Retirement Preparatory Exercise Program

Daily walk.  Walk at a pace where you have some difficulty carrying on a conversation but not so fast that you have to stop to catch your breath.  Monitor yourself, watch for signs of breathlessness.  If you need to stop and catch your breath that’s fine but it means that you are not ready for the pace you have set.  Slow down a little and work at gradually increasing your speed.  Some people will only be able to set a pace of 2 miles per hour, some will be able to go 4 miles per hour or more.  Your body will tell you the right pace for your condition.

Band exercises – Three times per week, two to three sets of 12 exercises for each exercise, depending on ability.  Toned muscle burns calories at a faster rate than out of tone muscle so by working out the muscles, you will be a more efficient fat burning machine.  Men should do upper body and arm exercises at a ratio of 2:1 with lower body and leg exercises.  Women should reverse this ratio doing more lower body than upper body exercises. 

Chest presses

Shoulder shrugs

Shoulder flies

Back rowing

Lat pull downs

Biceps curls

Triceps presses

Leg Extensions

Leg flexions

Calf Raises

Ab crunches

Oblique crunches

If you have access to a gym, I would recommend that you make this a part of your daily regime.  By setting aside a time to go to the gym and work out, you make it a part of a routine and you will miss it when you don’t go.  Also, people usually establish relationships with other people at the gym that gives you a sense of belonging.  Nurture these relationships but still get the workout done.  They will help you stay on track. 

What to avoid.  Watch out for over-training that makes you sore or makes the program too tedious.  Switch things up if they are getting boring.  Take a break from one form of exercise and substitute another for a while.  Sometimes doing a seasonal activity can break up the monotony of an exercise program.  Swim in the summer.  Cross country ski in the winter.  Take walks in the fall.  Hit the gym in the spring.  Make it a new adventure with each season.  The key is doing something and keeping in shape.

These exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles of the neck and upper back by using a minimal resistance and full ranges of motion with a light 12 inch play ball.  The key to performing these exercises successfully is to do each repetition with precision and a slow pace.  Focus on the muscle groups being worked and work them to no more than 80% contraction. 

W – With the body positioned with the back to a smooth flat wall, place the exercise ball behind the head just above the EOP (the bump on the back of your head).  Start drawing a capital “W” with your nose, starting in the center of the “W” and drawing each side independently.  Move the nose down and to the right, then up and more to the right, then back track to the center position.  Move down and to the left, then up and more left to complete the “W”.  Repeat this exercise 10 to 20 times or as directed by your doctor. 

This exercise is designed to work the suboccipital triangle which is located at the base of the skull. 

I I – This exercise is to be performed on each side of the body (thus the reason for two “I’s”).  Start with the right side of the body against the wall.  Place the ball above the right ear between the wall and your head.  Each repetition draws a capital “I” on the wall with the ear.  Pressing firmly to the right with the head, raise the right ear up above horizontal, then down below horizontal, and back to center.  Do 10 – 20 repetitions or as directed by your physician.  Repeat on the opposite side of the head.

This exercise is designed to work the occiput – atlas – axis articulation.  These are the segments from the base of the skull to the second vertebra.  As a check to see if you are performing this exercise correctly, place the fingers of the opposite side hand on the mastoid bone and the transverse process of C2.  All the motion should be felt in this region. 

T – This exercise is to be done facing the wall.  Place the ball in the center of your forehead, between the wall and your head.  Using the nose as an imaginary drawing tool, draw a small letter “t” with the nose or make a cross with the nose.  Raise the nose up, then down and then back to the center point.  Now turn the head left, then right, to cross the “t”, then back to center.  One repetition is now done.  Apply moderate pressure against the ball while doing this exercise.  Do 10 – 20 repetitions of this exercise, or as your doctor has instructed you. 

This exercise works the anterior cervical musculature, the muscles deep in the neck behind the wind pipe.  These muscles are vital for re-establishing the curve in the neck and pulling the head back over the shoulders. 

This group of exercises will help you strengthen the neck muscles so your improvements will come faster and will last longer.  This is something that you should be doing at home every day.  If you want even better results, do them in the morning and in the evening.  We may have you do them when you come into the office as well.