By Pam Granata

David is assisting me with upper body work. Posture is extremely important.

Again David is assuring my form is correct as I finish my push ups.

Completing abdominals on the ball. These I will be able to do at home.

Here I am working on the gluts. This is another exercise you can do at home.

Being the best you can be sounds so simple. But is it? If it were easy we’d all be in the best shape possible, right? We’d all be fit and at a healthy weight at all times. Then why is being the best you can be so difficult? I found that it all comes down to making good choices.

As I stated in my last article, in the March/April issue, being the best for me meant I had to get “real” with myself. It’s been three months since I started my program with David and Cindy Dentel, owners of Fitness Creators. I am pleased with my results, and they are as well.

I worked hard to achieve my goals. I lost 10 pounds and a total of 8.5”. The area that I lost the most from was my waist and belly area, which was a total of 4”. I lost 9% body fat. I knew this process was not going to be a quick weight loss story and I am okay with that. I am enjoying the journey. I’ve learned that I must make choices every day with what I eat and drink and how I exercise. My choices are now a lifestyle.

The American College of Sports Medicine has fitness guidelines specific to weight training for people over 50. The advice: perform such exercises two to three times a week to condition all of the major muscle groups: arms, legs, shoulders, and trunk. The goal is to lift a weight that’s heavy enough to achieve 10 to15 repetitions per session before the muscles become fatigued. This type of exercise can substantially slow, even reverse, the declines in muscle mass, bone density, and strength that were once considered inevitable consequences of aging.

Unlike aerobic or endurance activities, which improve cardiovascular fitness and require moving large muscle groups hundreds of times against gravity, weights provide enough resistance that muscles gain strength from only a few movements. As people grow older, their muscle fibers shrink in number and in size (atrophy) and become less sensitive to messages from the central nervous system. This contributes to a decrease in strength, balance, and coordination. Although there is no question that people experience at least some of these declines at about age 40, the extent to which they occur depends on a number of factors, including genetics, diet, smoking, alcohol use, and, most important physical activity level. Inactivity is responsible for the majority of age-associated muscle loss. Resistance exercise can reverse much of this decline by increasing the size of shrunken muscle fibers.

Not only am I stronger because of weight training, but I also have a lot more energy. I wish I could say I was sleeping better, but that is not the case. I attribute my sleepless nights to my age and menopause. Fortunately, I am not tired during the day. Now that the days are longer and warmer, I am able to enjoy more long walks outdoors and have found that I want to walk faster. With the help of Judy Heller of Erofit, I hope to knock off two minutes from my mile time. But that is another story. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

My newfound strength has also helped me in my other passion — gardening. I am much stronger in my upper body. I am able to lift with ease and not strain my back. I want to stay strong in the years to come and be able to lift not only plants but my grandchildren. Last week I was able to take a vigorous hike pushing my four-year-old grandson in the jogging stroller up San Francisco hills. I was not winded and felt great!

My training with Cindy and David is unique for them as well as for myself. They do not usually share a client. This training technique was helpful to them also. I told them both what I found beneficial in their individual training techniques. We soon realized that the time of day had a lot to do with my workouts. I was training with Cindy late in the afternoon and I was not working out as hard as I did in the mornings. I would arrive with little energy and could only do the minimum. I usually had already walked at 6 a.m. and worked a full day. I was well rested for the morning workouts with David and could accomplish much more. In fact, when I finished the workout I felt more energized. I even had a feeling of euphoria walking to my car. David asked how I felt after working out and I had a hard time explaining.

Simply put, I know that by attending each training session I am making the best choice for my health and myself, and I realize that I am being the best I can be.