Meow! Moo! Woof!

Today we are working with cat/cow and up/down dog – both wonderful stretching yoga poses. We will start with cat/cow. We begin in tabletop position with the hands directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Arch the spine upward while rounding the shoulders and dropping the head low. Take a deep breath or two here and then lift the head and let the spine straighten and then drop towards the ground. Another deep breath or two. The first part is supposed to look like and angry cat and the second part is supposed to look like one of the raggedy cows from 1930s cartoons.

This movement can also be done in a chair. Sit comfortably in the chair, slightly forward on the seat with your hands on your knees. Round the back/spine, drop the head and round the shoulders forward – breathe. Then raise the head, looking upward and arch the spine forward.

That’s taken care of the cat and the cow so now we come to the dog. Downward dog begins in a pike position with the hands forward and fingertips spread wide to give a base. Butt is up in the air. Feet are either flat on the ground or on tiptoes, depending on flexibility. The head should be dropped between the outstretched arms. A couple deep breaths either while standing still or “walking the dog” which entails bending on leg at a time and then straightening it, alternating legs.

To move into up dog, lower your body without collapsing into a heap, stay controlled until you get to a plank position and then drop your hips slightly, raise your head and look upward, with a slight arch in your back. The legs do not touch the floor here, you are still only touching the ground at four points – hands and feet.

To flow between the two, push back up, raising your butt into the air once again.

This, too, can be done with a chair. Stand in front of the braced chair, seat facing you, and put your hands either flat on the seat of the chair, or for greater balance, holding the sides of the chair. Effect the same movement, move your feet backward with the spine straight, dropping your head between your arms. To get to up dog, come forward and arch your back. Make sure the chair is stable and will not go scooting across the floor.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
3 cat/cow
3 up/down dog

CIRCUIT
2-3x
5 dislocates and pass throughs|6-8 Russian twists, with or without weights on the floor or seated in a chair|
rest as needed

The shoulders are the most mobile joints in our bodies. They can move every which way. The price of this mobility is a bit of a loss in stability. The way to protect the shoulders and their mobility is to strengthen the muscles holding the entire shoulder girdle in place. This is part of the work of all this dog stuff today.

Another key feature to our mobility is the spinal column. There is a natural curve to the spine that is supported by many cooperating systems. To help with all the muscles and ligaments and spinal processes and the whole bony structure to assure continued fluid movement is essential. This is the cat/cow stuff today.

Staying mobile and staying able are the two of the most important indicators of continued good health. Keeping or recovering movement keeps us up and about for longer and that is a good goal to pursue.

Stay balanced.
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Planks with a Twist

Today’s movement is called a Plank Knee Twist. It it pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The move starts with a plank and then involves a twisting motion carried out with the knee.

This exercise builds cores strength, works on the oblique muscles along the sides of your torso, and challenges balance for stability work.

The move starts from a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and a straight line running from shoulders to heels. If you slightly rotate your hands outward, so they would be pointing towards 11 and 1 on a clock rather than straight up towards 12, you will have a better base for balance. While holding your arms steady, pick up your right foot and bend the knee toward your left elbow, giving you a twisting motion. Bring the leg back down, and repeat on the other side.

Of course, all this means you are on the ground again. So have a plan for getting back up. If you do not get on the ground. This can be done by leaning on the kitchen counter or a stable chair in a plank position with your feet some distance away from the cabinets/base, and picking up your right foot, bending the knee towards the left elbow, putting your foot back down, and repeat on the other side.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
lay down on the ground on your back, roll right and stand up, if you cannot get off the floor, skip this
lay down on the ground on your back, roll left and stand up, if you cannot get off the floor, skip this
3 sit to stand with a two second pause while sitting

CIRCUIT
2-3x
8-10 plank knee twists – 4-5 per side
6 step ups alternating feet, 3 per side (scaled option is toe taps)
Rest as needed

One of the pitfalls of aging is the likelihood to increase our inability to get back up from the floor. This skill is rarely practiced because – duh, who is going to go around rolling across the floor. Well, the answer to that is – US. I spend in inordinate amount of time getting down and back up from the floor with all the workouts we do in the OPG (Old People Gym – or our garage). Craig, our son, our coach, and a firefighter, is often called out to help the people in Sun City get up off the floor. He does it with kindness and concern, but he would really like it if his parents didn’t have to make that call. So we are on the floor in some capacity for at least 75-85% of the workouts.

The thing is – with practice, it gets easier. Life is always like that. The first time is hard but by the 50th time, you don’t even have to think about it. We probably should have been practicing this for a long time by now. But if we haven’t, the next best choice is to start now. If this is completely out of your wheelhouse, if you KNOW you cannot get off the floor by yourself, the next best option is to work on balance so you never end up there.

We are each in a different place. We’ve had a different life with different experiences. But we can all look forward with less fear and greater confidence if we work on our weaknesses now, before they become more severe and more limiting. There is a real purpose to all this. It is worth it. Because you are worth it.

Stay balanced.
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Up, Up and Away

Today we are going to be working with dumbbells again. Of course, these moves can be done isometrically – or without weights. But I do recommend you hold something relatively weightless in your hand, just to get the grip idea and keep you from clenching your fists. Empty toilet paper rolls or empty (or even full) spice containers would work.

Holding the DBs up to your shoulders with palms facing inward, power them up and overhead. Bring them back to the shoulder position.

Presses are simply a movement where the weight is pressed away from the body and they can be done seated or standing or even lying down on a bench or the floor. When standing, they can be strict, which means no bending of the knees to get the additional oomph upward, or push, which allows that bend and push.

We are doing these today standing. So the very first thing to do is to stand tall. Remember to have your ankles, knees, and hips in a line, your belly button pulled in toward your spine, your chest high and your shoulders squared and relaxed with your shoulder blades down.

I am labeling these as push press, which means we get to have that small dip before the drive. When a press is labeled strict, you cannot bend your knees – making the movement more difficult. But when labeled push, you get the little dip that engages your lower body and adds muscle mass to the move.

DB overhead push press offers different options for hand direction. It can be front facing, which takes greater control over the weight, or face facing, which is what we are going to be doing today. These can also be done either one arm at a time, alternating arms, or both arms together – and we are doing that last option today.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
12 steps marching in place – 6 per leg
8 jumping jacks – jumping, walking out, or sitting

CIRCUIT
2-3x
4-5 DB overhead push press with or without weight – add or subtract weight as needed
4-5 air squats to a target
rest as needed

As always, this is supposed to be challenging but not overwhelming. Weights need to be controlled both with the raising and the lowering movement. Subtracting weight isn’t a failure. Knocking yourself in the head with a weight could be considered less than ideal. So if you chose too high, please back off. However, if you chose too low or light, increase it a bit and see if that works. And know that with practice, that higher weight may become available. Have fun.

Stay balanced.
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Hunting for Balance

Today we are working with a foundational exercise that builds balance, core strength, spinal stability, and coordination. It’s called Bird Dog because we supposed look like a hunting dog pointing at some game.

We start on our hands and knees in a tabletop position. The hands are directly under the shoulders and the knees are directly under the hips. The trick here is to tighten your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine. You then slowly extend your right arm straight out in front of you while extending your left leg straight back. In this position you ideally are aiming for a straight line from fingertips to toes.

Try nit to twirl your body but keep your shoulders and hips square. Avoid lifting your leg too high as this may cause back pain. Keep the movement slow and steady. This isn’t a race and controlled movements are the goal.

Now bring your arm and leg back to the tabletop position and repeat on the other side.

This can be done at your kitchen counter top if getting onto and off the floor isn’t available right now. Stand at the counter with both hand lightly resting on the top. Raise the right foot and left arm at the same time, return to the starting point and then do the other side.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
accumulate 20 seconds standing with right foot in front
accumulate 20 seconds standing with left foot in front

CIRCUIT

3-4x
4-5 knee taps/leg for a count of 8-10
4-5 bird dog (right + left = 1 rep) for a count of 8-10
rest as needed

Part of overall fitness is challenging your brain. Because this uses opposing sides of the body, it takes some concentration to make it work. If you raise both your right arm and leg, you will find yourself quite off balance, so it is self correcting. Have fun with the movement.

Stay balanced.
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With a Twist

Russian twists are quite beneficial – but should not be done if you have lower back pain. As with any exercise, if it hurts – STOP.

There are many ways this particular exercise helps build fitness. The first is, of all things, core. So many of our movements are to strengthen the core because it is essential to our overall well-being.

They also improve rotational strength, enhance stability, and encourage better posture. That’s a lot of benefit, but to do them safely, there are caveats. It is crucial you keep your spine straight or not rounded. The twist part comes from your torso, not just swinging your arms.

This can be done from the floor or a chair. If you are on the floor, make sure you have a plan in place to get back up when you are done.

Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent and lean back to about a 45° angle as this tightens your core. You can do this with your feet off the floor, which increases the difficulty, or leave them planted. Lifted feet should be held together or with crossed ankles. If you use a weight, hold it in both hands and if you are not using a weight, clasp your hands together. Rotate your torso and bring your weight or hands toward the floor, first on one side and then to the other. The move is essentially the same from a chair, you are just sitting in a chair.

Some things to remember is to maintain control and avoid rushing. Watch your posture to protect your back.

When counting reps for this exercise, turning to the right is one, then to the left is two. It is not a two count move. Each rotation is rep.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
1-2 times
6 arm circles, small and large, forward and backward with palm facing up and then palms facing down

CIRCUIT
2-3 times
5-7 air squats to a target
4-6 Russian twists, with or without weight
rest as needed

Being able to turn your body helps with many activities of daily living. Twisting to pick up something off a counter is essentially a standing Russian twist. We do this many times a day. Today, we are just doing it with purpose.

Stay balanced
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Why Do I Do This

I was thinking – always a dangerous occupation – and started to wonder exactly why I do the fitness stuff I do. It’s hard. Some days, it is incredibly difficult. And yet, I keep doing it. Why? What am I doing all this crap for? I’m old already. Do I ever get to stop? Do I continue for any particular reason? Well, a few and here are some of them.

  1. Get down and back up off the toilet without using my hands. Especially in public bathrooms.
  2. Get in and out of bathtubs. I have a walk-in shower at home, but I love to travel.
  3. Reach for things on higher shelves.
  4. Jump up onto the kitchen counter to grab stuff even higher up. And get back down.
  5. Rearrange the books on the bottom bookshelf at home. Or get to it in the library.
  6. Easily walk up and down the stairs. Even when carrying something.
  7. Carry the groceries to the car or into the house and then put them away.
  8. Put my underwear on without tipping over.
  9. Blow dry my hair.
  10. Pick up a heavy fry pan as needed.
  11. Move furniture around when bored.
  12. Clean out the closets.
  13. Sweep out the gym.
  14. Simply walk through the world at ease.
  15. Open heavy doors which can be tricky in hotels where they are fire doors and quite heavy.
  16. Maintain my balance if I trip so I don’t fall.
  17. Make it through Costco and back home.
  18. Get up and down off the floor for whatever reason. Best one, playing with a grandchild.
  19. Overall confidence.
  20. Enjoy my life.

The list is pretty much endless. In fact, as I go through my days, I rarely even realize the benefits of accrued gym time. I just can easily get from here to there and do the things I want to do. I am sure of what my body can do, how it can move, where to use caution, and when to say no. I know the limits, but push slightly at the edges constantly.

Years ago, we were leaving a coffee shop. There was a step down, but I didn’t realize that simple fact and walked out – missing the step. It was quite stunning. But I had been doing CrossFit for a few years by then. My foot finally hit pavement and I planted it and … kept going. My son was reaching out to help me because he thought I might fall over and tumble to the ground. He smiled and pointed out how that gym stuff was working. My legs and core were primed to fire and hold me upright.

That’s why I do all this stuff. I want to go through my days with a body that remembers how to use all the wonderful equipment I have. I want my muscles to fire when I need them. I want to know that I can balance myself when I stumble. I want to pick up the groceries or whatever, and go forward (or backward as needed). I want my life to not be limited by a body I forgot to care about. I want to know I’ve done all I could to have a safe and productive old age.

And that’s why. So there is no end. There is just confidence or even some boldness. There is assuring the cashier than I can pick up the bag of groceries. There is boldly walking at a normal, decent pace without watching my feet. There is looking out at the world with head held high, looking into a future where I can, in fact, do the hard things.

January 2026 workout list




January 2026


Practice standing tall


Dislocates and passthroughs


DB curls


1-10
Today’s workout:
2-3 sets
lay down on your back, roll to the right until you are on your stomach, stand up
lay down on your back, roll to the left until you are on your stomach, stand up
5 bilateral (both arms at the same time) DB curls with or without weight
rest as needed, fully recover between sets


1-13
Today’s workout:
2-3 sets
10 jumping jacks
5 hammer curls per arm (all on the left and then all on the right)
rest as needed


1-15
Today’s workout:
2-3x
Accumulate 20 second in a heel to toe stand with right foot in front
Accumulate 20 second in a heel to toe stand with left foot in front
Accumulate 15 seconds of standing on right foot
Accumulate 15 seconds of standing on left foot
8 baby steps forward
8 baby steps backward
Rest as needed


1-17
Today’s workout:
3-4 sets
3-5 sit-ups
5-10 second plank hold
rest as needed


1-20
Today’s workout:
2-3 sets
3-5 step ups (or toe taps) with right foot first
3-5 step ups (or toe taps) with left foot first
5-7 bilateral DB curls with or without weights
rest as needed


1-22
Today’s workout:
2-3 times
extend left arm with palm up, use right had to move hand down for 10 seconds, then up for ten second
extend right arm with palm up, use left had to move hand down for 10 seconds, then up for ten second
keep arms extended, palms down facing
8 clench and stretch both hands
8 finger touches to thumb both hand
8 jumping jacks (jumping, step out, or seated)


1-24
Today’s workout:
2-3 times
5-8 triceps presses
5-8 heel to toe steps forward (baby steps) *
5-8 heel to toe steps backward (baby steps) *
rest as needed
* if you are at all unstable with these, do them next to a counter top or wall so you can brace yourself if needed

1-27
Today’s workout:
WARM UP
arms straight out from shoulders by sides
palms down: 6-8 small forward
6-8 small backward
6-8 big forward
6-8 big backward
palms up: 6-8 small forward
6-8 small backward
6-8 big forward
6-8 big backward


CIRCUIT
2-3 times
5-7 air squats to a target
6-10 knee raises (4-5 per leg)
10-12 steps marching in place (5-6 per leg)
rest as needed


1-29
e movements can be done from a chair.
Today’s workout:
WARM UP
stand heel to toe for 20 seconds
put other foot forward and stand 20 seconds
CIRCUIT
1-2 times
hold Warrior 2 pose for 30 seconds with or without including Reverse Warrior (this should be 4-5 slow, deep breaths)
switch sides and a hold for 30 seconds
5-6 sit-ups anchored or unanchored (scaling option is seated with knee raises, either both together or one at a time, and if one at a time is 5-6 per leg)
rest as needed


1-31
Today’s workout:
WARM UP
1-2 times
march in place for 15-20 seconds
CIRCUIT
2-3 times
3-5 sit to stand, sitting down for at least 2 seconds before rising
4-6 DB curls with or without weights (both arms at the same time)
rest as needed

Sit Down

One of the markers for fitness is being able to get out of a chair without using your arms. This takes leg strength and control to rise to a full standing position.

We know we are using our glutes or butt muscles. Of course, we even slightly tighten that up before we start. But we are also engaging the upper leg muscles, both the hamstrings (back of leg) and quads or quadriceps (front of leg). The calves are engaged for pushing you up and stabilizing your ankles. And then – of course – as always – the core.

We are going to practice this without use of our arms. If you are using your arms to push yourself up off the seat, you are also engaging your arms and shoulders to help you gain momentum.

In order to minimize the use of arms for this exercise, put your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder. This negates their use.

Come slightly forward on your seat. Lean slightly forward, but do not exaggerate this. You aren’t trying to bend down. Plant your feet solidly on the floor in front of you about hip distance or a little farther apart. As you push off the seat and stand, your butt and legs are doing the heavy work. As you come to a more fully upright position, your core kicks and stabilizes the movement. And then, you are standing tall.

If you are pushing off from the arms of your chair or a table, come up and stand tall.

This is different than a squat where you carry the momentum from the up to the down and from the down to the up. By sitting completely in the chair, there is no stored potential energy ready to fire. You are going from resting to engaging all these different muscle groups in succession and unison. In some ways it is easier than the constant up and down of squats, and in other ways it is more difficult. Be patient with the process.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
1-2 times
march in place for 15-20 seconds

CIRCUIT
2-3 times
3-5 sit to stand, sitting down for at least 2 seconds before rising
4-6 DB curls with or without weights (both arms at the same time)
rest as needed

Practicing with some activities of daily living can let you see where you might want to build in something like micro workouts throughout your day. Perhaps you may choose to practice standing without using your arms each time you get out of a chair, but beware if you have a nice upholstered one because those are tricky. Maybe you want to practice this each time you get off the toilet so you don’t have to touch anything in a public bathroom. Make a game of this and know that this particular movement can really be important, say if you have to stand up with a cup of coffee in one hand and lovely plate of pie (cookies, cake) in the other.

Stay balanced
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Be a Warrior

Warrior pose for yoga comes in a variety of different forms. We will be working with Warrior 2.

We begin standing in mountain pose, which is yoga’s way of saying stand tall, chest up, shoulders relaxed and shoulder blades down your back, hand facing forward. This is a basic way to start any standing exercise no matter what the discipline.

First, take a step back with one leg while rotating toward the front leg, bending the knee so it tracks over the foot. The back foot should be angled to a 45 degree angle.

The next step is to raise the arms horizontally, keeping the shoulders down and away from the ears. Look out over the fingertips. This is Warrior 2. If you are feeling balanced enough to try, you may turn your front hand over, raising your front arm to sky, looking at your fingertips, and allowing your back arm to fall toward your leg. This is Reverse Warrior.

This exercise works on balance but also strengthens core, legs, and arms.

And, it can be done seated. So if you don’t yet have the balance to perform this move standing, the same movements can be done from a chair.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
stand heel to toe for 20 seconds
put other foot forward and stand 20 seconds

CIRCUIT
1-2 times
hold Warrior 2 pose for 30 seconds with or without including Reverse Warrior (this should be 4-5 slow, deep breaths)
switch sides and a hold for 30 seconds
5-6 sit-ups anchored or unanchored (scaling option is seated with knee raises, either both together or one at a time, and if one at a time is 5-6 per leg)
rest as needed

One of the biggest physical issues older adults face is the loss of balance. Working on balance itself is great. What actually holds us up is our core strength. The better your torso is at holding you upright, the steadier you can be.

Stay balanced
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Diddly Squat

Today’s skills are working on some gentle movements. We talked about shoulder mobility last week. Today, we will try some more things to loosen up tight shoulders. Holding the arms straight out to the sides so you look like Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, and with palms facing the floor, make small circles moving the arms forward. Then go backwards. Now make big circles going forward and then backward. Then flip the palms up facing the ceiling and do it all again.

Another skill is marching in place. Simply pick up one foot, set it down, and pick up the other foot, set it down, repeat for the number of reps. Only pick your feet up as far as comfortable so you don’t lose your balance. If that is not available to you yet, do this from a chair. Swing your arms as you march. The higher the foot raises and the more exaggerated the arm swings, the harder the movement becomes. Work to your own pace.

A third option for movement is knee raises. Raise one leg with bent knee to waist height and tap the top of your knee with your hands. Repeat on the other side. Again, if your balance doesn’t allow for this much, raise your leg less or do the exercise while seated.

Now, we come to squats. There are over forty different types of squats. So there are many ways going forward to play with this basic movement. Today, we are working with the simple air squat. We will go to a target. A squat consists of standing upright, and then bending your knees and lowering your upper body (with chest held high and not looking at your feet) and then standing back up.

Start by standing tall with feet hip distance apart. As you lower, your knees track slightly outward, if they drop inward, you are torquing your knee and we don’t want that. It will help if you have a target, such as a chair, to know when you are adequately lowered. Then, “pop” back up. By holding your arms high, straight or bent, it will help to keep you from bending forward – a goal for this movement. If a chair is too low, put a pillow on it. If you are unsteady, grab a second chair and put it in front of you to use for balance. If all this is too much, simply don’t go as low and do more of a dip. We start where we are.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
arms straight out from shoulders
palms down: 6-8 small forward
6-8 small backward
6-8 big forward
6-8 big backward
palms up: 6-8 small forward
6-8 small backward
6-8 big forward
6-8 big backward
CIRCUIT
2-3 times
5-7 air squats to a target
6-10 knee raises (4-5 per leg)
10-12 steps marching in place (5-6 per leg)
rest as needed

All of the workouts I post are what I think can work for you. If they are too much, cut back. If they are too little, add more. The idea is to move in a way that enables you to carry out more of your activities of daily living with greater ease. I want to create a bit of friction, a hard thing to overcome, without creating a mountain or roadblock.

When I was doing CrossFit, and the workouts were written for someone much younger than me, I would often scale the movement or give myself a “senior discount” and do fewer reps. I’ve only had one coach ever argue with me about that and I listened respectfully and figured she was right. I then scaled the movement, but kept the rep scheme. I got a good workout, which has always been my goal. I hope it is yours, too. Do what works, but make sure you are working. You are stronger than you know.

Stay balanced.
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