THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Monday, November 16, 2020 |R7
JOURNAL REPORT|ENCORE
Most people stress cardio as they age.
Don’t forget strength training.Ask Encore•Glenn Ruffenach
What Older People May Be
Missing in Their Workouts
MARTIN TOGNOLAMy wife and I retired last year. Since March,
we have been walking almost daily as a way
to fight cabin fever. Any ideas about expanding
fitness routines at home?Add some strength training.
When it comes to fitness, most people focus on aerobic
or “cardio” workouts. Such activities—bicycling, swimming,
jogging—clearly are important. But equally important, espe-
cially for the 60-plus crowd, is some form of strength or
“resistance” training.
As we age, “loss of muscle strength and power leads to
declining activity, increased frailty and functional depen-
dence,” according to the American College of Sports Medi-
cine. “On the positive side, resistance training has proved
to be a safe, economical and beneficial addition to the
older adult’s fitness regimen.”
How much training? The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention recommends that adults age 65 and older partic-
ipate in activities at least two days a week that “strengthen
muscles,” along with a minimum of 150 minutes a week of
“moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking.”Strength training, at the outset,
doesn’t mean “pumping iron” or buy-
ing a pricey home gym. Sure, you
might end up bench-pressing your
body weight. To start, though, lifting
something as simple as bottled water
or soup cans, according to theNa-
tional Institute on Aging, can give
you the exercise you need.
To learn more about strength and
resistance training, begin with a CDC
publication, “Growing Stronger:
Strength Training for Older Adults.”
(Go to cdc.gov and search for: Grow-
ing Stronger.) Also visit the Exercise
and Physical Activity page on the Na-
tional Institute on Aging’s website.
(Go to nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-
physical-activity.)
A good book is “Weights for 50+”
by Karl Knopf. Also check out “Exer-
cise & Physical Activity: Your Every-
day Guide” from the National Insti-
tute on Aging (order.nia.nih.gov).My husband and I are thinking
about changing our prescrip-tion-drug coverage during Medi-
care’s open-enrollment period.
Can we choose different plans?Yes, different plans are fine.
Medicare’s open-enrollment pe-
riod runs each year from Oct. 15
through Dec. 7. During this time,
beneficiaries can switch fairly easily,
and without penalty, from one
health plan to another—say, from
original Medicare to a Medicare Ad-
vantage plan (and vice versa), or
from one prescription-drug plan to a
competing prescription-drug plan.
During your working years, you
and your spouse, in all likelihood,
were covered by a single insurance
plan. But that isn’t the case with
Medicare; you and your husband can,
and should, pick a plan—including a
prescription-drug plan (Medicare Part
D)—that best meets your particular
needs. For instance, if you require
medication for heart disease, you
might benefit from using a Part D
plan (one, say, with lower premiums
for your specific drug) that differs
from your husband’s plan.
If you need help selecting a Part D
plan, start with the Medicare Plan
Finder. (Go to medicare.gov and click
on: Preview 2021 Health & Drug
Plans.) Also try “SHIP,” your State
Health Insurance Assistance Program.
SHIPs operate in all 50 states and of-
fer free counseling and assistance to
Medicare-eligible individuals, their
families and caregivers. (Go to ship-
tacenter.org.)
And speaking of Medicare...here’s a
new book: “Medicare Entry Guide” by
Neil Brown, a road map for enrolling
in, and making sense of, a compli-
cated program. Mr. Brown, a Medi-
care insurance consultant, starts his
book on the cover. Based on your age
and situation (example: “I’m 64 and I
might postpone Medicare”), he di-
rects you to the appropriate page in-
side and walks you through the
Medicare maze.
A smart approach and well worth
your time.Mr. Ruffenachis a former reporter
and editor for The Wall Street
Journal. His column examines
financial issues for those thinking
about, planning and living their
retirement. Send questions and
comments [email protected].Percentageofadultswhometthe
federalphysicalactivityguidelines*
forbothaerobicandmuscle-
strengtheningactivitiesin2018Source: National Center for Health Statistics, “2018
National Health Interview Survey”*At least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity
aerobic physical activity and two or more days a week of
muscle-strengthening activities.5-64AGES
Men
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