{"id":17120,"date":"2025-06-26T19:48:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/17120\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T19:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:48:28","slug":"how-a-68-year-old-trains-for-a-100-mile-portugal-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/17120\/","title":{"rendered":"How a 68-Year-Old Trains for a 100-Mile Portugal Walk"},"content":{"rendered":"

In September, I\u2019m going to be walking approximately 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago<\/a>, from Porto to Vigo, in Portugal. Last October, I completed the Spanish portion of the route (that\u2019s me in the photo above). It was 78 miles and took six days. To stay strong and fit enough to complete the upcoming journey, I know I need to be strength training. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m also eager to improve my bone density\u2014something I keep tabs on through regular DEXA scans\u2014because I have osteoporosis. In addition to upping my protein<\/a> and calcium intake<\/a> through my diet, my doctor told me regular resistance training is important. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s what inspired me to try Prevention\u2019s Fundamental Strength Workout<\/a>, designed for women over 50 in particular. If you, like me, have osteoporosis or any other pre-existing conditions, talk to your doctor before trying any new exercise routine.<\/p>\n

Become a Prevention member today to access the full workout.<\/strong>
JOIN NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not totally new to strength training: I have a deck of cards<\/a> that I bought on Amazon with suggested exercises for all the body parts\u2014you just pick a half-dozen of them, flip them over, and you have a workout for the day. I’ve been doing this for over a year, but haven\u2019t done a structured strength training workout, other than a handful of group fitness classes, in a while. <\/p>\n

My game plan: <\/strong>I started doing the Functional Strength Workout in April three to four times a week. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a chair. I still mixed in my playing card exercises as well. I also do Tai Chi workout videos on Youtube a couple of times a week.<\/p>\n

The workout felt attainable, but there was enough of a promise of benefit to make it worth it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m 68, I’m at a point now where all I read about in my age bracket is like, \u2018You’re going to fall, you’re going to break your hip, you’re going to break your arm, you shouldn’t be on a ladder, you shouldn’t do this or that. I liked that this workout plan acknowledged the realities of aging without screaming at you to watch it! You\u2019re an old person now. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also very accessible. The other day, I thought I was going to go to the gym, but I didn\u2019t have time. So I just took 15 minutes in an open room in the office to get it in. I\u2019m only using five-pound dumbbells which I keep at my desk. <\/p>\n

I made major balance \u2018gains.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

My favorite move was Heel-to-Toe Walk. At first I was wobbling all over and then I said \u2018oh, I see what the key is\u2014not to look at your feet, but to look forward or focus on something else.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\"functional<\/p>\n

Alyssa Jung<\/p>\n

I had an appointment with a functional medicine doctor a few weeks ago and I mentioned to her that I was doing this exercise. She’s very fit and she got up and tried to do it, and she was wobbling all over.<\/p>\n

Balance is so important for older people, and I\u2019ve found that mine has improved through doing this move. I can even stand on one foot while I brush my teeth now without falling over.<\/p>\n

I felt myself improving in other ways as the weeks went by. In addition to the Heel-to-Toe Walk, the Chair Sit-to-Stand also got easier with time. I really think I could do more reps of both of those moves. <\/p>\n

\"individual<\/p>\n

Alyssa Jung<\/p>\n

I would definitely recommend this workout (and in particular, the Heel-to-Toe Walk) to other women. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall, it’s a good routine to keep you moving so that life isn’t as hard. My tip to other women around my age trying this\u2014or any other strength training routine: Just keep at it. If you feel a little wobbly or shaky, just keep doing it. Sooner or later it’s going to come more naturally.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, I think this is a great jump start plan for people who are new to exercise or who haven\u2019t strength trained in a while. I\u2019ll definitely continue to incorporate a few of these moves into my routine. One of my doctors suggested adding more weight to my workouts so I think that\u2019s what I\u2019ll aim for next. <\/p>\n

But my biggest goal is my upcoming walk in Portugal\u2014and I\u2019m feeling strong and ready!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In September, I\u2019m going to be walking approximately 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago, from Porto to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[2874,16664,1201,1198,3181,210,2875,16663,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-17120","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-how-to-service","9":"tag-contentid-5c4942ae-fdc0-4446-91b6-97d49de3a276","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-hasproduct-true","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-shorttitle-this-workout-helped-me-prepare-for-a-100-mile-walk","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114751400298187098","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}