By Rita La Rosa Loud, B.S.
A time-honored question I have received from past, present, and – dare I say – future clients: Is there one exercise that does it all?
Let me ask you this: If there were only one exercise to help you build muscle and strength, improve endurance, increase flexibility, enhance posture, balance and coordination, boost metabolism and reduce fat, would that interest you? Although resistance exercise can categorically facilitate these positive results (see September 2023 article, “Strength workouts for busy seniors”), the most favored exercise is one you enjoy and do on a consistent basis. Conversely, our research, as well as others, supports the view that every person benefits from participating in comprehensive strength, aerobics, stretching, and functional training, like what our health and wellness program offers. With any luck, wide-ranging exercise may now be a serious consideration. And if so, I recommend you explore the following:
Seek out a gym, fitness, health, or senior facility that provides highly supervised, all-inclusive, time-efficient strength, cardiovascular, flexibility, and functional training conducted in a private, non-intimidating, friendly, group environment with other like-minded older adults and seniors bent on pursuing health and wellness.
Strength training
Select a fitness program that employs nationally certified trainers who provide concise and constructive instruction, supervision, and guidance on how to safely and effectively strengthen the musculoskeletal system, build muscles and bones, decrease fat, and increase metabolism on senior-friendly machine-based equipment, or use of a variety of resistive-type tools such as dumbbells, exercise tubing, resistance bands, and medicine balls, to name a few.
Cardiovascular exercise
Join a fitness facility where group exercise instructors or personal trainers help improve heart function and lung capacity, ensure you train within your target heart rate zone based on age and fitness ability, as well as burn extra calories on cardiovascular equipment like treadmills, rowers, recumbent and upright cycles, etc.
Flexibility component
Participate in a fitness program where nationally certified trainers demonstrate how to integrate static stretches with resistance exercise. For instance, our members stretch immediately after each machine-based strength exercise, or on a stretch apparatus after completing their strength program, and, if they prefer, perform stretches on an exercise mat, or even seated on a chair.
Functional training
Engage in a health and wellness program where experienced fitness instructors are familiar with functional and core training that address posture and balance issues. For example, our participants begin with machine-based strength training of all major muscle groups of the upper/lower body augmented with conditioning exercises using their own body weight before utilizing balance tools such as balance disks, Swiss and Bosu balls.
Quincy College’s Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health and Fitness does it all! We offer highly effective exercise modalities in strength training, cardiovascular exercise, flexibility, and functional training that can help you become healthy and fit. Located at Presidents Place, 1250 Hancock St. Call 617-405-5978 to try a complimentary class. Street parking and a parking garage are available.
About the Author: Rita La Rosa Loud holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology with additional education in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training. She is NASM Certified and has been actively involved in the fitness industry for more than 35 years. She is also an author and writes
fitness-related articles for various publications. Currently, she is a fitness researcher and directs the Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health and Fitness at Quincy College. She can be reached at 617-405-5978.
