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

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

Like a lot of you around the US, I watched the NFL football playoff games this past week end.  In the post game celebrations, the players always seem to say a lot of the same things: how hard they worked, how much they give credit to their team mates, and how grateful they are to win big games.  We hear this so often that it sounds a little like a canned line for TV.  However, if you really look at what they had to do to get where they are, these are NOT platitudes, they are statements about precisely why the individual players are where they are.  What can we learn from this?

If you are “over 60″ and feeling more than a little “out of shape”, the good news is that you can make some dramatic positive changes in the way you feel and look if you follow the NFL players lead about hard work and focus.  Many men and women over 60 have simply accepted the notion that they are stuck with poor physical fitness and health.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Granted that there are some limits on how much change we can bring about.  However, most people never get within miles of what is possible for them.  The reason?  They simply do not apply themselves to the task with the degree of diligence that is needed.  it is easy to be sucked into the notion that either “there is nothing I can do about my body and health”, or “I can take a pill or train 5 minutes a day and be just fine”.    In real life, neither of these ideas will get you very much.

In a recent book called Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin reviewed the research on what separates world class performers from the rest of the population.  What has been documented in careful research study after study is that the biggest single factor in achieving success in any area of endeavor is doing the work needed to succeed.  That does not mean doing the minimum to pass a test, it means really putting in the time and effort needed to become really good!

When it comes to being a fit person over the age of 50, 60 or 70, the biggest single factor in determining how successful you will be is the quality and quantity of the work you do to get in shape.  Like it or not, the biggest single factor in your ultimate success will be whether you do the work needed to have the physical fitness of a much younger person.

Most of the fitness programs designed for seniors are either sold with the promise of quick results from very little effort, or miraculous transformations because of the properties of some medication.  Neither of these has any merit. If you want exceptional results, you have to do some exceptional work.

What do I mean by exceptional work?  One of the key elements of exceptional work is the idea that you have to do the right things to become fit….not just go through some mindless set of exercises.   In short, you have to work smart, not just work hard.   This involves building your body through a series of progressive movements that allow you to build balanced and comprehensive strength.  You have to eat properly and consistently.  You have to take supplements that are appropriate for the training you are doing.   You need to develop the mental approach to your life that will support all the other things you are doing for your health. 

Most people want effortless solutions to their problems.  If they are out of shape and feeling bad, they want to be able to take a pill and feel great.   The problem is that no matter how earnestly we may want  these things, the fact is that great accomplishments don’t come about without a lot of focused effort.  Everyone want’s a great healthy body, but the only one’s who actually get to have one are those who actually do what is needed to get a great body. 

OK you ask…what do I have to do?   To get you rolling on the right path I have developed a program that covers the physical, mental and nutritional aspects of getting into great condition.  This will help you start the process of literally taking a decade (or more) off your body.  The book A Guide to Getting Younger After 60 is where you start transforming yourself into a much “younger” you. 

The book is available for immediate download from this site.  If you want to see some of what is involved, you can try the”quick start” mini course available for free from this site.  The free course will give you a taste of what you can do to make a major transformation in your physical and mental well being.

You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.  If you don’t like the course, you can return it for a full refund.  If you do like the course, and do the program, you will be rewarded with a dramatic positive change in your youth and vigor.  There is no time to take action like right now! 

To a Great Future for YOU!

Richard

When you join a health club, one of the things you need to consider is the social environment of the club.  How you fit in the prevailing social atmosphere will have a lot to do with whether you will keep training there, or should join in the first place.  One of the reasons to take a trial workout at a club is to see if the social atmosphere is one where you feel comfortable. 

The big issue for most people starting training is whether they feel intimidated or otherwise uncomfortable when they train at a club.  How uncomfortable people feel is a direct result of how much they feel “different” from the other people training at the club.  Regardless of age, when people first begin training, they feel like everyone else “knows what they are doing”, and the place is loaded with “Ken and Barbie” types.  That may be the perception.  Reality may be somewhat different.  However, if you are new to the club, perception IS reality.

Feeling intimidated or “out of place” is normal when you first enter a new club.  One of the reasons is that everything seems unfamiliar, and you may feel that everyone is “looking at you”.   In about 90% of the cases this is not what is happening.  The “Ken and Barbies” are  either looking at their own reflection in the mirror, or at each other.  A new person training, especially a senior, is virtually invisible. 

If you feel “alone” when you start, remember that everyone else in the club probably felt the same way when they started training.  It takes a few workouts to begin feeling like you belong in a new place.  If you keep training at roughly the same time, you will probably meet a few people who also train at the same time.  Over time the club will become part of “your territory”, and you will be one of the “regulars” who new people look at and assume that you “know everything”.

The bottom line is that feeling comfortable in a new situation often takes time.  Most people will quit rather than deal with a little discomfort.  Humans are hard wired to seek short term comfort.  Unfortunately, this means that we do a lot of things that are damaging to us in the long term.  Overcoming the feeling of “strangeness” in a health club is in your long term best interest.  Leaving because you don’t feel “comfortable” makes you feel OK in the short term, but will subvert your quest to become more fit and healthy.

With that in mind, be aware that different clubs may be dominated by different groups of people.  In general, the larger the club, the greater the diversity of people who will train there.

Most clubs, especially larger ones, will have a mixture of social groups training there.  In big clubs you will find several different age groups, types of training (weights, yoga, aerobic dance, etc.) and people at all different levels of fitness (beginner to pro).  Most of the time the established groups (eg. 20-something) will tend to train together and ignore everyone else.  

In places like the YMCA or a neighborhood center, there will generally be a lot of different people training. There will be many different ages and fitness levels.  There may be a few “superstar” types, but in all liklyhood there will be some beginners, with the greatest number of regular patrons being “regular folks” of all different ages.

There are some specialty clubs that only accept women as members.  You will tend to find these almost exclusively in large cities, as the economics of the health club industry tends to require that clubs be open to both men and women.  If same sex clubs are an issue for you, it might be worthwhile to consider training at home until you have progressed to the point where you feel comfortable in a regular health club.  You can also train at Curves or some similar place until you are ready to train at a regular club.

There are a few high end clubs that offer exclusivity and are in essence private social clubs.   They offer the prospect of social networking for business and some other on site options such as cafes, meeting rooms, etc.  If this is what you want, be certain to take a complementary training session or two to see if the promises are likely to be realized in your particular situation.

Regardless of the equipment or the social atmosphere, doing the training is the only thing that will produce the results you desire.  Where you train is infinitely less important than the fact that you are consistent, and keep to your training schedule and nutrition plan. 

In the next installment on how to select a health club, I’ll cover the things that may cause you to quit.

Have a great day,

Richard Schuller

If you join a health club, one of the things they will encourage you to do is contract for the services of a personal trainer.  You need to determine whether this is a smart investment for you.  The key for you is to buy what makes sense for you.  That will be different from one person to the next.  To help you make a smart choice, I’ll offer my observations based on: 1) having trained in a LOT of different gyms; 2) knowing a lot of personal trainers; and 3) being a licensed personal trainer myself.

For openers, you need to decide why you would need a trainer.  They can provide you with the following things: 1) a workout program; 2) help in doing the exercises properly; 3) give you personal support while training; 4) help you feel less uncomfortable in the gym when you are first training. 

The first issue is having a workout program.  You have the option of using the free introductory program you can down load on this site. This will get you through two months of training.   You also can buy my book for $29.95 that will give you six months of training programs with directions on how to perform the movements, select the weights to use, the number of movements, etc.  You can contrast the cost of these options with the normal fee for a personal trainer which runs from $50 per hour to $100.  That charge is for each session.

One of the questions you may have if you are new to physical training is whether the trainer can give you a “better” program than you can get from a book.  My answer, based on having trained for over 50 years in multiple gyms and for multiple sports is as follows.  If you are untrained or completely out of shape, anything you do will have some positive impact.  In short, if you go to the gym and do random movements, it will be better than doing nothing, and you will see some (modest) improvement.  If you do the programs I offer, they will give you a comprehensive training session and you should see solid progress.  There is no magic program a personal trainer can devise for you that will give you better results than one you can get from a book or the free program I provide.  It may be different but it will not be better.

The only thing that will give you the results you desire is you must do the program and do it regularly.  If you don’t do the work, you will not get any results. 

If the trainer helps you establish a regular schedule of training, and helps you feel more at home in the gym environment, that is great. Some people find this to be well worth the investment.  You are trying to establish good habits and having someone who will hold you accountable and keep you on the path when you want to stray off is sometimes worth the investment.

If you don’t want to spend the money on individual training sessions, many gyms offer classes where you train in a group of people.   This can be a great way to establish your training habits, and find the social support that keeps you training.  It is up to you, and what is going to work best for you.

Having made some comments about trainers that may sound critical, I’ll now offer you my opinions about how they can be very useful to you. 

First of all, most trainers take their profession very seriously.  Most study and constantly keep up on the professional literature.  The cool thing about trainers that can be a huge help to you as you get more fit is that most of them have a specialty.  That is, each of them will have some area of sports or fitness where they excel.  All of them know the basics, but their real advantage to you can be in the areas where they have genuine expertise. 

For example, one of my trainer friends is a specialist in training people for racquet sports and golf.  (You will see video training programs from him on this site during 2011).  He really knows these areas well, and can help you prepare to do you very best in these areas.  At the same time, he would not even claim to know how to train people for “power”.   Another trainer I know really knows how to teach dance, aerobic dance and similar types of dancing conditioning.  She is great at teaching this…but would not be your first choice if you were trying to upgrade your tennis game.

In my own training, I pay two different personal trainers to work with me in area where they are specialists.  One knows powerlifting, and the other teaches swimming.  Both of these trainers actually function more as a “coach” than a trainer.  They provide me with very focused and specialized instruction on how to improve my skills in each of these areas.  Their real value to me is their ability to help me improve performance in each of these areas.

If you are using a trainer (or coach) you should expect to see concrete results from the training.  In this case, you need to have established some way to measure the improvements you want to see.  If you are training for the first time, you should see increases in strength, flexibility and endurance on a continuing basis.  If you are hiring someone to help you build on an existing base, you should see specific improvements in your performance that are tangible and measurable.  If you “feel” like you are improving, it would be a good idea to have your own set of criteria to measure this.  Otherwise you are spending time and money for no identifiable effect.

In summary, when it comes to your decision on whether to hire a personal trainer, you should be very specific about what you need them to do…and what it is worth to you.  Then, decide how you will evaluate their value to you as you progress. 

Have a great day,

Richard Schuller