images from Madison Avenue, it's
hard to escape the message that says
good health as you age comes from
keeping the mind and body active.
"The two work in tandem, and
there's no way to ignore that informa-
tion. If that doesn't motivate some-
one, they can't be motivated," Dr.
Schiff says.
However, for Elfriede Glancy of
Southfield, slick media campaigns fall
on deaf ears; she needs no coaxing to
don sweats and grab a water bottle.
The 77-year-old is very matter of fact
when describing her exercise routine.
"I've always been active," she says.
She rides a bike in the summer,
continues to downhill ski, uses
weight machines and plays tennis
three times a week at Franklin Fitness
and Racquet Club in Southfield.
Glancy, who recently returned from
a tour of the Galapagos Islands,
where walking was the order of the
day, says she's not had to modify her
routine over the years, other than
curtailing her practice of yoga due in
part to tearing a ligament during a
skiing mishap.
Injuries notwithstanding, Dr. Schiff
says it's natural that as bodies change,
how the body is trained changes. "I
don't do as much high-impact work
in favor of more cross-training," she
says. "But I don't exercise any less,
only the intensity has changed. I'm
still building aerobic and muscle
capacity along the way."
Linda Kay, an owner of YogaChi in
Birmingham, has been a yoga instruc-
tor for two decades and she, too, con-
tinues to build strength and flexibili-
ty. More importantly, she doesn't
"dwell on talents lost, or wish to be
younger and faster. I don't think of
myself on the downside of things."
According to Kay, it's the baby
boomers such as her, many of whom
may have been injured at one time or
another doing aggressive exercise rou-
tines, who find yoga most beneficial
as it helps maintain flexibility and
core strength.
Yoga provides more than jut a
physical benefit. "It fine tunes the
brain to listen to the body. Practicing
yoga allows you to put your ear to
your own heart," Kay says.
And for women who may be over-
weight or ashamed of their bodies,
especially in our body-beautiful cul-
ture, Kay says the practice of yoga,
particularly the affirmations from
instructors, can help someone recog-
nize old habits and become stronger
and more courageous, regardless of
their skill level.
Finally, Kay emphasizes, "The prac-
tice of yoga doesn't end at the mat.
We want students to learn self-accept-
ance and take that home. In yoga,
there's balance, which also helps us
find balance in our relationships with
people, our work, and even with food
and drink."
WEST BLOOMFIELD
5859 W Maple Road
Fuel For Thought
Gail Posner, a registered dietician and
owner of Healthy Way Nutrition in
West Bloomfield, says women need to
be cognizant of how best to fuel their
bodies-in-motion.
Posner advises her clients to first
reach and maintain their correct
weight with the help of weight-bearing
exercises. "As we age, we lose muscle
tone, and for some women that starts
as early as their 20s," Posner explains.
Posner advocates weight training to
help protect calcium in the bones,
which helps the muscle tissue remain
strong. Exercises will also prevent the
metabolism from faltering. When the
metabolism slows, it's like a welcome
mat for fat.
Posner's dietary guidelines can help
as the body adjusts to its natural
changes. She suggests avoiding excess
animal protein and salt, which deplete
calcium from the body, and eating
more soy-based foods. Soy may mini-
mize some menopausal side effects,
like hot flashes.
Because the ability to absorb vita-
mins and minerals weakens with age,
most strikingly around the age of 80, a
diet rich in whole grains, and 10 half-
cup servings of fruits and vegetables
daily is advised.
While Posner approves of some vita-
min and mineral supplements, she's
just as quick to warn against overdoing
it with power bars. "These are meal
replacements," she says, "not snacks.
.
An elegant retirement community
designed exclusively for mature adults.
Efficiencies, 1 and 2
Bedroom Apartments
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Dr. Schiff makes a correlation between
the diet-fitness-aging trilogy and how
women perceive themselves. She says
some women over 50 begin to lose
their identity, explaining that "they
once carried power in their beauty,
and in some ways they gradually
become vulnerable to the opinions of
others.
"But women over 50 who exercise
tend to have more confidence and feel
a greater sense of what the body can
do. They feel beautiful and age is
much less important to them. There's
a sense of satisfaction to see a woman
over 50 feel great."
❑
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Optional lunch and dinner served daily
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Daily recreational, cultural, and
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Personal transportation in our van
24-hour in-house staffing
On-site beauty and barber shops
Personal care services available
Small pets welcome
Respite apartments available
Spiritual guidance provided by local synagogues
Computer lab with internet access and classes available
Month-to-month rentals starting at $1,210
For more information call: 248-538-5283
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TDD-1-800-649-3777
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6279 Haggerty Rd • Located in the Bloomfield Avenue Shops LE s'
FOR THE BEST CARE
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•Featured on Del Warner's WDIV (4) "Corning of Age" and The Detroit Free Press "gody,,,AWM
0000623810
6/21
2002
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