Training and Getting Results Past 50

By Carlos Alberto Rivas, M.S., C.S.C.S.

This article is dedicated to those people seeking healthy, fit bodies after the age of 50. Allow me to introduce you to Gary, 60, and Maureen, 58, Kingry. This couple joined Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center exactly two years ago. Their goals were similar to most people - lose weight, feel better, increase energy, increase cardiovascular fitness and increase muscle tone. This retired couple did not intend to live in the gym seven days a week, eat fat-free foods all day, run five days a week or cry from pain every time they walked out of the gym, so they hired Salima Perkins, a personal trainer who is both degreed and certified to help them accomplish their lofty goals.

The goal of this article is to share with you a few of the sacrifices the Kingrys had to make to successfully lose weight, decrease body fat, lose inches, decrease cholesterol, gain more energy and live an overall productive lifestyle. Most of us see articles that show a before and after photo of some lucky person who met their fitness goals, but we never get to read exactly what they did to accomplish their goals.

The Exercise Plan

Gary and Maureen's exercise plan consisted of three days a week of upper and lower body exercises using the progressive overload principle. They met with their trainer every couple of weeks to change their program so they didn't get bored and, more importantly, so that they progressed incrementally.

The Cardiovascular Program

The goal for Gary and Maureen was to create a deficit of calories consumed versus calories expended through exercise for weight loss. In order to do this they burned approximately 400-500 calories per exercise session. They performed four-five days a week of cardiovascular work using the treadmill (3.5-4.5mph), elliptical (level 5-10) or step mills (level 5-10), for 30-60 minutes. As their hearts and lungs adapted to the exercise, Perkins slowly increased the duration from 20-30 minutes to 45-60 minutes. Next, she increased the level of intensity as their level of endurance progressed in order to keep challenging the body.

The Eating Habits

The Kingrys consumed five to six small meals a day in order to keep their metabolism (the rate at which your body breaks down fat) going faster throughout the day. As you eat your metabolism has to speed up in order to digest the food, if you skip a meal or only eat two large meals a day your metabolism slows down tremendously. Each meal consisted of both a carbohydrate (vegetable, fruit or whole grains) and a protein (meat, eggs, dairy or nuts) source. They were able to enjoy an occasional dessert or alcoholic beverage due to the fact that they continued to eat their five to six small meals throughout the day, seven days a week.

The Results

- Maureen lost 23 pounds of fat; she went from 34.3 percent to 15 percent body fat and she went from a size 12 to a size 6.

- Gary lost 14 pounds of fat and went from 13.5 percent to 8.1 percent body fat. Gary also decreased his cholesterol ratio 3.5 à 2.7; LDL: 126 à 106; and HDL: 57 à 70 (Target- LDL <130, HDL>40, Ratio <5.0).

Incorporating frequent meals, water, regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training exercises into your daily lifestyle, regardless of your age, will ensure successful fitness results. Good Luck!

Carlos Alberto Rivas, M.S., C.S.C.S., is the fitness/personal training director at the Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center. Carlos has a master's degree in exercise physiology and has over 10,000 hours of personal training experience. He is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness magazine's editorial advisory board. Carlos can be reached at 502-896-3900, ext.142.