{"id":10373,"date":"2016-11-11T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T13:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2020-10-14T08:54:44","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T13:54:44","slug":"senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting\"Senior Grandma<\/h1>\n

Two years ago, Shirley Webb of East Alton, Illinois, couldn\u2019t get up off the floor without help. Earlier this year, the 78-year old deadlifted a 225-pound barbell with ease. The record-setting senior weightlifter sets a great example of how everyday seniors can improve their mobility<\/a><\/strong>, feel better, and have fun with exercise. Here\u2019s how Webb\u00a0got started and kept\u00a0going with free-weight training, and what we can learn from her.<\/p>\n

Find a workout buddy<\/h2>\n

Webb said she decided to join her gym after going along to keep her 20-year old granddaughter company. Fitness experts say having a workout buddy<\/a><\/strong> and a workout group is a great way to stay motivated, pursue your goals, and have more fun while you exercise.<\/p>\n

Choose a senior-friendly gym<\/h2>\n

Webb told ESPN she wasn\u2019t intimidated at all by her first visit to the gym. The fact that the staff took the time to explain all the equipment to her and her granddaughter cemented her decision to sign up, she said. You\u2019re more likely to go work out if you look forward to being at the gym, so choose a place that makes you feel welcome. There are more than 36,000 gyms in the US, so unless you live in a very rural area you probably have more than one choice nearby. Visit a few before you sign a contract.<\/p>\n

Work with a patient and attentive trainer<\/h2>\n

Shirley Webb gave\u00a0John Wright, her fitness trainer<\/a><\/strong>, lots of credit for being patient with her. She told ESPN that when he asked her to get down on the floor for an exercise, she told him she wouldn\u2019t be able to get back up. Wright assured her he\u2019d help her, and a great fitness partnership was born. Webb said her trainer watches her form carefully to prevent possible injury. An attentive trainer or teacher is necessary not only for weightlifting but also for low-impact workouts like yoga and Pilates where poor form can cause problems.<\/p>\n

Start slow and pace yourself<\/h2>\n

Webb has been quick to remind people that she didn\u2019t start out in \u201cbeast mode\u201d but with light weights and a program to raise her overall fitness level. To get where she is now, she simply lifted slightly heavier weights as Wright introduced them. A slow and methodical approach can lead to big improvements over time without the risk of injury from trying to do too much, too soon.<\/p>\n

Set realistic fitness goals<\/h2>\n

Webb has said she\u2019d like to work up to deadlifting 275 pounds, and then maybe go for 300. For seniors who are new to fitness, she suggested more attainable goals \u2013 showing up and feeling better. \u201cGo join a gym. You don\u2019t have to lift heavy weights,\u201d she told ESPN. \u201cWhen I go to the gym and work out for an hour, I feel so much better than I did when I walked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever your goals, you may be able to meet them without leaving your retirement community. You can find out why senior living communities<\/a><\/strong> now have some of the best gyms and explore independent living options <\/strong><\/a>on SeniorAdvisor.com.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma Two years ago, Shirley Webb of East Alton, Illinois, couldn\u2019t get up off the floor without help. Earlier this year, the 78-year old deadlifted a 225-pound barbell with ease. The record-setting senior weightlifter sets a great example of how everyday seniors can improve their mobility, feel better, and have fun with exercise. Here\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,35],"tags":[42,44],"class_list":{"0":"post-10373","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-senior-health-fitness","8":"tag-active-retirement","9":"tag-senior-fitness"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSenior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-11T13:00:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-10-14T13:54:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casey Kelly-Barton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casey Kelly-Barton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/\",\"name\":\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-11T13:00:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-14T13:54:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08\"},\"description\":\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"description\":\"Empowering Families in their Search for Care\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08\",\"name\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton\"},\"description\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/author\/caseykb\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","description":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","og_description":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.","og_site_name":"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","article_published_time":"2016-11-11T13:00:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-10-14T13:54:44+00:00","author":"Casey Kelly-Barton","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Casey Kelly-Barton","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/","url":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/","name":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-11-11T13:00:18+00:00","dateModified":"2020-10-14T13:54:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08"},"description":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma. Shirley Webb is a great example for everyone who wants to start exercising.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/senior-fitness-inspiration-from-a-weightlifting-grandma\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Senior Fitness Inspiration from a Weightlifting Grandma"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#website","url":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/","name":"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","description":"Empowering Families in their Search for Care","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08","name":"Casey Kelly-Barton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.40.255\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","caption":"Casey Kelly-Barton"},"description":"Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.","url":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/author\/caseykb\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10373"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15424,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions\/15424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}