In this brief video Dr. Cody Sipe will discuss Stability. How do we train our body to withstand external forces and remain stable. If something or someone pushes you or bumps in to you can you remain stable?

Watch this short little video discussing how some exercises are not actually going to help improve your functional ability at all.   This does not necessarily mean these are “bad” exercises.  But they simply might not be very useful at all if your overall goal is to improve functional ability.   Some exercises are specific for certain sports and then somehow they become popular in fitness and training when they may not have much real life usefulness if your no longer a football player or gymnast.

Protein is the building block of muscle.  As you get older you will probably experience some loss of muscle mass and strength.  This has been attributed to a reduced rate of protein synthesis that accompanies the normal aging process but it can be a big concern for many people.  If you lose too much muscle then that could impair your ability to complete functional activities of work, sport or play.

So should you eat more protein in order to combat the effects of aging?

This is a hotly debated topic with many different opinions because the research is not exactly clear.  Population studies seem to indicate that an increase in dietary protein isn’t necessary if you already exercise but a number of protein synthesis studies show otherwise.

A recent paper from Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews (July 2013) made these
conclusions:

• Increasing physical activity increases muscle protein synthesis rates

• The amount, source and time of day that dietary protein is consumed also effects muscle protein synthesis rates

• Combining physical activity and exercise with adequate protein intake is the best strategy for combatting the negative effects of aging on muscle mass and strength

Based on this information, other papers I’ve read and experts I’ve consulted here are some of my tips for dietary protein for those over the age of 50:

1. Be physically active daily and exercise regularly (including weight lifting)

2. Eat adequate amounts of protein (0.8g/kg body weight daily) from a variety of sources (lean meats, low-fat dairy, legumes, nuts).  Even vegetarians can get plenty of protein but they have to be a little more diligent about it.

3. Take a protein shake of 20-30 g whey protein (not soy protein) immediately before or after working out

4. Maintain a healthy gut so you can digest and absorb nutrients properly

Although I don’t check my protein intake every single day (who wants to do that?), I do keep tabs on it to make sure I am meeting my goals.  I shoot for over 1.0g/kg body weight just to make sure I am getting enough and I encourage you to do the same.

This doesn’t have to take up a lot of time and energy once you get into the routine of eating enough lean protein on a daily basis.  However, you probably need to do some gram counting at first.

Cody Sipe, PhD is an award-winning fitness professional and university professor with expertise in functional aging.  He is the founder of the Functional Aging Institute and creator of the Never Grow Old Exercise Program.

There is a lot of training misinformation that is spread in the fitness industry.  Every time I go to the gym I see people performing ineffective and even dangerous exercise movements.  I pretty much have to put blinders on just so I can get through my own workout.  If I were to help everyone I saw I would never finish.  After working with thousands of exercisers I’ve identified a few very prevalent mistakes.  If you are making these mistakes in your routine then fix them as quickly as you can.  By doing so you will get better and more meaningful results.

1. Too well-rounded:  Being well-rounded might sound like a good thing but the truth is that well-rounded really means generic.  You have specific needs and goals and those should determine what you do, how you do it and how much you do.  There is only so much time and energy to put into an exercise routine so make it count.  Be focused and purposeful and don’t add things just to be well-rounded.

2. Too many machines:  Weight machines are fine for beginners and for body-builders but there are many more functional benefits from using free weights, resistance bands, body weight and cables that are great for the rest of us.  Machines isolate muscle groups instead of making them work together; let the core muscles relax; reduce the need for muscle control/coordination; and take balance completely out of the picture.  Ditch the machines and opt for standing versions of similar exercise movements to get more functional bang for your buck.

3. Too easy on the weights:  Using weights that are challenging is a key to increasing muscle size and strength.  Unfortunately many people get way too comfortable with the weights they use so they aren’t really challenging any more.  A common mistake is to increase the number of reps rather than increasing the amount of weight lifted.  Keep reps somewhere in the 10-15 range and continually increase weights to maintain the challenge.

4. Too slow cardio:  If you are doing 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio, like most people, then I would suggest you try a different approach.  You can get even more benefits from your cardio routine in only half the time by using high intensity intervals.  Increasing the intensity burns more calories in less time, increases fitness much more effectively, and really ramps up the fat burning.  So you can get a shorter but more superior cardio workout.  To start, try going hard for a minute or two and then going much easier for a minute or two.

The Never Grow Old Fitness Program embodies these key aspects that are critical to maximizing your time and effort so that you get the best results ever.

Cody Sipe, PhD is an award-winning fitness professional and university professor with expertise in functional aging.  He is the founder of the Functional Aging Institute and creator of the Never Grow Old Exercise Program.

“Never do sit-ups again and get your best core ever”

There are many great ways to train the core muscles without having to do sit-ups or crunches. In fact, these training methods are so much more effective and better for the back that you will never have to do another sit-up ever again. Frankly, sit-ups are completely overrated. The truth is that they only primarily train one group of abdominal muscles (there are four altogether); they impose a lot of stress on the lower back; and they don’t really train the core the way it is designed to function.
If you have had or currently have low back problems such as low back pain, disc injuries, osteoporosis or spinal rods then you shouldn’t be doing sit-ups, crunches, lying leg raises or twisting crunches because they tend to exacerbate spinal problems. But these aren’t just for the injured. I use these strategies for myself and for every single client I work with because those with healthy backs would like to keep them that way. So instead of spine-torturing crunches, try out these spine-sparing exercises for your core:

1. Stealth Training: Getting the core involved during other exercise movements is a great way to train all of your abdominal muscles in a very functional way. You just have to tweak traditional exercise movements to activate the core muscles. For example, perform a chest press using a cable or tubing in a kneeling or standing position rather than a machine or lying chest press. Perform a 1-arm standing shoulder press instead of a seated shoulder press. Try a cable or tubing row in a standing or kneeling position. These movements make the core work to stabilize the spine throughout all of the repetitions instead of just letting the core relax which is typical of most machine-based exercises.

2. Plank Series: Planks are not only very effective by targeting numerous abdominal muscles simultaneously but are also very easy on the spine and thus are my preferred core training method. Plus they can be modified to make them easier or more challenging. Try these variations:

a. Front planks: Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows and forearms directly beneath your shoulders. Press yourself up so that only your forearms and toes are in contact with the ground. Hold your body, from your shoulders to your toes, in a straight line by contracting your abdominal and buttocks muscles. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds. To make this exercise easier perform it from the knees instead of the toes.

b. Side planks: Lie on your side. Place your elbow and forearm directly beneath your shoulder. Place your top foot directly in front of your bottom foot. Press yourself up so that only your forearm and feet are in contact with the ground. Hold your body in a straight line. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Just like with the front plank perform it from the knees instead of from the feet.

c. Reverse planks: Lie on your back with your heels on a short bench or step. Press your hips to the ceiling so that only your heels, shoulders and head are in contact with the floor. Hold your body in a straight line. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds. An easier version is to do a bridge. While lying on your back bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Press your hips to the ceiling to make a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

3. Isometric Twist Holds: While standing grab a cable or resistance tubing and hold it right in front of your navel with both hands. The cable or tubing should be anchored beside you so that it tries to twist you in that direction. Hold the forward-facing position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat from the other side. Continue to breathe while you hold the position.

This core program will not only give you a strong core but also a healthy core – one that is able to protect your spine while you go about the activities of your day and participate in recreational activities.

Cody Sipe, PhD is an award-winning fitness professional and university professor with expertise in functional aging. He is the founder of the Functional Aging Institute and creator of the Never Grow Old Exercise Program.

“If you lived to 100 would you be ready? Do this and you will be.”

Most boomers and seniors expect to live a pretty long life. After all this is the age of medical technology and life expectancy has never been longer. The centenarians are the fastest-growing age demographic in the U.S. (and maybe the world). Chances are pretty good that you will end up joining those ranks whether you want to or not. I often ask the attendees at my seminars and lectures which they would prefer: 1) to live to 85 with a guarantee that they will be mostly healthy and able-bodied; or 2) to live to 100 but with no guarantee on what kind of quality of life they will have. Almost without exception everyone chooses option 1.

It seems that people don’t want longevity if it means the possibility of poor health, nursing homes, medications, and being dependent on others. People want quality of life over quantity of life. But there is a third option. What if you could live to 100 (or more) in good health and physically capable of doing all of the stuff that you currently enjoy doing? Would you choose both quantity and quality?

Well here is the thing. As I said, you might live to 100 whether you want to or not so you might as well be prepared. Although you can’t do anything about your genetics or past health choices or the development of certain diseases you still have a lot of control over your destiny. Do these things to give yourself the best possible chance of living long AND living well.

1. STOP: The best thing you can do is to stop sabotaging your health. That means giving up vices, especially smoking. If you smoke (even a little) or live with a smoker then you really, really don’t want to live to 100 because, if you do, your life will completely suck (excuse the language). If heart disease hasn’t already killed you then every day, every moment will be a struggle to breathe because of pulmonary disease or you will be unable to talk because of throat or lung cancer. That’s no way to live. Trust me, I’ve seen it.

2. Functional Fitness: A functional fitness routine is the way to go. It improves upper-body strength, lower-body strength, core endurance, muscle power, balance, agility, coordination and so much more. You will be able to keep doing all of the things you love to do and you will feel better doing them.

3. HIIT: For aerobic exercise nothing beats high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT uses intervals of high-intensity exercise interspersed with intervals of lower-intensity exercise. Basically you will get out of breath and sweaty during the hard intervals and will mostly recover during the easier intervals. This is far superior for improving fitness than the traditional steady-state aerobic exercise.

4. Nutrition: You’ve heard it all before but probably only follow a fraction of what you know. Eat more lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and fiber. Eat less or no saturated fats, sodium and sugar. Pack your diet with a wide variety of fresh (preferably organic and from your own garden) vegetables and fruit. Eat whole grains (brown rice, couscous, oatmeal) as a staple. Consume fish, chicken breast and pork loin (lean protein sources) at every meal.

5. Get Vertical: Spirituality is a key aspect of good health. Get back in touch with God. Pray, read scripture and meditate on a daily basis. It is great to handle the stresses of life and keep you centered.

6. Relate: Keep those relationships healthy and strong. Tell your husband or wife how much you love them. Mend those broken ties with family and friends. Find good folks to spend time with and get close to. Life is too short and love is too important.

There is no guarantee of longevity just as there is no guarantee of a high quality of life. But IF you do live to 100 don’t you want to be ready?