Would you stop the aging process?

Rhea at The Boomer Chronicles posted this question on her site the other day:

If you could pause the aging process, at what age would you choose to do it?

Rhea's response was:
I always liked 24, but now that I’m older, I would be happy to be around 34. I am blessed with good health and a sturdy body, so it’s not about that. I don’t really know WHAT it’s about. I just like the sound of 30s.

The comments that followed were interesting. I was surprised at how many people wanted to be twenty or thirty-something again. Only a few said they wouldn't want to be younger.

I'm pretty sure I don't want to go back to a younger age.

The only possible reason I might want to halt aging would be for the physical benefits -- because I sure wouldn't want to revisit my younger years mentally or psychologically.

It's tempting to dream of the physical benefits of a younger, fitter and, hopefully, healthier body and, at times, I think it would be nice to have young knees, a healthy back, and not have to worry about a family history of high blood pressure.

Yet, there's something to be said for gradually slowing down with your body; the opportunity to feel more relaxed and less compelled to do, do, do things unless you really want to do them.

I've never been one that needed to be the first down the ski hill or be competitive in team sports. As long as I gave it my all, it was enough. It's no different now. Slowing down, just seems like a natural thing to do.

For me, it's not so much about my age as it is about my health. If I can remain relatively healthy, I'm okay with the inevitable aging.

Boot Camp – a few last words

So I finished Survivor Boot Camp last Friday. It's taken me a few days to mull it over and get my thoughts together about the whole experience.

First of all, I didn't miss a single session. Twenty days. No mean feat for someone who likes to go to bed late and truly hates getting up early. At the beginning, I didn't know if I'd make it. The by-product is that I now consider getting up at 7 a.m. sleeping in.

I'm stronger, leaner, and fitter than I've been in years. By the final Fit Test day, I improved in all areas and even managed to lose a few pounds and several inches from my jigglier parts. My snug pants aren't as snug and, by gum, I think I even look taller!

I'm still not the svelte thing I was in my thirties, but that's okay. I'm impressed with the fact that I kept up to the thirty-somethings – well, all except for the running – and in the strength areas, surpassed some of them.

At times, it was painful – especially those first two weeks – as my body adapted to the increased physical activity. At times, it was a struggle just to get up and out of bed. Yet, the pain and struggle isn't what I remember most.

I remember having a great time. I remember the other participants and the sense of camaraderie. In particular, I remember Gail, a 67 year-old who was in her fourth boot camp and could run at the front of the pack with the young'uns. She was upbeat, fun; never, ever complained; and was my inspiration and role model. She's not going back for a 5th boot camp – but only because she wants to take Flamenco Dance class instead. She kept telling me that it would get easier. And it did.

I'm glad I made the commitment and saw it through. It was the jumpstart I needed to renew a more active lifestyle – something I'd let slide with too many hours in front of a computer and the TV.

I made such good progress in four weeks, that I signed up for another four week session just to see how much further I can progress. This time, there are enough registrants for a 50+ group. The over-fifty group is only three days a week, so I'm attending a regular group the other two days. I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like to be in a group with people my own age. The trainers for both these groups are different from last time, so that will be another new experience.

I'm pretty sure that's as many sessions as I'll attend. But you never know. I think it becomes a little addictive.

Boot Camp - Wk 3

It's hard to believe there's only one week left.

The past week has seen things ratcheted up another notch of intensity.

Instead of doing two sets of twenty reps, we're doing two or three sets of thirty reps; instead of two minutes at each station for circuit training, we're doing three minutes at each station. It may not seem like much, but let me tell you, that extra minute of push-ups, squats, and lunges make your muscles scream, "Please, STOP!".

I've found that I can handle most of the endurance and strength things pretty well. That's probably because I'm a stubborn ol' bird and refuse to give in.

The jumping, running and impact activities are another matter. My knees really don't like all the jarring, so I've modified some of the exercises and have resigned myself to being slow and steady. I have no intention trying to keep up with the young'uns. They have resilient bodies that recover in half the time that mine does. We have a few in the group who are still in that age and stage where they brag/complain about partying and drinking the night before and having "such a hangover". Yet they still look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to me. The one thing I keep telling myself is that they may be faster, but I doubt they're as determined.

I was talking to our trainer one morning and she told me she noticed a big difference in the attitude and commitment between the older and younger participants. She noted that older members just get on with it and tend not to complain, whereas the young ones whine and complain almost the entire time. The younger participants are also more prone to "cheat" by shortcutting the number of warm-up laps (I noticed this myself), stopping because they're too tired, etc. Whereas the older participants do everything they're asked to the best of their ability. She asked me why I thought it was so.

The only answer I could think of was that, by my age, there wasn't any point in complaining. I was there of my own free will, so I may as well get the most out of it while I was there. Besides, I think my generation was indoctrinated with the "if you cheat, you're only cheating yourself" philosophy. I don't even know if they say that anymore.

To summarize: Despite aches and pains again this week, my legs feel much stronger and it's not quite as much of a struggle during my runs. I haven't lost any weight, but various body parts, though still jiggly, are definitely firmer.

I'm even - dare I say it - contemplating signing up for another session.

Boot Camp - Wk 2

Yee Ha! Another week down. It hasn't been exactly easier, but seems more doable.

The warm-up runs are still a challenge (I hate running) and I still finish at the back of the pack. I try to counteract this by starting my run early, so there won't be such a huge gap between me and the others. I can do the three laps non-stop now and finally did a 25-minute run (basically twice the distance) non-stop.

It's not that I didn't want to stop at least a dozen times. I just talked myself into continuing. I'd think, okay, you can start walking at the next driveway. The next driveway would come and I'd think; you can make it to the next tree; then the next corner, etc. until I finished. It's really a mind-game.

And I've figured out why people like to run with earplugs and music -- So they don't have to listen to themselves huffing and puffing with each step! When you're running alone, you can hear every single wheezing inhale, exhale and pounding step. Did I mention I hate running?

We work out at a public park adjacent to a high school track and it's in a very green, woodsy residential area. Lots of trees, grass, flowers and MOSQUITOES!

Now, I've always been a mosquito magnet. Given twenty people in the same room and one mosquito, it will zero in on ME. This week has been terrible. I'm being eaten alive by them. On Wednesday, I came home with over a dozen bites. Something had to be done. So heat or no heat, I've started wearing long sleeves and full-length workout pants.

This week, we were challenged to keep a diary of everything we eat and drink during the day. The purpose is to expose when and what we eat; and perhaps guilt us out of eating junk food (and ordering those side of fries) if we know it has to go on the diary. It actually works.

I love the way S puts things. She never tells us we "must" do anything. It's always stated as a challenge; to accomplish or not, as we see fit. As in, "Here's a challenge: don't drink anything but water the entire weekend. No juice, no pop, no alcohol." I think the biggest groans were about the no alcohol. I'm going to take her up on this one.

The rest has been much like the first week – hard, but not so hard that I want to quit. Muscles still get sore, but seem to feel better faster. Besides, I'm half-way done and it's all downhill from here, right? Right?

As a by-product of this experience, there has been one negative. I'm too tired at night to do any reading. I usually like to read an hour or so in bed before I sleep. These past two weeks, I haven't been able to keep my eyes open past the first page. But, I am sleeping better.

The good, the bad and the ugly of week 2:
- The Good: Finished a 25-minute run non-stop
- The Bad: Mosquitoes
- The Ugly: Mosquito bites the colour and size of cherry tomatoes.

Boot Camp - week 1

So, I managed to survive the first week of boot camp. As I expected, things got a lot tougher on Days 2 through 5.

Each day starts with a "warm-up" run of three (count 'em - 3) laps around the track. If it was walking, I'd have no problem at all. I can walk miles and miles. But running? Not so much. Needless to say, I can't quite make it all the way without walking part of it. My strategy is to go at a comfortable, even pace and try to walk less each time out. I'm now down to walking for only one short break abut half-way through the run. I figure that's not bad progress in a week. Of course, I'm always last to finish – but you know what? I don't care.

One of the things I like about this class is that every day is different. Here's a re-cap of the rest of my first week:

Tuesday: Following warm-up, we did standing, leg exercises. I'm sure we did every variation of leg raise imaginable. By the time we finished and had a water break, my legs felt like jelly. Then it was to the mats to do a killer abdominal workout. Can you say "ouch"?
Surprisingly, it wasn't my abs that were sore by the end of the day. It was the quads in my legs. I had to use the handrails to help pull me up the stairs to my bedroom; and every step "down" was excruciating. I took a couple of ibuprofen and was in bed by 10:00 pm!

Wednesday: Cardio day – the toughest for me. We did a 25 minute walk/run; followed by more lower body work – this time done mostly on our mats. The hour flew by. Today, my hip flexors hurt. I have a feeling every day is going to see a different body part in pain.

Thursday: "Gauntlet Day" – a 40 minute, non-stop series of running exercises between cones to keep the heart rate up. OMG!!! Just when my legs were feeling a bit better, they're sore again. I am so looking forward to 2 days off on the weekend.

Friday: Circuit training. Four stations, 2 minutes at each, a different exercise at each station; three complete circuits; the exercise changes each circuit. This was tough, but actually rather fun. We were in groups of three at each station, so had a chance to talk and joke around a bit with each other.

The week was as difficult as I thought it would be, but also enjoyable in a masochistic way.

Some new things I learned this week:

• Having a desk job following a hard workout when your leg muscles (well, any muscles, really) are sore is not such a good thing. After a couple of hours sitting down, your body tends to seize up, and it's near impossible to stand up without calling on a crane to hoist you up.
  
• Those little handle thingies next to the car door are actually useful. I'd still be sitting in the car right now, if it weren't for the leverage afforded by those handles!
  
• Every office should institute a mid-afternoon nap.
  
• Going up the stairs is easier than going down when your quads hurt.
  
• Whoever said you get used to getting up early, lied.
  

I'm pleased that I committed myself to this. As long as I remain injury-free (I have wonky knees and back) and finish, I'll be happy.

Day 1 - Survivor boot camp

I arrived at the designated meeting place at 5:55 a.m. under cloudy and rainy skies. Our trainer, S, checked us all in and I found out that only two of us from the 50+ group decided to join the regular group (the sixty year old man didn't show up). We immediately glommed onto each other for moral support. S reassured us that her classes are geared for everyone to go at their own pace and we should have no trouble at all. (She wouldn't lie to us would she?)

First thing on the agenda was a quick rundown about what to expect and a few tips about equipment, and pre-workout meals. Today would be mostly about fitness testing and body measurements for our "Before" level. There will be another fitness testing day at the end of the four week period to see how much we've progressed.

We started with body measurements first: Biceps, chest, waist, hips, thighs and calf.

Then it was off for a timed one kilometre run (one and a half laps around the high school track). We were encouraged to run the entire distance if possible, but to walk if necessary. I thought I'd be doing a lot of walking, but ended up surprising myself by only having to walk a quarter lap. I was the last over the finish line, but only by 20 seconds. Not too bad.

Next was a series of strength and endurance tests: Abdominal crunches, squat hold, push-ups, and something called "the plank hold". Again, I wasn't in as bad a shape as I thought. As a matter of fact, I lasted the longest of the newbies at the maximum three minutes. It must be all the stair climbing I do.

The hour was whizzing by. We finished off with some upper body exercises and stretches. Then it was, bye-bye, see you tomorrow morning.

I have a feeling tomorrow will be the beginning of the "real" workout.

A word about the group: There were eight people this morning, but apparently some "returnees" will be joining us tomorrow. They often don't attend the first day because it's testing day – although one of the gals this morning is starting her third boot camp!

A nice surprise: There's no yelling at this boot camp. S and her partner are enthusiastic but supportive. At least so far.

That's all for now. I need to get to bed. Five-fifteen rolls around mighty fast!

What was I thinking?

I didn't think I'd be posting such an early follow-up blog about fitness boot camp. But here I am.

It's Sunday afternoon. I'm getting pretty excited about my new fitness commitment. I've got my workout gear ready to go: weights, mat, shorts, running shoes, hat and jacket because it's supposed to rain. Then the phone rings.

It's Tammy from Survivor Boot Camp. Unfortunately, there aren't enough participants for a separate 50+ class, she says. The four of us signed up for the 50+ will have to join the regular group.

Ummm, okay, I say. What are the ages of the others? Well, there's a woman who just turned fifty, a man who is sixty, and someone else probably also in her fifties, a twenty year-old, and the rest in their thirties. Tammy hastily adds that she's quite sure I'll fit right in and won't feel out of place. It'll be fun. < deep breath > Okay . . .

It's been a long time since my twenties or thirties. Heck it's been awhile since my forties! With my luck, the sixty year-old is an ex-jock who does triathlons and the just-turned fifty year-old is a former fitness instructor, just retired.

I'm telling myself to calm down. It won't be so bad. My family is saying all the right things and saying I'll be fine. But they can't resist adding, "Just be careful. Don't hurt yourself." Thanks, guys.

My alarm is set for 5:15 a.m. Wish me luck. I'll see you on the other side.

Boot Camp and Serendipity

I need to preface this by saying that I've always been a person who likes trying new things. I get bored doing the same thing.

So it should be no real surprise that I signed up for Survivor Boot Camp. Now, lest you think I've completely lost my marbles, I signed up for the 50+ class.

It started innocently enough. On Friday (my day off), I was relaxing and reading my local community paper when I saw an ad for Survivor Boot Camp. I was just about to flip the page when I saw, "NEW – 50+ Class". I knew it was speaking to me.

I'm no stranger to fitness classes. However, in the last seven years, along with a more sedentary desk job, I've fallen out of a regular fitness routine and put on unwanted pounds. Most people would say I'm not fat, but I'm pushing the upper end of what a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) should be for me. Not good. My family has a history of high blood pressure and stroke. Also not good. I'm at an age that family risk factors catch up to you. I knew it was time to do something about it, but I just couldn't get myself motivated. The Boot Camp ad came just at the right time.

I looked up their website and realized the next local class starts this Monday, the 23rd. Uh oh. I called the local number and asked if it was too late to sign up for that class. The woman said no, registration for that class was still pretty small. Okay!

Back online I went to fill out the registration form. It asked some health questions and had the usual sports waiver –- you know, the one that says anything bad (muscle strains, sprains, broken bones, joint injuries, etc.) that might happen is not their fault and that you can't sue them? Standard for almost anything you join these days. The only bit that gave me the slightest qualm was the "including death" part. I ticked the "I agree" box anyway.

So, as of this coming Monday, I'm off to fitness boot camp: starting at 6 a.m. for one hour; five days a week; for four weeks.

I hope to keep a little blog journal of how I'm doing.

If you don't hear from me, you'll know I succumbed to the "including death" part of their waiver.