The perfect home gym for any age

If you are past the age of fifty and know you will use a home gym for something other than a dust collector, read on. First of all, if somebody tries to sell you on starting your gym with a resistance ball, ignore them. If your local gym has Chair Aerobics classes for seniors, tell them you'll be back when you hit 100 years of age. If you see a one-machine-does-all piece of equipment, move on. I am a Health Coach and Personal Trainer approaching 74 years of age, and I use all of the items I am about to recommend, as do my clients. Also, I have absolutely no financial interest in any of these products.

The first items are the P-Fit Push Up Bars at a cost of $39.95 from Amazon. They are strong, light, stable and versatile. They can be used for push ups, L-sits, pseudo planches and much more. More information on these and other exercises to follow in future posts.

This is the Perfect MultiGym Sport, available at Dick's Sporting Goods for $29.99. I was amazed at the simplicity, stability and strength of this item. It is used mostly for pull ups, with many people using resistance bands for assisting the movement. With much caution, using this unit with gymnastics rings (see below) allows for an amazing variety of workouts. If I could own only one piece of fitness equipment, this would be it.

Resistance bands, or pull up assist bands, will be needed by most older folks to accomplish even one pull up. They can be found for sale at most sporting goods dealers at an average cost of roughly $25.00 per band. They are usually well made and rugged. Obviously, a thin band supplies very little assistance while a thick band delivers a major assist. Again, more on their use in a future post.

Don't let the thought of gymnastics rings scare you away. Forget what you have seen with the male gymnasts at the Olympics. Most of us will not be doing that. But they are extremely rugged and useful. The cost is $38.99, and use the link below to find them on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Gymnastic-Rings-Straps-Gymnastics-Crossfit/dp/B00WBTCBRI/ref=sr_1_25?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1509636416&sr=1-25&keywords=gymnastics+rings

The New Year is roughly two months away. If you are tired of hitting the skids as far as fitness, strength and health, please stay tuned to my blog. You don't want to be tired, weak and frail in today's world. You don't have to be. The next blog will deal with the safe, effective use of these items. If you only buy one of the above items, I would recommend the Perfect MultiGym. But all four of the pieces total about $135.00. Be on the lookout for my next blog.

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Senior Survival by Adaption--- "I'm not going easy!!!"

Okay, I get it!. I am 72 years old and have spent almost a quarter-of-a-century guiding people to a healthier and fitter life. I have also spent more than 20 years before that as a police officer. Here are some basic ideas on physical and mental adaptions that you may or may not have thought of.

• Try glancing in your rear view mirror frequently. Trouble can come from behind as well as from the front or side. An imbecile doing 95 MPH and weaving between lanes can cause real problems when he gets to your location. Get into a safe lane and stay there until he passes.
• If you walk with headphones, you have  lost one of your key senses necessary for survival. Realize this and make much more use of your sense of sight. Look around constantly.
• It is fairly easy to hone mental faculties as we age. In part, I often rely on the computer. Timed solitaire games challenge us to think and react quickly. I'll be damned if I can get under 95 seconds, though. 
• Another mental stimulator I use is Fantasy Basketball. My daughter came up with this idea. Drafting players, setting lineups, searching the waiver wire to improve your team and developing strategies to beat the other teams are fun activities, and you can win a few bucks.  

• Predators seek easy prey. They look for the sick and weak. Try not to be either one. Stay healthy and strong. Walk with a strong, confident gait. Stay vigilant. Be aware of your surroundings, and make probable predators aware that you are aware of them. 
• Predators will test your vulnerability by attempting to invade your space (get uncomfortably close to you). Be aware of this, and try to avoid it.
• Older people often move to a single-floor dwelling to avoid climbing stairs, not realizing that not climbing stairs may eliminate the ability to do so.
•  As a Personal Trainer I was once forced to teach a class of Chair Aerobics to a group of older individuals. There was no challenge in it for them. I now teach people in that same age group explosive moves, including Olympic power lifts. There is both challenge and real-life value for the clients.

The world is becoming a much more dangerous place. And it is happening rapidly. This is not a good time to settle in on your recliner watching Gunsmoke reruns. Challenge yourself; improve your physical and mental state; and try to learn something new and useful every day.