Peter Hubbard, an 85-year-old Candia resident, is a big advocate for physical activity, especially as people get older.
“A lot of research and data shows that as you age you will lose muscle density and mass, but you can maintain it better through exercise,” Hubbard says. “Exercise has been proven to improve your lifespan, it gives you the ability to do things when you get older that you wouldn’t be able to do. You don’t have to lift all those heavy weights, and I don’t expect everyone to go out and try to be a powerlifter but if you keep training and lifting weights then you can live to be 60, 70 and 80, and you will have a better quality of life.
This Sunday, Hubbard will compete in the Powerlifting America New Hampshire State Championship at the Lift Free or Die Gym in Dover starting at 9 a.m.
Although there are three events – the squat, the bench press and the deadlift, Hubbard only competes in the bench press. Hubbard’s goal is to bench over 200 pounds. Hubbard’s wife, Nona, 61, will attend all three events.
Although preparing for such a competition takes at least three months, Hubbard is in the gym and maintains physical activity all year round.
Hubbard is a role model on how to keep your body strong and fit as you enter your golden years.
It’s never too late to be physically fit
The aging process, realistically, begins in the late 20s and doesn’t become noticeable for most people until their 40s or 50s, said Dr. Caroline A. Schepker, a physiatrist specializing in physical medicine, rehabilitation and in sports medicine at Wentworth-Douglass. Dover Hospital.
“It’s usually around the age where people start to notice that they feel a little stiffer, maybe a little more easily sore, and look like they’ve lost a bit of mass. muscle,” she said. “The best time to start prevention is between 20 and 30 and somehow maximize your muscle mass and mobility.”
Additionally, Schepker said it’s never too late to start with things like mobility training and strength training.
“And what that might look like is working with a physical therapist or an athletic trainer, or a personal trainer to develop a full-body strength and conditioning program that also works on mobility, which is just flexibility. and range of motion,” added Schepker.
“The general prescription for physical activity, whether it’s in a sport or just going to the gym or doing your own independent exercise, there are three categories,” Schepker said. “One is aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular exercise, the second is resistance training or strength training, and the third is flexibility and balance; they kind of have brings together these three elements.
From a fitness perspective, an ideal week includes two to three days, or 150 minutes total of aerobic exercise, at least two days per week with weight training, and at least two days per week with strength training. range of motion.
The most common problem Schepker sees is pain, and it comes primarily from the spine and lower back, and secondarily from the hips, knees, and shoulders.
“Which usually comes down to a relative lack of core strength conditioning,” she said. “Even very fit, active people can lose touch with their core muscles and how to optimally activate them to stabilize their spine. It can really irritate the small joints and discs in the back. So that’s probably what I see in the older, more active athletic population.”
To stretch or not to stretch?
Schepker said stretching is actually one of the topics that can be controversial.
“If you really look at the research on stretching, some people say stretch and some say no,” she said. “I think the reason it’s complicated is that it’s not just about stretching, but also mobility and range of motion exercises; they all have their place.”
Schepker said research and studies show the recommendation is that as people age, connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, naturally begin to stiffen.
“Our joints usually get a little stiffer and we lose range of motion, so it becomes important to do stretches or range-of-motion medication,” she said.
Although daily is preferred, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends adults 65 and older stretch at least three times a week.
“And what they recommend for that is really doing stretches of all the major muscle groups, which is the muscle groups around the hips, core spine, shoulders and hold stretches for at least 10 to 30 seconds,” Schepker said. “Larger muscles, like the hamstrings, can take up to 60 seconds. But holding a stretch is called a static stretch and it’s usually done after physical activity or in some way in isolation. ‘before any physical activity, it’s more important to do more kind of active range of motion instead of static stretching holds.’
Schepker said active range of motion includes things like gently moving joints through their range of motion.
“Things like arm circles, arm swings, hip circles, just kind of getting all the joints in their range,” Schekper said.
How should people aged 65 and over approach physical activity?
Below is a chart that outlines what the American Heart Association and ACSM recommend for frequency, intensity, and types of training for people age 65 and older.
“Some seniors who have a sports or fitness background may feel comfortable looking at these guidelines and being somewhat independent with them,” Schepker said. “For those who have questions or concerns about how to incorporate any element, whether it’s aerobics, strength training, flexibility, or balance, the best place to start is usually talk with your doctor and/or work with a physical therapist or athletic trainer.”
Schepker said working with a physical therapist or athletic trainer is a good way to develop a program for themselves and learn some of the concepts where they can branch off to do it independently.