Maintaining Physical Fitness When You're Over 50

by Gordon Barth

When I turned 45 I was diagnosed with diabetes. My doctor suggested dietary changes and recommended I exercise regularly to control my blood sugar level. I modified my diet, exercised 3-4 times a week and monitored my blood sugar level on a regular basis.

My wife became the family dietician and watched what I ate and what she fed me. Though I started to lose weight and get in shape, the exercise I was doing was taking a toll on my body. I exercised the way I always did when I was younger. I hit the weights hard, followed the Bill Phillips “Body for Life” program and tried to do the “before/after” transformation. I just plain over did it.

My aging body could not take the pounding I once could inflict upon myself. My bursitis flared up badly and I was unable to raise my arm over my head. My knees became swollen and very sore. I couldn’t hike anymore. My ankle became weak and was painful to walk on. If this was “in shape,” I’d rather be a couch potato.

After lying off the weights for 6 months so my body could recover, I reevaluated my workout strategy. Obviously my heavy weight lifting days were behind me and I needed to do something else to stay in shape. More and more I read about how circuit training was actually better for you, burned fat faster, and was healthier for your body.

Circuit training is mixing a combination of aerobic exercise with anaerobic exercise. The aerobic exercise provides the increased heart rate important for your metabolism and the anaerobic exercise provides the muscle exercise required to build muscle. Combined it will burn fat and build muscle, exactly what I was looking for.

I began the routine by using the hydraulic machines located at my fitness center to minimize muscle strain and combined it with jump roping and running in place. The results were excellent. I got stronger and returned to my ideal weight.

Earlier this year I read about a company that designed an entire fitness center concept around circuit training for older adults. It’s a company based in Reno Nevada called “Club 50.” I called them up and talked to the owner about his idea. He had designed his fitness center similar to the Curves concept except he targeted his market to older couples, men and women, who could benefit from the circuit workout. My wife and I flew out to see the operation and were really impressed. The owner had just started franchising the idea.

The fitness center uses only hydraulic equipment to reduce muscle strain and it alternates machines with “recovery stations.” The recovery stations are sort of “running in place” platforms where you can run, bounce, dance, and do whatever to keep your heart rate up or to “recover” if you are tired from the machines. The secret is that the circuit is timed so you can only spend so much time at each station, then you have to move on to the next station. The lively music playing is mixed with verbal commands which state “change stations now.” Like musical chairs, everyone gets up from their station and moves over to the next one. This makes so much sense to me because I always thought the dawdling around most people do in the gym wastes any momentum or gain they may have gotten from the exercise machine.

There are eight machines and eight recovery stations in the circuit. Some people only do one “round,” others do up to three “rounds” to get their full workout in around 30 minutes. The time spent at one workstation is only 30 seconds. There were people of all ages and sizes doing their routines at their own pace. Everyone looked like they were having a good time.

My wife and I thought the idea had some real merit and decided to purchase the first Arizona franchise. It will be located in Prescott Valley and we hope to open our doors near the end of October 2005. It is our hope to provide health conscious adults a safe, effective method to keep in shape….no matter what their age.

If you would like to learn more, they have a website at www.club50fitness.com.

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About the Author: Gordon Barth is the owner of the Club 50 Fitness Center franchise soon to be opened at 3155 Windsong Dr in Prescott Valley across from the new Yavapai Regional Medical Center. He can be reached at gbarth@club50fitness.com or at 928-925-3488.