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AS A PHYSICAL therapist, I’ve spent a large slice of each work day teaching and encouraging patients as they exercise their way to better health. Along with other elements of treatment, each patient pays for a custom exercise program tailored for their specific problem.
These are folks looking for a way past the debilitating effects of injury or disease. Even so, many of them find it hard to follow my plea to “do your exercises”. If they struggle to follow the helpful recommendations of a health professional, what about the rest of us?
Over the years, I’ve found that most of us have at least an inkling of the health benefits of exercise. Still, like my patients, we often fail to act on that knowledge. Why? Maybe we can find the answer in the list below. Here are five common barriers that I’ve heard keep people idle:
1. No time. I’m sure it’s true. Long commutes, lengthy work days and activity-packed weekends leave little chance to carve-out a few minutes for our physical health. Even in retirement, time can be siphoned-off by the endless list of errands, obligations and leisure pursuits that keep us running.
2. No knowledge. Strange environment. Strange vocabulary. Strange people who seem at ease and know more than us about everything. That’s the challenge facing the novice exerciser stepping into the gym for the first time. It can lead to fear–fear of embarrassment, fear of injury or just fear of feeling lost.
3. No support. Going against the social flow can be painful for the lone exerciser. Choosing to head into the gym, rather than out for pizza and beer with friends can be hard. Or, maybe our spouse thinks exercise time is selfish time. Like exercise, social connections are important for health as well. Ideally, we shouldn’t have to choose one over the other.
4. No money. Let’s face it, gym admission isn’t free, and a home equipment purchase can quickly run into thousands of dollars. That price is no sweat for a fitness aficionado with extra cash who’s hooked on the exercise habit, but what about the newbie? Few people want a gym membership or treadmill gathering dust, reminding them of the resolution they didn’t keep.
5. No energy or motivation. Hectic schedules leave many of us drained and dreaming of a quiet moment to just be still. Other folks find themselves stuck in a sedentary rut, never straying off the path that leads from one seat to the next. For those in either camp, any thought of pumping iron or pounding pavement holds no appeal.
That’s my short, anecdotal list of hurdles hindering folks from launching into a new exercise routine. For an in-depth look at more barriers to physical activity for adults over age 70, check out this systematic review of the research literature.
Meanwhile, our bodies are missing the movement that keeps them healthy. What to do? Here are five baby steps to help us past the roadblocks listed above:
1. Minutes matter. It’s easy to get hung up on the notion of needing a set routine of exercises performed within a solid block of time. That may be ideal, but it’s not necessary. We can try weaving convenient exercises into the actual fabric of our lives. By the end of our day, a few, short bouts of five to ten minutes each can add up to meaningful progress toward fitness.
2. Study time. The online world abounds with exercise advice. Experts promise results ranging from building a healthy heart to gaining the perfect glutes. The choices can be overwhelming. I recommend starting tiny. The simple routine I’ve included below can help nearly anyone take the first step.
3. New network. I’m not recommending we dump our motionless friends. Still, our moms warned us about spending too much time with the wrong crowd. Think about who in our circle is already doing a little exercise. Maybe they’d like a partner? Or, maybe there’s someone we could recruit with just a little nudge.
4. Frugal fitness. We don’t have to shell out bucks to a gym to get a workout. Any time we move our body against the force of gravity, we’re exercising. With a little thought, we can round up a robust routine of exercises to perform at home with little or no equipment. Read on to find a starter set of exercises for the true beginners among us. This list costs almost no money and just a little time.
5. Finding a cause. Stuck for a stimulus that rouses us to action? Remember, imagination is often stronger than willpower. Letting our thoughts dwell on the end game can often be helpful. Do we want to cut a fine figure? If so, we don’t have to get swimsuit-svelte to claim success. Even a little slimming and toning from exercise can give our normal clothes a nicer fit. How about feeling better? Researchers from Boston University and the University of Massachusetts found that even a low-intensity exercise program can help older adults improve both physical and psychological fitness. And their study doesn’t stand alone. Reams of other research support their findings, and highlight even more benefits from exercise.
Still, on some days, the only force that will get us moving is old-fashioned discipline. It’s the same determination that moves most of us reading this to make better financial choices most of the time.
No matter what our motivation, nearly all of us can kick off our trek to better health today with the following routine:
1. Wall push-ups. Stand facing a wall at fingertip distance. With arms held straight at shoulder height, place your palms on the wall a little more than shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows until your nose almost touches the wall. Push back until your elbows are straight. Repeat until you’ve done 10-20 repetitions. When wall push-ups are too easy, progress to push-ups with your hands against a counter. These exercises strengthen the muscles of your chest, shoulders and arms.
2. Shoulder blade squeeze. Sit or stand and place palms together in front of your chest with elbows bent and pointing down toward your feet. Pull your arms apart while keeping your elbows down until you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do 10-20 repetitions. To progress, add the resistance of an elastic exercise band. This exercise works the muscles of the upper back.
3. Sit to stand. This is a wonderful exercise for buttock and thigh muscles. To begin, sit at the edge of a firm seat. Lean forward from the hips, then stand up without using hands, if possible. Sit down and repeat for 10 or more repetitions. You should stay balanced, with feet in full contact with the floor, during the entire exercise.
4. Calf raises. Stand with your hands on a counter to maintain balance, Rise up on your toes for 20 repetitions to strengthen the muscles on the back of your lower legs. These muscles are important for walking and balance.
5. Easy crunch. Lie on your back on the floor or bed with your knees bent and feet flat on the supporting surface. Slowly curl your trunk forward as you try to touch your knees with your hands, then slowly return to the starting position. Do 10-20 repetitions to strengthen your abdominal muscles, one important part of your muscular “core”.
The last five. This exercise requires a decent set of walking or running shoes. Begin by walking out the front door and up the street for five minutes at a brisk pace. Stop and retrace your steps for the return trip back home, for a total of ten minutes of heart-rejuvenating activity.
Will this workout ready us to run a marathon or toned-up to star in the senior sports league? No. Could it be better? Probably. Still, nearly every muscle–including the heart–gets a little work. And it may just draw us into a habit that keeps our bodies sturdy enough to enjoy the years ahead.
Ed Marsh is a physical therapist who lives and works in a small community near Atlanta. He likes to spend time with his church, with his family and in his garden thinking about retirement. His favorite question to ask a young person is, “Are you saving for retirement?” Check out Ed’s earlier articles.
Hey Ed,
As one PT to another great post.
Question though- just wondering if there was any impetus for the timing of it?
Meaningful article, Edmund. I was getting out of the hospital after being there for 30 days and a bone marrow transplant given to myself, called autologous. The therapist stated exactly “Walk,Walk,Walk,Walk,Walk,Walk.”
I got the message and been walking 2 to 4 miles a day ever since. Apparently for people 65, 75 and 80 walking is one of the best exercises you can do. It is WD40 for joints, good for balance, good brain health, and good sleeping. It’s free and requires no equipment, but YOU. Good walking to all.
Great article, Edmund. You highlighted many of the most common barriers people face.
Two additional barriers I’ve noticed over the years as an exercise science professor are environment and delayed gratification.
First, our modern environment is incredibly sedentary. It’s very easy for people to sit most of the day and not feel any immediate consequences. Because of that, the social environment matters a lot—when you surround yourself with people who exercise and prioritize health, it becomes much easier to do the same.
Second is delayed gratification. Unlike many things in our instant-gratification culture, exercise doesn’t produce visible results overnight. Physiological adaptations often take weeks, which makes it harder for people to stay consistent early on.
In many ways, it reminds me of personal finance—small habits compound over time, but the benefits aren’t immediately visible.
Thanks again for a thoughtful piece.
So true, Fred. I spend a fair amount of time trying to turn the light on for folks with one analogy after another to get them focused on the results I know they’ll have if they just stick with the exercise long enough.
Thanks Ed.
My yoga teacher is concentrating on our lower legs and ankles to stop falls, hopefully.
You might tell your patients…
“Information with out action is futile, but, action with out information is fatal”
Falls can be fatal, as well. Keep working!
Thank you for this thoughtful post.
I have always had trouble making time for exercise for its own sake. Instead, I’d rather walk fast or cycle to destinations to do errands.
Another barrier for me as an introvert is that many popular ways to exercise involve groups, whereas I prefer solitude.
Of course, I know the benefits of exercise, so now that I’m retired, maybe I can shift to doing the exercises you listed while having a TV show on that I’d watch anyway.
That would establish the habit of exercise. Then, for additional variety, there are free short or long workouts online for those just beginning or more experienced, and willing to exercise for its own sake. Some focus on safety for seniors, such as the SeniorShape channel.
Thanks for the link. I like your thinking about finding solutions to the time and personality challenges, which I share to some extent. Here’s an example of one of mine: I prefer to exercise at home, rather than a gym. And I often think of being efficient with time, so between sets, I time the rest and do some little job like folding clothes. Not sure what the need to always be busy says about my personality!
Ed, nice to see another great article from you. Pretty timely as I just got back from the gym a couple hours ago. My son was the “motivating force” for me to develop the exercise habit later in life. Thanks to him, I often feel better in my 60s than I did in my sedentary 30s and 40s.
Ken, it’s great to see posts from both you and Ed!
Hey Dan, thanks for the shoutout. Although I’m mostly quiet these days, I do attempt to keep up with HumbleDollar posts, including yours. I’m bummed that we lost several old timers over the down arrow controversy.
Thank you for your kind words. Great son! I often exercise with my wife, and it’s some of the best time we spend together.
Great article, Ed. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful, overly time consuming, or expensive to produce real benefits, physical and mental.
When I was still working as a lawyer, it meant long hours sitting behind a desk. And I also chose to wear a suit and tie every day. But I got in the habit of taking a mid-afternoon break where I’d ditch the coat at least and take a walk. I got a few looks from people wondering about the older man walking around in dress shirt and tie, but it felt great and did me a lot of good.
And long ago I realized that, rather than going to a gym, I was much happier doing floor exercises and using dumbbells at home as I watched the PBS News Hour.
Now, happily retired, I do more challenging “interval walks” using the hills in our neighborhood as the intervals. My one indulgence: a treadmill for bad weather (or extreme Texas heat) days—but even that’s a base model.
If you happen to read this, one question: I’ve recently added a set of resistance bands (around $20) to my weight routine, and I’ve enjoyed them. What’s your opinion of them vs. dumbbells?
Final thought: It’s really important to make whatever routine you choose at least somewhat enjoyable. If so, you’ll be so much more likely to stick with it.
Thanks, Andrew! Great comment. Like you, I prefer to exercise at home, while my wife heads to the gym for some of her workout time.
Resistance bands vs. dumbbells? I like both. Dumbbells train our bodies the way we often use them, as they rely on gravity for resistance, the same force we resist all our lives. Bands, on the other hand, give us versatility of position. We can fix the opposite end in a way that allows constant tension in a variety of postures. And variety can help keep exercise enjoyable, as well as enhancing the training effect.
Thanks for the post. I exercise daily, mostly walking and pushups and stretching. It seems to help physically and mentally. I’m seeing too many people my age die to early. I’m 72.
Seeing people in their 70s and older continuing to exercise is an inspiration to me! Thanks for the comment.
Ed, I lied to myself for 30 years, that my job on the beer truck was all the exercise I needed. Then, when I left that occupation, that I was too beat up to safely workout. Finally, I was inspired by two very different people. My cousin, who has endured several back surgeries and was in much more pain than I, maintains a strict regimen at home. The other is a single mom who works two jobs to make the ends meet. She would stop by my office to drop off her taxes when on the way to the gym for an evening workout.
If cousin Don could work through the pain, and Melissa could make the time, there was no excuse for me not to. So about ten years ago I joined Planet Fitness for $10 a month. It might be $15 now, but I’m not sure, because my Medicare Supplement Insurance pays the fee for me. No excuses!
I love to hear that, Dan! I cheering for you to keep making that membership worthwhile.
My wife is a personal trainer. People sign up and pay a nice sum of $ to be instructed and counseled on proper exercise techniques and dietary guidelines to help them become a better version of themselves. But I must say that I get quite a kick out of listening to their many excuses for missing their scheduled workouts. Almost like the “dog ate my homework” stuff that you hear from middle schoolers.The leading a horse to water analogy is oh so true. I really believe that desire has to come from deep within..
Joining a class does get me to do the right stuff. The extra folk doing that with me is always good. 😉
Yes, some of us can’t recognize what’s best for us. It’s a bit like the folks who have a hard time socking away money for their future selves.
Great article. So many of my friends do next to no exercise, which I find genuinely puzzling, though I’ve come to accept it for what it is. My pet theory is that we fall into one of two camps: those who find real pleasure in some form of exercise, and those who simply don’t.
Over the years I’ve had very little success converting my more sedentary friends to the world of fitness, and I’ve largely stopped trying. It’s unfortunate, because these same people may well be storing up health problems for the future. You can lead a horse to water but the drinking is beyond your control. The desire to change has to come from within, and the real key is finding that one sporting passion that gets you out the door on a cold winter’s evening.
Thanks for the comment, Mark. It’s my job to keep trying to nudge folks toward exercise, and I find the habit creeps into my life outside the clinic. You’re right—sport can be a great motivator. It takes some spark of desire or determination to take the first step. Then the second is a little easier.