Health and Wellness Pearls for the Eye Surgeon and Physician Vary your Workouts

By M. Kelly Green, MD

For all humans, not just the eye doctors among us, cardiovascular fitness has known benefits, including improved cardiopulmonary status and reduced risk for cardiac event. For the eye physician, we must also consider that we may be working well into our 70s, so we must maintain fitness to stay healthy and to be able to work and maintain motor skills for this extended period of time. Many studies have shown that improved fitness can reduce mortality. As one study found that “fitness was a significant mortality predictor in older adults, independent of overall or abdominal adiposity.”[1]

In addition, a study showed that “each additional hour of physical activity at baseline was associated with about a 5% decrease in the rate of global motor function decline. Secondary analyses suggested that the association of physical activity with motor decline was mostly due to the effect of physical activity on the rate of motor performance decline. Thus, higher levels of physical activity are associated with a slower rate of motor decline in older persons.” [2]

In order to explore ways in which we can improve our fitness and longevity, I spoke with former professional triathlete and current competitor, Jamie Cleveland. Jamie is the head coach and co-owner of Texas Iron, an individual and group training program for runners and triathletes. In addition, he and his wife, professional triathlete Andrea Fisher, own Hill Country Running Company, a store in Austin dedicated to runners who enjoy the trails as much as the city streets. During my internship in Austin, I had the chance to train with Jamie, and he actually made it possible for me to train for and complete a half-Ironman race in pretty good time, even while working 80 hours per week! So, I concluded that he really knows his stuff.

Jamie comments, first of all, that “cardiovascular fitness is not a matter of having to run a marathon. It is not going out and exercising once a week for two hours; rather, it is about getting something in each day or every other day. Intensity is good—but you will still see benefit if you just get your HR above normal. Your body really gets accustomed to repetition. You don’t want your body to adjust to a routine. Instead, you should be constantly changing your routine and stimulating your body to do different things.” Jamie recommends that you “consider mixing up the routines so that you are not doing the same routine each time you work out.” For example, you can run “on Monday for 20min, Wednesday for 35 mins, and then Thursday do a run at a faster pace.”

With respect to those of us who are juggling aging and some sports or work-related injuries, it is important, as Jamie mentions, to recall that “exercise can help fight the aging process.” He reminds us that studies show that strength training reduces bone density loss. He suggests that even those among us with old injuries can find novel activities that can give the benefits of exercise without risking re-injuring an old injury or exacerbating a condition such as arthritis. If you are a runner, you can consider trying new avenues for maintaining fitness. Some sports that fall into this category are swimming, rowing, or cycling. You may find that you “slow down” a bit as you are aging. Above the age of 35, your max heart rate drops and you may be dealing with some injuries or limitations. However, as an aging athlete, you don’t have to resign yourself to going down the drain! Jamie says that you should instead include more rest periods with your workouts. Try taking more time between key workouts, and more days off per week from workouts.” This will help you maintain fitness, and recover from your workouts more safely.

Especially for those runners among us, it is important to vary our workouts and to cross-train. Jamie warns against repetition and overuse injuries. “Don’t repeat the same routines as you do every day. Do avoid overuse injuries; don’t limit your training to just one or two muscle groups. Get stronger with a variety of exercises instead of the same ones over and over.” You may also consider engaging a personal trainer for a couple of sessions, Jamie suggests. “He or she will help you learn a variety of exercises to build strength and stimulate your muscles. If you have been doing the same routine for years, the trainer can help you learn a variety of ways to build strength.” It is fine to work out the same days of the week, but you should vary your exercise routines. “If you are only cycling, you must choose different exercises—try the pool or the gym. Your exercise routine may be missing part of something that can improve your quality of life.”

“Elite level athletes are very good in their specialized field, but we can see that they have overuse injuries related to focusing only on their narrow range of activities. The more you can cross-train, the better off you will be and the less likely you will be to suffer an overuse injury.”

In short, don’t be a creature of habit! Vary your workouts, and start working out smart for better fitness, reduced risk for injury, and improved longevity and motor performance maintenance.

References

1. Cardiorespiratory fitness, adiposity, and mortality. Wei M. JAMA. 299(9):1013.
2. Physical activity and motor decline in older persons. Buchman AS. Boyle PA. Wilson RS. Bienias JL. Bennett DA. Muscle & Nerve. 35(3):354-62, 2007 Mar.