Measures of Stress, Aging and Listening to Your Body

In yesterday’s blog, the Internal Stress Index was presented.  The results are as follows:

18-26= A.O.K.

27-36=Look inside, something’s not right

37-54= Seek help for answers marked *

 On my  recent blogs, I presented an  External Stress Index and an Internal Stress Index  found in Drs. Klatz and Goldman’s “Stopping the Clock .” these two measures allow the reader to self evaluate  both internal and external issues.  It is clear that when there is too much distress, health problems follow.  And if there are too many issues going on, it is very difficult to lead a healthy and productive lifestyle.

As far as the external stress index, one can see significant life events and the values presented.  By no means are all external events presented.  Also, one might argue with the weighted values.  However, what is clear is that when negative things happen in our life distress affects the aging process.  Remember, distress refers to any situation whether it is physical, emotional or both, that requires any bodily response change from equilibrium or homeostasis.

   Today, my sister Beverly provides the example.  When talking about, one of her recent ski vacations, Beverly talked about being tense while skiing.  She indicated that when she did a difficult run, she tensed and her legs tired. Instead of going to the cause (tenseness), she treated the symptom tiredness.  She told me she now does inclines on the treadmill and that helps increase her leg strength.

 Beverly enjoys being outdoors, in the mountains and skiing, which is a good thing.  However, she is also putting herself in a negative stress situation as her legs speak to her by tiring.

  Pay attention to your activities and evaluate both the positive and the negative associated with them.  If the negative, in the activity, outweighs the positive, then a potential problem exists.  In other words, listen to your body as you perform your activities.  Your body and feelings reveal the truth.  One has to know how to listen to one’s body and label correctly the feeling.  Often our feelings are distorted by our thinking process.  That is where the defense mechanisms, like rationalization come in to play. 

Beverly received a lesson with a ski instructor.  The instructor took her on intermediate runs and said   “Follow me.”  Bev said,” I had fun, and the instructor even threw a snowball at me. “Her dilemma consists of “being competitive, and thinking she would is a wimp if she did not do the long difficult run vs. having fun and enjoying skiing.”  Hopefully, she will figure out what is best for her.  If not, she is likely to continue being unhappy, fearful of injury and might even wind up injured.

Matt Fitzgerald, in his book “Run, the Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel” said the following: “When I am running well, I am happy.  And when I am happy I run well.” Beverly, substitute the word” ski” for the word”run” and evaluate the result. Then decide what is best for you.

Kite Surfing, Learning, Aging, and Running in the Rain

 I found another sport to play .  The following was found in the January 17, 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal. Young Louis Gomez, at age 65, first encountered kite surfers on Lake Geneva, Switzerland.  He told his wife that this sport did not exist when he was a kid and “I wanted to do it; it was a challenge.”

You might wonder, what is a kite surfing?  Well, it is a small surfboard, propelled across the water with wind power harnessed in a large kite held by the surfer.  The sport originated and was popularized in Hawaii.

Young Gomez, has a background in skiing and racket ball, and is enthusiastic about sports.  Now this retired software engineer resides in Florida, Even though he had knee replacement surgery in 2008, he has become an avid kite surfer.  He admitted that in the beginning he could only be on the board for about 20 minutes at a time and had a sore body. Now he is in condition, and is no longer sore.

Currently, Louis practices about three hours a day and has learned tricks.  He can now spin and jump up to 20 feet at a time.  When the winds fail to cooperate, he seeks out other low-impact water sports such as stand up paddle boarding, kayaking or sailing.   On land, he jogs, and rides his Trikke T8 a three wheeled scooter.

Each morning, Louis has a fruit smoothie mixed with flax seed, nuts and vitamins.  To reduce sugar and salt he created his own Greek yogurt. He also bakes bread in the bread machine, replacing butter with applesauce to limit the fat.

Recently, Louis, age 73, had cortisone injections in his fingers to deal with tendinitis.  After his play, he ices both knees every night to deal with his discomfort as result of jumping on his kite board.    He said.  “Getting old is not for wimps.” Louis is doing it, so can you?

By the way, I ran a short 5 mile loop yesterday and did not experience any discomfort with my Achilles.  Today, Secretariat, and I might run.  However, as I write this blog it is raining like cats and dogs.  He has not called to tell me he is not coming.  In any event, the trail is going to be wet and sloppy. From Secretariat: I was a little late. Frank wanted to run on the road because he thought the trail would be wet and sloppy. I told him "no" and called him "a wuss "so we headed for the trail. Yes ,it was wet and sloppy and my feet are frozen.  My hands are numb and I am soaked but we had fun and feel better for it.

Exercise, Aspects of Fitness, Fun, Well Being and Aging

Part seven

I know the importance of exercise.  If I want to reach 100 years of age, then I cannot overlook the role of exercise.  Currently, the last age group category in running events ends at 99.  I want to change that number by having a category 100 to 109.  I intend to keep exercise as a major component in my life. In order to do that, exercise has to remain an important goal.

 For those of you who are not yet exercising because of injury or illness, let us start with a walking program to assist and facilitate living healthier and longer.  Consider this program:  1. Walk at least once every day 
2.  Walk to your favorite music  
 3.  Walk faster, farther more frequently 
4.  Walk wherever and whenever you can--do not sit   
5.  Keep a walking Journal to chart your progress   
6.  Set goals for yourself both short-term and long-term  
 7.  Reward yourself with nonfood for achieving those goals  
 8.  Walk with a friend , pet , or your horse   
9.   Practice moderation  at first 10  Practice positive thinking and deep breathing  during walking.

 The following is a definition of fitness. There are  six aspects of fitness  that include: 
1. endurance and cardio respiratory function, i.e. brisk walking, hiking, jogging ,running , bicycling, Aerobic classes,  cross-country skiing, swimming, rowing trampolining.   
2. strength and muscular development i.e. weight training, sprinting, swimming, tennis, rowing, yoga, isometrics, virtual arts, squash, basketball 
3. speed and reaction time, i.e. sprinting tennis, ping-pong, racquetball, Frisbee throwing, baseball, and Bo, martial arts, soccer, football 
4.  Coordination and balance, i.e., dancing, golf, sailing, yoga, squash, tennis, horseback riding ,Tai Chi, basketball, football, badminton, billiards, skating, martial arts,   
5.  flexibility i.e. dancing, stretching,  Tai Chi, meditation, yoga   
6.  neuromuscular relaxation, i.e. gardening, golf, Frisbee throwing, yoga, kite flying, martial arts,Tai Chi.

 Did you notice all the fun that you can have while been fit?  Just think how creative you can be incorporating the different aspects of fitness?  There are many options for you to consider.    Remember to have an adequate cool-down segment that includes stretching and relaxation, regardless of how light or hard you exercise.

How did you measure up when it came to evaluating your fitness?  Are you six out of six or hundred percent fit, according to the above criteria?  If not, you know what to do.

A few benefits ,and I mean just a few  benefits ,of exercise include: 
1. improves immune system functioning 
2.  helps you lose weight 
3.  reduces risk of heart disease 
4.  improves the body’s ability to use fat for energy during physical activity 
5.  helps the body resist upper respiratory tract infections 
6.  increases muscle strength 
7. reduces risk of developing high blood pressure 
8. improves coronary heart circulation 
9.  increases HDL the good cholesterol and reduces LDL or bad cholesterol 
10.   reduces risk of developing type II diabetes 
11.  reduces anxiety 
12.  slows the rate of osteoarthritis 
13.  enhances sexual desire, performance and satisfaction 
14.  improves quality of sleep 
15.   Reduces the risk of developing prostate, breast and colon cancer 
16. reduces the risk of developing a stroke 
17. helps alleviate depression 
18. helps with relaxation 
19. reduces against creeping obesity 
20. improves general mood 
21.  Helps in maintaining an independent lifestyle 
22. improves overall quality of life.

And if you exercise, you cannot lose.  Be like the caveman and be active.  The caveman did not die from cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer.  The caveman likely died from infection.  Thank goodness we have medicine to deal with infection. If you are active you are going to be productive. Good luck, and live long and healthy.  Remember, about 70% of what happens to you is because of you and not genetics. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Secretariat and I are off to Stinson Beach for our half marathon on Saturday.  After that run, we will visit The Depot Bookstore and Café in Mill Valley to drop off more of “It Has Nothing to Do with Age. “

If The Future Is Not In Your Life Equation, You Are In Trouble

"Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed."– Baltasar Gracián y Morales

 How open is your window?  How much time do you have left?  According to US census figures, the number of people aged 90 has nearly tripled since 1982 to 1.9 million.  Further, the 90+ age group is projected to increase to 8.7 million by mid century.  A century ago, fewer than 100,000 people reached   age 90.  Age increases are likely attributed to better nutrition, advances in medical care which has reduced heart disease and stroke.

Which states do you think have the greatest number or proportion of 90 year old youngsters?  Did you guess North Dakota, because that state led the list?  North Dakota has about 7 percent of its 65+ population over 90 years of age.  Did you guess, Connecticut as the second state?  Iowa and South Dakota followed.  In absolute numbers, of course, California, Florida and Texas led the nation in absolute numbers-each had more than 130,000 youngsters. These statistics were found in the November 18, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

So the population is aging, which means that we have to be smart and take care of ourselves.  Are you doing all that you can, as you age-are you taking care of your body and your mind?  There seems to be enough information about the dos and don’ts that is readily available.  It is obvious that some people need more than information.

During the resolution run on New Year’s Day, Marty and a 60 something James ultra runner were talking.  By the way, he was one of seven males in Secretariat’s age group. I told him about my second book having to do with mental toughness.  He thought that by the time you reach your 60s, as far as running is concerned, it becomes more difficult to leave the house and go out for your morning run.  He may be right.  I may be an exception since I do not have that difficulty.  If you have a goal or” on a mission” that may partly explain the difference.  I have a mission.

I was pleased that there were four males in my age group for that 10 mile run.  There are five  in my age group, so far, on the Way to Cool 50 K. to be held in March 2012.  On a number my runs this past year, I was the only one in my age group.  This may seem contradictory, but there are more people running and the running group seems to have aged.

Hopefully, if you are already exercising-cardio make sure you keep it going.  If you are having difficulty getting out the door, take a look at some of your rationalizations.  See what you can do to change your behavior.  You may have to talk to somebody, join a group, to figure out what will assist you.  Of course, thinking about the future and having a concrete goal easily measured is another part of the equation. I emphasize future and goal setting to be a major key for behavioral change. If the future is not in your life equation, you are in trouble. Read about some of my friends in my book, and hopefully that will help as well.

Exercise, Aging,Mind Body , and Well Being

We must dare to think "unthinkable" thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world."– James William Fulbright

Aging has many advantages, especially if you are healthy.  For me, being healthy is a key component.  If you have your health, you have a fortune.  If you do not have your health, then you are poor.  So it is important to do your best to stay healthy.

Eating the right foods is one component for better health.  And we know food labels are misleading, as well as the information contained on menus. Buyer beware.  Likely, if we ate more fruits and vegetables and had less fat, in our diets, we would be healthier.

Health and foods were issues growing up, in my family, as my father was a diabetic.  He had juvenile diabetes and injected himself daily with insulin.  I remember him attempting to regulate his blood sugar. It seemed that he was either drinking orange juice and/or giving himself an injection of insulin on a frequent basis. On one hand he would complain about food that was not good for him and on the other hand, at times, would eat something that was not good for him. He talked about the curse of diabetes, and his fate.  Being knowledgeable about the disease, he knew his future, which was terrible to say the least. He was right about it too.

My father had frequent hospitalizations for a variety of ailments and I visited him many times in the hospital.  Growing up during his awful illness, during my adolescence, I turned to weightlifting.  Psychologically, I was defending against being weak and/or ill.  It is clear that my emphasis on health and wellness is related to my upbringing and family situation.  Even today, I want to maintain strength and wellness and continue to work at it.  Being healthy and strong is an important goal.

I must admit that focusing on being strong, healthy, and fit has served me well during my aging.  It certainly has contributed positively to my well-being. I also like to be around people who share the same value of fitness. Being able to run with Secretariat has resulted in many benefits.  Aside from the obvious health and competitive pluses, my affiliative, emotional, and intellectual needs get met as well.  I am able to present an idea to him, and I expect his input in return.  I am pleased that he complies with his opinion.

For me, aging and exercise has been a good thing. The October 3, 2011, Time magazine had an article that suggested that exercise can help teens quit smoking. This West Virginia study  ,with teenagers ,found that by adding exercise to a traditional smoking cessation program had remarkable results in as little as 10 weeks. Exercise is good for teens too.  Isn’t it amazing that exercise has been linked to so many benefits regarding health?  If you are not yet there, now’s the time to begin.

Ultra Running,Obesity,Alzheimers, and Aging

Today is a good day. I am feeling recovered from Saturday’s difficult 50 K.  Run in Malibu. In yesterday’s blog, I commented on the lactic acid buildup in my legs. I received an e-mail from Janet from Australian Connection (aussiconn @yahoo.com). Get her equestrian and running catalog. She told me about the product Sports legs for lactic acid. She claims that since using that product the lactic acid build up in her legs lessened. This product can be purchased at the Auburn Running Store. Thank you, Janet for that information.

My recovery after a running event routine is as follows: keep moving and utilize walking, massage the quads, drink lots of water, and use the 4 foot cylinder for quads, hamstrings, calves, and the outer side of quads. I also have gone to the Monster of Massage in Newcastle for relief. I don’t remember if recovery time is slower today than 14 years ago. My guess is that it is. I know that I started running the first Tuesday after Way Too Cool and then left for Mexico on Thursday and ran every day there. When I returned home, I felt tired. Taking a few days off from running is probably the right thing to do. I just have to remember that. One’s thinking can interfere with reality. I have to keep on remembering to listen to my body and if I’m tired to back off. Easier said but it’s the right thing to do. Recovery time is very important. I plan to do more walking and call that recovery time. Another idea is to perform cross training during this time. Now that I have a kayak I can do that and work on my upper body while resting my legs.

The April 25, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated under the Go Figure section told about Charles Chulada a 59-year-old Florida brick mason. This man played guard at the University of Syracuse from 1969-1973. Last week, he tried out for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Rough riders. Linda’s son Buck who is approaching 50 played linebacker for a few years at San Diego State until his knee injury. Buck eats healthy, works out, and spars with younger fighters. He keeps his body percentage of fat to a minimum. Keep it up Buck.

I mention these individuals as examples of those of us that employ “denial of aging.” We do not want to age and be like our fathers and other unhealthy elders. I’m referring to myself and to Buck. I do not know Charles’ story.  I would hypothesize that he might have a similar story and also   misses important elements from his younger years. He is likely to be in good physical condition and being a brick mason contributes to that. For me, age is a number and is a factor that affects who I am today. I want to continue doing what I’m doing today and do not want that to stop especially for reasons like health and illness. I like being around people with similar mindsets. The athletes that I interviewed in my book fit that same pattern. They don’t want to stop either. Being with Tony, Jonathan, and Penny is very comfortable. Eating healthy, incorporating exercise and finding passion are important variables to success. None of us are overweight. We all are competitive and enjoy what we do. I know they don’t want to stop either.

My mother lived to age 93 and said in her later years “I like to be around younger people”. I think that she was onto something very special. Thank you, Mom for your insight and your gift. Do I appreciate that now?  Developmentally, there are eight psychological stages per Erik Erikson. As a result, people have different psychological issues that result in thinking and action per their particular stage of development. For me, generativity, being healthy, being physical, being competitive, and having passion are important.

 The May 2, 2011 issue of Time under Health and Science said that one key to improve memory and concentration is to lose a few pounds. They quoted a study involving hundred and 50 overweight individuals. In this small population some lost weight as a result of bariatric surgery. This group improved their test scores on recall and attention when tested 12 weeks later. This research add this more evidence to the belief that obesity affects cognitive deficits, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stroke negatively. These scientists are interested in seeing if cognitive benefits occur in people who shed weight through diet and exercise. I would predict they would. The problem of course is getting obese people to begin diet and exercise.  In other words change one’s lifestyle. Watch my blog and I will write about getting started.

Barry Bonds,Osteoarthritis,Aging,and Competing

Barry Bonds is the greatest home run hitter in modern baseball. He hit more home runs than anyone else in this game. He is no slouch in the field or running the bases either. There is no controversy about him being a tremendous athlete. Barry, so what if they place an asterisk next to your home run total? Did you take legal steroids during your career? The jury is divided on the question however, the public probably less so. Barry, I realize you had injuries and that likely you had top medical treatment. "To say that you didn’t know what your trainer was doing to you sounds stupid" says Tony .I don’t think you’re stupid. Saying "yes" is a better way to go. Too bad you can’t undo it.
Today, Tony and I ran a 10 mile tapering training run on Western States trail. That means that the entire run is not as fast as a regular training run. The tapering started because we have a run in Malibu on the 23^rd. Tony is running the 20 K "call me a wimp if you like but I don’t want to beat up my body" and I am running a 50 K. The question I have for Barry Bonds is "are you going to be able to run a 50 K 25 years from now"? I hope that you will be able and that the things that you injected into your body will not come back to haunt you in the future. I figure that you did what you did because you wanted to continue to be the best at what you were doing at that time.
Related to health, treatment, and fitness is an article in the Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2011. The title: Doctors’ New Advice for Joint Pain: Get Moving by Laura Landro. In the article, Kate Lorig at Stanford University "the most dangerous exercise you can do when you have arthritis is none". According to the research, each extra pound of body weight adds the equivalent of 4 pounds to the knees.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that recently has shown up more in young and middle-age adults as a result of obesity and sport injuries. Currently, treatment is focusing on weight loss combined with exercises aimed at improving joint function and building up muscles that support the joints. Consider the scope of the problem as this disease affects some 27 million Americans and leads to 632,000 surgical joint replacements a year. This number is expected to grow as the population ages: one and two adults will likely develop knee osteoarthritis before the age of 85. The risk increases to two in three adults who are obese. If you are going to reach age 85, you better start to do something. Stretching exercises found in Bob Anderson’s book is helpful as well as taking Tony’s advice and not beating up your body. Find the right physical activity for you. Consider paddling or bike riding. A trial of glucosamine – chondroiton in 2006 found that 22% of the people in the study had significant pain relief. However, in 2008, a different study found that the supplements are no better in slowing loss of cartilage of the knee compared with placebo according to lead researcher Daniel Clegg. He recommends that patients discuss with their doctor whether the supplements are an option.
My buddy, Dr. Wayne Fiske told me that he believes age has something to do with it because he’s afraid that things can wear out. We are both the same age. One difference when we were younger is that he beat up his body with karate. So currently, I am in superior physical condition. I spend my time with exercise, health, and competition and he spends his time doing good photography. So for me, in one sense age has nothing to do with it.
Just yesterday, I had communication with Linda Rodgers my running partner in 2001 and 2002. At that time, Linda was married and living in Greenwood which is "Beyond Cool". Linda and I ran and ran and ran and preparation for the Western states 100. Chapter 9 in my book tells about some of our experiences. Linda has completed the Tevis, Western States 100, and the Hawaiian Ironman. This attractive female is currently selling real estate in Los Altos, California. For those of you looking for an athletic, energetic realtor, contact her at Lrodgers@interorealestate.com