My exercise regimen when covid closes the gym

Before covid closed my gym, I was there on the treadmill 50 minutes a day, and I usually did various forms of resistance training every second day.  I went 4.0 mph at a 15 degree incline.  I went 4.3 mph for a couple of years, but my stamina seems to have fallen off a little.  

But then they closed the gym.  Fortunately, Amy has a pretty good consumer level treadmill, and I was able to use it at home.  But, unlike the commercial treadmills in the gym, the deck is not cushioned, so running harder sends shock waves up my spine.  This causes some pain in my lower back, so I lowered my speed to 3.8 mph.  Also, when I raise the deck, the ergonomics of the machine change, so I can't comfortably raise it past 5 degrees of incline.

Initially I worried that reducing the challenge would reduce the effect of exercise on my cognition, so I measured my heart rate while exercising.  I found that even with the reduced pace and lower incline, my heart rate was still comfortably within the target zone that we discuss in Beating the Dementia Moster.  But just to make sure, I extended my daily time commitment to the treadmill by five minutes.  But I also started to drag a little, so I take a break after 30 minutes and drink a pint of water.  (I usually drink a pint before I start as well.)  I also feel comfortable about reducing my pace to 3.0 mph during two 5-minute spans in the second half of my routine. 

We discussed previously research showing that the optimal amount of exercise time per week is five to 6 and a half hours.  So 55 minutes per day, six days a week keeps me in that zone.  The discussion of the research addressed how long participants exercised but didn't say much about how strenuously they worked out to produce their results.  Focus was on how long they went at it, not how hard.  And other research we discussed previously found that increases in brain volume can be measured from people getting exercise simply by working in their gardens.  So I'm uncertain regarding how intense the exercise needs to be.

Amy doesn't have any resistance machines I can use, so I try to do pushups and sit-ups every second day.  This type of exercise is not known to improve cognition, but it does strengthen your core muscles.  This helps prevent falls in the elderly.  

So while I have reduced the intensity of my workout, I have also increased the time a little.  And I am confident that this has not reduced the effectiveness of exercise with respect to my cognition.