Loved this! I power walk (slowly, but powerfully) most days and it regulates my life and keeps me ticking. My husband will play tennis with any willing biped. Having a physical life is really important! I wish you were my doctor!
I agree. It is the ideal exercise. It is so sad how short the season is. We had a bunch of unwanted warm weather in March and now it's 27 and we're ready for spring. Where was this weather when we wanted it in mid-winter?
Thanks for this great piece, Mary - lifelong movement is the key and I’m loving your practical recommendations for cold months ❄️ I support patients to move from a behavioral medicine (psych) perspective and am so encouraged by your lifestyle focus. Thank you!
Did you do that cross country skiing or downhill? Down hill is a totally different sport and I've had plenty of patients break things downhill skiing, but the only cross country injuries I am aware of (except in elite athletes) is thumb sprain (which is bad enough--try writing a substack with a thumb sprain!).
Ooof! I’m glad you didn’t get a worse injury! People can really injure themselves in downhill. They get going fast! Don’t completely discount cross country. I think you could keep away from the trees.
We have the opposite problem when it gets brutally hot in the summer! I do my walking around the house or at the mall… 30 minutes per day almost every day. When I do less walking I add in some yoga.
I absolutely love this! In the last 5 years, I, too, have discovered the power of consistent exercise. My last post was about the relationship between brain health and physical activity.
Great advice! I lead a weekly ruck (walk with weight) group every Sunday. We go between 3.5-4 miles and it’s always a great time. We have usually 5-6 guys. Great trails, great connecting with each other. 🥾
Rucking is wonderful! When we go out hiking, I sometimes will carry extra weight and always volunteer for the food bags and water. My husband is such a gentleman, however that it's often a tough sell. Combining exercise with social activity is a huge win!
After I read this I bundled up and went for a 20-minute walk on a sunny day 25-degree day so windy the trash cash were flying around the neighborhood. It wasn't "too windy" for a walk--my excuse the past 4 or 5 days. It felt great! Thanks for the nudge
You're welcome! I'm glad to have helped. I always feel so proud of myself when I go out in that kind of weather. I'm so tough! The weather tried to keep me inside, but I wouldn't letting it! Thank you for commenting! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the article Dr. Bates! I loved that you had options and motivations for just about every type of person😊. I am turning 60 this year and love to garden. After a wrist fracture last year (luckily nondisplaced), helping to nurse my husband through a tough diagnosis (he’s doing well🤞🏻🙌🏻) led me to put on 10 pounds - edging me over the BMI of 25. I joined a gym and got a trainer to get me going (I paid for it and I go- hah) Although I haven’t lost any weight , I have increased my muscle mass and gotten stronger. Living in the Deep South, long walks in the winter and swimming indoors at the gym during the 95 degree days are my goal. Thanks again.
I'm like the COPD guy. I get winded very easily. I take my dog out to the lake every day, but it's mostly exercise for him. I have a nice rowing machine which I bought to strengthen my legs. I can only do two minutes on it! It's so frustrating for me! The good news is that I have motivation to do my two minutes. I am thinking about trying to do two sessions in a day.
I'd encourage you to talk with your doc about why you are not able to do more than two minutes on your rowing machine and also for help getting you an exercise program that helps your build stamina. The COPD guy was able to slooooowly build up his stamina, but of course people wtih COPD often have interlocking medical problems (my favorite!) that need to be teased apart. Good luck building your stamina. Let us know how it goes.
PS dogs and water is such a joyful combination. I'm glad you have that in your life daily!
I tore something in my right knee years ago. You can see that the muscles have compensated for it. I kept asking but none of my doctors were interested in looking at it. I'll be 74 this year and have no desire to have surgery. There's no one to take care of my pets but me. I have bad arthritis in my left big toe. It's very difficult to build strength when I hobble on both sides. I think I can build my legs up with the rowing machine, if I just do it every day. I do recommend people try sleeping on the floor. It is the thing that keeps my neck and back from being a problem. The added benefit is that I get a lot of practice getting up off the floor, so that is not an issue.
I've wondered about what kind of practice would be helpful for getting up off the floor for my patients. I've had an elderly loved one fall and be unable to get up and it's very scary! I have spent some time thinking about what kind of exercise routine would be helpful for that.
I have a real Japanese tatami mat and a Japanese futon. They weren't cheap but I didn't start with them. I had a folding mat and a simple cotton futon with a 2" foam pad. I started because I had a bad dream and fell off the bed. I wasn't hurt but I could have been. I decided to try it. If you could convince them to just try sitting on the floor for awhile each day. My husband was a large man with hip replacements on both sides and it was very hard for him to get back up. I would bring a chair over for him to use to pull himself up.
Swimming and cross country skiing are the ideal exercises, in my opinion. I like XC skiing because it gets me outside, but lap swimming has the advantage of it being almost impossible to hurt yourself. I often swim in a lake, however, and there are plenty of opportunities there.
I have determined that, for me at least movement is essential. I feel better and going to our gym is a very pleasant experience. My downfall is that I can’t out train a bad diet and I do truly love food. My challenge is to ensure that my training and nutrition complement each other rather than contradict. Irene and I share a great doc. I’m always excited to see him when I’ve been in the groove for a while and know that my bloodwork will be good. On the times they are not so good I always feel bad that I’ve disappointed him. 😎
Aw! I bet your doc enjoys seeing you. I think many people recognize that they feel better if they move, but the activation energy of getting started is so high for them that it is really difficult to get started.
Dr Mary - good article — when we lived in Mt Washington Valley we skied at Jackson XC - it was so beautiful. Love it there. Also my husband started the Pickleball community there in North Conway. Now that we live in Vermont, there’s no excuse to not play pickleball because not only do we love it, but we have 24 indoor courts in the greater Burlington area! One thing I think that really sets pickleball apart from other sports/exercise activities as we age is the ability to not only exercise, but the need to use strategy, and the great opportunity to meet new people and socialize - it’s great for physical and mental health. Cheers! 🏓
Your patients are very lucky to have you in their lives. My own “Primary Care Physician” admits that she does not work for me, but for my Medicare Advantage insurer. My wife and I, in our late 70s, have been walking a 5k every day since retiring in 2011. That, and getting off the Standard American Diet, have made us healthier than we were 30 years ago.
That is incredible. Talk about a conflict of interest. I work for an FQHC not attached to a bigger system which minimizes the amount of interference in what I suggest to patients. I'm glad you have a good exercise and diet plan. I'm sure you notice the "probably" in the second paragraph. The other contender is poor diets and I could write a whole substack on that topic alone.
Loved this! I power walk (slowly, but powerfully) most days and it regulates my life and keeps me ticking. My husband will play tennis with any willing biped. Having a physical life is really important! I wish you were my doctor!
Power walking is a great exercise, too! You are sweet. Thank you for reading, and commenting, and your nice compliment.
And I wish I could cross country ski in the winter. It is the most perfect form of exercise. Such a good rec.
I agree. It is the ideal exercise. It is so sad how short the season is. We had a bunch of unwanted warm weather in March and now it's 27 and we're ready for spring. Where was this weather when we wanted it in mid-winter?
This is great advise! Thanks for your exercise affirming article. I am a regular but occasionally become a slacker and this pumped me up!
Yay! Glad to hear it! That is one of the purposes of the article. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for this great piece, Mary - lifelong movement is the key and I’m loving your practical recommendations for cold months ❄️ I support patients to move from a behavioral medicine (psych) perspective and am so encouraged by your lifestyle focus. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! I was able to lower my cholesterol by increasing my workouts & eating plant-based diet (post coming soon)
Excellent work! Thank you for commenting.
I love your drive to the gym parking lot advice! I bet everyone just goes in. This is my new favorite Substack! ❤️
Thank you! That makes me so happy!
I've used the advice since and it's successful about 50% of the time.
Oh, but don't ski off the trail! I broke my arm 20 minutes into my first ski lesson 🤦
Did you do that cross country skiing or downhill? Down hill is a totally different sport and I've had plenty of patients break things downhill skiing, but the only cross country injuries I am aware of (except in elite athletes) is thumb sprain (which is bad enough--try writing a substack with a thumb sprain!).
Downhill, but I skiied into a tree!
Ooof! I’m glad you didn’t get a worse injury! People can really injure themselves in downhill. They get going fast! Don’t completely discount cross country. I think you could keep away from the trees.
Thanks! I'll check it out. I didn't even realize you could ski on flat land.
You can! It’s great cardio. In New England, we have some pretty zippy hills, but in Minnesota where I first skied, it’s flat.
We have the opposite problem when it gets brutally hot in the summer! I do my walking around the house or at the mall… 30 minutes per day almost every day. When I do less walking I add in some yoga.
I used to suggest malls, but ours are all dead.
I absolutely love this! In the last 5 years, I, too, have discovered the power of consistent exercise. My last post was about the relationship between brain health and physical activity.
Great advice! I lead a weekly ruck (walk with weight) group every Sunday. We go between 3.5-4 miles and it’s always a great time. We have usually 5-6 guys. Great trails, great connecting with each other. 🥾
Rucking is wonderful! When we go out hiking, I sometimes will carry extra weight and always volunteer for the food bags and water. My husband is such a gentleman, however that it's often a tough sell. Combining exercise with social activity is a huge win!
A really great article. Thank you for your insightfulness.
You are welcome. I’m glad you liked it!
After I read this I bundled up and went for a 20-minute walk on a sunny day 25-degree day so windy the trash cash were flying around the neighborhood. It wasn't "too windy" for a walk--my excuse the past 4 or 5 days. It felt great! Thanks for the nudge
You're welcome! I'm glad to have helped. I always feel so proud of myself when I go out in that kind of weather. I'm so tough! The weather tried to keep me inside, but I wouldn't letting it! Thank you for commenting! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the article Dr. Bates! I loved that you had options and motivations for just about every type of person😊. I am turning 60 this year and love to garden. After a wrist fracture last year (luckily nondisplaced), helping to nurse my husband through a tough diagnosis (he’s doing well🤞🏻🙌🏻) led me to put on 10 pounds - edging me over the BMI of 25. I joined a gym and got a trainer to get me going (I paid for it and I go- hah) Although I haven’t lost any weight , I have increased my muscle mass and gotten stronger. Living in the Deep South, long walks in the winter and swimming indoors at the gym during the 95 degree days are my goal. Thanks again.
You're welcome. Thank you for commenting. It's amazing how motivating paying a trainer can be! Update us in a couple months with your progress!
I'm like the COPD guy. I get winded very easily. I take my dog out to the lake every day, but it's mostly exercise for him. I have a nice rowing machine which I bought to strengthen my legs. I can only do two minutes on it! It's so frustrating for me! The good news is that I have motivation to do my two minutes. I am thinking about trying to do two sessions in a day.
I'd encourage you to talk with your doc about why you are not able to do more than two minutes on your rowing machine and also for help getting you an exercise program that helps your build stamina. The COPD guy was able to slooooowly build up his stamina, but of course people wtih COPD often have interlocking medical problems (my favorite!) that need to be teased apart. Good luck building your stamina. Let us know how it goes.
PS dogs and water is such a joyful combination. I'm glad you have that in your life daily!
I tore something in my right knee years ago. You can see that the muscles have compensated for it. I kept asking but none of my doctors were interested in looking at it. I'll be 74 this year and have no desire to have surgery. There's no one to take care of my pets but me. I have bad arthritis in my left big toe. It's very difficult to build strength when I hobble on both sides. I think I can build my legs up with the rowing machine, if I just do it every day. I do recommend people try sleeping on the floor. It is the thing that keeps my neck and back from being a problem. The added benefit is that I get a lot of practice getting up off the floor, so that is not an issue.
I've wondered about what kind of practice would be helpful for getting up off the floor for my patients. I've had an elderly loved one fall and be unable to get up and it's very scary! I have spent some time thinking about what kind of exercise routine would be helpful for that.
I have a real Japanese tatami mat and a Japanese futon. They weren't cheap but I didn't start with them. I had a folding mat and a simple cotton futon with a 2" foam pad. I started because I had a bad dream and fell off the bed. I wasn't hurt but I could have been. I decided to try it. If you could convince them to just try sitting on the floor for awhile each day. My husband was a large man with hip replacements on both sides and it was very hard for him to get back up. I would bring a chair over for him to use to pull himself up.
Great post, thank you. I’m a regular swimmer and find my resultant upper body strength a real bonus, in addition to the fitness and mental benefits.
Swimming and cross country skiing are the ideal exercises, in my opinion. I like XC skiing because it gets me outside, but lap swimming has the advantage of it being almost impossible to hurt yourself. I often swim in a lake, however, and there are plenty of opportunities there.
I have determined that, for me at least movement is essential. I feel better and going to our gym is a very pleasant experience. My downfall is that I can’t out train a bad diet and I do truly love food. My challenge is to ensure that my training and nutrition complement each other rather than contradict. Irene and I share a great doc. I’m always excited to see him when I’ve been in the groove for a while and know that my bloodwork will be good. On the times they are not so good I always feel bad that I’ve disappointed him. 😎
Aw! I bet your doc enjoys seeing you. I think many people recognize that they feel better if they move, but the activation energy of getting started is so high for them that it is really difficult to get started.
Dr Mary - good article — when we lived in Mt Washington Valley we skied at Jackson XC - it was so beautiful. Love it there. Also my husband started the Pickleball community there in North Conway. Now that we live in Vermont, there’s no excuse to not play pickleball because not only do we love it, but we have 24 indoor courts in the greater Burlington area! One thing I think that really sets pickleball apart from other sports/exercise activities as we age is the ability to not only exercise, but the need to use strategy, and the great opportunity to meet new people and socialize - it’s great for physical and mental health. Cheers! 🏓
I need to try it, but given my colleague’s addiction, I’m a little worried!
Your patients are very lucky to have you in their lives. My own “Primary Care Physician” admits that she does not work for me, but for my Medicare Advantage insurer. My wife and I, in our late 70s, have been walking a 5k every day since retiring in 2011. That, and getting off the Standard American Diet, have made us healthier than we were 30 years ago.
That is incredible. Talk about a conflict of interest. I work for an FQHC not attached to a bigger system which minimizes the amount of interference in what I suggest to patients. I'm glad you have a good exercise and diet plan. I'm sure you notice the "probably" in the second paragraph. The other contender is poor diets and I could write a whole substack on that topic alone.