The KISS Method

In the last newsletter I referred to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method of fitness. I’ve found that KISS works for most things in life, but the newsletter is about senior fitness and how to achieve it, long-term, through diet and exercise.

So here is one example of KISS for fitness.

Of all the tools used for measuring health and fitness, a simple cloth tape measure may be one of the best. Measuring the circumference of your waist will tell you more about your fitness than either scales or the Body Mass Index (BMI) formula. Or, put another way, as Jack LaLanne used to say, “Your waistline is your lifeline.”

Then along came trainer and author Jon Benson (Fit Over 40) who took the KISS tape measure method a step further, using a waistline-to-height formula as a predictor of heart disease. Mr. Benson told us to measure right below the navel, and not pull the tape measure too tight. Write down that number in inches. Then measure your height (without shoes) in inches. Write that down, too.

Multiply the result of your waist measurement by two. If the number is greater than your height, you are four times more likely to get heart disease. It’s more predictive than cholesterol tests, he says.

Okay, that’s all well and good. But let’s suppose now that you don’t belong to a health club, and you haven’t got a set of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands. You know you’re out of shape and know it and you want to start getting fit right now. Here is one good way to do begin.

(Remember the KISS method.)

Begin by walking every other day. Start with five minutes on the first day and add five more minutes to each walk until you reach 30 minutes. Then maintain your 30-minute walks every other day. Step up your pace a bit when it gets too easy.

(Next, add the KISS resistance method, no equipment is needed.)

On the days that you don’t walk, do the following no-equipment-needed exercises. They are guaranteed to get your heart pumping — if you push it. Or they can be slowed down for beginners or older seniors. My advice is to start slowly, and gradually build up.

Here we go.

• No. 1. Burpees. For a refresher course, watch the brief video.
• No. 2. Mountain Climbers. A favorite of the military. Daughter Jennifer demonstrates.
• No. 3. Side Split Squats. Popular in martial arts, and for good reason.

Your regular exercise plan has been established and you’re on your way to a fitness lifestyle.

Just one more thing: eating habits.

As important as regular exercise is, you cannot out exercise a poor diet. If you are overweight, you must regularly eat less. There is no other way to achieve a healthy body weight. Please go here to get on the right track.

Stay healthy. Stay Fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

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Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com