Re: how do you PT to stay in shape?
This is an interesting topic for me. Partly because I'm not really devoted to peerless personal fitness, and partly because trying to do such things might not be optimal for my situation.
Some of you are aware, some are not, that I've had some medical setbacks. I'm not gonna rehash it, or play any sympathy cards. Sufficeth to say, I approach the issue from a relatively oblique angle.
Cardiovascular capacity is measured as Ejection Fraction, i.e. the percentage of blood the heart ejects/pumps as compared to what it takes in. A healthy human in their prime has an ejection fraction somewhere around 60%. Mine has variously been rated since my 'events' at between 15% and 40%, with the latest rating at around 25%.
So how does this translate into real human performance, Greg Style? Greg does not run. Greg can walk, and given a few weeks of daily practice, can get himself up to well over an hour's worth. Treadmill-wise, my top speed is around 2.8MPH (3mph does not work...) and as METS are figured, my capacity ranges between 1 and 3. I am also mildly diabetic.
On the surface, I can walk into a room, interact with folks for an hour or two, and nothing in my behavior or demeanor will suggest I'm anything but your average 64 year old, slightly wacky, Marine Veteran. I'll sit whenever I can, and at home, my feet are up a lot of the time. My cats think I'm the perfect lap upon which to carry out their daily grooming, and they can get pretty persnickety with each other over whose turn it is at a given moment.
Given the option if someone is being kind to me, I'll stay back when folks go out to set up and retrieve targets. For me, walking the 200yds there and back cannot be achieved without falling behind, and arrival back at the line buys me a five-minute time-out to sit and regain my breath. Fact is, I don't do my daily walks, and this is largely my own fault. But it's real and represents Greg in his more normal state.
So how do I 'exercise'?
Well, I walk when I can. These days I can't, mainly because heat with a higher relative humidity above 75-78 degrees turns me into a gasping noodle. The terrain around here is mostly ill maintained sidewalks, and a lot of anywhere I'd be headed doesn't even have bad sidewalks. If you're me, it makes a significant difference.
I exercise my core muscles lying on my back wth my hands flat across my belly. From a relaxed position, I raise my butt about 4"-6" and stay there until I start to quiver. Elbows are not allowed to help. While doing this, I relax as much of the rest of my bod as I can, and I try to breathe normally. When I'm ready, I sloooowly lower my butt until I am thoroughly relaxed and my breathing has returned to normal.
Then, from the same position, I raise my feet 4"-6" into the air, knees straight, keeping shoulders down and flat, holding until I start to quiver. When I'm ready, I slowly lower the feet until I am thoroughly relaxed and my breathing had returned to normal.
This constitutes one rep. I'll do as many as I'm comfortably able to do, but seldom less than ten.
I do other things as well, mainly stretching and range-of-motion activities designed to relieve muscle stress and stiffness, which is, for instance, the toll I pay to shoot F Class. For example, I shot a Match this past Saturday, and my back still has some stiffness today, Tuesday following. Normal for me, maybe others too.
While this is a low impact approach, it is directly based on the body's own feedback and is specifically related to individual limits and ambition.
It may not seem like much to the ininitiated observer, but it's a genuine, honest workout. I do this in my bed each day before rising. It's a great way to start my day. It makes a noticeable difference in my average physical capabilities.
Greg
