Work Out Your Best Workout; Exercise at Any Age is Encouraged, but Tailor Programs Individually.

Exercise is a personal activity.

An 80-year-old man may want to build muscle strength to fend off injuries. A woman in her 20s aims to drop a few pounds. Others are training for 5K-runs. Children just want to play.

Area fitness experts stress an exercise routine, like a good suit, should be tailored to the individual. It should take into account medical conditions, activity preferences and goals.

Before you start, make sure you don’t have any health problems by checking with a doctor, especially if you are older than 40, said Ray Kendrick, a physical therapist assistant and certified athletic trainer. Kendrick works at The Center for Spine & Sports Rehabilitation in Springettsbury Township, a division of Orthopaedic & Spine Specialists in York County.

Some preconceived notions about what exercises are good for people at certain ages just aren’t true, Kendrick said.

As people age, muscles shrink and become weakened, but older individuals can gain strength into their 70s, 80s and 90s, he said, adding they can benefit from weight training and strength activities.

Yet, parents should be careful not to put children on exercise machines designed for adults because the motion could injure a growing child’s spine, he said.

Prepubescent children are better off lifting their own weight by doing push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups, Kendrick said.

Listen to your body. If you can’t talk at all while exercising and you are a beginner, you may be overdoing it, he said.

Paying attention to your heart can help you get the most out of your workout.

One way to measure how hard you are working is to determine your maximum heart rate, or how many times your heart can beat per minute, Kendrick said. Start with the number 220, then subtract your age. From there you can determine the intensity of your workout.

For example, if you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 180. Working out at between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate will produce the best results, Kendrick said.

So 60 to 80 percent of 180 would be 108 to 144 beats per minute. It’s suggested you exercise for 20 to 30 minutes at that level, but research has shown it doesn’t have to be 30 continuous minutes; you could break it up into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day, Kendrick said.

To figure out if you have reached the level you want during exercise, you can stop and count your heartbeats for one minute or use a heart monitor, he said.

People who exercise often can work at the higher end of their capacity, said Cyndie Kerchner, a trainer at Unique Physique in Springettsbury Township.

But the older you are, the lower your maximum heart rate will be, Kerchner said.

Unique Physique offers Apex, a program that helps customers set their goals and monitors their progress. Trainers encourage people to change up their routines, maybe mix yoga and running.

If you do one hour of cardiovascular activity every night of the week, your body will get used to it, Kerchner said. So they work with people on interval training. A person might push hard for two minutes on the treadmill or bike, then slow down, then push their body again, Kerchner said.

The gym offers classes children and parents can take together as well as sport-specific programs.

Guidelines detailing a specific amount of time a child should exercise are not something you should force on your kids, said Sandy Elstrodt, director of youth education at the Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center in York.

Many kids want to be involved in team sports. Another way to engage children is to take them outside for activities or for walks.

“Just like an adult, kids don’t want to think about exercise; they want to go out and play,” Elstrodt said.

Reach Jennifer Nejman at 771-2026 or jnejman@ydr.com.

PIC: DAILY RECORD FILE

Missy Mazzur of York Township works out at Gold’s Gym. It is important when getting in shape at a gym or on your own to tailor your workout to individual needs.