Seniors should exercise caution
Many retirees have ample time to exercise, but finding the right program for your interest and abilities is challenging. Diane from Rehoboth writes, “I recently retired from my corporate career as well as moved into a new housing development. Still tentative to play golf, I learned that a number of my new neighbors were playing pickleball on the tennis court at our clubhouse.
“With borrowed paddle in hand, I got on the court and was actually able to hit the ball over the net … Yay! As my confidence soared, but thinking I was still in my 30s (bad move), I went for a short ball and my feet got stuck, yet my body kept going, right down to the ground. With a few bumps and a slightly bruised ego, I continued to play - actually three games that day. Now I am a pickleball player and having so much fun! My new pickleball friends have been so supportive and are great teachers.”
I confess that when I heard the word pickleball, I imagined baby dills being flung across a hopscotch board.
The game is played on a court 1/3 the size of a tennis court, with a short paddle and a ball similar to a wiffle ball that is 1/3 the speed of a tennis ball. Sandy, director of the Sawgrass Pickleball Club and ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association, writes, “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, especially for seniors.
“On Sept. 20 and 21, 14 of our club members played in the Delaware Senior Olympic Games and won 13 medals, and all of our players qualified for the 2015 National Senior Games.”
Like Diane, I am on the hunt for the right exercise regimen. Recently I signed up to take a cardio/abdominal workout at Built studio in Lewes. I knew I was in over my head when the young crowd began to arrive. I couldn’t keep up and knew enough not to push through. I dropped the weights and walked the routine, still remembering my PT stint a few years back when I overdid a class at the YMCA. For the next day or two, OK, three, I couldn’t walk without wincing in pain. The instructor kindly suggested other classes suited to my abilities.
Lori Roberts writes on her blog on retirementandgoodliving.com, “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.
“The edge is that place where you are challenging yourself but not pushing beyond a safe limit. You are comfortably active. Finding a ‘safe edge’ is important during retirement so that you don’t get over-extended, yet you move forward into new directions, interests and contributions. Retirement is the opportunity to explore.”
I recently met Lesslee Belmore, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition and a fitness trainer who shares a moderate approach: “Most classes offered in clubs rarely give you enough cool-down time or rest breaks during your workout. Stretching before and after working out is vitally important.”
I am still exploring. Stay tuned.
