How Strong Are You Boomer Babe?
We’re not talking inner strength here. In that category most midlife women I know are at least an Atlas. Maybe even like a hybrid of Atlas and Spidey.
No, I’m wondering about your muscles.
What started me down this path were two things. First, every other day it seems, I’m reading something about bat wings. You know the scary webbed skin thing women’s upper arms do?
Second, I recently noted that I could no longer just pick up the 40# plastic bucket of cat sand and hoist it out of the car gracefully. No, suddenly performing this fairly common act–we have 5 cats thank you–now requires a full on old person noise and two hands.
You know the sound, it leaps from the lips without warning when one is bending down, standing up, hoisting 40#s of cat litter, getting that last sock from the way back of the dryer. It’s part grunt, part hurl without the bits, and shorter in duration. Unlike the hair ball noise this one is monosyllabic.
But I digress.
It got me thinking about other tasks that used to be easy which now require more effort. Opened a bottle of wine lately? Some corks just don’t want to come out like they used to. Screw top on a jar of salsa–not that I ever buy store bought, I helped a friend recently–where is that plastic jar pop thingy I saw on TV on night?
So what’s a midlife girl living with a vengeance to do? Curls, pushups, pull ups, and skull crushers. Thank you Bobby Schreiber via Amy for that last one.
Bat wings can be contained, camoflaged–is that a word?–and covered up. Losing the ability to carry groceries, open jars, and pop corks on bottles of the elixir of midlife cannot be any of those things. It means less independence down the road.
It could mean the difference between preventing a fall cause your arms are strong enough to grab something and save you, and face planting.
Weight training, no matter how annoying, is better than face planting. And the resulting extra muscle not only helps us look good and keep up independent, it’s going to help keep the pounds from creeping on. Muscle aids calorie burn.
So grab a dumb bell, a cardio ball, or a resistance band and work it like you mean it.
And let me know what changes you’ve noticed and what you are doing about it.
Loved your article. How true it is! We, boomers, must stay fit and healthy or we will lose our ability to do what we used to do in our youth. Stay active, exercise, dance, have fun — that’s what it’s all about. So I still open my own jars, even with my husband lurking close by — if I need help.
I am 70 years old and have been doing “body pump” three times a week for a year. I cannot tell you what a difference it makes. I, also, was having trouble opening a jar (and that is scary) but now I am energetic, toned and feel really good about my body. Just got to keep doing it and not give up!
Aging But Dangerous
Jean,
Whatever you are doing keep doing it, you look mahvelous dahling. No really, I had no idea of your age. I’m so glad that your life improved with the “body pump.” and I’m much too polite to ask what that is.
Thanks for stopping by.
I have recently been exercising with a vengeance courtesy of my daughter’s challenge. I joined her “Computer Butt” challenge, which is something she put together for us Work-At-Home-Moms, Dads, and Grandma’s, like me! We sit on our butts all day and need to get up and get moving! So, with a personal video trainer called “Fat Loss Quickie”, I am jumping up twice a day now and working out both with weights and doing cardio! My daughter even had a Squat challenge and I did 350 squats!!! I feel so much better than I did just two months ago – it’s amazing.
Thanks for this wonderful website and excellent post. We do, especially after 50, have to concentrate on keeping our physical-selves moving and getting stronger every day.