Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
It has been so heartening to hear Penny's story and confirms all the many reasons that Rosemary and I commit to communicating with you all every week.
It has reminded me that I am keen to join my local walking netball club, which is very active in my area, once my new knee is working to full capacity! If you used to be keen on sports, but not necessarily very good at it, (which really doesn't matter), then I urge you to follow Penny's impressive lead and look for either walking football or walking netball in your area. It is definitely on the increase and absolutely ideal for we 'fit' oldies.
So, you might ask the question 'how could Penny's ability to play the game improve so much, and seemingly so quickly?' and I would always say that firstly she had a determination to play the game better. I can guarantee her motivation was extremely high to do the exercises set by Rosemary and to do them diligently and regularly. This is the first rule of getting fitter, to exercise often, and there is a formula that has been around for decades on how to get fit and stay fit:
Frequency:
This is based on simply how often you exercise. If you are pretty unfit then you need to be cautious and maybe exercise at a low level just a couple of times a week so your body gets a chance to recover in between. Then, in time, you will feel perfectly able to move from twice a week to the best number of workouts at between 3 - 4 times per week.
Intensity:
This is based on how hard you work when you exercise, and again initially you should take it gently, but you can improve really quickly if you are doing it frequently. Then you will definitely feel you can do more. Adding some hills to your daily walks for example, which we often suggest, or walking faster, making you put a lot more pressure on your heart and lungs. With your strength training, you may work with heavier hand weights or a stronger resistance band (hold it so that it is quite short to make the strength tougher.).
Timing:
This is based on how long you exercise for and again the more frequently you do it the longer you will be able to keep going. I have recently got back to rowing (as sadly I can no longer go out for a run!), and I started with only 500 metres, three times a week and now, with my new metal knee and two months later, I can manage 2 kilometres. So, my next goal is to stick with the same distance and number of times a week, but to add intervals of higher intensity. Having a goal really helps us keep us motivated, just like Penny's desire to play walking football and keep up better with the guys.
Type of Training:
So here is another key factor in getting fit enough to play a sport – we need a mix of training – which is the cornerstone of our messages to you every week. Our muscles need to be able to keep going for longer (called endurance) but crucially we also need to have some power (strength). When Rosemary suggested Penny did 'sit to stand' she was combining both endurance and strength and this meant Penny was developing the most important muscle fibres in her body - the ones that reduce significantly as we get older – her fast twitch fibres.
Muscle Fibres Explained
There are basically two types of muscle fibre that we need to know about – fast twitch and slow twitch. It all sounds a bit technical but bear with me.
I will start with fast twitch because the older we get the more we are losing our vital fast twitch fibres. With the risk of sounding like a stuck record folks, if we don't do our strength training frequently, with some intensity and for a good length of time, we will simply get weaker and weaker. We may have seen that happening with an elderly parent maybe, eventually it becomes difficult to even unscrew the top of a jam jar! (That’s me! says Rosemary.)
These fibres produce the most 'force' which is needed to be able to kick a football, or to stop suddenly and pass a ball in netball. However, fast twitch fibres have a limited blood supply so it is actually hard to produce a strong force for any length of time. So, working with a heavier weight for just a few repetitions will definitely maintain our fast twitch fibres. That strength-training will, without doubt, increase the size (called hypertrophy) of our fast twitch fibres, ensuring we can always get up from a chair easily and, even more importantly, from the floor, if we were to suffer a fall. It also means Penny can definitely play a walking sport with more power!
On the other hand, the slow twitch fibre has a fantastic blood supply and does not reduce in number as we age to anything like the same extent as the fast twitch. This is demonstrated when we see an 80-year-old still being able to run marathons! Of course, if we don’t challenge our slow twitch fibres with a good amount of aerobic work (our daily walk) then all types of fibres will reduce and frailty will set in a lot earlier than it needs to!
Finally, just a brief word on the fantastic game that Penny clearly enjoys, Walking Football, and also the one I am planning to take up in time, Walking Netball.
Walking Football
The adapted men's game was started in 2011, but more recently, in 2017, the ‘women's only’ game was devised, which is having a meteoric rise in popularity across the UK. There are also mixed clubs which is clearly the type that Penny attends. It is such a wonderful adaptation of the original game, as it allows older people to keep playing:
- The men's game is for the over 50s, but interestingly the ladies’ game has a starting age for the over 40s.
- There is strictly no contact, reducing the risk of injury to older folk!
- No running.
- No slide tackles.
- The ball must stay below head height. No heading allowed!
- A smaller playing area, to accommodate the walking pace.
Sadly, I cannot find a club in my area despite there being 714 clubs in the UK. Maybe I should get one started! Go to www.walkingsports.com to find your local club.
Walking Netball
Walking Netball is supported by England Netball, and as with football, the growth has been extraordinary, due in part by the growing number of older people in the population.
- It is played on a regular sized court with the 7 playing positions that are familiar from school days.
- No running or jumping allowed.
- You can take 1 - 2 steps with the ball.
- You must stay 3 feet away from the opposition.
You will find a local club on the Walking Sports website. There is also a great video of older ladies playing – a real joy to watch!
Be Fit to Play
If you are interested in either of these walking sports then take heed of the need to be fit to play. It has to be said though, that the clubs are happy to welcome you even if you are not yet fit – you will get fitter with every session you attend. Combine it with all that is recommended here each week and you could be their star player!
