November 23, 2010 12:01 PM
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Holiday-Proof Baby Boomer Bodies
A series of reports by CBS News and USA TODAY explores the aging of an iconic generation and the impact on the nation, as the oldest baby boomers get set to mark their 65th birthdays in January
Back pain from contorting your body to hang decorations? Weight gain from all those holiday parties? Lack of stamina for shopping?
If you're a baby boomer, it's entirely possible you've experienced those or similar holiday-related health bummers.
But, as part of the continuing "Senior Moment" CBS News series, being done in conjunction with print partner USA Today, Geralyn Coopersmith, Director of Equinox Fitness Training Institute, told how to avert or remedy a number of those sorts of health problems.
CBS News/USA Today Series: Senior Moment
Holiday Problem #1: Weight Gain
Causes:
• Overeating at holiday parties
• Inactivity
Just one of the causes of weight gain during the holiday season: Not only are we overeating, but we're not burning off the additional calories. According to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, "Most people don't ever lose the weight they put on during the holidays." Luckily, avoiding weight gain during the holidays is as easy as pie!
Solutions:
Don't gear your holiday happenings around eating.
Get active! Step aerobics is one great way to burn a lot of calories doing a low-impact workout (you can burn 200 calories in just 20 minutes). When talking cardio it's about time spent performing the exercise, not the repetition. For this work-out, I recommend 20 minutes (at minimum) 3 times a week. And remember…cardio workouts like these will not only stave off the holiday weight, but has added benefits for baby boomers. Weekly cardio workouts have been shown to improve memory, mental focus, prevents or delays cognitive decline and reduced risk of dementia. It also increases the availability and production of neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine - the hormones that are thought to contribute to our feelings of happiness.)
Holiday Problem #2: Lower Back Pain
Causes:
• Shopping/carrying packages
• Poor lifting techniques
• Lack of hip flexibility
• Weak core muscles
The lower back is a problem area for many people as they age. Baby boomers are also more likely to have weak core muscles and reduced lack of flexibility in their hips. Combine this with a time of year where you're carrying heavy objects (like this shopping bag on the demo pedestal) and you could have a recipe for an injury.
Solutions:
Learn to lift! - One of the main causes of low back injuries is bending over something and lifting it with your back. Ideally you should be lifting from your hips, using the strength of the biggest muscle in the body, the glutes, to do the heavy lifting. Lift something correctly. The hip hinge is a great way to do this. You can use a dowel or broomstick to check your form. Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, feet parallel. Hold a stick behind your back (one hand behind the head, one in the curve of your back) keeping the stick against the back of your head, your upper back and your butt- hinge forward with your upper body still and return to the start. Do 10 reps for 2 sets.
Also: Strengthen your core! This advice may surprise you, but no more crunches! Your abdominals are part of core muscles that are meant to stabilize your body and keep your spine straight. Crunches involve the exact opposite movement, whereby you flex your spine and "crunch" at your back's weakest point. This puts more strain on your lower back and your posture suffers. Instead, scientists now believe that we should be doing plank type movements to strengthen the core. To do a plank, go into a push-up position resting on your forearms. Squeeze glutes, Tighten core and hold working up to 60 seconds. I recommend repeating this 3-5 times.
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. Back pain from contorting your body to hang decorations? Weight gain from all those holiday parties? Lack of stamina for shopping?
If you're a baby boomer, it's entirely possible you've experienced those or similar holiday-related health bummers.
But, as part of the continuing "Senior Moment" CBS News series, being done in conjunction with print partner USA Today, Geralyn Coopersmith, Director of Equinox Fitness Training Institute, told how to avert or remedy a number of those sorts of health problems.
CBS News/USA Today Series: Senior Moment
Holiday Problem #1: Weight Gain
Causes:
• Overeating at holiday parties
• Inactivity
Just one of the causes of weight gain during the holiday season: Not only are we overeating, but we're not burning off the additional calories. According to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, "Most people don't ever lose the weight they put on during the holidays." Luckily, avoiding weight gain during the holidays is as easy as pie!
Solutions:
Don't gear your holiday happenings around eating.
Get active! Step aerobics is one great way to burn a lot of calories doing a low-impact workout (you can burn 200 calories in just 20 minutes). When talking cardio it's about time spent performing the exercise, not the repetition. For this work-out, I recommend 20 minutes (at minimum) 3 times a week. And remember…cardio workouts like these will not only stave off the holiday weight, but has added benefits for baby boomers. Weekly cardio workouts have been shown to improve memory, mental focus, prevents or delays cognitive decline and reduced risk of dementia. It also increases the availability and production of neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine - the hormones that are thought to contribute to our feelings of happiness.)
Holiday Problem #2: Lower Back Pain
Causes:
• Shopping/carrying packages
• Poor lifting techniques
• Lack of hip flexibility
• Weak core muscles
The lower back is a problem area for many people as they age. Baby boomers are also more likely to have weak core muscles and reduced lack of flexibility in their hips. Combine this with a time of year where you're carrying heavy objects (like this shopping bag on the demo pedestal) and you could have a recipe for an injury.
Solutions:
Learn to lift! - One of the main causes of low back injuries is bending over something and lifting it with your back. Ideally you should be lifting from your hips, using the strength of the biggest muscle in the body, the glutes, to do the heavy lifting. Lift something correctly. The hip hinge is a great way to do this. You can use a dowel or broomstick to check your form. Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, feet parallel. Hold a stick behind your back (one hand behind the head, one in the curve of your back) keeping the stick against the back of your head, your upper back and your butt- hinge forward with your upper body still and return to the start. Do 10 reps for 2 sets.
Also: Strengthen your core! This advice may surprise you, but no more crunches! Your abdominals are part of core muscles that are meant to stabilize your body and keep your spine straight. Crunches involve the exact opposite movement, whereby you flex your spine and "crunch" at your back's weakest point. This puts more strain on your lower back and your posture suffers. Instead, scientists now believe that we should be doing plank type movements to strengthen the core. To do a plank, go into a push-up position resting on your forearms. Squeeze glutes, Tighten core and hold working up to 60 seconds. I recommend repeating this 3-5 times.
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