On April 3rd, Ben Viscovich, a physical therapist from Washington, addressed the Rotary Club of Nashua regarding healthy aging. Mr. Viscovich used a PowerPoint to review his topic. He was trained in Seattle and has done research in physical training of elderly. He focused on strength training as key to elderly physical therapy and training.
Strength training gives persons a resistance to injury. It keeps you healthier in your 70’s and 80’s. Walking therapy has a 6-20% injury rate whereas there is none for strength training. Massage can be very helpful to stretch out and relax muscles.
Protocol – 2x/week strength train, precede by 5-10min light cardio, 5-10 min dynamic warm up; 2x/wk active recovery, Pilates, swim, yoga; 2x/wk cardio 30-40 max, High intensity training.
Two days strength and 2 days cardio is best regimen. Best for burning calories. Foam roller warm up before and after is excellent to loosen muscles and help in recovery. Slower reps are better, moderate weight, squat, push, pull exercise. Try to exercise to near failure of muscle group.
Find a cardio that you enjoy – vary intensity to get maximum results. 20-40 min length 2x per week.
He recommends 20-30 grams of protein within 30 min of exercise. Strive for Mediterranean diet, Vegan, anti-inflammatory foods.
A Q and A followed.