Strength training for seniors

A balanced diet and exercise, which includes a combination of aerobic activities and strength training, is necessary to maintain long-term health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity is one of the most important things older adults can do to protect their overall health. Exercise helps to delay or prevent many of the conditions that come with age. Adults ages 65 and older should aim for the recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, and at least two days of activities that strengthen muscles.

When it comes to muscle strengthening, seniors can follow these safety guidelines as they embark on their strength-training journeys.

• Speak with a healthcare provider first. Get the green light to proceed with an exercise regimen before beginning by having a discussion with your general practitioner about your fitness goals. Your doctor can recommend strategies that are safe and point out any exercises that may compromise your overall health.

• Master basic exercises first. Anyone new to strength training, which is sometimes known as resistance training, can start out slowly, even using just body weight, to provide resistance. Resistance exercises can include squats, crunches, modified pushups, planks, and lunges.

• Graduate to resistance bands. When you’re ready to move on to something else, consider resistance bands as an alternative to free weights. The bands can help you develop good form before introducing weight. Good form is key to avoiding injury.

• Work with a trainer. Working with a certified personal trainer can help you learn how to use free weights and strengthtraining machines correctly. A trainer also can create a routine that includes the right number of sets and repetitions to gradually build and maintain muscle mass. If you decide against hiring a trainer, gym staff members may guide you through equipment and demonstrate proper form.

• Exercise with a friend. Strength training with a friend or family member can provide motivation and keep you on target to meet your goals.

• Build up gradually. Your first strength session should only last 10 to 15 minutes, according to Tiffany Chag, C.S.C.S., a strength coach at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. This enables you to gauge soreness. Wait until soreness abates before beginning your next session if you are new to strength training.

Strength exercises are a vital part of maintaining health as a senior. Such exercises help maintain muscle mass and also improve balance and bone health.

If her name and voice sound familiar, they should. For 14 years, Duffie Dixon was a television reporter in Atlanta, covering everything from murder trials to hurricanes. These days, she’s swapped her Emmy awards for credentials as the Director of Marketing and Communication for the Gwinnett County Public Library. Next month will mark her first year in the position, and it is a perfect fit.

“I call this my second dream job,” Dixon says.

As a teenager, Dixon knew she wanted to be a broadcast journalist. It combined everything she was interested in--writing, video, interviews, talking on camera, and being the first to know when something was happening and why.

“As a college freshman, I showed up at one of the local TV stations in my hometown and asked if I could clean out waste baskets or file newspapers, anything to see how TV news was made,” she said. “The news director flatly said no, saying I was too young and had no experience. The main anchor quietly told me to show up the next day if I wanted to learn more.”

She did. Day after day, she would watch, listen and perform whatever tasks she could find. A couple of weeks later, the news staff announced they’d be keeping her as an unpaid intern. Over that first summer, Dixon learned to write news copy, shoot and edit videotape, interview people, and assemble entire stories.

“Small stations are always short of warm bodies, so the reporters and anchors encouraged me to go out as a reporter and cover a few stories,” Dixon said. “Then they aired them! My mom and her friends were freaking out that I was on the local evening news.”

Dixon was hooked and transferred to Pepperdine University in Southern California, where she graduated with a BA in Broadcast Journalism.

Her first job was as a reporter and an anchor for KPVI-TV in Pocatello, Idaho. She and her husband then moved to Charlotte, NC, where she became a crime reporter for WBTV. Their third and final stop was Atlanta. Dixon worked briefly at WSB-TV as a freelance reporter and then joined WXIA-TV (11Alive).

“I really had a dream career,” she said. “I have worked with some of the best people in the business. I’ve seen and done incredible things. I’ve had the privilege of sharing important, impactful stories. It is a bizarre feeling when you reach your life’s career goals. No one tells you that can actually happen.”

She says her new role at Gwinnett County Public Library is just as fulfilling. Likely, more.

“I feel so lucky to have landed this position,” Dixon said. “Everyone here is so great to work with. At heart, I’m a storyteller, and the Gwinnett County Public Library is full of amazing people and stories. The things we are doing to change people’s lives are unbelievable. My job is to let the community know about all we have to offer.

Libraries have long been one of her favorite places to be. She volunteered at Meadowcreek Elementary in Norcross in the Media Center for years, reading to kids and shelving books. One of the first things she did when she and her husband moved to Suwanee 21 years ago was to get a Gwinnett County Public Library card.

“I’ve always loved our library system in Gwinnett County,” Dixon said. “My staff actually laughs at how old my card is. Apparently, I’m carrying around a ‘vintage.’”

It is obvious she is passionate about her job when she is asked to list some things offered at the library’s 15 branches.

“Where to start?” Dixon says. “We offer so many services and programs, all of which are free! The comment I often hear is, ‘I had no idea the library did that!’ My mission is to share all of the things we are doing to engage kids, teens, and adults in our community.”

Her list is long. She mentions educational programs, business classes, free Wi-Fi, dual language classes, book clubs, access to equipment and space for podcasting, video production, 3D printing, Cricut, coding, Glowforge carving and etching, sewing machines, and cooking classes.

The Gwinnett County Public Library is said to be by far the most extensive system in the state. More than two million customers walked through the door last year. They checked out nearly four million materials, including books and audiobooks. The library averages 70,000 new customers a year.

“It is a big operation,” Dixon said. “I’ve been impressed since I got here. My biggest challenge is having enough hours in the day to share all of the good things we’re doing. That’s a great challenge to have!”