Part 8: Self-monitoring and Recording Methods and Exercise Prescriptions for Middle-aged and Elderly People
(5) Subjective feelings can be recorded using addition and subtraction symbols. No subjective feeling: 1; Mild: 10; Moderate: 10+10; Obvious: 10+10.
The benefit of self-monitoring is that it enables obese individuals to scientifically plan their exercise volume. Many obese people know that exercise is beneficial to their health and a way to lose weight, but they often give up halfway through. Why? Because they don't know how to self-monitor to scientifically plan an appropriate amount of exercise. The result is either that the body cannot adapt to too much exercise, leading to discontinuation, or that the exercise volume is too little, preventing them from achieving their weight loss goals and causing them to lose confidence. Recording self-monitoring may seem cumbersome at first, and you might be unfamiliar with it, leading to errors in the data. However, with practice, you will become proficient, and the data will become very accurate. By summarizing your progress after a period of exercise and comparing your results, you can ensure the smooth implementation of exercise therapy and achieve the desired goals.
6. Exercises suitable for middle-aged and elderly people
First, here is a weight loss exercise prescription for middle-aged people for your reference.
The purpose of exercise is: ① to lose weight; ② to maintain and enhance physical strength; ③ to prevent obesity complications.
Sports activities: ① Aerobic exercise: jogging, walking, cycling, swimming, etc. (choose one); ② Muscle training: sit-ups, resistance band exercises.
Exercise intensity: Heart rate during exercise = (60%–70%) × Maximum heart rate
Exercise time: 30-45 minutes each time.
Exercise frequency: 3 to 4 times per week.
Precautions: ① A physical examination should be conducted before exercising to understand heart function and whether there are any cardiovascular complications. ② The exercise intensity can be gradually reached over several days; it is not required to reach the maximum intensity immediately upon starting exercise. ③ In case of unexpected situations, such as a cold, fever, or injury to the musculoskeletal system, exercise should be stopped immediately, and medical attention should be sought.
Specific schedule: ① Warm-up for 10 minutes, including stretching exercises for the joints of the limbs, neck, and waist. ② Jogging or walking for 20-30 minutes, with the intensity of exercise expected during this stage. ③ Strength training: 50 sit-ups or 3 sets of 20 reps each using a resistance band or dumbbells, 5 minutes each. ④ Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of full-body relaxation exercises.
7. Suitable aerobic exercises for weight loss
In recent years, the number of obese people has been increasing, and obesity has become a global "epidemic." Obese individuals should maintain a reasonable diet and nutrition, and consistently engage in appropriate aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that uses aerobic metabolism as its energy source. On one hand, it increases the intake of oxygen from the natural environment, enhancing the body's ability to absorb, transport, and utilize oxygen; on the other hand, it promotes blood circulation, improves microcirculation and the internal environment, enhances metabolism, and improves the physiological functions of vital organs such as the brain and heart and lungs. The energy supply for aerobic exercise mainly comes from carbohydrates and fats. If obese individuals can consistently engage in aerobic exercise, they can effectively consume excess calories and fat, achieving both weight loss and fitness, while also lowering blood pressure and blood lipids and improving the body's immunity. It is also highly beneficial in preventing diseases such as arteriosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
There are many forms and types of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking, alternating jogging and walking, aerobics, aerobic dance, Tai Chi, cycling, rope skipping, rowing, swimming, mountain climbing (stairs), and ball games like badminton. Adults participating in these exercises can generally achieve the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Obese elderly people can choose exercises they enjoy and that are easy to maintain, with the amount of exercise suitable for their own condition. The frequency of exercise is generally 3-5 times per week, with each session lasting 20-60 minutes. The exercise intensity should reach the effective heart rate limit. Initially, a heart rate of 110 beats per minute is advisable, gradually increasing to 140 beats per minute after 1-3 weeks. This brings the stroke volume close to and reaches its optimal state, resulting in more significant benefits.
(1) Walking for weight loss: Considering the current lifestyle and living environment of most people in my country, middle-aged and elderly obese individuals can choose walking, jogging, Tai Chi, gymnastics, and other activities. Let's first introduce two simple and easy-to-do exercises: walking and jogging. These two exercises are more suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. Here's a short story about walking. 100 years ago, there was an obese doctor in Germany who exercised by walking mountain paths. Starting in his thirties, he became increasingly obese, his heart function weakened, he easily became breathless while walking, and he often suffered from lower limb edema. This forced him to stop working and recuperate in the mountains. In the mountains, he used a quantitative walking method for treatment, walking on mountain paths every day, strictly controlling the walking distance, time, and number of steps he climbed. After 6 weeks, the number of steps he climbed increased from 100 to 527, his weight decreased by 8 kilograms, and his heart function returned to normal. Later, he publicly promoted this method to treat obesity and heart disease.
Walking is an excellent form of exercise: Before hearing the story above, you might have had doubts about whether walking could treat obesity. Please don't underestimate the power of walking. There's a folk saying: "Walk a hundred steps after a meal, and you'll live to ninety-nine." This has some scientific basis. Obese individuals who consistently walk can lose weight. As mentioned earlier, in terms of calorie expenditure, walking burns 260 kilocalories per hour (approximately 4 kilometers), while resting burns only 66 kilocalories per hour-the former being three times greater than the latter. If you increase your pace, walking 7 kilometers per hour, the calorie expenditure will be even higher, reaching 700 kilocalories per hour. In five days, this translates to 3500 kilocalories, which can reduce body fat by one pound. Long-term adherence to this regimen not only leads to weight loss but also improves physical condition and enhances cardiovascular function.