chance these people might have for achieving real success.  The burned buyers may decide that any real change is impossible, and not pursue any legitimate programs.

Any real program of physical training will have you doing several different movements that cover all areas of the body.  Simply training your legs or your abs will not produce much in the way of results.  Certainly not the results you would desire.  Ideally, the movements will involve free weights (barbells and dumbbells) or some form of free resistance (ex: training bands or sand bags).  Training on machines is significantly less beneficial as these movements don’t require your stabalizer muscles to work, nor do they require any balance or coordination.   Machines can be useful for rehabilitation or for getting started training if the person is deconditioned.

The second key component of any training program is nutrion and diet.  To be healthy as a senior, it is essential that you eat properly and achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.  The nutrition part of the equation is insuring that you get proper levels of necessary nutrients.  These should come from your food.  If you wish, you can take dietary supplements.  However, these are supplements to a healthy diet.  Pills don’t take the place of proper eating.

The second thing you must understand (like it or not) is that calorie intake is the only thing that will determine whether you gain or lose body fat.  There are NO miracle diets that allow you to eat anything you want in any amount.  The huge body of clinical and biomedical research evidence indicates that calories are the only thing that count if you are trying to lose body fat.  Do not believe any claim that the body will allow you to eat unlimited or excessive portions of any food.  Claims for this are utter rubbish.  You should begin your healthy eating program with this understanding clearly in mind.

The third component of a senior fitness program is your mindset.  There is a tendency for people to begin fitness programs with great enthusiasm and then after a few weeks go back to no training and their old diet. There are many reasons for this, but the one that I think creates the most difficulty for people is that training (and good nutriton) are not part of their “familiar zone”.  This refers to the patten of activities and habits that the person does almost without thinking.  They may not be “comfortable”, but they are familiar.  They have been in place for a long time, and changing them causes a lot of upset. 

The mental dynamics of each person on a new diet will vary considerably.  However, the fact is that changing habits can be very difficult without a proper mindset.  People who have been living on junk food and eating anything that they wanted find a training diet like torture.  All the addictive convenience foods are not on the new program.  The portions seem tiny by comparison to the old ways.  Salads don’t seem quite as satisfying as eating a whole bag of cookies.  It is here that a persons mindset can intercede and alter how they look at their nutrition program.

The things that you eat have a direct impact on how you feel, and the prospects for living a full life.  If you think of your new program as a friend that will help you live longer and better, it is a lot different perspective than thinking of the program as being the teacher that lays down the rules.  Doing good things for yourself is something you can be proud of.   Most people tend to look at diet and physical training programs as something inflicted on them from the outside.  You can decide to look at this as something good you are doing for yourself, your friends and your family.  Everyone around you will benefit from you being in good health.

If you want to check out more information on training, nutrition and mindset in senior fitness, I have a FREE quick start course available on this site.  You will get a sample of each of these at no cost to you.  Simply sign up for the free “quick start” course and you will get a lot more information about all of these topics.  Simply check out the box on the right side of this page.

For a LOT more informaton on all of these topics, you can check out my book A Guide to Getting Younger After 60.  There is a lot more in there that can really help you get on the right track and stay there.

Whatever you do, it is really important that you take action.   Defering the decision will probably mean you don’t do much of anything.  The quick start course is FREE and there is no risk to you. 

To your good health

Richard

There is no better time than right now to begin regular exercise.  There is nothing magic about beginning on the first of the month, or at some unspecified date in the future.  Once you start a training program, the big challenge will be sustaining it.  Most people quit within a few days or weeks of beginning.  You dont want this to happen to you.  The short video below gives you some key information on how to give yourself the best chance to succeed over the long haul.

To your good health

Richard Schuller

Trying to make positive changes in your life is usually difficult.  The main reasons have to do with the fact that we have established bad habits that are almost “hard wired” into our brains.  We can change these, but only if we recognize what we are trying to do, and what tools and techniques we have available to us to make the changes.  Even then, it will not be easy.  However, is is both possible and desirable.

Our brains are hard wired to make us do things that provide short term comfort, but often at the expense of our long term welfare.  When we evolved in the wilds almost everything we did was linked to a short term response.  For example, if we found food, we had to eat it because the supply was always precarious.  When we saw something that we wanted, we took it because usually it was necessary for survival.  Our internal drives were linked up with our daily needs for survival.  We still have the same drives that we did 10,000 years ago, but our life circumstances are drastically different.  Now our drives actually work against our long term welfare.

In the primitive situation, there was no “long term”.  We had to eat “right now”.  We had to find fire wood “right now”.  We rarely dealt with any situation where the planning horizon was longer than a few days.  As we developed more dependable forms of subsistence, such as farming and tending animals, we still had no more than a seasonal view of the world, and everything was always scarce. 

In our current world we still have the drives to “eat now” drive and a host of others that work against our long term welfare.  We are dealing with non-conscious drives to do things such as eat, relax, and save our energy that had survival value in pre-historic times.  Now, these drives turn us into unhealthy people who have to deal with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and a host of other conditions related to eating too much and exercising too little.

When you take the plunge with a new resolution to improve your life, what will happen at once is that you will be working directly counter to your non-conscious hard wired drives to eat and conserve energy.  You need to understand that when you begin restricting your caloric intake, your body will scream “your starving me”.  When you start working out, you non conscious mind will tell you that “you have to conserve energy, you might have to run away from a predator, or survive a famine”.    These are the internal forces that will constantly work on you to quit eating properly and stop exercising. 

Most of your non-conscious drives and habits can be re-directed by your conscious mind if you recognize that you have to do this.  When you begin any program designed to change your habits, your mind and body will constantly try to get you to stop doing the programs.  New programs may run counter to your conditioned habits, and will usually run counter to your primitive survival drives.  Your conscious mind is the best resource you have for battling those habits that are really bad for you in the long run. 

As in the previous post, you need to have a plan to give you any chance of succeeding at your resolutions.  You not only need a plan for your eating and your physical training, you need a plan to help you stay on the program and the diet.    

For example, you can get a good plan for both diet and exercise in my book A Guide to Getting Younger After 60.  If you follow the training and the nutrition guidance, you will be able to make major changes in the your physical body, and other parts of your life as well.  The book provides the plan for you to follow.  You also need to understand that once you are a few weeks into the program, your basic drives will begin to emerge that move you to do things that will be very bad for you in the long term. 

You must have a plan to deal with the forces that will end your diet, stop your physical training, and terminate your progress to any of your long term health goals.   90% of the time the subverting forces will come from your non-conscious mind and the primitive drives to eat constantly and conserve your energy for life threatening situations.   If you understand this, you have a better chance of succeeding with your long term goals (AKA: resolutions).

Your first line of defense (plan) is to decide what you are going to eat each week.  Once you make this plan, then you will find it is much easier to avoid eating anything that is put in front of you.  Without a plan, you are totally at the mercy of your own will power in any situation, and the lack of any strategic reason to eat or avoid any goodie you may encounter.  If you have never tried to do a weekly eating plan, give it a try, you may be shocked at how often you simply eat what happens to be handy.

Most serious resolutions involve a lot of long term commitment and working against your inner drives.  Those who succeed are most often those who have a plan on what to do, and then follow the plan!!!!   As any of you who have worked in an office know, it is really easy to make plan, but very tough to implement the plan.  Rest assured that if you make a plan, recognize that it will require your constant attention to make it work for you.

Richard Schuller

If there is one time of the year when people traditonally wreck their diets or fitness plans it is the end of the year holidays.  Food is everywhere, and the temptation to overeat and not do proper exercise is almost constant.  In the video I suggest a key method for countering the potential ravages of the holidays.  Check it out.

Richard Schuller