Having just made some additions to my FAQ Post AGING AND RUNNING healthunlocked.com/couchto5..., I thought I would add my extra paragraphs here as I believe they could be of great help to all. The new topics included are:
Balance
Another consequence of being less active is that our balance often suffers, resulting in more falls as people age. Running is excellent at helping to preserve this, especially running on uneven ground, but there are other simple ways to build balancing into our daily routines, which means it is addressed daily. I work on the basis that if I do something every day, then I will continue to be able to do it every day. When I put my socks on, or take them off, I do that standing on one leg, not sitting down. Tooth cleaning is a golden opportunity to either stand on one leg or as I do, single leg dips. Timed by my electric toothbrush, I do 3 x 30 seconds on my weaker left leg and the remaining 30 on my right.
Clean teeth, strengthened legs.
General workout
When I was looking around for a simple, quick, no equipment workout to do on non run days I searched high and low but arrived on an Android app called Home Workout-No Equipment & Meal Planner by Simple Design Ltd. It has a whole range of different routines but I do the Classic 7 Minutes Workout with Warmups, which takes under 12 minutes in total. Like C25k it is duration based, in that each discipline is only done for 30 seconds. So if you can only manage one push up in the first session, you will be delighted when you can move on. It seems like barely limbering up but it is incredible how much strength and control it will build if done frequently. It works on flexibility, balance, upper, lower and core body strength and is an ideal complement to running. It says no equipment but does require a chair and a wall or door. There is also an iOs version here apps.apple.com/us/app/home-...
I hope this is helpful and do check out the full post if you haven't read it..............aging starts earlier than you think!!
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IannodaTruffe
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Well, nothing like ending on a positive!! 🤣 Seriously though I’ve really noticed my balance has really improved with running - I think it’s all to do with improved core strength. Noticeable in the shower when washing one leg 😳 Apparently a good test of age is how well you balance on one leg with your eyes shut - please be careful testing this!! It’s harder than it sounds (showing my age here). Thank you for the suggestions - I’ll check them out as the ‘little and often’
My partner does the tooth cleaning leg dip thing...I must admit when I first stayed over at his...8 years ago...and saw him cleaning his teeth bobbing up and down on one leg I did think...what on earth?!
This is a good reminder of the benefits of running as well as strength training, I remember reading that you do squats while brushing your teeth a long time ago, I started doing 10 squats while brushing my teeth and now I do 10 squats several times a day which adds up We are both more sure footed than we were and places where i used to creep downhill hanging on to any available plant I now jog down in a controlled way
Thanks for the information. I have an iPad and was looking for that app. One came up but that was by a company called Abishkking Ltd. Is that the same one by any chance?
Thank you for posting this 'addition'. You never think ageing will happen to you and then it comes along and bites you on the bum! I was listening to a podcast a while ago telling us to challenge our brain by writing our name with our non-dominant hand and brushing our teeth that way too. All these little things will help , I'm sure, to keep us mentally and physically active.
Thank you for all of your very helpful and interesting words of wisdom, not just here but other places too. Weirdly I don’t like cleaning my teeth so this balance work may well inject a bit of motivation and help to keep me warm too, I have a very cold bathroom🥶🤣
Thank you, very informative as ever, and you amaze me with the amount of time you spend on here, keeping us all in check, and with everything else you are dealing with at the moment, hope all the treatment is successfull! 🤞
Like I say, full of admiration for you, have had alot of dealings with cancer, over recent years, i guess the forum helps to focus on other things, stay strong! 💪💪
I was offered the mentor role by our very perceptive lead admin, just after I had mentioned my diagnosis on the forum. Thinking of others stops you dwelling on yourself.
Thank you for the great advice- I can definitely tell my balance is not as good as it used to be so will be trying these. Sending you lots of good wishes for your treatment
(Oops, that post fired before it should!) That is, I could not balance on one leg well (not at all when closing my eyes).
Toothbrushing is my cue for knee-strengthening squats (both double- and single-leg), and the squat that combines with the skating move for hips. They are also a challenge for mind-body coordination.; sometimes find that I’ve stopped the toothbrushing (manual) and exercising with elbow up and brush static against the teeth.😬🪥
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