Off season condtioning

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Name your price; you're hired.

My wife gets to most of those maybe once a year (one or two daily, one or two less than annually), and I have much less time than she does for such admirable but optional activities.

GURGLETROUSERS · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 2643

Jeanne Socrates, a 77 year old woman became the oldest person to sail around the world solo and non stop, according to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. From Lymington in Hampshire England she set a new world record with a 320 day voyage which ended in Victoria Canada, on Saturday 8 Sept 2019.

dlee quote '65 year old woman
I am a 70 year old fart'

Sad!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

While those and diet may keep you slim, slim does not equal healthy. They lack the activities most vital to the length, vitality, deadly disease avoidance, and quality of life, especially as we age. Specifically, they omit strength-building exercise and the two I's in HIIT -- Intensity and Intervals, all known for generations and proven more soundly in every recent year to make the biggest difference. Better yet for people who say they haven't time to exercise, those three most vital forms of exercise can be achieved very effectively in less than an hour a week and can easily add a decade of vitality to our lives. That's a pretty good tradeoff.

rigitrite · Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 520 Location: Kansas City

U2U2U2 · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 10:45 am Post subject:

Kindly let them alone, they are busy destroying this thread, while leaving others alone.

dmilovich · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 99

Hi Sacandagalady,

I find that cross-country skiing is an excellent off-season conditioning sport for windsurfing. As an example, we just went to La Ventana in mid-December after skiing 3-4 days a week at home in Utah and found our fitness well-suited to 4.0-5.5/85 liter big chop and swells. We've confirmed this a number of times over the past few years. I'm 68 and started XC skiing about 6 seasons ago. My g/f is 62.

Might I suggest you give it a try? I'd specifically recommend XC "skate" skiing, as opposed to the XC "classic" or "diagonal" skiing. Equipment isn't that expensive, nor are the track fees. I see that Lapland Lake XC Ski Center, perhaps not far from you, is open with good conditions..

If this is new to you, I would strongly urge you to take some lessons in XC skate technique, since it's not intuitive. But just a few lessons will definitely get you on your way. You can rent gear on the spot, get a lesson and give it a go.

The fitness and cardio benefits of XC skate skiing are well-known. It's also great for your balance and proprioception. (I have balance issues and found my balance very improved with regular skiing.) Importantly, it's also generally very easy on the joints. My g/f has knee issues and is able to skate ski just fine. It was the first thing I did after a hip replacement, with no issues whatsoever.

A really big benefit is that you also get a full-body workout, unlike most biking or running. I've found that my upper body fitness from the poling movements in skate skiing is really good for windsurfing.

Plus, unlike gym workouts, you're outside! Soon you'll be gliding along the trails watching the trees go by and having fun away from traffic and noise and close to nature. (We get the occasional moose on the trail here!) Snowing or sunny, it's always nice to be out on the trail, skating. The exercise definitely keeps you warm. The hilly sections offer good intensity uphill and some thrills downhill to boot.

Depending on your snow levels (and wetsuit thickness!) you'll perhaps have a shoulder season of a month or so in between seasons, when you can turn to the gym or another activity to carry your fitness over (single-speed mountain biking is a good one) but you'll be well ahead in body and spirit.

Have fun!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

That's an excellent idea. Lord knows Lady has access to the requisite conditions.

And thanks for getting the thread back on topic.

jpf18 · Joined: 13 Aug 2000 Posts: 347 Location: San Francisco

dcharlton · Joined: 24 Apr 2002 Posts: 414

If you're near a pool, I'd recommend swimming laps. Complete body workout, easy on the joints and best of all, if you get into trouble a mile offshore, you know you're a strong swimmer!

DC

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

Yes, we are beating a dead horse, but what we choose to do to keep going depends on many factors, and it can vary quite a bit from individual to individual.

If you windsurf a lot, you have it made. To be ready for the wind, which may not be often, I focus on a couple of things. Usually, the first thing to go (fatigue) when on the water is my arms and grip, and this can be a big issue if overpowered. Hanging on in a few big gusts can drain the arms really fast. Next is everything else, but mostly legs if it's really choppy/bumpy.

So that's where my focus is, forearm endurance/strength and legs, but I work the whole body as well and emphasize the core to minimize back issues. I am 74 and have been windsurfing for 36 years. Currently 5 boards and 10 sails.

It is much more of a challenge to keep up the strength and endurance as we get older, and occasionally get sidelined with ailments that take us away from the desired routine, but I feel that I am still a long way from the end of my ride.