Getting Older & Growing Stronger
We come to an age in life where we look in the mirror and notice our back isn’t standing as straight as it used to, our arms have this upside-down bicep, aka bingo wings, that wobbles with every slight movement we make, and our belly- well let’s just say it’s blocking our vision of anything past our navel. And that’s only if we remembered to put on our glasses before we looked in the mirror. But is it all doom and gloom? Is there something or some way our older bodies can start to reverse this downward degenerative spiral. Granted there is no denying, jumping, skipping, hopping is something we now just watch as we fear our bones will just crumble to sawdust, but we would still love to do “something” to get the body moving.
When it comes to movement for the older adult, we are looking for low impact and simple exercises that target the whole body to strengthen both the cardiovascular and muscular system. With visiting local retirement & lifestyle villages we have noticed a popular trend of recumbent bikes in homes and the communal fitness facilities. When speaking to folk we asked, “why the recumbent bike”? Obviously, we knew it ticks all the boxes when it comes to low impact cardiovascular fitness, but so does many other types of equipment.
What makes this in particular so special? The most popular response received was the comfort of being able to sit while exercising and easily watch the news or read the paper or do a crossword. One lady who keeps her recumbent bike in the lounge room says she uses it every day while say watches her favourite tv show.
Surprised at how many older adults were making use of this machine in the communal fitness room, it was like the hot potato, with regulars coming in daily- as if ‘bike reserved’ was written on their forehead. Knowing this type of training does not make your muscles feel overly exhausted, it keeps the locals in a regular routine and helps assist in slowly building up their strength and stamina.
Maybe you are not at a stage in life where a retirement village would suit your needs and the thought of a walking stick is still out of the question, but you do have some ailments which are setting you back and you’re at a crossroad as to what fitness avenue to take. Or maybe leaving the house sometimes feels too hard and you would much rather settle in with a good book or stair at the box and channel surf your afternoon away.
Ever heard of the phrase “why don’t we have both”? Well, maybe its time for you to add a recumbent bike to your life. Practical, comfortable and great for multi-tasking. The clever design reduces the pressure off your knees and other joints which in turn largely eliminates the risk of injury. Not to mention a recumbent bike generally comes with a comfortable design which is almost impossible to combine comfort and calorie burning in one but somehow this machine just perfects in.
Proudly here at Dynamo, we have the Sportop RB300 Recumbent bike that we stock which has all the bells and whistles one could ask for. 3- way adjustable seat with a mesh backrest for airflow, 16 levels of magnetic smooth resistance and 12 pre-set programs so you can just slide on and get going. Click the link to find out more.
