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I consider myself to be a moderate runner; I do not
do the extreme as compared to many that I know in the
Pacesetters Athletic Club, Malaysia (PACM). However,
when this article gets published in NASCOM magazine,
it is being read by seniors who may not have exercise
much all their lives. Therefore, I have to tread cautiously
with my views.
Old School Mates
During 2 recent meetings with 2 separate sets of school
mates, I notice some very distinct tell tale signs of
aging among my school mates. While most of us are turning
grey or getting bald due to genetic reasons and aging,
I can’t help but observed the very distinct difference
between those who are physically active and those who
are not. The fittest looking individual in our group
is Yong Lee Ming, a tour leader in group tours to some
of the off the beaten tracks around the world. The nature
of his business is such that he is always on the move,
this account for his good physique. Two third of us
who have some form of regular exercise program are still
looking fit while the balance one third who do not exercise
are showing in their flabbiness, rounded in the middle
and sagging flesh around their face and arms. About
10 to 15 years ago when we met, I did not observe those
distinct differences. My conclusion is simple, it is
their sedentary lifestyle that contributes to the less
than complimentary physique.
Singapore Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew
We should draw inspirations from Singapore Minister
Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew who is now 84. In his recent interview
on how he copes with aging, it is interesting to note
that he started to run when he was 53 (back in 1976),
after giving up golf. He used to smoke a lot and was
a beer drinker till he lost his voice in his speeches.
After a trip to Kuching when he felt awful, he decided
to quit smoking as it was destroying his voice and he
can’t campaign with his voice gone. It was his daughter
who gave him a book on aerobics and he started to give
a try on running. He found that running is more efficient
in time as compared to golf. He also swims actively
since then. He also emphasizes on the need to have post
retirement challenges; mental challenges, otherwise
we die young. You could get the full lengthy interview
in several websites via Google; type in Lee Kuan Yew
Retirement. It is a good read and very inspiring.
Getting Started, Learn to Walk before You Run
I have read equal number of articles that condemn running,
saying that it would get you into knee injuries, back
injuries and all. While I would agree that every physical
activity would have certain degree of risk against benefits,
we would have to weigh the benefits against the possible
risk. If you could understand the risk adequately and
manage them, you stand to benefit from running. There
are enough studies to back this up.
Francis Cheng has run the Berlin and New York City
Marathons among many others |
If you are someone with no life threatening critical
illness, you could start an exercise program by
just walking; more appropriately brisk walking.
You have to cultivate a liking to get off the
couch and devote 30 to 45 minutes each day to
some form of exercise. Just go for half hour brisk
walk as a start, wearing a good pair of walking
shoes or running shoes. If your ultimate aim is
to run, don’t bother to buy walking shoes, buy
a pair of running shoes. This half hour walking
regime is to set in motion a habit, a healthy
habit like brushing your teeth before you sleep.
You could do it anytime of the day but in Malaysia
due to our hot weather, mornings and evenings
are preferred. You could walk by yourself but
it would be better you get a friend or two to
walk together. Walking your dog could be an alternative
as both of you need the exercise. You could walk
in your neighborhood, the parks or even the air-conditioned
malls. After a month or two regular walking, you
would find that you can sleep better, eat better
and become more energetic. Visit these useful
websites on walking for more information;
www.thewalkingsite.com, www.powerwalking.com,
www.walkinghealthy.com,
and www.racewalking.com.
You can now go to the next phase of the program,
the walk cum run program. Find a suitable route
of between 1.5 to 4km, near your house or in the
park, preferably an area without traffic.
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Break up the route into blocks of 200 to 400m, aim
to jog slowly for 200m, then brisk walk 200m to complete
the route of between 1.5km to 4km. The distance you
may wish to cover is up to you, 2 to 4km is fine. Do
this on an alternate day and on your non jogging days,
go for a walk. Every 2 weeks, increase your jogging
portion and reduce your walking portion; example 250m
jog and 150m brisk walk, then repeat. The distance need
not be exact, just estimates or you could use lamp posts
as your guide. Jog at a pace you can talk, we call it
the talking test, if you jog and could not find the
breath to talk, you are running too fast for your capability.
If you are consistent enough, usually after 3 months,
you could jog the whole distance of 2 to 4km non-stop.
You now have attained a certain level of fitness, stamina
that most senior citizens do not have. Welcome to the
world of the master runners, you are over 50 and you
can run 4km non-stop. You notice I did not mention time
much, as I rather you do not bother yourself too much
about the time, except the exercise duration of half
hour to 45 minutes as a yardstick to prevent overdoing
things. A slow runner could run one km in 8 minutes,
slower than that we would classify as walking pace.
A 10 minutes per km walking pace is fine for seniors,
please don’t go for a stroll.
You could go to these two websites on beginner workouts;
the Cool Running web site www.coolrunning.com
and the Runners' World web site www.runnersworld.com.
For more links to informative sites, visit our links
page.
If you wish to go a bit more sophisticated, you could
get a heart rate monitor. You could get an entry level
watch with heart rate monitor from RM150. It is a normal
digital watch come with a separate strap to wear around
the chest. The wrist watch picks up the signals and
the heart rate is displayed on the watch as you walk
or jog. Try not to go beyond 80% of your maximum heart
rate. Maximum heart rate is measured by subtracting
your age from 220. If you are 60, your maximum heart
rate is 160 (220 – 160). Therefore, you may want to
keep your heart rate not exceeding 130. Normal humans
have a heart rate of 70 (adult males) and 75 (adult
females) at rest.
Joints Pain, Weight Control & Sensible Food
Consumption
I notice a significant number of elderly individuals
have joints pain, especially in their legs and this
has prevented them from being more active. Sometimes
I can see the problem right away, they are overweight.
It is sort of chicken and egg situation, the heavier
you are, the more likely you get knee pain due to too
much weight asserted on the knee and feet. You need
to diet and exercise to reduce your weight. On the other
hand, the heavier you are, you are more reluctant to
move yourselves and the couch is your best friend, let
alone running. I believe it is all in the mind, if you
are determined enough to do something, it can be done
over time. We start by regulating our food intake, both
the quantum and mix and start a moderate exercise program
by brisk walking. Take a longer term approach and don’t
rush as rushing it may result in injury. There is no
sustainable weight control program without regulating
your food consumption, it is especially important as
the seniors’ metabolism reduces as they age. I think
most of us understand the general rule of thumb; avoid
sweet drinks, deserts, deep fried food, too much carbohydrates
and fats. It is challenging as Malaysia is a food heaven.
Try to eat a balance of fruits, vegetables, protein
and some whole grains. An occasional indulgence is fine,
just don’t make it a habit.
We also need to manage our joints, especially the knees
and consider taking food supplements like glucosamine
and chondroitin sulphate. These are food supplements
and I have using it for the last 6 years with very positive
results. Oral glucosamine is commonly used for treatment
of osteoarthritis. As glucosamine is a precursor for
glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are a major
component of joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine
may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis. Its
use as a therapy for osteoarthritis appears safe, but
there is conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness,
despite the positive results evidenced in several prospective
controlled clinical trials. (Source - Wikipedia) You
could read more about it from other authors via Google
search on the subject.
Senior Role Models
Having spent the last 10 years active with PACM, I have
observed a number of senior runners and their lifestyle.
There are 3 individuals I got to know better than the
rest that I shall based on their case studies; Francis
Cheng (72), Hooi Siew Weng (71) and Teresa Goh (66).
Francis Cheng and Hooi Siew Weng were with me in the
PACM Executive Committee at one time and I am in Teresa
Goh’s circle of social runners for our Sunday runs with
PACM members.
All three individuals started running near or after
the age of 50 with the intention of keeping fit. Running
marathons was not their original intention but having
joined a club like PACM, you do get hooked on when many
of the members eat and breathe marathons. Slowly, but
surely you got into this circle of individuals from
all walk of life, enjoying their runs, taking part in
road races and going places. The comradeship is great
in a club like PACM, and these senior citizens have
more time to travel and incorporate in their runs into
these holidays. These 3 seniors have done various runs
around the country, in neighboring countries like Singapore
and Thailand. They have also gone to Europe, Australia
and United States for their dosage of marathons.
Teresa Goh started social running at the age of 56,
then started training with PACM in 2002 and ran her
first marathon at the Penang International Bridge Run
2002 at the age of 61. She lost 22 pounds in one year,
training for various competitive runs. She is flatfooted
but this has not prevented her from being competitive.
When not competing in events, she runs with the PACM
on most Sundays at Taman Tasik Perdana. She receives
constant encouragement from her two sons who are active
in sports, one of whom plays rugby for Selangor (extracted
from StarMetro, 5 June 2002)
Teresa Goh finishing the 2007 Kuantan TC Run |
Hooi Siew Weng mixes travelling and running |
Hooi Siew Weng started running at the age of 47 twenty
four year ago as he was attracted by the running vest
given by the organizer of the PJ Half Marathon. He has
a harrowing experience in that run as he was new to
road races. However, the race has created such an impact
on him and running has become his passion. Through the
years he has ran more than 30 marathons in different
countries. Since he has retired many years ago, running
is his favorite pastime. “A runner needs only a good
pair of shoes, I don’t need any opponent. It is just
me against the clock. I don’t look for podium finishes.
I am more interested in completing the race. For me
that’s an achievement” He is also active in mountain
climbing and has conquered more than 10 mountains above
7,000 feet. He has climbed Annapurna base camp, Kala
Pattar and Thorung La Circuit in Nepal. Like Teresa,
he also runs each Sunday with PACM members. (extracted
from StarMetro, 13 December 2004)
Francis Cheng, very much like Teresa and Hooi started
running late, in his fifties. He is still active managing
his printing business, a great feat of his age. Each
year he tries to do one to three overseas marathons,
his last was the ING New York City Marathon in November
2007. He has also done the Sydney, Gold Coast, Berlin,
Florida and Hawaii Marathon. Francis is just passionate
about running and traveling. (extracted from StarMetro,
23 October 2007)
Join Us To Walk or Run.
I would like to stress that a fulfilling life can be
better achieved if you enjoy good health. While certain
critical illness cannot be totally avoided, we could
improve our quality of life with better health by exercising.
Having a group to exercise with will also build up comradeship
that is vital in the golden years. Those of you who
are keen to get started could join me every Saturday
at 7.30am, Bukit Aman Car-park, Jalan Tangling where
we conduct a beginners'
running program, my community service.
Wan Yew Leong
20 February 2008
wanyewleong@gmail.com
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