PWAC Victoria: Paula Wild, Writing Sample

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Never Too Late to Get Fit

by Paula Wild ©

Resigned to being flabby and sluggish the rest of your life? You alone can change that--no excuses. Published in Reader's Digest, Feb. 2003.

"Would you like to try a large?" the salesclerk asked, offering a pair of pants sporting a tag with the dreaded L word. I fumed the whole way home, feeling insulted--and frustrated that I hadn't been able to find a pair of pants that fit. At home I was disgruntled enough to strip down to my undies and stand in front of the full-length mirror.

It's hard to ignore reality, especially when you're facing it straight on. There was no doubt that I was more substantial than I had ever been. And even more upsetting was the fact that body parts jiggled when I moved. I was 50 and my body was turning to flab. How had this happened?

It wasn't hard to figure out. There was always too much to do and never enough time to do it in. And, after sitting in front of a computer all day, all I wanted to do was flop on the couch. Exercise was the last thing on my mind. I did take our sheepdog for a daily walk but lately I'd been cutting out the section with the hill. It made me huff and puff and I had other, more important, things to do.

But did I really? To be honest, a lot of the time I felt tired, lethargic and stiff. After some careful reflection I realized that by skimping on exercise I wasn't saving time; I was shortchanging myself on vitality and good health--something I wanted to enjoy now and well into my old age. It was time to let go of the delusion that I was as fit and strong, and yes, as svelte, as I had been in my 20s and 30s--it was time to get moving!

It's a fact that exercise is a good preparation for old age. Physical inactivity is associated with poor quality of life, premature admission to care facilities and early onset of diseases normally associated with aging. The Canadian Health Network says that people who are physically inactive are 40 percent more likely to die at a younger age. In the January 2000 Canadian Medical Association Journal, 'The Economic Burden of Physical Inactivity in Canada,' estimates that one-third of all deaths from coronary heart disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes could be prevented by regular physical activity.

According to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, regular physical activity (any body movement that burns energy) can lower the risk of heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer, as well as osteoporosis and stroke. Yet in October 2000, the College of Family Physicians of Canada announced that physical inactivity is responsible for 50 percent of all functional limitation in older adults.

For example, over 25,000 Canadians fall and fracture a hip every year. In seniors this can lead to permanent loss of mobility and even death. "Exercises like yoga and tai chi promote balance, which can prevent falls," observes Dr. Shelley Veinish, geriatrician at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario.

Regular exercise also appears to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as enhance a person's ability to perform daily tasks. And, a study published in the March 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association states that regular physical activity could provide protection against cognitive decline and dementia in elderly people.

What you do today affects what you will be able to do tomorrow. "Establish good exercise habits as early as possible," Veinish advises. "The older you are, the harder it gets."

Dorothy Dearborn of Hampton, New Brunswick, regrets not getting enough exercise in her middle years. The 74-year-old was relatively active before she became a newspaper editor--she walked, curled and once dreamed of competing in the Olympics. But a full-time job and family left little time for exercise. "Even later, when I had more time, I still just sat on my fanny," Dearborn admits. "I really regret it."

That's because in 2000 she suffered a major heart attack that reduced her heart capacity to 37 percent. "Now I'm extremely limited in what I can do," she says. "Stairs are a struggle and travel means planning ahead--how many stairs are there, will someone be there to carry my bags? I take 13 pills a day and wear a nitroglycerine patch. And I need lots of rest, sometimes three hours an afternoon." Dearborn knows smoking has a lot to do with her condition but also feels that if she had exercised when she could, she would be enjoying better health now.

"Baby boomers are used to being independent," says Pauline Raven, Executive Director of the YWCA in Halifax. "They don't want to let old age dictate what life will be like for them."

Despite baby boomers' dreams of an active old age, in 1999, 21,000 Canadians died prematurely as a result of medical problems related to physical inactivity, states a January 2002 press release issued by the Canadian College of Family Physicians of Canada. "Physical inactivity is becoming a health crisis in North America," says Dr. Bill Mackie, a Vancouver family physician and sports medicine consultant who serves on the Physical Activity and Health Strategy Committee of the College of Family Physicians.

Mackie, a boomer himself, admits that each passing decade makes it tougher to keep the pounds off and muscles toned. "It's harder, but it's vital," he says. Mackie keeps at it, but too many of us don't. So what's your excuse?

1. "I don't have enough time--I'll start later."

Lack of time is the most frequently cited barrier to physical activity. But as Michael Arthur, spokesperson for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation and director of community development for Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission, points out, people who are physically active have just as much--or as little--time as people who exercise. "Many people spend three to five hours a night watching television," he says. "It's a question of priorities."

Middle-aged baby boomers are often overwhelmed with the demands of work and family. But this is also the time when they are most likely to begin experiencing mobility problems, especially in the back, neck, knees and shoulders. In a recent Canadian Physiotherapy Association survey, a significant number of baby boomers said they felt less able to do the things they need and want to do than they did 10 years ago. One out of five reported difficulty walking more than a kilometre, and one out of three had trouble walking up several flights of stairs.

"A large portion of mobility problems are related to lack of activity, not age," says Karen Hurtubise, a physiotherapist in St. John's and past president of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. "People don't need to run 10 miles every day--they just need to move."

Frances Stoneman of Halifax was in her mid-50s when she started having trouble getting up from chairs. She had walked a lot when young but by her late 20s had a family, worked as a legal secretary and was taking night courses in psychology and gerontology. For many years she neglected exercise, but that was about to change. "I have to get in shape," she thought, "or I'm going to be stuck in a chair."

Stoneman suffers from diabetes and has a heart problem from a bout of rheumatic fever when she was a teenager. "You have two major health problems," her doctor told her in 1996. "You have to do something to combat that." She joined the YWCA. Because Stoneman couldn't get motivated to exercise in the morning and was too tired at night, she wears her exercise clothes under her suit and power walks to the gym and back during lunch hour. There's no time to shower after her workout, which consists of weight training and some cardio, so Stoneman got permission to take a late lunch.

Due to her health problems Stoneman, now 60, gets checkups on a regular basis. "After I had been going to the YWCA for awhile, my cardiologist said my blood pressure was no longer at stroke level and that my heart was better," Stoneman says. "I no longer have to have an exam every year."

Since she started lifting weights, people frequently ask Stoneman if she has lost weight--she hasn't--and comment on her lighter step. But most importantly, Stoneman feels better. "I tell my younger co-workers, 'Nice clothes and money don't mean anything if you can't move,'" she says. "You can come up with every excuse in the world, but if you don't exercise, you're going to end up sitting in a chair while your life passes by."

"Health Canada recommends that everyone be active for 60 minutes a day," Michael Arthur says. "But you don't have to do it all at once; you can break it up into 10-minute segments and still get the benefits of an hour-long workout." Adds Karen Hurtubise: "Simple things like walking to the store, taking the stairs or raking the leaves are easy ways to sneak in physical activity."

2. "I'm not overweight."

Five years ago, Nello Capalongo thought he was the picture of health. The 45-year-old had quit smoking six years before and had no family history of heart disease. He wasn't carrying extra weight on his 5'7" frame, and as a housepainter with his own business in Winnipeg, Capalongo figured he got enough exercise on the job. Then he had the scare of a lifetime. After several visits to his doctor complaining of shortness of breath, he was sent to a cardiologist. Tests revealed that one artery was 90 percent blocked. Capalongo had angioplasty and his specialist told him, "Start exercising or else."

"It was a real surprise," Capalongo admits. "I had no idea I was so badly out of shape." Now he goes to the gym three times a week--and thinks of his body like the motor in his car. "If I don't look after it, it'll fall apart." At his last annual treadmill test, Capalongo easily achieved his target heart rate. "My doctors are really happy with what I'm doing," he says. "Exercise is keeping my arteries in good shape. They are totally cleared."

Too many of us think that if we're within our ideal weight range for our height, we're healthy. Not true; the other half of the equation is heart health--approximately 75,000 Canadians suffer heart attacks each year. One way to achieve heart health is by working toward your target heart rate, which is 50 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). Once you have calculated that, count your pulse beats for 10 seconds after 20 minutes of aerobic activity and multiply it by six.

Like Nello Capalongo, Michael Cressey, 51, isn't overweight either. Since obesity and heart disease run in his family, the Vancouver bus driver decided 20 years ago to stop drinking and smoking, and to lose weight. He went from 245 to 165 pounds and exercised regularly at Fitness World. So he was shocked when, at 43, he had a major heart attack.

"Why me?" he asked his cardiologist. "I did everything right!" His doctor replied, "If you hadn't been doing what you're doing, you wouldn't be alive." Cressey has been diagnosed with congenital heart disease, hardening of the arteries and hypertension, but continues to visit the gym four days a week. "Exercise is saving my life," he says.

3. "I tried exercising and never lost weight."

Middle age brings many things. One of them is a slower metabolism that makes it easy to pack on the pounds. Many people start exercising because they want to lose weight, and when that doesn't happen, they give up. But muscle weighs more than fat, so a large person who is fit is healthier than a slim person who is not.

"Muscle burns calories, fat does not," explains Nella Miers, of Surrey, B.C. She is district manager of Fitness World, a registered personal trainer and a certified trainer of fitness leaders.

Abdominal muscles are especially important: a May 2002 study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise states that people with weak stomach muscles die earlier. After tracking 8,116 men and women, aged 20 to 69, for 12 years, researchers determined that people with low levels of abdominal strength were significantly more likely to have died than others.

Without regular physical activity, including weight-bearing exercise, a person's muscle mass can decrease by nearly 50 percent between the ages of 20 and 90. No wonder some elderly people are so weak and frail! But by increasing your muscle-to-fat ratio, you can rev up your metabolism. As well as increasing strength, weight-bearing exercise makes bones stronger and can prevent or slow osteoporosis.

When Heather Pengelley went over 200 pounds in her 40s, she knew she had to do something. She suffered from stress, irregular heartbeat and could barely make it up a set of stairs. Pengelley's cardiologist and gynecologist advised her to lose ten pounds a year. She didn't feel up to dieting and exercising, so chose the latter. "The first hard decision was to make time for myself," the freelance writer and editor says. "Then I had to find a program that was easy to fit into my life."

Pengelley met with a fitness trainer in a gym near her home in Beaconsfield, Que. With Pengelley's input, he personalized an exercise program for her. She liked the fact that the club had a lot of fit but overweight members and she never felt like anyone was laughing at her. On the contrary, several men complimented her on how much weight she could lift. Now in her early 50s, Pengelley feels strong and confident and has the energy to do the things she enjoys. Her borderline high blood pressure has returned to normal and, even though she still weighs over 200 pounds, she can now run up stairs and says she's "proud to have muscles, not flab."

Think you're genetically predisposed to being overweight? You may be right, but Dr. Mackie points out that exercise can counterbalance genetics. "Studies on congenital obesity in identical twins show that it is possible to have an effect on your genetic makeup through exercise."

Many people hope that a few trips to the gym will dissolve that basketball belly or cottage cheese-like clumps of cellulite. Unfortunately, Nella Miers of Fitness World says, spot reduction is a myth. It is possible to get rid of that bulging belly and behind, but it takes time and it means exercising the entire body. As for cellulite, it's the result of age, genetics, excess body fat and little muscle. Connective tissue thins as we age, making fat deposits more visible under the skin. "A little cellulite isn't a bad thing," Miers says. "Our bodies don't have to be perfect to be fit."

4. "I'm saving for retirement; I can't spend money on a gym membership."

Some people see cost as a barrier to exercise. But whether you join a gym, hire a personal trainer, take yoga classes at the community centre, or buy a treadmill, you can't lose. "Spending money on fitness is an investment in yourself, you can't go wrong," Miers says.

Still can't scrape up the extra cash? Be creative. Purchase or rent home exercise videos or form an exercise group in your basement with friends. At the very least, all you need is a good pair of shoes: walking is free.

How about getting some inexpensive exercise with your kids or grandkids? In a recent survey, the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission discovered that children want adults to be more involved in their physical activities. Sign up for a karate class with your daughter, play catch with your grandson or set aside Saturdays as family hike day. "Kids don't want their parents or grandparents to just drop them off at the gym, they want them to do something with them," says Michael Arthur.

5. "I'm Too Old."

You're never too old or too out of shape to start exercising. "Start slowly and check with your doctor if you have medical concerns," advises Dr. Mackie. "The real key to exercise is to make it fun and make it part of your life."

"Exercise wisely," adds Dr. Veinish, "preferably an easy-on-the-joints combination of aerobics, weight training and stretching."

"The pool is a good entry point for many midlife exercisers because there is no impact," Raven says. "The pressure of the water also helps keep the heart rate down, meaning a sedentary person can begin to get fit without the discomfort of a pounding heart."

Maggie Collins of Yoga Wellness Lifestyles in Pointe Claire, Que., teaches yoga for arthritis and other chronic conditions. Collins herself is proof that anyone can do yoga. The 53-year-old had a hip replacement in 2001. When she went for her 12-week checkup, her orthopedic surgeon asked, "How did you get so strong so soon?"

"Yoga is very beneficial for baby boomers," Collins says. "It allows them to maintain muscle strength without stressing their joints, as well as promoting strength, stability and flexibility." And it's suitable for any age. "I have students in their 80s," Collins adds. "Some of my class members have been doing yoga for 30 years, others started at 75."

Jessie Edwards is a sprightly 88-year-old who participates in water exercises at the Victoria YWCA several times a week. She didn't start going to the Y until she was 57--before that she was basically sedentary. "Exercise has definitely had an impact on my health", she says. "It's really paid off." Edwards is active, alert and still lives in her own home. And, on a recent checkup prior to a cataract operation, the anesthesiologist told her, "You're the healthiest 88-year-old I've ever seen!"

Richard Morochove used to think exercise was a waste of time. He led a busy life as an I.T. consultant, speaker and broadcaster, and spent most of his time teaching and attending conferences. And he liked to eat--a lot. "A couple of years ago, I saw a photograph of myself and it finally hit home how fat I was," says the 49-year-old Torontonian.

Morochove weighed 370 pounds and had a 56-inch waist. The decision to lose so much weight was daunting. His doctor told him that if he didn't, he was at risk for a variety of health problems later in life. But Morochove's real motivation was vanity. "I'm single," he says. "I want women to find me attractive."

Besides dieting, Morochove began taking short walks in a park near his home. Eventually he began jogging during part of his walk--running for 100 metres, then walking for 500. Embarrassed about the way he looked jogging--"like a jiggling bowl of jelly," Morochove recalls with a laugh--he scheduled his exercise early, when fewer people were in the park. He also found that making exercise a morning priority prevented him from skipping it later in the day.

Morochove lost 150 pounds and now plays tennis, lifts weights and runs five kilometres on a regular basis. "Exercise is part of my life now," he says. And, like other people who participate in regular physical activity, Morochove finds that he has more energy and sleeps better at night. Oh yes, and he got a new girlfriend, too.

For people who are too embarrassed to be seen exercising, even in the early hours, home-exercise videos are one answer. "I hear people say 'I can't exercise because I don't look good in shorts,'" Dr. Mackie says. "But who needs it more?"

So how did I address the issue of my own flabby 50-year-old body? I told my husband that I would stack the firewood (our primary source of heat) when it was delivered to our Vancouver Island home and carry it in. I took over mowing our half-acre lawn and I don't cheat on the hill anymore. Over the course of a week, my at-home exercise routine consists of about five hours of aerobics and two hours each of yoga and weights.

Even though I still seem to have the metabolism of a slug, I have noticed some changes. I have more energy and sleep better--instead of dragging myself out of bed every morning, I often wake up before the alarm clock rings. I don't feel as stiff and lethargic as I used to and I'm stronger--my husband is impressed with the armloads of wood I can handle--and I can make it up the hill without huffing and puffing.

It's been three months since I initiated this regime and, although I haven't slipped into to a smaller pair of pants yet--I actually weigh more than when I started--I have lost inches. There is a faint but definite sign of muscle definition on my upper arms and my jeans feel looser. Is it possible that my excess padding is starting to shift from fat to muscle? I hope so, because when I reach the age of 88, I want to be like Jessie Edwards--energetic, independent and going strong!

For more info:

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/
www.heartandstroke.ca
www.canadian-health-network.ca

Paula Wild
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Last updated: July 12, 2005 http://www.islandnet.com/pwacvic/wildp02.html