Readers may recall that I attended the IDEA Personal Fitness Conference – East at the beginning of April in Alexandria, VA. My main reason for going was to do the all-day training for the Functional Aging Specialist Certification. It was a great training (and I got CEC for it), but still needed to take three on-line exams in order to be certified.
I hoped that I would be able to pass all three by the end of April, but wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. Being laid up after foot surgery left me with more time on my hands so I decided to be productive. Many hours of reading and watching videos and I passed the last exam today! With four hours left in April!
As I blogged about earlier, FAI is in the forefront of fostering better practices and research in the realm of fitness for older adults. The focus is less on building muscle strength and more on working to keep older adults able to do the things they want and need to do. In other words, we address the wants and needs of our clients in order to keep them functional and independent. There is a greater emphasis on building muscle power (which helps with getting out of a chair or going up the stairs) as well as improving balance and reactivity time.
This will be very interesting for me since this is such a diverse population. Every senior presents with a different fitness and health history; there are 60-year-olds who cannot walk without assistance, and there are 80-year-olds running marathons. This kind of training requires more intense planning and specialization based on getting to know the client really well.
I will keep you posted on how this part of my “business” progresses. In the meantime, I look forward to a little celebration of my accomplishment!
The Israelites Eat the Passover, illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible; illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648–1733)
Passover and fitness in the same sentence! Is that even possible? Most of us who observe the Passover holiday think of it as two nights of Thanksgiving Dinner-sized meals followed by carbs, carbs and more carbs. It is possible to eat healthy during Passover, but that’s not my focus here.
The Passover holiday commemorates the departure of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery as told in the Book of Exodus. The events described would have taken place thousands of years ago. The Haggadah–the book that contains the service for the Passover Feast (called a Seder) held on the first two nights–tells us that each of us should see ourselves as if we personally went out from Egypt. This is a tall order; many, if not most, of us have never experienced discrimination or oppression–let alone slavery. It is a challenge to try to put ourselves in the story.
The holiday is not just about the historical exodus from Egypt, though; the underlying theme is about redemption–the idea that where we are now is not where we need to be forever. The Hebrews’ situation seemed hopeless and yet, with God’s power, they were able to make their way to freedom; not only that, Egypt–the most powerful empire on the planet–was brought to its knees in the process. This sets a paradigm for us in the world and in our personal lives. The world we live in, with all of its problems, need not remain as it is; we can make it better–redeem it as it were. On a personal level, who we are today does not define who we will be tomorrow; we are always capable of becoming more and better than we are now.
Which brings me to Fitness and Passover…
Many folks look at their own personal fitness and say, “well, this is how I am.” “I’ll always be fat.” “I can never get in shape.” This outlook becomes even more rigid as we age. All the research on fitness, however, points in the opposite direction. Embarking on an exercise and/or diet program at any age is beneficial; we are always capable of improving our health. The prevailing notion was always that as we age there are certain functions that we must inevitably lose; study after study shows that we can maintain and even improve our muscle mass, cardiovascular health, endurance and reaction time–or at the very least slow the progression of their weakening. We all know individuals who were sick and frail who, after a period of rehab, were back to “normal” or even stronger than before their illness or injury. We know that we can transcend the situation in which we find ourselves; we can get better. The lessons of Passover echo this idea; they teach us that we are always capable of redemption. Although there are chronic diseases and conditions like cancer that we may not be able to overcome, we still have greater control over our fitness destiny than we may have thought in the past.
Another connection has to do with the idea of freedom which underpins the Passover story. The Hebrews were not liberated from Egypt simply so they could run around in the wilderness without a care in the world; the exodus had a purpose. The Israelites were forced to serve Pharaoh, which meant that they could not serve God. How could they focus on their connection to the divine when every day was a struggle to stay alive? The purpose of the Hebrews’ liberation was to allow them to serve God and follow the Lord’s commandments that they would receive soon afterwards at Mt. Sinai. The Israelites were made free in order to serve; it sounds oxymoronic, but it is a profound idea.
Likewise, watching what we eat, exercising, and taking care of ourselves is for most of us not an end unto itself. We take care of ourselves so that we are able to do the things we want to do longer, more efficiently and more easily. We build strength and endurance in order to carry out the tasks of our lives. What are those tasks? Certainly much of our lives are taken up with grocery shopping, paying the bills, working, studying, folding fitted sheets (!), etc., and we need to be healthy enough to do that–but most of us look for a deeper purpose to our existence. If, in fact, one of our duties as human beings is to partner with God and our fellow humans in making the world a better place (redeeming it), we cannot do so if we are frail, weak, tired and out of shape. Ideally, we maintain and strengthen our bodies–which are vessels given to us by God–to be able to carry out our mission in the world (however you define that for yourself).
The work of redemption is not easy. It is slow, laborious and often frustrating–kind of like some of our workouts. Jewish tradition teaches us that it is not our obligation to finish the work, but neither are we at liberty to excuse ourselves from the work of redemption. One of the ways that we can ensure that we are up to the task is to prepare ourselves spiritually AND physically. We are capable of changing the world for the better…but not if we don’t first change ourselves for the better–in spirit and in body.
Chag Sameach! Best wishes for a happy and fit Passover holiday!
It has been one week since my foot surgery and hopefully only another three until I can walk again. The physical recovery has not been as difficult as dealing with emotional issues that come along with an injury/illness. The first few days after surgery were not that tough; the block on my lower leg meant that I did not feel anything below the knee–especially pain. Once that wore off, I began to feel the discomfort. I really wanted to avoid taking pain meds since I don’t like the side effects, so I’ve been icing and trying to take it easy with several doses of acetaminophen daily. Today I wanted to go to morning minyan (prayer services); I got up, showered, got dressed, but was in too much discomfort to go. Big bummer.
The past several days have been difficult since I am so accustomed to doing a lot of the work to prepare for Passover. For those unfamiliar, imagine two Thanksgiving Dinners two nights in a row, but having to start with all new ingredients. In the past, I did a huge amount of the work and my wife pitched in with some sides and desserts. We were so excited to be doing all the preparation for the Seders together this year, but it ended up being all her. I tried to help where I could, but I felt kind of useless.
That feeling was made worse when I started receiving all the emails from the gym that all my clients were being cancelled for the entire month. That is a tough situation for anyone, but when you are just starting out in the industry and trying to build your client base, it feels devastating (even if the real effect may be much less). Since I don’t know what my recovery will be like and whether I will ever be back to where I was nine months ago before the pain began, there is an added level of anxiety. Will I be able to get back to training as quickly as I want? Will I have restrictions? Can I be successful at this new endeavor in my life? All questions swirling in my head.
It is always nice to have an objective party to discuss these issues with, and I did that today. I have in my mind that these four weeks are just a total write-off, but I can use this time productively. I will spend the week studying and hopefully obtaining my Functional Aging Specialization. Getting ready for that basically requires me to sit on my butt and read…I think I can do that this week. I also have to take things one at a time; I think we can all sometimes get into a downward spiral and follow a rabbit hole into the worst-case scenarios. I have to stop myself and let things unfold as they do without getting ahead of myself.
What has surprised me is just how much this recovery from surgery is emotional as well as physical. I have to deal with not working out, which is my usual stress reliever. I have to consider the possibility that my body may not fully recover. I have to face the fact that I am aging; this doesn’t mean that I’m all washed up, but rather that I have to change my approach. Hopefully, that awareness will make me a better Personal Trainer in the long run–especially as I train those in my peer group.
Wishing everyone a Happy Passover, belated Happy Easter, and all the best in whatever you celebrate. I also celebrate the process of healing–physically and emotionally. But it is hard work!
In all my courses, we have been taught that working out–and especially weight training–is good for individuals at any age. Current trends are aimed at getting the 50+ crowd to understand the importance of resistance work along with cardio exercise.
I am currently recovering from foot surgery and will be unable to walk for four weeks. I have a scooter and crutches; they are tools, but they cannot perform all the functions necessary to get around. Thank goodness I have been working on building muscle strength over the years. I have found that I can balance on one foot for a while (thanks yoga!), push and pull myself up, hop around my car to get to the scooter in the trunk. It is the difference between having some independence and none at all.
This is an argument that should be made to seniors. Weight training isn’t necessarily about have a killer beach body; we need the strength to help us navigate the Activities of Daily Living. And when we do find ourselves with an injury, hopefully the hard work of resistance training we have put in will allow us to compensate for our deficits (in the long- or short-term).
As someone who has never had to rely on devices to help me ambulate, I have learned a lot in the last few days. I get why we have extra-wide handicap spaces. I get why we have ramps. The ADA has gone a long way to making public places accessible. If, however, we lack the basic strength to make use of these accommodations, what is the use?
We are never too old to lift weights. Muscle degradation does not need to be in our future. Seniors: get off of those treadmills a few times a week and get to the dumbbells! You’ll be glad you did.
I am used to being very active–at the gym every day except for Shabbat training and working out. For the last 8 years or so I’ve been a runner: 3 half-marathons, more 5k races than I can count, several obstacle course races. So the thought of having to not WALK for four weeks is killing me!
I started having heel pain (most likely Plantar Fasciitis) back in late September when I was training for the Columbus 1/2 Marathon; it was a few weeks before the race so I couldn’t quit. Besides, it didn’t hurt when I ran…only afterwards. I finished the race (with my personal best time) but within a few days I knew I had a problem. I went to my podiatrist and we went through the usual conservative steps: new orthotics, stretching exercises, cutting down on the running. I even had a boot to wear at night that was supposed to flex my foot, but that was more annoying than the foot pain. Finally, I spent the last 5 weeks in a boot that went up to my knee. Unfortunately, while it improved at first, when I tried to walk for one hour without the boot, the pain was back.
Yesterday was surgery: stretching the Achilles Tendon was part 1, thinning out the plantar fascia was the part 2. Today I got my knee scooter so I can begin to get around again. Still, it is unclear how much or whether I’ll be able to train for the next month. I’ll need clearance from my doctor before I can go back to being on the Fitness Center Floor.
I am being forced to take a break–for a while at least. It makes me nervous. I rely on my workouts to ease stress, keep in shape, and for the social element as well. Training also helps to pay the mortgage. If I am unable to train, perhaps I will see if I can work at the Welcome Desk so I still feel a part of things.
Here is my real concern. All along I’ve told my doctor that I just want to be able to run again. We all have met people who tell us “I used to be a runner until….” I’ve also met folks who have said, “I was told I would never _____ again, but I did not give up.” I’d like to think I will be in the second category, but I hope I don’t have to make the choice.
When I am “fully recovered,” I hope I’ll understand what this all means. In the meantime, I now have a greater understanding and empathy for my clients who have had injuries or surgeries that have limited their ability to do the things they are accustomed to doing. When we talk about “Activities of Daily Living,” I now have a better sense of what that means.
When I am met with challenges, I always try to learn from them and then apply them to the work that I do–as a rabbi and as a personal trainer. This time will be no different. I will keep you posted on my progress.
This is the title of an article that appeared yesterday (April 8, 2019) in the Wall Street Journal. The article by Hilary Potkewitz notes that seniors are going to the gym in record numbers; at the same time the demand for trainers in their 50s and 60s is going up. The article contains some statistics as well as a lot of anecdotes about this trend.
I know that many of my clients are on the “senior side” of things, and part of what attracted them to meas a Personal Trainer is that I am 50+. I understand what an aging body feels like. I know that the vast majority of seniors are not as interested in what their bodies will look like at the beach or pool this summer as they are about their ability to carry out the activities of daily living (not that a killer bod wouldn’t be appreciated!).
On a pretty regular basis clients tell me about past injuries, aches, deficits in strength, etc., and in many cases I can relate because I have been there. Hernia surgery, check! Achilles tendinitis, check! Plantar fasciitis, check! Not only can I relate, but my recovery experiences help me to understand what exercises are effective and which aren’t.
This is not to say that a younger trainer might not be a good listener and even know how to do corrective exercises; there are many out there who are better than I at that. What it does say is that there is a kind of kinship of fellow travelers as we age and we think about our fitness, our jobs, our families, and our goals.
Of course, this is all good news for me and for the fitness industry. Fitness is not just the domain of the “hotshot trainer with the six-pack;” those of us with a little wear and tear have just as much to give…often with a dose of well-earned wisdom!
At the end of last week, I had the opportunity to attend the IDEA Fitness Conference East in Alexandria, VA. In particular, I went to participate in the pre-conference training to receive Functional Aging Specialist Certification presented by Cody Sipe, PhD.
I had never been to a Personal Trainers Conference before and was not sure what to expect. The Conference East is the smallest of their gatherings so it was a more intimate crowd. My workshop on Thursday had between 50 and 60 people–ranging in age from 20s to 60s. I was afraid I might be the oldest one there (at almost 56) and the one who is newest to the industry; luckily, neither was the case. I actually felt that I fit in…which is a good feeling.
The focus of the day was to prepare us to pass the certification exam to become Functional Aging Specialists. What is a Functional Aging Specialist? The approach, which seems somewhat intuitive (but really isn’t) is to train seniors (50+, but more likely 65+) not by simply having them do cardio and strength training that simply works different muscle groups. Instead, the approach is individualized to each client based on their specific needs and wants. Needs: assessment can reveal where there are deficits like difficulties with balance, sarcopenia, poor reactivity, etc. We train with a program that specifically addresses the deficits. Wants: listening to the client can reveal what they would like to be able to do–be able to complete a 5k run, participate in a travel adventure that will require hiking, being able to get up the stairs without pooping out, etc. Again, we can train using a program that will help them to reach those goals.
The next few weeks will be filled with studying so that I can pass the exam. I know that this can be a great niche for me in a sector of the fitness world that is growing at a very fast pace.
Additionally, research shows that many seniors do not want to train with a shredded 20-year-old; they want to work with mature trainers who understand themselves how our bodies change as we age. More on that topic later this week.
This global study of diet shows that we are at risk not from eating unhealthy foods alone. It is that at the same time we are not eating healthy foods. The reasons are numerous, and this article explains the global and regional implications.
Last week I went to Columbus and signed up for a training session with my long-time personal trainer. It had been 8 months since my move, and frankly I was a little nervous. I’ve had some health setbacks and was worried that I had atrophied while I was gone.
It was a tough workout but I made it through. What it made me realize–which is kind of like a “duh”–is that there really is a benefit to working with a trainer. Of course, as a personal trainer myself, I see the results in my clients. So many of them are reaching their fitness goals, have greater stamina, improved balance, and have taken control of their health. Sometimes it takes a trainer–not a doctor or family member or friend–to push you beyond what you think is your capability. As I said in a recent blog post: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”
I left Columbus knowing that I may not need to hire a personal trainer, but that it makes sense for me to ask one of my fellow trainers (which I did) if we could work out together. We had a short 20 minute session today. He told me that he pushed himself because I was there, and I certainly went beyond my usual. It felt great!
I know this sounds self-serving, but if you feel like you are in a rut, not getting the results you want, and that you are continually playing out the same fitness drama…seek professional help. I did. You can too! 🙂 Personal Trainers make a difference.
Kosher Fitness 