One of my favorite books to read to my children when they were young was the poignant “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, about a relationship a boy has with a tree over the course of his life. In the final pages, an older man returns, cane in hand. As Silverstein writes:

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
“I’m nothing but an old stump now. I’m sorry but I’ve nothing more to give.”
“I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,”
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile
“Well,” said the tree, “An old stump is still good for that.”

Well, so much for resting. Seniors these days are returning to their youth. London just announced it was building a playground in Hyde Park that caters not to kids or their parents, but aging baby boomers. “Every park has a children’s playground, very few have playgrounds for adults, and none have playgrounds for the elderly,” said Madeline Elsdon, head of a local residents’ association, in a recent AP article. Catered to the over-60 crowd, the playground will feature exercise equipment to help seniors with balance, flexibility, and muscle toning. I just hope they swing and ask their grandchildren for a push!
 

There’s an interesting story in the latest Archives of Internal Medicine, which I read religiously (just kidding), that talks about a recent Canadian study involving older women. Over the course of a year, The University of British Colombia divided 155 women in the 65 to 75-year old range into three groups—resistance training (lifting weights, using weight machines, or doing squats and lunges) once a week, resistance training twice a week, and a Tai-Chi based balance and tone training twice a week. The results: cognitive scores for the women who went to resistance training twice weekly were up 12.6 percent, once weekly up 10.9 percent, while those who only did Tai Chi fell 0.5 percent. So start pumping the iron!
 

According to the latest Pentagon figures, 35 percent of the roughly 31.2 million Americans aged 17 to 24 are unqualified for military service because of physical and medical issues. Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon’s director of accessions was quoted in Army Times last week, stating that “the major component of this is obesity. We have an obesity crisis in the country. There’s no question about it.” When I was in the Marine Corps ROTC in the 80s, statistics showed that less than 5 percent of my age group was obese. Then came the arrival of the internet, video games, and far too much unhealthy eating. I think kids these days need a gunnery sergeant like I had in ROTC, the one who did four tours in Vietnam and spewed expletives in your ear if you couldn’t do 40 push-ups in a minute. Twenty years later I can still do 40 push-ups in one minute, scared that my ole sergeant will come around the corner and kick my ass if I don’t (he also smoked two packs of Marlboros a day and could outrun anyone in the weekly 7-mile run). Have a Happy Thanksgiving this week, but do your family a favor and take a group run or walk together and stay active! I’ll return next Monday with a new blog.
 

On a bike tour with Bike Vermont years ago, my brother and I watched as a guy, distracted by cows, flipped his bike over and broke his tooth. He said he hadn’t been on a bike in five years. Don’t make the same mistake. With many bikers heading out on fall foliage biking trips in the next month or two, now’s the time to get ready. Even if it’s a “No Experience Necessary” excursion, you should try the sport beforehand and be in somewhat decent shape. Don’t wait until the last minute to condition. If you plan on taking a week-long biking or walking outing, begin aerobic activity four to six weeks in advance, two to three times a week. And make sure you’re on the right trip by asking what level of fitness is required? Is this hike an obstacle course better suited for Marines, a stroll in the park, or somewhere in between? How many hours a day are we on the bike? You want to find an adventure that ideally suits your ability and prior experience in the sport. Brochures are not always accurate so it’s imperative to speak to a human being.  

Hitting the beach this week for a nice long walk? If Mark Fenton has his way, all walkers would bend their arms at the elbow, much like joggers do when they run.  “There’s nothing wrong or goofy if you walk with your elbows at a 90-degree angle. In fact, it will take a minute off each mile you walk,” says the author of The Complete Guide to Walking: For Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness. Fenton also suggests a good tall, relaxed posture, with chin parallel to the ground and shoulders down in back. 

“Imagine a string coming through the top of your head, pulling you up and lengthening you,” says Fenton, adding that it’s easier to take quicker rather than longer strides and you should think consciously about pushing off your toes to propel you forward. Hand weights are out (bad for posture), and walking poles are in (good for balance and an upper-body workout). And the most overlooked piece of apparel is not a good walking shoe, which Fenton buys new every six months on average, but an athletic sock specifically made for walking that adds extra cushion to your sole. 

“Your goal should be 30 minutes of walking a day,” says the walking guru. “That can be cumulative, with a 10-minute walk to and from work and another 10 minutes, say, to grab lunch.  This will maintain your cardiovascular health.”
 

Now and then, I’ll dabble into the healthy aspects of living an active lifestyle.  According to a new study from the University of Vermont, a mere 20-minute workout helps people feel upbeat for the next 12 hours.  That’s right, 12 hours!  Researchers say the workout acts as an antidepressant alleviating anger and anxiety and putting you in a good frame of mind.  So if that spectacular mountain vista, sweeping singletrack ride, or salt water splashed on your face while sea kayaking doesn’t do the trick, those endorphins zipping through your body will certainly help.  get up & go this weekend!