This is Jack Lalanne at 71!
I have posted many things here on this blog over the years but the primary focus is martial arts and fitness for those of us who are beyond 50. I will be 56 this year and it is easy to find yourself not wanting to workout when you wake up stiff and sore from old injuries.
As a guy who has trained in martial arts steady for the past 10 years and achieved 2nd degree black belts in two disciplines, I have the bumps, bruises and joint pain to go along with it! Not to mention the dreaded arthritis creeping into my hands and fingers. Being a guitar player also this is really a problem. I hate to take much more than an aspirin or two but looks like some medication is needed from time to time to deal with this stuff. I'll let you know when I find something that works for me. In regards to aspirin, be careful! A good friend of mine from church had been taking an aspirin a day for twenty years by order of his doctor to prevent heart attacks. He's a good bit older than I. Well it landed him in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer in his stomach! So be extra careful taking any kind of pain meds every day. Check with your doctor if you notice anything wrong.
Now, let's get to the good stuff, working out!
I like to work out in the morning. I try to do a small routine each day to get me started and that includes stretching. Start with jumping jacks, then squats, crunches and push ups. Repeat if you can, even a third set if you have time and are in good enough shape. In regards to how many, it's up to the individual. What can your body take? Of course your goal is to improve over time, add more reps and get stronger. Me, I like to do 25 J Jacks, 20 squats, 50 crunches and 25 or 30 push ups, then repeat if I have time. If you get to the point where you can do a third set of this you are doing very well.
Do NOT forget to stretch!!! Make sure you spend at least 3 to 5 minutes stretching in-between sets.
Once you get in good enough shape to do 3 sets of these you can add an exercise or two to the routine to kick it up another notch! Try man-makers if you are feeling really strong or just add some dumbbells to the workout and do some curls and overhead dumbbell presses. Hold them while you squat if you like as well!
Ok, that's it for now. Go on out and take on the world for another day. God bless and stay safe. I will be writing some about Church Security in the near future, stay tuned for that...
