1. < Aging Well

What exercises help to increase muscle tone as we age?

Posted by johncottingham @johncottingham, Aug 26, 2022

At 83 my muscle tone is decreasing. Walking is helpful, but does not address all my muscles. Is there a good plan written from Mayo or others describing exercises my wife and I can use to restore muscle tone without doing damage?

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imallears | @imallears | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @riana1 "My husband and I joined YMCA. Due to a disk issue I swim and he works..." + (show)
@riana1

My husband and I joined YMCA. Due to a disk issue I swim and he works out. It opens at 5:45 am. We attend between 5;45 and 6:45. Like no one is hardly there. Which is great. The pool is outdoors and most members like inside pools. It works out for us. We do 30 -60 minutes depending how we feel and move on to our next planned project for the day.

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@riana1

That’s great to hear and you work around your disc issue by doing your thing, I think more of us here on Mayo should share what their “active” endeavors are and hopefully inspire others to get going. Let’s do a little bragging here…we deserve some applause.

FL Mary

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travlkar | @travlkar | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @ellamster "Where do you find the Zoom exercise groups, can you share a link? I have been..." + (show)
@ellamster

Where do you find the Zoom exercise groups, can you share a link? I have been trying to set this up for 'ages'.

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I do zoom classes through AARP, Las Vegas on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm pst. One is Stretch and Balance and the other is Tai Chi/Yoga. Instructor Mitch Menik. You do not need to be a member of AARP.

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1 reply
ubelinda | @ubelinda | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "Like you, I have not been back to the health club, nor do I think it..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Like you, I have not been back to the health club, nor do I think it will happen soon. I will be looking for a facility that operates classes in a wide-open gymnasium type place with high ceilings, plenty of room for spacing & good air flow. Unfortunately, with the high value of real estate here, those places have been replaced by smaller clubs, with tiny low-ceiling "studios" for classes.
Sue

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Same here Sue.🤗
I do Silver Sneakers via Zoom (Humana Ins.) and they help.

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @realitytest "I belong to a Planet Fitness where I work out (it's open 24 hrs four days/week..." + (show)
@realitytest

I belong to a Planet Fitness where I work out (it's open 24 hrs four days/week and til 9PM the other three days). I work out on my own though there are trainers for a fee (initial session is free). Come to think of it, I think there are classes too.

Cost: $10/month plus a once a year fee of $39. If I were to describe its physical layout, it would be what you wrote verbatim.

On that account, I've continued to work out through COVID except for a period during which they were obliged to close.

I'm 76 and without this gym, I would definitely have lost tone and gained weight.

There are MANY branches throughout the country.

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Our Planet Fitness franchises here are all in small settings due to the cost of rentals/real estate. Nothing remotely wide-open and airy. So I continue to move/walk outdoors and stretch at home. One of my groups has done yoga in the park all summer - but weather is making that issue soon. But then we will go south, and I will have the pool & walking paths.
Sue

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1 reply
riana1 | @riana1 | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "Our Planet Fitness franchises here are all in small settings due to the cost of rentals/real..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Our Planet Fitness franchises here are all in small settings due to the cost of rentals/real estate. Nothing remotely wide-open and airy. So I continue to move/walk outdoors and stretch at home. One of my groups has done yoga in the park all summer - but weather is making that issue soon. But then we will go south, and I will have the pool & walking paths.
Sue

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We have a YMCA membership. It opens at 5:45 am. My husband and I go early. There’s an outdoor pool and usually 4 people there when I get there. There’s only a handful of folks working out inside.

Around the time we’re done a hour or so people are coming in. This minimizes contact and the machines have been sanitized.

Living around Covid is challenging but we must make the best of it and live life to the fullest.

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1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @riana1 "We have a YMCA membership. It opens at 5:45 am. My husband and I go early...." + (show)
@riana1

We have a YMCA membership. It opens at 5:45 am. My husband and I go early. There’s an outdoor pool and usually 4 people there when I get there. There’s only a handful of folks working out inside.

Around the time we’re done a hour or so people are coming in. This minimizes contact and the machines have been sanitized.

Living around Covid is challenging but we must make the best of it and live life to the fullest.

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5:45 am is not in my vocabulary since retirement. I got up at 5:30 am for almost 40 years - but not any more. I like to sleep until the mid-day hour of 7:30 am. I used to go to the gym at 6am before work, but my old body would NOT like that these days.
Sue

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2 replies
riana1 | @riana1 | Sep 26, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "5:45 am is not in my vocabulary since retirement. I got up at 5:30 am for..." + (show)
@sueinmn

5:45 am is not in my vocabulary since retirement. I got up at 5:30 am for almost 40 years - but not any more. I like to sleep until the mid-day hour of 7:30 am. I used to go to the gym at 6am before work, but my old body would NOT like that these days.
Sue

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I understand😁
Since retirement we haven’t been able to shake getting up early and keeping that regiment has been very beneficial.

After working out we either do our grocery runs or schedule early doctor appointments. We avoid traffic congestion having a stress free rides.

If we have no outings planned we come home after working out and either do things around the house, take naps, play games, watch movies or lay around like lions talking about life listening to smooth jazz. Acoustic Alchemy is one of our favorite bands. Retirement living you gotta love it.

We just look for opportunities of making life as stress free as possible and having an early start working out energize us enabling us to complete our todo list.

Either way life is whatever you make it. Just make sure you do what makes you comfortable with peace of mind and soul.

Live, Love and laugh. 🍷

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meomurian | @meomurian | Sep 27, 2022
In reply to @ellamster "Where do you find the Zoom exercise groups, can you share a link? I have been..." + (show)
@ellamster

Where do you find the Zoom exercise groups, can you share a link? I have been trying to set this up for 'ages'.

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GetSetUp has exercise classes via Zoom for seniors. They are free and last an hour. To access, go to GetSetUp.io

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1 reply
travlkar | @travlkar | Sep 27, 2022
In reply to @travlkar "I do zoom classes through AARP, Las Vegas on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm pst. One..." + (show)
@travlkar

I do zoom classes through AARP, Las Vegas on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm pst. One is Stretch and Balance and the other is Tai Chi/Yoga. Instructor Mitch Menik. You do not need to be a member of AARP.

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Sorry. I also do Tai chi and Qigong, not yoga.

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beverlyruth | @beverlyruth | Sep 28, 2022
In reply to @meomurian "GetSetUp has exercise classes via Zoom for seniors. They are free and last an hour. To..." + (show)
@meomurian

GetSetUp has exercise classes via Zoom for seniors. They are free and last an hour. To access, go to GetSetUp.io

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Thank you for letting us know about the exercises from Get Set Up.io on Zoom. I plan to give them a try. There are also exercises put out by Harvard Health that are fabulous. The trick is to do them daily at the same time till they become a habit. I’m 84 and do twenty minutes of stretching exercises daily before I walk up and down the hills for 3 miles. It helps me tremendously! It’s a habit!!!
Béla Ruth

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