When asked about their physical condition, most people would say they are in shape. But how fit are they really? Four short exercises determine your condition – and show whether you have problems with strength, mobility, endurance and coordination even in old age.
It’s amazing how easy it is to misjudge your own abilities. Perhaps you also know people who consider themselves to be above-average drivers, but are in fact only average at best. Others did competitive sports in their youth and therefore still feel like superman even at 50 plus, but are actually already at their limit when they have to carry two crates of mineral water to the first floor. If they stagger or even fall on uneven terrain, someone else is guaranteed to be to blame.
Particularly embarrassing: You only notice your own unfitness when everyone else catches the subway while you yourself are still panting and stumbling down the steps to the platform.
Vera Cordes has been the face of the health magazine “Visite” on NDR television for more than 20 years. She studied German, education and sports science. She then graduated from the Axel Springer School of Journalism and worked as a news editor and presenter for radio stations in Berlin and Hanover.
“I have something for you” by Vera Cordes
So how is your fitness really? Check yourself and practice at the same time! Because with the following four simple basics, testing and training are one and the same. The Hamburg fitness educator Maria Jäger and sports physician Helge Riepenhof have put together these exercises, which I also do regularly and am happy to recommend.
The specialist in sports orthopaedics, prevention and rehabilitation at the trade association clinic in Hamburg treats people on a daily basis who have often been seriously injured because of their lack of fitness. For many years he has also been advising top international athletes in a wide variety of disciplines and knows what is important so that you can move safely and rely on your body at any age and in any situation.
Honestly, if we don’t do anything, we gradually become slack. Where should speed, endurance, mobility and coordination come from if we only move a few hundred steps a day on average between home, car, work and back again. Not to mention the widespread motionlessness in the home office.
Over time, we underestimate more and more how much strength it takes to be able to arrest a fall in a fraction of a second. Denial that coordination is also fleeting if you don’t practice it. In an emergency, strength and mobility are only useful if both are optimally coordinated.
Be honest with yourself and get started – preferably today! Then you’ll be one step further tomorrow.
Hold this exercise for 30 seconds. Even if your arms and legs start shaking. This is extremely exhausting, but also extremely effective. Indispensable for fall prevention and for a well-trained core.
If this is easy for you, repeat the exercise, lengthening it or standing on one leg while you do it. Push-ups are also an increase.
You should be able to do at least one pass. Older people in particular should train as much as possible every day into old age. After all, if you are lying on the ground after a fall, you need to be able to support yourself with your arms in order to get up again.
You should be able to do 100 knee raises in two minutes. This perfectly challenges the thigh, calf, buttocks and abdominal muscles. But the test also shows whether the heart and lungs are in order. Anyone who can easily hold out for two minutes demonstrates good stamina, will probably not have any problems climbing stairs and will be able to cope with longer distances in everyday life without many breaks.
This leg circles can be a real challenge, especially for older people, because the ability to keep one’s balance decreases with age. This is a major reason why older people fall more often and injure themselves seriously. If you feel unsafe, be sure to hold on to the back of a chair or a wall to get a secure hold at first.
Slowly do the exercise five times in a row. If you don’t succeed right away, keep practicing carefully every day. Over time, you’ll become more flexible and gradually get closer to your feet as your hips, Achilles tendon and spine become more flexible. In principle, everyone should be able to reach their feet with their hands in order to be able to tie their shoes while standing alone, wash their feet themselves and, especially if they are diabetic, check them for injuries themselves.
Stay tuned! Because then you will be successful and your strength, endurance, coordination and mobility will improve. Have fun!
