It’ll be one of the most rewarding decisions you make this year!

Take $100 off the 10 session package and

$150 off the 24 session package! (offer ends June 31, 2011)

Click PERSONAL TRAINING for more details!

Check out this FREE 30 minute workout that will quickly get you looking and feeling YEARS YOUNGER!  This sample program is intended to be performed at a moderate to vigorous intensity.  It’s for those with a solid foundation of exercises and who want to push further to the peak of greater health.  If you are presently at a lower level of fitness this program can easily be modified for you too.  See the instructions for recommendations.  Feel free to DOWNLOAD the pdf of this program for reference…there is a link at the bottom of the post.  Questions?  Don’t hesitate to ask!  Use the comment box below.

Strive to be fit in the second half of life!

Happy working out!

Download (PDF, 370.03KB)

At first glance I have to say I’m having a positive reaction to the new icon.  How about you?  Actually, it reminds me of WebMD’s very cool interactive tool I’ve blogged about called Portion Size Plate.  (Actually, I suggest you use Portion Size Plate as a companion to the new USDA nutritional guide.)  There is a nice simplicity about the new icon.  It appears to one that could easily translate into the real world and make healthy eating in a busy world much more practical. Sure, in my work I stress to my clients that it is imperative to be highly knowledgeable about the foods they consume.  Yet my experience has shown me that for most this can be a difficult task…for any number of reasons.  I’ve learned that finding ways to keep thing simple is most effective.  So yeah, the plate idea is pretty simple but I’m pretty confident that following this “plan” will positively impact anyone’s health.

I don’t know about you but I have to say that the old food pyramid, first introduced in the 90′s and then revamped in 2005 wasn’t necessarily the most user friendly.  For me, the visual was somewhat difficult to translate in my daily eating.  To make matters even more confusing the USDA flipped the food groups on their side and added the little stick figure running upstairs.  Who thought that was a good idea?

One thing that I’m totally loving about the new plate is that vegetables and fruits take prominence by occupying one-half of the plate…with a total of three-quarter coming from plants.  It is no secret that Americans would experience significantly greater health should we adopt a more plant-based diet.  This is especially true when considering the nutritional needs of older adults.  The biological and physiological changes that occur with aging are best supported with a diet that is complete and nutrient-rich.  This is one of the best ways to prevent and control health problems and stave off chronic illness.

So, the big question…Is “the plate” helpful to you?  Why or why not?

Be sure to check out www.choosemyplate.gov for a wealth of information on healthy eating.

The truth is you still have half of your life ahead of you.  The choice is yours to make these years your best lived!

Being 50+ is certainly not what it used to be.  Like never before, the notion that “age is only a number” is actually ringing true.  Many older adults are fully engaged in active lifestyles that include recreational and competitive sports, weight training, gardening, travel and chasing grandkids.  Popular culture has colorfully declared that “40 is the new 30…50, the new 40” and my personal favorite, “60 is the new sexy!”  No doubt, there is great potential for living longer and stronger!

Nevertheless, many of us are aware that in the United States we are plagued by an unprecedented rise in obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other chronic illnesses.  More than one-third of all adults in this country are obese.  Although exercise is highly regarded as the best form of obesity and disease prevention, statistics reveal that over 75% of the American adult population does not meet the recommended minimum standard of 30 minutes of low-to-moderate daily exercise.  Today, the fast pace of life can easily continue well into our later years.  The idea of taking thirty minutes out of the day for exercise can seem impossible.  Also, it is common for sedentary older adults to believe their exercise days are well behind them.  Yet, regardless of age, what we fail to remember is that the level of health we experience is a direct reflection of the amount of effort we put into it.

Of course, the aging process itself brings about a host of physiological changes that can greatly impact the quality of life experienced by older adults.  The nervous system, skeletal system, muscular system and the cardiorespiratory system are all impacted by the process of aging.  The good news?  Regular exercise and continued physical activity are the best counteractive measures to protect and preserve the integrity of these systems.

Being fit and healthy requires your attention and intention.

Committing to a lifestyle of exercise and healthy eating is not easy.  I commend you on your willingness and desire to take control of your health and well-being.  IT IS NEVER TOO LATE.  Starting and maintaining an effective wellness program that includes the right mix of exercise, diet and mental fitness takes a fair amount of discipline, tenacity and know-how.  In the pages of this weblog, you will find a wealth of information that will have a positive impact on your quality of life.  You will find practical information and instruction that you can begin to apply today.  I strive to offer the support you need to stay MOTIVATED and COMMITTED, be INSPIRED and INFORMED.  Lastly, I hope that you will be inspired to share your stories and winning advice.  Please reply to posts when you are so moved.  Chances are your invaluable experience will make a major difference in someone’s life.

Begin believing today that your “second half” doesn’t have to be plagued by pain, chronic illness, injury, low energy and unwanted weight gain.  Do not give into the notion that it all just “par for the course”.  Sure, we respect the aging process but we also respect our ability to take control of our well-being.  Choose to “exercise” your power to “be healthy, stay active and live long!”

2011 brings with it great promise and an opportunity to step forward in your fitness and health like never before.  A Fit Second Half challenges you to make exercise a priority in your life this year.  Don’t go another year struggling to lose weight, accepting aches and pain, experiencing fatigue and being overwhelmed by chronic conditions.  Don’t accept the belief that this is just what aging is all about.  It’s not.  What you might think is a symptom of aging might really be the effects of inactivity and poor health choices.  Aging can be a rewarding and graceful experience.  Let that be your reality in 2011.

This year, I’m claiming that 2011 is THE YEAR OF THE FIT OLDER ADULT!  This is the year that older adults drop the notion that aging “just happens” and become masters of aging actively!  All year, older adults will be educating themselves on the what aging truly means biologically, physiologically, emotionally and spiritually.  With this knowledge, older adults will be empowered to significantly improve their level of physical fitness by committing to daily exercise, participating in competitive sports, engaging in more vigorous activities and building engaged communities around the ideas of health and wellness.

Older Adults…this is YOUR FIT YEAR!  Take on the challenge!  Through online fitness coaching and personal fitness training, A Fit Second Half is here with expert advice and instruction to keep you informed, encouraged, inspired and motivated.

To your health!

Da’Mon

By BRUCE GRIERSON

Published: November 25, 2010 – New York Times

On the third floor of the Montreal Chest Institute, at McGill University, Olga Kotelko stood before a treadmill in the center of a stuffy room that was filling up with people who had come just for her. They were there to run physical tests, or to extract blood from her earlobe, or just to observe and take notes. Kotelko removed her glasses. She wore white New Balance sneakers and black running tights, and over her silver hair, a plastic crown that held in place a breathing tube.

Tanja Taivassalo, a 40-year-old muscle physiologist, adjusted the fit of Kotelko’s stretch-vest. It was wired with electrodes to measure changes in cardiac output — a gauge of the power of her heart. Taivassalo first met Kotelko at last year’s world outdoor masters track championships in Lahti, Finland, the pinnacle of the competitive season for older tracksters. Taivassalo went to watch her dad compete in the marathon. But she could hardly fail to notice the 91-year-old Canadian, bespandexed and elfin, who was knocking off world record after world record.

Masters competitions usually begin at 35 years, and include many in their 60s, 70s and 80s (and a few, like Kotelko, in their 90s, and one or two over 100). Of the thousands who descended on Lahti, hundreds were older than 75. And the one getting all the attention was Kotelko. She is considered one of the world’s greatest athletes, holding 23 world records, 17 in her current age category, 90 to 95.

“We have in masters track ‘hard’ records and ‘soft’ records,” says Ken Stone, editor of masterstrack.com — the main news source of the growing masters athletic circuit. “Soft records are like low-hanging fruit,” where there are so few competitors, you’re immortalized just for showing up. But Stone doesn’t consider Kotelko’s records soft, because her performances are remarkable in their own right. At last fall’s Lahti championship, Kotelko threw a javelin more than 20 feet farther than her nearest age-group rival. At the World Masters Games in Sydney, Kotelko’s time in the 100 meters — 23.95 seconds — was faster than that of some finalists in the 80-to-84-year category, two brackets down. World Masters Athletics, the governing body of masters track, uses “age-graded” tables developed by statisticians to create a kind of standard score, expressed as a percentage, for any athletic feat. The world record for any given event would theoretically be assigned 100 percent. But a number of Kotelko’s marks — in shot put, high jump, 100-meter dash — top 100 percent. (Because there are so few competitors over 90, age-graded scores are still guesswork.)

In Lahti, watching Kotelko run fast enough that the wind blew her hair back a bit, Taivassalo was awed on a personal level (she’s a runner) and tantalized on a professional one. She hoped to start a database of athletes over 85, testing various physiological parameters.

Scientifically, this is mostly virgin ground. The cohort of people 85 and older — the fastest-growing segment of the population, as it happens — is increasingly being studied for longevity clues. But so far the focus has mostly been on their lives: the foods they eat, the air they breathe, the social networks they maintain and, in a few recently published studies, their genomes. Data on the long-term effects of exercise is only just starting to trickle in, as the children of the fitness revolution of the ’70s grow old.

Though the world of masters track offers a compelling research pool, Taivassalo may seem like an unlikely scientist to be involved. Her area of expertise is mitochondrial research; she examines what happens to the body when mitochondria, the cell’s power plants, are faulty. Her subjects are typically young people who come into the lab with neuromuscular disorders that are only going to get worse. (Because muscle cells require so much energy, they’re hit hard when mitochondria go down.) Some researchers now see aging itself as a kind of mitochondrial disease. Defective mitochondria appear as we get older, and these researchers say that they rob us of endurance, strength and function. There’s evidence that for young patients with mitochondrial disease, exercise is a potent tool, slowing the symptoms. If that’s true, then exercise could also potentially be a kind of elixir of youth, combating the ravages of aging far more than we thought…

(Click The Incredible Flying Nonagenarian to read the rest of this awesome, inspiring article.)

Video: Olga accepts her award as Master Athlete of the Year 2009.

Click here to view the embedded video.

By DAMON VANN | Published: NOVEMBER 7, 2010 @ LinkingBoomers.com

Last week, I noticed a lovely woman at my gym.  She was working out in a slim pair of acid washed denim jeans decorated with rhinestones on each leg.  She had a glow about her that was undeniable.  I smiled and quickly said hello.  I didn’t want to bother her while she was performing a perfect set on the chest press machine.  As she stopped and returned my hello, I heard a man’s voice yell from a few feet away, “hey, that’s my wife!”  I shot a look in his direction.  He continued, “and Carol is celebrating her 85th birthday today!”  I laughed, then wished her a happy birthday and told I was impressed that she was spending part of her special day at the gym.  She replied, “Young man, at my age every day is special and it’s the exercise that keeps me going.” Indeed, a very wise woman!

Carol, like many older adults, are heeding the call to exercise.  Current trends reveal that people 50 years and older are joining health clubs and gyms in record numbers.  Programs like Silver Sneakers and Sit and Be Fit are becoming wildly popular among those who know that exercise is the key to healthy living and graceful aging.

Not long ago, older adults were actually discouraged from exercise.  Anything beyond walking was considered too stressful on the aging body and could potentially lead to irreparable harm.  This could not be further from the truth.  Advanced research has proven that physical activity profoundly affects the increased health and well-being of older adults.  It is now widely known and accepted that regular exercise can prevent or delay the onset of many chronic illnesses and disabilities.  This is highly welcomed news considering the growing health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.  It doesn’t stop there.  Exercise also restores the functional changes that are inherent in aging such as decreases in muscle mass, bone density, flexibility, balance and cardiorespiratory health.

In short, exercise makes it possible for you to live your best years yet! As an older adult, exercise must be an integral part of your healthy aging plan.   If you have been largely inactive most of your life, know this: it is NEVER too late to start exercising!  Throughout my career, I have worked with numerous older adults with no exercise history to speak of. To their surprise, each was able to make substantial improvements in their level of fitness and were able to live active and vigorous lives.  When my 65 year old client Bob began working with me he could barely do one push-up.  Now I call him the “Push-up Master!”  You, too, can “master” your health and fitness.  Just make the decision and get moving! Here are my top five tips to get you started:

1. Check with your physician.
Let her or him know that you want to increase your level of activity and would like to begin exercising.  This way you will obtain the proper guidance and clearance you might need.

2. Take the “easy does it” approach.
Exercise is safe.  Yet, if you attempt to do too much too soon you might injury yourself.  Progress steadily and challenge yourself accordingly.  I’m a big fan of walking programs for beginning exercisers.  Walking is one of the best forms of exercise around.  Be sure to get a great pair of supportive athletic shoes!

3. Set goals.
Determine what you would like to accomplish.  Is your desire to lose weight, build strength, increase flexibility, improve your balance or simply to feel better?  Also, consider why these goals are important to you.  You will find that the intention behind your goals is the driving force required to achieve them.

4. Join a fitness club or set up your own “home gym”.
Increasingly, fitness clubs are becoming more older adult friendly.  Joining a health club puts all the equipment you need at your fingertips.  Many offer a variety of exciting exercise classes and wellness seminars.  Also, it’s a great way to connect with other fitness-minded people in your community.  For specialized attention, higher a personal trainer!

If health clubs are not for you, consider clearing a small space in your home to exercise.  You can easily equip your “home gym” with simple, inexpensive exercise tools such as dumbbells, stability balls, balance discs and exercise bands.

5. Stick to it!
Adopting an active lifestyle requires commitment.  Start with achievable benchmarks.  I find that a four-week commitment is doable and yields visible results.  Each time you reach a benchmark give yourself a healthy reward.  Soon exercise will become an integral part of your everyday life.

I am very excited to announce that I am now serving as National Expert for Health & Fitness for LinkingBoomers.com. This popular 50+ website is charged with “connecting boomers with their communities” across 10 major Canadian cities.  The site serves as an incredible resource for older adults to stay better connected to their local city through events, volunteering, classifieds, and a personals section.

LinkingBoomers.com has now expanded its reach and services by offer a weekly blog section that officially launches on November 8, 2010.  The site will feature five main topics – Finance, Health, Travel, Food & Wine, and Sex.  Each month I will post an article related to fitness, wellness and aging.  Along with the other experts, it will be my mission to offer practical advice that is highly informative, motivating and inspiring.

Be sure to bookmark LinkingBoomers.com…even if you do not live in Canada. I expect that you will find useful information that will no doubt enhance the quality of your life and support your desire to be informed about topics that matter most to you. Hey, maybe it’s even time for a vacation to the “True North Strong and Free!”

Click here to read my first blog post “Live Your Best Years Yet!”

Fitness & Wellness Master Da’Mon Vann officially welcomes you to the first day Fit Life 30/30™, cycle two beginning October 1, 2010. It’s not too late to join in. Click Fit Life 30/30™ for the Facebook fan page and get all the info you need.

Click here to view the embedded video.