Senior Fitness Sixty-Six Festival

"Sixty-Six Sessions of Fitness for the Elderly" does not have a standard action version that is common across the entire network. It is a flexibly adjustable fitness combination framework designed by three mainstream fitness systems based on the physiological characteristics of people over 60 years old. Its core function is to improve muscle strength and balance, and reduce the risk of falling. There is no standard answer that "must be followed". Only the version that adapts to individual physical conditions is useful.

I have been a volunteer fitness instructor at a community college for the elderly for three years. I have met more than 200 seniors who have practiced 66 sessions. Some have experienced pitfalls and some have achieved results. Today I will explain my practical experience clearly.

The earliest popular general version was launched by the National Physical Fitness Monitoring Center in 2018. It has a total of sixty-six sections, each section has four 8-beat steps, covering all major muscle groups from head to toe, from turning the head and shrugging to tiptoes and heel raises. The range of movements is moderate and there are no high difficulty requirements. It is especially suitable for healthy elderly people without high blood pressure, arthritis, or severe osteoporosis. Don't tell me, the 68-year-old Uncle Liu in our community is this version of a "loyal fan". He leads the team to practice in the small square at 7 o'clock every morning. He has persisted for two years regardless of rain or shine. Last year, his bone density was higher than that of many 50-year-old middle-aged people. The last time he carried 20 kilograms of rice up to the fifth floor, he was barely out of breath.

Another widely circulated version is the TCM health-preserving school version, jointly compiled by several health-preserving teachers from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The classic movements of Baduanjin and Yi Jin Jing are broken down into 66 small movements. Each section requires abdominal breathing. For example, the 12th section is kneading the valley, the 24th section is Zusanli, and the 36th section is rubbing the Shenshu, focusing on dredging qi and blood. Many aunties in the community who prefer traditional health care love to practice this. Aunt Zhang, who always had cold hands and feet before, has been practicing for half a year and said she doesn’t need to wear two pairs of thick socks this winter, and her feet are no longer lumpy when she sleeps at night.

For the elderly with underlying diseases, we recommend the rehabilitation version - this is specially adjusted by the Rehabilitation Department team of Peking University Third Hospital for people with chronic diseases. For those with high blood pressure, all movements with the head lower than the heart should be deleted and replaced with gentle neck movements in a head-up state.； For those with knee arthritis, replace half-squats with seated leg-raising exercises to completely avoid weight-bearing movements on the joints. I met 72-year-old Uncle Wang before, who has a 30-year history of hypertension. He used to practice the general version and he would feel dizzy every time he lowered his head. After switching to the rehabilitation version, he practiced for three months and his balance ability improved a lot. He didn't dare to go downstairs alone before. Now he carries the bird cage two stops to the park every day.

Nowadays, there is a lot of controversy about the Sixty-Six Festival on the Internet. Some people say that it is just a show, and it is not as effective as walking 10,000 steps a day. This actually makes sense. Public studies have shown that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking a day can improve the heart and lung function of the elderly no less than 66 sessions. However, the problem is that walking cannot train the small muscles of the shoulders, back and core. Many elderly people who only walk all year round still cannot escape the problems of frozen shoulders and poor core strength and are prone to falling. 66 sessions can just make up for this gap. There is another school of thought that goes to the other extreme, saying that it must be done strictly according to the movement standards, and even a centimeter difference is useless. This is a bit divorced from the actual situation of the elderly: after all, the joints of the elderly have varying degrees of degenerative diseases. For example, in the forward bending movement, young people can touch their toes. If the elderly have a bad waist, they have reached the standard if they can touch their calves. Forced movements can easily strain the lumbar spine and knee joints.

Let me talk about some practical tips that I have summarized over the years, which are common pitfalls for the elderly: Don’t practice on an empty stomach. Many old people rush to the small square when they get up in the morning and are prone to hypoglycemia in the middle of practice. I met an aunt last year, and when she reached the 20th session of practice, her vision went dark and she almost collapsed. Later, I asked them to stuff half a soda cracker or drink half a cup of warm soy milk before going out, and this has never happened again. Don’t compare yourself with others. Downstairs, Aunt Chen was competing with her older sisters to see who could press their legs higher. The ligaments were pulled hard and she needed to rest for almost a month. It’s really unnecessary. Just make the range of movement comfortable for you. Also, don’t sit on the stone bench immediately after practicing. Walk slowly for two or three minutes and pat the muscles of your thighs and calves. This can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid and prevent you from being sore all over the next day.

Last week, I helped the community update the action display board for Section 66, and I specially added a line of small words at the bottom: "Fitness is not a test, comfort and usefulness are more important than standards." Nowadays, many old people will read this sentence before practicing, which is very good. When we seniors exercise, isn’t it just to have a strong body and enjoy a few more years of happiness?