Long story short, my dad is looking to get an exercise machine. Thing is, though, he’s looking for something rather low impact for the following reasons.
He’s a senior citizen - a year older than the NFL, IIRC.
He has cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. He’s been lethargic since starting treatment but recently recently had a bit more energy and thus the desire for an exercise machine. Sure walking’s cheaper, but you can’t plop yourself down on the couch soon as you get tired.
Hi Opal!
He’s had some knee troubles. Nothing arthritic (as far as we know) or requiring surgery, just some general soreness. It’s pretty much gone away recently, though.
Mom and dad were thinking of an exercise bike, or a treadmill or something. Me, I have no idea what would be best, but I know who to ask. As always, thanks in advance.
I would recomend getting him a treadmill. One of my friends is 72 years old and he recently bought a treadmill for himself and he loves it. He’s had some big changes in his life the last few years and while he knew he needed to exercise, it’s just been too hot outside here in Texas for him to do much walking. He had to start slow and spend a month working up to a regular workout, but now his knees don’t hurt him like they did when he sat around all the time. Find him a good one with a safety shutoff switch that you clip to your clothing and also make sure that the speed control isn’t too easy moved. Several of the cheaper ones I looked at had speed control dials that were the same color as the background they were mounted on and were too easy to hit full speed on by accident. They have some nice ones that fold up after you are finished with them so they don’t take up much space. Check the classified ad section of your local paper to get a bargain on one that someone want to get rid of.
My mother is 71 and enjoys her treadmill, too. She particularly enjoys the way she’s got it set up so she can see the TV while she walks. She’s catching up on all the good movies that her children tell her she’s just gotta see, but that she’s too embarrassed to go see at the theater, like Babe and Toy Story.
The exercise bikes tend to be hard on your butt unless you’re really well padded (like any other bicycle seat).
Also, my mom isn’t “crippled”, but she tried one and found it difficult to manipulate herself into position, and off again afterwards. On some models, if you’re not the athletic type who can casually fling your leg over and leap into the seat from a standing position, it requires very carefully standing on the center bar, and then lowering yourself onto the seat, which process is beyond her personal gymnastic abilities.
She likes the treadmill because when she gets tired, all she has to do is go over to the couch and sit down.
Lots of people end up buying exercise equipment, and then not using it because they find that they don’t like the particular exercise, or some feature of the particular exercise equipment.
Does the hospital where your Dad is receiving cancer treatment have a Wellness Center where they have a variety of exercise equipment? That would be an excellent place to have him try out a couple of types of equipment, with someone qualified at his side to get him started. (Even if you’re young and healthy, it can be a bit disconcerting getting on and off a treadmill at first.) Failing that, you could try seeing if he could get a short-term trial membership at a health club so that he could take advantage of their staff’s expertise on showing him the equipment and seeing what he liked.
Home exercise equipment is a good choice because, as you mentioned, he can always hit the couch when he needs to. It is also air conditioned or heated to meet his needs, and he can play the TV, stereo, or books on tape to keep himself entertained. When he builds up strength or gets cabin fever, mall walking is a good option to consider. Like the home, it is climate controlled, a bench is never too far away, and there are plenty of people around to call for help in the event anything goes wrong.
Best of luck to your Dad. Chemo is rough, and I salute him for having the wisdom to want to exercise. Exercise is a great way to help keep his spirits up and build confidence in his health.
If your dad has any way to get to a pool, thats what I would recommend. Gentle lap swimming or water aerobics can work wondors. Anywhere near by he could get a membership at so he could swim?
I am a lazy wuss. I do not like pain. I’m not fond of work. But I love this thing. Its low impact aerobic stuff and can work all sorts of muscle groups and the one I use at my YMCA has all sorts of prgrams so you can set different goals and STUFF! (Can you tell I like toys like heart rate monitors, timers, levels, hill resistance, etc, etc…? information lit up in red LEDs and I’m a happy camper. The one I use will tell me how many watts I put out. I could only be happier if they added a BTU mode.)
It’s very gentle (walking is higher impact).
The only issue if you are buying one is that he should go try it out. The stride size of the particular model is vital. I have been on ones with shorter stride lenths than mine and they mess up my equilibrium and make me seasick.
Oh, and let me echo getting a membership rather than buying a piece of equipment. My local YMCA in the last three years bought all new equipment and re did the locker rooms to include saunas, steam rooms, and a hot tub. It makes working out a very good experiance on top of the line equipment with top of the line comforts afterward.
If he goes for land-based exercise, make sure he’s got the right shoes. There should be enough room (lengthwise and widthwise) for his toes, plus a smidge more of room for them to move around and flex in. I got proper shoes in my second week of my routine, and it made a noticeable difference on how my feet felt during exercising and afterwards.
I like kinoons’ suggestion for pool exercise. I know the YWCA on Richards Street has pool exercise classes for senior citizens (or at least they did before; they were before and after the free swim period, so I’d get to watch). Your building has a pool, though… maybe he could try that?
I agree that a short term trial health club membership would give your dad more options to choose from. the pool is a great place for low impact exercise, and look into the classes. T’ai Chi is great for seniors.
For home exercisers, the Nordic Track is an excellent choice, especially for someone with kneee problems. The Nordic Track has a ton of advantages - no impact on the knees, a flywheel design that smooths out the motion and makes the exercise experience more pleasant, the ability to read or watch TV while doing it, and your butt doesn’t get sore like it does on a stationary bike.
Finally, if you’re strapped for space, you can fold the Nordic Track by pulling one pin and lowering the arm, and it can be slid under the bed.
I remember reading a consumer reports article that praised the Nordic Track, so I bought one. It’s great. And apparently, it has about the highest retention rate around - people are less likely to quit using their Nordic Track than just about any other exercise device. Part of that is the smooth, comfortable motion. And part is the fact that you can keep it where you would want to use it the most and quickly move it out of the way when you’re done. Bigger items like bikes often get moved out of the way, and then it’s just too much hassle to drag them out to use them.
Stay away from the cheap knock-offs, though. A real Nordic Track will set you back at least $400. Those cheap clones with teflon sliders start at $30, but they really suck. Without the heavy flywheel storing and releasing energy, they are very hard and frustrating to use.
I’d echo the call to get a gym membership – the Y is best since it’s community-based rather than corporate and therefore (in theory, anyway) more inclined to serve its clientele rather than just suck out its money. Okay, I’m stepping down from the soapbox now.
At any rate, any reputable fitness center should have a great variety of equipment, plus plenty of places to sit when the mood strikes.
As always, thanks in advance.
