Power Crunch gets expert feedback on a different workout routine every week. This week, Marc Garneau, former astronaut and Liberal candidate, shares his exercise regimen.
Marc Garneau, 59, is a former astronaut and the Liberal candidate in the coming by-election in his home riding of Westmount-Ville Marie, in Montreal.
MY GOAL
"Basically my main concern is I want to be fit enough that I don't get winded running down my short street. I want to be fit enough that I'm feeling that lifting a box is not going to strain a muscle."
Marc Garneau rides his racing bike 25 kilometres once or twice a week, being careful not to injure his knees by overdoing it. (John Morstad For The Globe and Mail)
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MY WORKOUT
Walks his dog every day for 30 minutes up steps and steep terrain near his home.
"I'll do that at a brisk pace. And I'll get the burning in the legs and I'll get some huffing and puffing ... and I find that doing that every day really my legs feel great. It's not stressful. I don't get winded by sudden short exertions, and it just works very well for me."
Cycles 25 kilometres once or twice a week on his racing bike.
"I find that biking like that, if I overdo it, will start to affect my knees. But if I don't overdo it, it's an excellent aerobic workout."
Swims when on vacation at his cottage.
"I don't go regularly, but I used to be a competitive swimmer in my college days."
MY LIFESTYLE
"It's busy. ... Typically I like to get up at 6:30, have breakfast, read the paper. I like to work from 8:30 onward and take a break for lunch. ...
"It's kind of physical exertion to be campaigning, going door-to-door. ... Just going up steps is an incredible workout.
"I weigh today what I weighed when I was 16 years old. I don't believe in fad diets. ... As far as nutrition is concerned, as I get older I do eat more fish and less beef, and I do trim the fat. I do try not to eat between meals."
MY MOTIVATION
"I'm 59 and my suspension is wearing out. What I mean by that is that my knees have been through a lot and so has my back. I used to play college football. I played squash vigorously for about 25 years and my body has told me that I don't bounce as well. The spring suspension in my joints is not as good as it used to be. So what I try to do is approach my physical activities in an intelligent manner. I think what you would call low-stress exercising, but I do want that cardiovascular workout."
MY WORKOUT ANTHEM
"I prefer not to plug into something, because when you turn on the iPod you're kind of disconnecting."
MY CHALLENGES
"Procrastination. Just saying, 'I've got so many other things to do.' But you start to feel it if you slack off on the sports. You start to feel the soreness or the windedness, so I try to keep it up."
THE CRITIQUE
BEEF UP YOUR SUSPENSION
Nathan Mellalieu of Studeo 55 in Vancouver says Mr. Garneau has a great base to his workout, but could use some resistance and flexibility training to counter-balance the cardio, and give him a little more bounce. "What creates stability in joints is all the tissue around them. People often get stiffness and soreness due to poor conditioning of muscles," Mr. Mellalieu says. He recommends a 30- to 45-minute resistance training session, three times a week. But don't overdo it. "It's for quality of life, not to make a football comeback."
WEIGHT MATTERS
"That is awesome," Mr. Mellalieu says of the fact Mr. Garneau has maintained the same weight since his teens. However, he adds Mr. Garneau probably doesn't look the same in his swimming trunks as he did at 16. "What typically happens is people lose muscle mass over the years. He [may have] lost muscle mass and increased his body-fat percentage and that has resulted in no weight gain," Mr. Mellalieu explains. Resistance training will help improve Mr. Garneau's body composition.
SWIM ALL YEAR
Swimming combines the best of what Mr. Garneau needs in his workout, and should be done more than just at the cottage. The water creates natural resistance and it is a non-impact activity that is easy on the joints. "Go to the Y or somewhere else and make it something you do once a week," Mr. Mellalieu says.
INCIDENTAL ACTIVITIES
According to Mr. Mellalieu, dog-walking may be considered by some experts to be an "incidental activity" and not a workout activity. "Campaigning and walking up the stairs is considered incidental activity. A waiter who is waiting tables shouldn't consider that part of his workout routine," Mr. Mellalieu explains. He recommends Mr. Garneau keep up a workout routine even during an election campaign. "Walk the dog because you love it, but don't think that's enough."
