A lack of exercise took its toll on Nancy Burnham. After retiring from a desk job at 60, she was diagnosed with heart disease and asthma.
But then, one day, this woman who was overweight and got little to no exercise her entire life entered a shopping plaza to buy groceries when she decided to take a right turn (instead of a left) to the gym, a turn of the wheel that changed her life. She parked her car, and stepped inside a gym for the first time. She was 61.
“When I retired, my body was in bad, bad shape, ” said Burnham, of Lilburn. “I was in pain. My back was hurting. And I just thought to myself: ‘I have got to do something about this. Nobody is going to do something about this but me.’”
Little by little, Burnham lost weight (30 pounds total), strengthened her core muscles and felt like a new person. Within about a year of starting her new exercise regimen, she stopped taking several medications, including pills for asthma, high cholesterol and depression. And that nagging pain in her lower back and hands —- gone.
In the summer of 2012, at the age of 65, Burnham became an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer. She works primarily with older adults, most of whom are over 60; one of her clients is in her 80s.
Now 67, Burnham is also the manager of a CrossFit gym in Lilburn (CrossFit Lilburn 678). And she was recently selected as one of 33 personal trainers across the globe spotlighted in an ACE documentary-style video campaign encouraged to inspire people to get fit.
“She was one of those stories we wanted to tell, to inspire people to live a more fit life because it’s never too late, ” said Scott Goudeseune, the CEO of the American Council on Exercise. He said the key to starting an exercise program is to begin slow, such as starting with as little as a five-minute walk, and gradually add time.
Helen Bryson, 66, was matched with Burnham about a year ago for twice-weekly sessions.
“My energy was zip, ” said Bryson, of Lilburn. “And I wanted to lose some weight. It’s amazing to work with someone who understands old bones, so to speak. She knows how to adapt exercises so I can do them, and we have fun.”
Bryson praised Burnham for incorporating Pilates and yoga into the strength training exercises such as lunges and pushups to keep the workout challenging, but enjoyable, too.
“Sometimes she’ll ask me to do something and I will say, ‘I don’t think I want to do that, ’ and she’ll say, ‘I know, but we are going to do it anyway.’ And we both laugh and then I do it, ” said Bryson, a semiretired nurse who currently has a desk job in the home health care industry.
Growing up in Columbus, Burnham recalled recess at school and occasionally biking or walking around her neighborhood, but exercise was otherwise nonexistent. Raised Southern Baptist, she also remembers Wednesday and Sunday feasts at the church, which included filling up on rich, fried traditional Southern cuisine. As an adult, organized physical activity was limited to bowling and taking the occasional stroll around her neighborhood.
Over the years, she turned to physical therapy to ease chronic aches and pains, particularly arthritic pain in her hands, and constant gnawing lower back pain.
She wasn’t shy about telling the gym staff she was an exercise newbie and “needed help.” She said she was matched with an encouraging, patient personal trainer, Robert Pruni (now owner of the CrossFit Lilburn 678).
Once she finally put her mind to exercise at age 61, she went five days a week, including three one-hour-long sessions with a personal trainer.
The high-intensity interval training included bench presses, lunges, squats, pullups and situps, as well as going outside to throw medicine balls and walk (and eventually run) wearing a resistance harness.
“There were machines that were absolutely my nemesis, ” said Burnham, who retired from a career with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, where she held several office management positions.
“And one day, my trainer said we are going to do dips. I am standing there with sweat pouring off me and I feel like I am at the bottom of the barrel, like I cannot do this. And I am a failure. And this boy comes up to me and says, ‘You don’t know me but I want to tell you what an inspiration you are to me. I see you come in here day after day and work so hard.’ … To have that encouragement is huge.”
She said Pruni also told her, “You can do it.”
“I can do it” became her personal mantra.
“Some days, I would say it several times, over and over: I can do it. I can do it. I … can … do … this.”
She also changed her diet, cutting back on starchy carbohydrates and adding more lean proteins and leafy greens to her meals. She paid more attention to portion size.
On a recent morning, Burnham was full of energy and smiles. Exercise, she said, allowed her to more fully enjoy the golden years. She looked like a woman who wasn’t about to slow down. And she has a message for her clients.
“If I can do this, believe me, you can do this, ” she said.
Living
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Tips for exercising as an older adult —- even if you are a newbie to working up a sweat
> Even if you’ve never been active, it’s never too late to reap the many health benefits of regular exercise. Regular cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, bicycling or swimming, strengthens the heart and muscles, and boosts energy and endurance. It also helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels and works as a natural mood elevator.
>Play it safe: Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes. Avoid outdoor activities in extreme temperatures. Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated. Listen to your body when determining an appropriate exercise intensity (and keep in mind that monitoring intensity using heart rate isn’t accurate if you are on heart-rate-altering medications such as most medications for hypertension).
> Be aware of danger signs. Stop activity and call your doctor or 911 if you experience any of the following: pain or pressure in your chest, arms, neck or jaw; feeling lightheaded, nauseated or weak; becoming short of breath; developing pain in your legs, calves or back; or feeling like your heart is beating too fast or skipping beats.
> Take it slow: Start with five minutes or whatever you can manage, then gradually work up to 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. You should notice a difference in how you feel within six to eight weeks. Perform muscle-strengthening exercises twice weekly with at least 24 hours in between sessions.
> Go with fun: The best way to keep fit is to choose exercises you enjoy. Consider aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, line dancing, square dancing, ballroom dancing or even just walking the dog.
Source: American Council on Exercise (ACE)
Go to MyAJC.com/living to see a video profile of Nancy Burnham. You’ll also get the latest on fitness topics and trends, including our look at Mr. Olympia Lee Haney and his new focus on fitness for folks who are 50 and older.
