It was not an afterthought that the Apostle Paul referred to the body as the temple of the holy spirit. He also often used athletes as metaphors for aspects of the spiritual life. I practice, and teach, a number of physical disciplines including daily walking exercise, weight training, Yoga, nutrition, and the like.
While cruising through Twitter, I saw this infographic about drinking water. Consider this–8 Best Times to Drink Water:
- After waking up to activate internal organs
- After workout to bring heart rate back to normal
- Half hour before a meal to help in digestion
- Before taking a bath to lower blood pressure
- Before going to bed to replenish any fluid loss
- When you’re feeling sick to hydrate body for proper function
- When you’re feeling tired to recharge your system
- When you’re surrounded by infected and sick people to prevent infection from settling in the body
Faith Venture 
July 8, 2021 at 8:57 am |
Thank you Gary. That’s very useful.
I note that you teach weight training. Are you aware of any good books about weight training for folk in their sixties and above? I couldn’t see much on Amazon to meet my perceived specific needs.
I fished my old bench and weights out of the cupboard when the first lockdown hit the UK in March 2020. I put together a workout based on what I used to do when I was younger, but reduced the weights. I get a few aches and pains from time to time, but I live in complete ignorance of what is wise for someone in their mid-60s. I’ve certainly benefited but I realise that as I get older still I shall need to adapt what I do and what I am lifting. I was working out three times a week but reduced it to two to allow a longer recovery time.
July 9, 2021 at 7:49 am |
That’s a good question. The only thing I’ve seen or discussed specific to age is reducing the weight over time. If you listen to your body, you’ll know when to reduce. More important than age is condition, accumulated injuries, joint problems, and the like. Some people develop one of a variety of back problems. Always take care to strengthen without hurting the area.
I use dumbbells and do a couple of lifting exercises, a type of row, and squats. That hits all the major muscles—chest, shoulders, back, quads, hamstrings. I add something for bicep and tricep. Then I do Yoga poses for core strength. Of course, additional Yoga for stretching and balance. Stretching is important at every age, but it becomes especially important as we age. I just crossed the 70 barrier. I’ve only begun my own weight training within the past 10 years. I’m lifting what I did 10 years ago, but I’m in no competition for a PowerLifting championship.
I have purchased some Yoga supplies from a company called Gaiam. That site also links to teachers with short workouts for various body areas on YouTube. I can’t get to them just now. I’ll try to dig up a couple of links when I get to a better spot.
July 9, 2021 at 11:15 am
Many thanks Gary. Good advice on listening to the body. I probably should reduce the weight on the bar a little. I have been increasing the amount of warm up and warm down time. I have never done any Yoga. I walk every day with the dog and usually cover 5 miles. Pace depends on the mood of the dog and things he wants to investigate!
My 90-year old father has never exercised apart from walking and is as fit as a fiddle – he has had hardly any illness in his life. He is still walking most days depending on the weather.
July 9, 2021 at 5:08 pm
Walking is great. It activates the lymphatic system and keeps the muscles going and joints limber. Walking outside is great for the soul. For several reasons including age, I am no longer refereeing football (soccer). Therefore, I don’t feel the need to run and just walk briskly about 4 miles five days a week. I lost some tone during our move last summer and a new routine without a gym. I’m getting it back and am ready to begin teaching Yoga again. Just keep moving!
July 10, 2021 at 7:00 am
The dog is a good incentive for walking! One of my many joys was watching my daughter ref football matches when she was a teenager. Sadly once she hit the work trail there was no time. She doesn’t even play any more, which was another joy – watching her play.