Terry’s Senior Fitness Stats!
- Name: Terry
- Age: 66
- Family Status: Married
- Occupation: CEO of Dryer Vent Wizard
- Location: Farmington, Michigan
- Height: 5’1”
- Starting Weight: 198 pounds
- Current Weight: 132 pounds
- Current Waist Size: 28.5”
Terry’s Senior Fitness Interview!
How many pounds or inches did you lose?
I lost a total of 66 pounds!
At what age did you start exercising?
I started working out a year ago at the age of 65.
What made you decide to start exercising?
To avoid historic family health issues and to stay healthy and active so that I can continue to work hard and play hard.
What is your primary fitness goal?
Functional strength, balance, agility, and cardiovascular fitness.
How many days per week do you workout?
I like to workout 6 days per week.
What is your favorite body part to train?
I like all of the training, but probably upper body and core workouts are my favorite. I really enjoy interval training for cardio.
What is the most challenging thing about working out as you get older?
Time is an issue for me, but I put my workout time on my calendar as an appointment so it is a priority. Starting slow was hard. I wanted to see results fast so I sometimes got ahead of my ability. It was important to remember that my muscles take longer to recover from being sore and it’s crucial to take adequate rest time, especially at the beginning.
How has your life changed from starting a fitness program?
My employees have commented that I am much calmer, so it has been good for them. I have a lot more energy and I feel fantastic! I don’t have any more aches and pains. I signed up to participate in my first Tough Mudder this June, along with a Dryer Vent Wizard team to raise money for the Children’s Burn Foundation. I would never have done that in the past.
What advice can you give seniors who think they are too old to exercise?
You’re never too old to take time to improve yourself. Start slow and do what feels right to you.
Terry’s Senior Fitness Tips!
Senior Fitness Tip #1:
Never let anyone tell you that you are too old to get better or stretch beyond your comfort zone. Naysayers and negative people can kill the spirit, so just ignore them. You know your body and if you listen to it, you will know the amount of training that is appropriate for you.
Senior Fitness Tip #2:
Start slow. You should build supporting muscles before you do any high impact exercises or movements.
Senior Fitness Tip #3:
All of us, and especially women, have made many sacrifices in our lives for others. It is important that you embrace the fact that this is all about you. Give yourself permission to enjoy your time working out and taking care of yourself.
Senior Fitness Tip #4:
If you can afford it, find a personal trainer to work with. Or, share the expense with others and get a trainer that works with groups. This will help you learn proper form and technique for all of the different exercises. As seniors, we are more prone to damaging our joints. If you learn how to do it right from the start, you’re less likely to sustain an injury that makes you give up.
Senior Fitness Tip #5:
Watch your nutrition closely. I can tell if I don’t eat well for a couple of days because my workouts are harder and I can’t lift as heavy of weights.
Terry’s Senior Fitness Eating Plan!
What do you normally eat for breakfast?
Either oatmeal, almond milk, egg whites, and fruit, or scrambled eggs, veggies, and a whole wheat tortilla.
What do you normally eat for lunch?
A big salad with chicken or tuna with a little dressing, and a piece of fruit.
What do you normally eat for dinner?
Some kind of meat, two cooked vegetables, and some brown rice, bulgur, or quinoa.
What do you normally eat for snacks?
Raw nuts, veggies and hummus, fruit, or Greek yogurt.
What type of nutritional supplements do you take?
I take a multivitamin and biotin.
Terry’s Senior Fitness Workouts!
What do you do for weight training (exercises, workouts)?
I mainly use exercises using dumbbells, free weights, and cable machines. Plus, I like to use the stability ball, Bosu ball, medicine ball, resistance bands and lots of lunges and squats. I also have a TRX system that I take with me when I travel. I do upper body two days, lower body two days, and core one day.
What do you do for cardio training (exercises, workouts)?
I do 30 minutes of power walking, light jogging, swimming, or the elliptical machine 4 days a week. I do a 10 mile power walk once a week. I also do an interval cardio session with a trainer once a week. Most days when I do weight training, I also do 20 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout.
