I have good news and I have ….. more good news

give yourself a leg up!

The good news is that the very first free standing STRIVE facility is to be opened at The Citadel in Scottsdale Arizona. Scheduled for mid-June, our state of the art facility will feature Universal Design-focused weight training machines supplied by PreCor – the pre-eminent equipment manufacturer in the US – and a company that strongly endorses our program. The photo to the left is of our new ‘Universally’ accessable leg press machine. Additional pictures and images coming soon!

More good news … with the opening of ‘STRIVE at the Citadel’ we will continue to promote and broadcast the ‘good news’ of strength training and accumulate more evidence of the benefits for older adults which are summarized below:

                        With STRIVE you get more of ‘the good news’ and less of ‘the bad news’

         MORE GOOD NEWS                                                                   LESS BAD NEWS

INCREASES bone strength	REDUCES risk of osteoporosis
IMPROVES blood sugar usage	REDUCES risk of type II diabetes
SPEEDS gastrointestinal transit time	REDUCES risk of colon cancer
IMPROVES blood pressure	REDUCES risk of heart disease
IMPROVES cholesterol	REDUCES risk of heart disease
INCREASES low back strength & stability	REDUCES risk of low back pain
IMPROVES posture	REDUCES incidence of daily pain
EASES arthritic discomfort	REDUCES pain of movement
INCREASES self-confidence	REDUCES depression and anxiety
INCREASES muscle mass	REDUCES muscle loss
INCREASES strength	REDUCES frailty
INCREASES energy	REDUCES fatigue

                                                               

                                                    MAKE MORE GOOD NEWS OF YOUR OWN

Giving yourself a lift

I was talking to Dr. Joana Pabadinskas the other day as I was cranking away on the elliptical trainer up at the Pecos Campus Fitness Center of the Chandler Gilbert Community College. Joana was the instructor on duty, is a good friend of mine and was once one of my doctoral students. She was involved in some of the early research with STRIVE at the Escalante Intergenerational Center in Tempe, AZ.  Back then we used to spell it with 2 S’s (SSTRIVE: Seniors Strength TRaining for Independence Vitality and Energy). I was telling her about this blog and ‘STRIVE Stories’ – and we remembered this one.

During our research we would conduct a maximum strength test called a One Repetition Maximum (or 1RM). This test involves finding the maximum amount of weight an individual can lift safely, with good form and through a full range of movement. I won’t go into the details of testing here (See Single set Strength training and functional fitness  if you would like to read more), but Joana was remembering how we used to cover up the weight stack on the leg press machine station with a bright orange cloth, so our test participants would not see how much they were trying to lift. We were concerned that seeing the stack of ‘blocks’ – or the actual weight written on the blocks – would be a little ‘off putting’ and they would not try as hard as they could. 

 For their actual strength training they would usually start at around 60% of their 1RM and once they could complete 12 repetitions of this weight with good form we would “add a little more weight”.  We wouldn’t tell them how much they were lifting until about 2-3 weeks into their training program. We were remembering Alice a 72 year old lady on the Leg Press. She had just completed 12 repetitions in good form and so was ready to move up in weight. I, in turn, was ready to surprise her! “Hey Alice” I said “Do you realize you just did 12 reps of 150 pound?” She looked astounded and asked “Really?” I said “Yes, and by the way you did 200 pounds on your last 1RM!” She looked down at the weight stack and shook her head. “Well, I am amazed” she said “I would never have thought I could lift that much!”

Self Efficacy is  “the belief that you can successfully perform a specific task” and is an essential aspect of independence for older adults. To see the many ways that STRIVE has increased Self Efficacy check out our testimonials on http://www.strivealive.com/access/?c=stories.

Give yourself a lift – Join STRIVE!

More Can Do conversations

Can Do!

This is the second post on my recent conversations about ‘Usual’ vs ‘Successful’ Aging with a  group of older adults. I was comparing what ‘usually’ happens with strength to what can happen … and what actually does happen with many members of STRIVE who strength train with us on a regular basis. As I said in my previous post, I received a lot of good feedback from this event so I decided to share it here. It makes ‘Unusually Good’ reading!

Of course the conversation in this group turned, as it always does, to the ubiquitous question of weight loss. “Ok so what about weight loss?” somebody asked “is strength training good for that too?”

Here’s what ‘usually’ happens: We gain about one pound of body fat per year from the age of 30. By the time we hit 70 we have gained about 15% body fat more than our 30 year old fat mass.  So far so not good!

Here’s what can happen: The good part comes when we think about how strength training fuels energy expenditure. First of all strength training increases muscle mass and so gives your metabolism (your body’s energy expenditure) a permanent ‘boost’. This makes it easier to lose body fat. Strength training also makes it easier to perform aerobic exercise (another way to increase energy expenditure) because of increased strength and endurance. All this can happen with an appropriately designed program of strength training. Of course you are also expending energy while actually doing the strength training! The importance of strength training in weight management has recently been confirmed by The American College of Sports Medicine. This world wide organization recommended including strength training as an important part of a weight management program. Here’s the relevant quote

… the inclusion of resistance training in weight loss programs has clear advantages. Resistance training is a potent stimulus to increase fat-free mass (FFM), muscular strength, and power and thus may be an important component of a successful weight loss program by helping to preserve FFM while maximizing fat loss.

Sounds good to me!

 Lastly, a number of women asked whether strength training can stop or slow bone loss.

Here’s what ‘usually’ happens: The average woman loses about 1% of bone mass each year and after menopause this rate can almost double during the first 5 menopausal years. By age 60 some 20% or more of pre-menopausal bone mass may be lost.

Here’s what can happen: An appropriately designed strength training program can  actually reverse this process! Studies have shown that a regularly attended strength training program can slow, reduce or even reverse bone loss. Studies as short as 16 weeks have been shown to increase bone strength and reduce the risk for fractures among older women. But here’s the thing. You have to be working at more than 70% of your maximal strength for these exercises. Not that working at lower levels won’t do any good. It will. But just using those thin rubber bands or those small dumbells won’t cut it for bone strength. Though your muscles may get stronger with this form of exercise, you have to gradually build up the amount of weight you lift to strengthen your bones. This is more achievable than you may think. STRIVE members safely and regularly work at these levels with no problems.

The bottom line from this conversation is that the many benefits of strength training can not only make you stronger but also can help you to “Activate your Aging”

 – GET STRONG –

Can Do conversations

I was talking the other day about some interesting statistics relating to strength and aging – and some highly encouraging research ‘responses’ to these numbers.  I had been speaking to an audience of older adults on ‘Usual’ vs ‘Successful’ Aging and comparing what ‘usually’ happens with strength to what can happen … and what actually does happen with many members of STRIVE who strength train with us on a regular basis. I received a lot of good feedback from this conversation so I decided to share it here in the next two posts. Trust me – it makes ‘Unusually Good’ reading!

 The first thing we discussed was losing muscle strength and how to prevent or delay this.

Here’s what ‘usually’ happens: When we age we lose on average about 1% of our maximal strength per year. While this process is ultimately inevitable, the rate and magnitude of strength loss is not.  

Here’s what can happen: Research has shown that up to four decades of ‘usual’ strength loss can actually be REVERSED over a period of 6 months or less with regular participation in an appropriately designed strength training program. If this sounds too good to be true you should listen to one of our own STRIVE (60+) participant tell us that she has “got back the strength she had 10-15 years ago, maybe more” (Check this out @ http://www.strivealive.com/access/index.php?c=stories  it’s the 5^th video clip in the collection). We also have a considerable amount of data showing how strength increases can make typical activities of daily living much easier to perform. For example getting out of a chair can be a major challenge for some older adults. However after a 12 week program of STRIVE strength training, individuals who could only get up and down out  of a chair 6 or 7 times in 30 seconds were able to do this 10 or 12 times. This is a major and meaningful improvement in functional capacity, and almost a doubling in strength!

As well as strength we also talked about muscle mass, in other words how much muscle you actually have. The more muscle mass, the more potential strength – so this measure is pretty important.

Here’s what ‘usually’ happens: We lose about half a pound of muscle mass per year from the age of 30. By the time we hit 70 we have lost about 30% of our 30 year old muscle mass. To put this in real life terms – a 30 year old woman with 50 pounds of muscle mass has enough strength to easily cope with everyday challenges, and even to participate in sports and leisure time events with ease. By age 70 she will have only about 30 pounds of muscle mass – and a much lower level of physical strength, something that will have a major impact on her physical independence. This is not an isolated occurrence and has been confirmed by a number of national research surveys. For example data from The Framingham Disability Study – a long term national survey of health and wellness status – showed that more than half the women over age 70 in that survey could not even lift a 10-pound weight, let alone a grocery bag or a grandchild!

Here’s what can happen: Strength training has overwhelmingly been shown to improve this situation in a meaningful and rewarding fashion. To illustrate this … my very first research project with older adults (way back in the early 90’s) found that a 12 week program of strength training significantly increased muscle mass in men aged 65-82. Later research with more sophisticated measuring equipment has confirmed that that older adults can gain more than a pound of muscle every month of strength training at 2-3 times per week. By the way, this doesn’t need to take hours. We have had great results from 2-3 times a week of our STRIVE program with 6 strength training exercises lasting about 30 minutes per session. This is powerful stuff! We have seen the difference this kind of strength training makes to an older adult – particularly if they are relatively frail. It gives them a new outlook on life and new independence! The final thing is … greater muscle mass is not only linked to greater muscle strength but also to greater bone strength (see below), and to reduced risk of falls (see later post). You get a ‘triple whammy’! How cool is that!

  The bottom line from this conversation is that the many benefits of strength training can not only make you stronger but also can help you to “Activate your Aging”!

 – GET STRONG –

Lifestrength

Life Strength

When we transition into our second fifty years we are asked to accept that all we cherished from our youth – independence, vitality, energy, mental acuity, good health, quality of life – begins to fade. That’s the conventional wisdom. It doesn’t have to be that way. Getting older can mean – and should mean – living better, remaining independent and experiencing a high quality of life. These things are not the exclusive domain of young people! You can discover and experience all of this when you purposefully embark on – and benefit from – a program of strength training. With increased strength comes increased Independence, Vitality and Energy – and you, your friends and your family will see and feel the difference.

 Your body (and your mind!) gets stronger …

… and as this is happening – you begin to experience more and more things you can now do with greater ease – you begin to move more- you become more active – you are able to do things with less effort – you feel better about yourself.

You become stronger to enjoy the things that are important in your life …stronger for piggybacks with your grandchildren…walks with your friends…getting out of a chair. Stronger for climbing stairs …digging the garden …getting in and out of the car. Stronger for lifting the garage door …carrying the groceries (You can now tell that young whippersnapper at the checkout “No thank you, I don’t need help out with these bags”). How good would THAT make you feel!

activate your aging – be stronger for living your life!

Opening Doors

 One of the most powerful stories I tell about the benefits of strive occurred in the first few weeks of its existence and I wanted to share this with you today.

I was working with the very earliest “version” of strive (so early that it wasn’t even called strive back then – in fact it didn’t even have a name!), something I had designed for a Stanford University research project funded by the Cardiac Therapy Foundation of the Mid-Peninsula. They had a need for an “easy to fit in” strength training program that would not take up too much time and could eventually be added to existing community based classes for Phase IV Cardiac Rehab participants. The classes consisted of individuals between about 55 and 70 years old who had successfully transitioned back into the community after surgery, but wanted to continue to be active.

A married couple name Ron and Julie, both in their mid-late 60’s, were regulars in one of the classes. About 8 weeks into the research project, Julie spoke to me at the end of one of the strength training sessions and said she had a great story  to tell. “Do you know Wayne” she said, “we are the only couple in our street with a manually opening garage door. It is one of those “up and over” doors, and every time we pull up into our driveway, Ron has to get out of the car to open it because I was just not strong enough to do it.  Well guess what? After feeling myself getting stronger for the last couple of months I thought that I would give it a try. When we arrived home yesterday, I got out of the car and lifted that door right up!!! How about that!  I can tell you Ron was really impressed – and I plan to do it all over again today!

I don’t think even to this day that Julie realized how much this conversation meant to me. It got me thinking about how effective such an “easy to fit in” approach to strength training could be.  More importantly it also set me off down a path that eventually led to the strive program that we have today.

Whatever your “Garage Door” is – strive can help you open it!

Welcome to your strive blog!

Welcome to your very own strive blog!

Why the e.n.g. aging??? Well, we wanted to choose a unique ‘tagline’ that made sense on different levels (at least to us!) and also told the story of what we want strive to be – both for us and for our members.

e.n.g. stands for energizing.nourishing.generative – all the things our members tell us they have experienced with strive.

What we want is for this blog to provide added value to the strive program you are already a part of – to provide more and greater opportunities forengaging with aging. We will talk about this more in future posts but our experience and our research has told us that the more engaged you are with life the more energizing, nourishing and generative your life will be. 

What we want is for this blog to be a place where you can discover, clarify, learn, or share any wellness-related topic of interest to those currently exploring their “second fifty”.

Here you will find videos of strive members having fun while showing off their ‘moves’, brief teaching clips demonstrating a new skill or technique – often ones that you could do at home between strive sessions, extracts from books and podcasts of interviews with wellness authorities on a wide range of topics, and more ….

Here you will also find articles, tips, newsletters, links to other sites of interests – and most important for us – the opportunity to recieve feedback from YOU!

We are excited to begin – so once again, welcome – get engaged – and stay tuned!