It's never too late to get fit

Summary

Summary of "It's Never Too Late to Get Fit" – Consider This from NPR

In the December 18, 2024 episode of NPR's "Consider This," host Juana Summers explores the theme of fitness and movement for older adults. Through expert insights, personal stories, and observations, the episode delves into how staying active can enhance longevity, strength, and community connections for individuals aged 50 and above.

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1. The Evolving Landscape of Fitness for Older Adults

Juana Summers opens the discussion by reflecting on her personal journey with fitness, emphasizing how her approach to movement has changed over time. She introduces her colleague, Allison Aubrey, a seasoned health and wellness reporter, to shed light on exercise recommendations for those aged 50 and older.

Notable Quote:

Allison Aubrey [00:20]: "As we age, our bodies are meant to move."

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2. Recommended Exercise Levels

Allison Aubrey outlines the official guidelines for physical activity in older adults, advocating for a balanced exercise regimen to maintain health and vitality.

Key Points:

• Duration: Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity.
• Frequency: Approximately 30 minutes, five times a week.
• Types of Exercise: Activities such as walking, running, biking, swimming, or weightlifting are recommended.

Notable Quote:

Allison Aubrey [00:33]: "The official recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity."

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3. The Power of Strength Training

The episode highlights the significant benefits of strength training for older women, supported by recent studies linking weightlifting to increased longevity and reduced heart disease risk.

Key Points:

• Longevity: Women engaging in strength training two to three times a week are more likely to live longer.
• Heart Health: There's a reduced risk of death from heart disease among those who maintain muscle mass.
• Sarcopenia Prevention: Weight training helps combat age-related muscle loss, known medically as sarcopenia.

Notable Quotes:

Allison Aubrey [01:14]: "Weight training can really help slow the decline and fend off what's called sarcopenia."

Allison Aubrey [01:27]: "I have seen this myself. I'm in my 50s and adding weights... it can really protect your joints, it can protect you against falls, and functionally you'll just feel stronger."

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4. Building Community Through Exercise

Beyond physical health, exercising offers social benefits. The episode discusses how group activities foster community bonds, providing motivation and support among peers.

Key Points:

• Social Connection: Engaging in regular exercise classes or group activities creates a sense of belonging.
• Motivation: Having workout partners encourages consistency, even on days when motivation is low.
• Examples: Mall walkers in Annapolis meet daily, reinforcing their commitment through social ties.

Notable Quote:

Allison Aubrey [02:13]: "I don't always want to get up and walk, but I got these two ladies waiting for me, so gets me here."

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5. Senior Sports Spotlight: Pickleball in Florida

The episode shifts focus to senior sports, particularly highlighting pickleball's popularity in Florida's Senior Games. It showcases how older adults engage competitively in this accessible and social sport.

Key Points:

• Event Overview: Senior Games across the U.S. feature various sports, with pickleball being a standout in Florida.
• Participation Growth: The number of pickleball entries has increased by 100 every four years, totaling nearly 600 participants.
• Community Impact: Pickleball serves as a unifying activity for seniors, bridging generational gaps and fostering camaraderie.

Notable Quote:

Allison Aubrey [06:47]: "It is the biggest sport of the Florida Senior Games. We have almost 600 people playing, 595 entries, and it's gone up by 100 every last four years."

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6. Personal Stories of Senior Athletes

Personal narratives bring the discussion to life, illustrating the determination and passion of senior athletes like Ruth Weil and the Smith family in their pursuit of athletic achievements.

Key Points:

• Ruth Weil: At 76, Ruth balances pickleball with softball, aiming to compete in both at the National Senior Games.
• The Smiths: Brad Smith, 86, and his daughter Ann, 51, exemplify intergenerational support and competitiveness in pickleball.
• Motivation: Athletes are driven by personal goals, familial support, and the sheer joy of competition.

Notable Quotes:

Ruth Weil [05:44]: "We play pickleball or they bowl or they swim. And it's like they're going back to their younger days."

Ann Smith [10:15]: "Because it's like such a big deal for him. Like he's, you know, the fact that he's made it to the state tournament, like, this is exactly what I want to be able to do now."

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7. Conclusion: Embracing Fitness at Any Age

Juana Summers wraps up the episode by reinforcing the message that it's never too late to adopt a fitness routine that suits one's lifestyle. Whether through individual workouts or engaging in community sports, staying active offers multifaceted benefits that enhance both physical health and social well-being.

Notable Quote:

Juana Summers [02:20]: "They showed me that it's never too late to find movement or exercise that works for you."

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Production Credits:

• Produced by: Matt Ozug and Briana Smith
• Edited by: Courtney Dorning and Sarah Handel
• Executive Producer: Sammy Yenigun

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This episode of "Consider This" underscores the transformative power of fitness for older adults, blending expert advice with heartfelt stories to inspire listeners to embrace an active lifestyle regardless of age.

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

I've been thinking a lot this year about fitness and movement and how that's something that's looked and felt different for me at different parts of my life. For me these days, it looks like a lot of running and a lot of stretching. And all of that got me thinking about how bodies change over time and what it looks like to get or stay active.

[Allison Aubrey]

As we age, our bodies are meant to move.

[Juana Summers]

That's my colleague, Allison Aubrey. She's covered health and wellness for many years. So to start with, I wanted to know how much exercise should people, people 50 and older be getting?

[Allison Aubrey]

The official recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity. So about, you know, half hour, five.

[Juana Summers]

Times a week that exercise could look like walking, running, biking, swimming, or weightlifting.

[Allison Aubrey]

The best exercise is the one you'll actually do.

[Juana Summers]

For Mona Noyes, the answer is weightlifting. I recently dropped by a gym in Baltimore where people in their 60s, 70s and 80s learn to lift. She works with the trainer there.

[Allison Aubrey]

It's never too late to build your strength because I'm 86 and I sort of rolled up on 86 and didn't realize your body begins to do different things as you get older.

[Juana Summers]

A recent study found that women who strength train two to three days a week are more likely to live longer. There's a longevity boost and a reduced risk of death from heart disease. Here's my colleague Alison Aubrey again.

[Allison Aubrey]

So muscle mass peaks in our 20s or 30s and, and weight training can really help slow the decline and fend off what's called sarcopenia, which is basically just a scary sounding medical term for age related muscle loss. So, you know, I have seen this myself. I'm in my 50s and adding weights, so resistance bands, you know, lifting weights at the gym, it can really protect your joints, it can protect you against falls, and functionally you'll just feel stronger. You know, for me, lifting that carry on into an overhead bin on an airplane is just easier.

[Juana Summers]

And beyond the physical benefits, exercising can build community. We talked with some mall walkers in Annapolis, Maryland who've been meeting five days a week for years. And that social connection keeps them going.

[Allison Aubrey]

I don't always want to get up and walk, but I got these two ladies waiting for me, so gets me here.

[Juana Summers]

Consider this. Over the past month, I've spent a lot of time with active older people at the gym, running, playing pickleball, and even at the mall. They showed me that it's never too late to find movement or exercise that works for you. From npr, I'M Juana Summers. This message comes from Capital One offering their cash back rewards card Quicksilver earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase everywhere. What's in your wallet terms. Apply capitalone.com for details. This message comes from Carvana. Whether you need weeks to research the perfect car or know exactly what you want, Carvana makes car buying easy. Choose from Carvana's massive inventory using customizable search tools. However you buy, buy your car with Carvana. This message comes From NPR sponsor ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. Enter ServiceNow.

[Allison Aubrey]

It puts AI to work for people.

[Juana Summers]

Across your business, providing intelligent tools to help remove frustration and supercharge productivity. And all of that is built into a single platform you can use right now. That's why the world works with ServiceNow. Learn more at servicenow.com aiforpeople it's consider this from NPR. Many states across the country host senior games, which include all types of sports like archery, basketball and mountain biking. But in Florida, pickleball is the crown jewel, so we headed south to spend some time with senior athletes on the pickleball court. It's around 8am when we arrive at a sports complex north of Tampa. Pickleball players holding their duffel bags and paddles are crowded around a man in a neon green polo shirt. We're going to be running around Robin System Today. You may be playing against teams that may be younger or older than you. That's Aaron Del Mar, the tournament director for the Florida Senior Games pickleball Competition. Players here are competing for spots at the National Senior Games, which will be held next summer in Iowa. Ruth Weil is one of the players hoping to punch her ticket. She wears a bright red visor with her name in white on one side and pristine white. Sne Weil, who's 76, lives in the Villages, a sprawling retirement community in Florida, and she says the active community is part of what keeps her going.

[Allison Aubrey]

I have two very bad knees that I just keep plugging along cortisone shots. But it's just a matter of getting out and doing it and trying to stay active. My wife, who's 85 years old in January, is still competing in pickleball, and she is here today. And she to me, is an inspiration for everybody because how many 85 year olds do you see out playing? So as long as she competes, I will compete.

[Juana Summers]

When Weill and her wife, Joy, took up pickleball about 15 years ago, they got hooked And Weil also plays on a softball team and already qualified for the National Senior Games in that sport. She's hoping pickleball will be her second sport.

[Allison Aubrey]

I look at everybody and I said how lucky we all are at this age to, to be able to still compete.

[Juana Summers]

The competition at the Florida Senior Games is fast paced, with players competing in divisions ranked by their age and skill. Nick Gandy is the sports information manager for the Florida Senior Games.

[Allison Aubrey]

It's really an interesting community of 50 and over people. The stories that I like to hear are the athletes who competed in their younger days and they went on, had a career, raised families, the kids grew up, they retired from their successful careers. Their kids are gone and they decided to come back and they play pickleball or they bowl or they swim. And it's like they're going back to their younger days when they did this with their friends when they were growing up.

[Juana Summers]

I love that. So we're here today. There's obviously pickleball going on behind us. I understand that this is one of the biggest sports at the Senior Games, is that right?

[Allison Aubrey]

It is the biggest sport of the Florida Senior Games. We have almost 600 people playing, 595 entries, and it's gone up by 100 every last four years.

[Juana Summers]

There are first timers and then there are veterans like Erica Gonzalez. She started playing pickleball when she moved to Florida from Puerto Rico and her new community had a court. She'd played tennis for more than 40 years and wanted a new challenge. She's also a pickleball coach. In between her games, she showed us around.

[Allison Aubrey]

The key about pickleball is that it's kind of like tennis on a small court, but not. See that net? There's seven feet between the net and this line. People call it the kitchen.

[Juana Summers]

There's no smashing the ball in the kitchen. You can't even step in it after you hit a shot.

[Allison Aubrey]

The other thing is that you serve diagonally.

[Juana Summers]

So if I'm starting in my rectangle, I'm going to serve diagonally across the court. If the other player doesn't hit it back, then I score, I get a.

[Allison Aubrey]

Point and then you switch over. Now you did an overhand serving. You have to serve underhand.

[Juana Summers]

Serve underhand. Got it. I asked her for advice for someone who wants to start playing. She told me, find a community.

[Allison Aubrey]

It's a very social game. It's very fun. It's multi generational. I love that I can teach a 7 year old to play with their 70 year old or 80 year old grandparent and everybody can actually play and have a good time. So find a group of folks and learn together because then you'll grow together and then you'll support each other's addiction on the court.

[Juana Summers]

Supporting each other's addiction. That's definitely the case for a couple that we met nearby. Gene Berg is 72 and lives in Litchfield, New Hampshire with his wife Margaret, who's 63. He is hoping to medal at the Senior Games in every state that holds one.

[Allison Aubrey]

I think it's just a fetish. It's his bucket list. I'll play in the games, but I'm not that interested in. I don't have to get a medal, but if I get a medal and he doesn't, we still have to go back to that state. But she lets me polish her medal.

[Juana Summers]

When she wins and I don't.

[Allison Aubrey]

We have a 22 foot Airstream that we tow and we'll do states that we can like on a road trip during the year. And we've done how many, how many this year? Seven. Seven or eight. This year we're up to 36.

[Juana Summers]

So tell me how you guys got into pickleball. We spent probably 35 years chasing youth sports.

[Allison Aubrey]

And when the youth sports left, we had nothing to chase, so we had to chase each other. And he said, I've heard about the sport, pickleball. Do you want to try it? And we went to our local little indoor gymnasium where they, this people taught us how to play. And from then on I think we played maybe for six months. And he said, margaret, there's a tournament. We need to play in this tournament.

[Juana Summers]

At this tournament, spectators watched players from metal bleachers near each pickleball court. Some players came with their parents, others with their adult children. We meet a man warming up with his daughter. She flew to Florida to support him as he competes.

[Allison Aubrey]

Well, I'm Brad Smith. I live in ocala, Florida. I'm 86. Ann Smith is Weebleman. I live in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, and I'm 51.

[Juana Summers]

And Ann, you were saying you came from Michigan to support your dad. What made you want to come down here and see him at the Senior Games, really?

[Allison Aubrey]

Because it's like such a big deal for him. Like he's, you know, the fact that he's made it to the state tournament, like, this is exactly what I want to be able to do now. Now I can support. I'm done driving my kids to sports tournaments year round. Now I can go support my dad. You know, just like he did when I was a kid.

[Juana Summers]

What's it like playing pickleball together?

[Allison Aubrey]

It's competitive. Yes, it is. It's very competitive. Any sport with Brad is competitive. Otherwise, what's the point? I think that's how it goes in the Smith household. It does. We just, we just play hard. We want to beat each other. Yeah.

[Juana Summers]

Before we leave, we catch back up with Ruth Weil. She has some exciting news to share. All right, so you finished for the day. How did you do?

[Allison Aubrey]

I did fabulous. We won all of our matches. We are looking forward to go to Iowa. I'm going to play softball. I'm going to play pickleball, and I can't wait.

[Juana Summers]

All right, so you've got the wins. You'll be there for both sports. How are you going to celebrate?

[Allison Aubrey]

Wow. How am I going to celebrate? I've got friends in from New Jersey right now, so I definitely go have a drink tonight. Oh, blueberry vodka flavored vodka, my favorite.

[Juana Summers]

She tells us that she and her wife are going to pack their car full of equipment for both sports and drive from Florida to Des Moines, where the National Senior Games will be held. An opportunity, she says, to see more of the country together. This episode was produced by Matt Ozug and Briana Smith. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

[Allison Aubrey]

This is Eric Glass on this American Life. We like stories that surprise you. For instance, imagine finding a new hobby.

[Juana Summers]

And realizing to do this hobby right according to the ways of the masters.

[Allison Aubrey]

There's a pretty good chance that you're.

[Juana Summers]

Gonna have to bend the law to.

[Allison Aubrey]

Get the materials that you need, if not break it.

[Juana Summers]

Yeah. To break international laws.

[Allison Aubrey]

Your life stories, really good ones. This American Life. Ho, ho, ho. Santa here coming to you from the North Pole, where the elves in our podcast division have just completed work on this season's best gift for public radio lovers, NPR Give the gift of sponsored free listening and even bonus episodes from your favorite NPR podcasts, all while supporting public media. Learn more at plus.npr.org Want to hear.

[Juana Summers]

This podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Consider this sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get consider this [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.