After all, who wants to die earlier and easier?

Thanks for reviewing these Field Notes from Koach Dave [me], as owner and operator of Well Past Forty, LLC and as the designer of the 7s.fit training system.

Credit: Dreamstime

October brings us crisp mornings, shorter days, and [darn it again] the clocks falling back on November 1. It is also the season when too many of us quietly trade outdoor motion for the couch. Let’s not even think about that trade! Autumn is your and my prime time to make fresh deposits into your physical 401(k) so that you die harder and later.

Ten for our tenth month. This issue walks through the full 7s.fit framework, one practical fact per S, plus you get three bonuses as treats rather than Halloween tricks:

1. Strength (strongspan): the Zercher squat
2. Stability: one test item from the Berg Balance Scale
3. Stamina (windspan): Zone 2 sessions of 45 minutes or more
4. Stretching: how to over-stretch, and a dynamic warm-up for pickleball and oter weekend warrior activities
5. Sustenance: lung-friendly, anti-inflammatory whole foods, plus a zinc spotlight
6. Sleep: the hormones restorative sleep switches on
7. counter-Stress: resilience practices for busy adults
8. A fall call to action to thrive and strive
9. News on my upcoming book, Burden? or Banish!
10. The 7s.fit online training platform

And away we go on our down-aging journey…

1. Strength (strongspan): The Zercher Squat

The practical fact: The Zercher squat position means holding a barbell in the crooks of your elbows, in front of your body. That front load keeps your torso more upright and makes your trunk work hard to stay braced.

This wonderful squat variation is named for Ed Zercher, a 1930s strongman from St. Louis. You may recall that our August newsgram addressed the loaded back and front squats. The Zercher is their gritty and valuable cousin. The good folks @ Fitness Volt describe benefits of this great resistance move.

As I want you to surround yourself with valuable and cost-effective resources, I suggest that a Fitness Volt bookmark may come in handy 🙂

Yes, there are wikis and other credible resources that I intend to share with you regularly.

How to do a Zercher:

1. Set a barbell in a squat rack at about belly-button height, with safety pins set just below your bottom position.
2. Wrap the bar with a pad or folded towel. Dip under it and cradle it in your elbow creases, hands clasped or fists up near your chest.
3. Stand, step back, and set your feet about shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
4. Brace your midsection, then sit down between your hips, keeping your chest tall and elbows up.
5. Descend to a depth you can control, drive through your whole foot, and stand tall.
6. Start with 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps at a light load. Rest 90 seconds between sets. NOTE: If you don’t have a Squat Rack or Smith machine – you can still perform the Zerchers, albeit with lighter weights on the barbell or with a weighted bar.

Your Benefits:

• Upright torso. The front load lets many lifters squat with less forward lean than a back squat.
• Core and upper back. Your abs, obliques, and upper back must fight to keep the bar from pulling you forward.
• No shoulder rack needed. Lifters with tight or cranky shoulders who cannot hold a back-squat bar position often can hold a Zercher.
• A Real-life carryover. It mirrors hugging a heavy load to your chest, like a bag of mulch, a grandchild, or a moving box.

Adaptations:

• Too uncomfortable on the arms? Add thicker padding, or wear long sleeves.
• New to squatting? Start with a goblet squat (a dumbbell or kettlebell held at the chest) to learn the pattern.
• Limited depth or knee concerns? Squat to a box or bench, or start from pins set at mid-depth (a pin or “dead-stop” Zercher).
• No barbell? Hug a sandbag or a heavy medicine ball in the same elbow-crease position.
• Blood pressure or spine concerns? Keep loads moderate, breathe steadily, and check with your doctor or physical therapist before progressing.

2. Stability: Berg Balance Scale, Item 14 (Standing on One Leg)

The practical fact: The Berg Balance Scale is a 14-item test that physical therapists use to gauge fall risk. The top score is 56, and scores below about 45 are commonly linked to higher fall risk.

The final and hardest item is simple to describe: stand on one leg, without holding on, for as long as you can.

How it is scored (0 to 4 points):

Score	What you did
4	Lifted a leg on your own and held it more than 10 seconds
3	Held it 5 to 10 seconds
2	Held it 3 seconds or more
1	Tried to lift a leg, could not hold 3 seconds, but stayed standing
0	Could not try, or needed help to avoid falling

Try it safely at home: Stand at a kitchen counter with a hand hovering just above it. Lift one foot a few inches, eyes forward, and count. Switch legs. Note which side is weaker.

Train it: Practice a single-leg stand while brushing your teeth, 2 minutes a day, alternating legs. Progress by turning your head slowly, then by standing on a folded towel. Falls remain a leading cause of injury for adults past 65, so this 2-minute habit is cheap insurance.

3. Stamina (windspan): Zone 2 for 45 Minutes or More

The practical fact: Zone 2 is steady, low-intensity effort, at roughly 60 to 70% of your maximum training heart rate. You can hold a conversation in full sentences, but you would not want to sing while exercising or doing ADLs in this important zone.

Why 45 minutes or more? Longer, easy sessions give your slow-twitch muscle fibers time to do what they do best: burn fat for fuel and build more, better mitochondria, your cells’ power plants. That is the engine behind a longer windspan.

Find your Zone 2:

• Talk test: You can talk, but you notice your breathing.
• Heart rate: About 60 to 70% of max. A rough estimate of max is 220 minus your age, so a 60-year-old’s Zone 2 lands near 96 to 112 beats per minute. Yes, every athlete is different, so this is merely a guiding start.
• Medications matter: Beta blockers and some other drugs blunt heart rate. If that is you, lean in on the recommended talk test and remember your doctor’s guidance.

Awesome Autumn options: a brisk walk or hike, easy cycling, rowing, an elliptical, or swimming. Aim for 3 sessions a week of 45 to 60 minutes.

Dose and Response. As I wrote in Understanding MET: Optimize Your Metabolic Health Today (May 2025), exercise follows a dose-response curve. There is a safe, productive range between too little and too much. Make a note that too much of a very good thing can become harmful. Zone 2 is where most of us can bank a large, repeatable dose with low injury risk and fast recovery. Save a smaller slice of your week, about 20% of your workout time, for harder and or more intense Zone 3 to 5 intervals for heart rate.

4. Stretching: Yes, You Can Over-Stretch

The practical fact: More flexibility is not always better. Over-stretching can loosen the ligaments and joint capsules that hold your joints stable, and it can strain the very muscles you meant to protect.

Signs you may be over-stretching:

• Sharp, pinching, or burning pain, rather than a mild pull
• Forcing a position with bouncing or a partner pushing you
• Soreness or joint looseness that lingers the next day
• Joints that feel wobbly or “give” during play.

Timing matters, too. Long static holds, roughly 60 seconds or more per muscle, right before explosive play can briefly reduce power and quickness. Save your long holds (aka static stretches) for post-workout or event, when muscles are warm.

=> A 6-minute dynamic warm-up for pickleball and padel. Both sports mix quick lateral cuts, lunges, and overhead swings, the recipe for calf, Achilles, ankle, knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries. Perform each move for about 30 to 45 seconds:

1. Brisk walk or light jog around the court to raise body temperature.
2. Leg swings, front-to-back, then side-to-side, holding the fence.
3. Walking lunges with a torso twist toward the front leg.
4. Lateral shuffles, both directions, staying low.
5. Calf and ankle pumps: rise onto your toes, then rock back to your heels.
6. Arm circles and cross-body swings, small to large, to prep the shoulders.
7. Wrist and forearm circles to protect against “tennis elbow” (common in paddle sports, too).
8. Split-step practice: small hops landing on both feet, ready to move.

Finish with a few easy dinks or gentle volleys before your game is on…

5. Sustenance: Whole Foods for Your Lungs, Plus Zinc

The practical fact: Your lungs get exposed to more of the outside world than almost any organ, from smoke to microplastics to fall allergens. Unprocessed, colorful foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds help you defend and repair your pulmonary tissues. After a summer of smoky skies, this is timely.

Top lung-friendly, unprocessed foods:

Food	What it brings
Apples and tomatoes	Linked in research to slower age-related decline in lung function
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale	Sulforaphane, which switches on the body’s own antioxidant defenses
Salmon, sardines, mackerel	Omega-3 fats that help calm inflammation
Berries	Anthocyanins and vitamin C
Leafy greens	Magnesium, folate, and carotenoids
Turmeric and ginger	Curcumin and gingerols, classic anti-inflammatory spices
Walnuts, beans, lentils	Fiber, plant omega-3s, and minerals
Green tea	Catechins with antioxidant effects

The flip side: go easy on highly processed meats, fried foods, and sugary drinks, which tend to fuel our “Inflammation Nation.”

MICRONUTRIENT SPOTLIGHT: Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral your body cannot store, so you need some every day. It helps run roughly 300 enzymes that are catalysts for metabolism.

Why Zn?

• Prevent defense. Zinc supports the immune cells that fight respiratory infections, a strong reason as we head into cold and flu season.
• Healing. It is needed for wound repair and for maintaining the lining of your airways and gut.
• Taste and smell. A fading sense of taste or smell can be one sign of low zinc.
• Muscle and protein building. Zinc helps make the proteins your strongspan workouts depend on.

How much: The U.S. RDA is 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg for women. The upper limit is 40 mg a day from all sources. Adults past 60 are more likely to fall short of adequate ingestion/absorption, often stemming from lower appetite or medication side effects.

Best food sources: Oysters are a clear #1. Beef, crab, lobster, pork, chicken, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chickpeas, and yogurt are solid contributors.

Absorption tips: Zinc from animal foods is absorbed more easily. Phytates in whole grains and legumes bind zinc, so soaking, sprouting, or choosing sourdough can help.

On supplementation: More is not better. Long-term high doses can cause a copper deficiency and weaken immunity. Check your multivitamin first, and supplement only if your doctor suggests it.

6. Restorative Sleep: Your Overnight Hormone Shift

The practical fact: Sleep is not downtime. It is when your body releases the hormones that repair muscle, balance appetite, and reset your stress system. Skimp on sleep and your whole chemistry set runs on empty.

Hormone	What sleep does to it	Why it matters
Growth hormone	Its largest daily pulse comes in deep (slow-wave) sleep, early in the night	Muscle and tissue repair, fat metabolism
Melatonin	Rises with darkness to open the sleep window	Sets your body clock; acts as an antioxidant
Testosterone	Climbs through the night, peaking near waking	Muscle, bone, energy, and libido in men and women
Leptin	Stays higher with enough sleep	Signals fullness
Ghrelin	Stays lower with enough sleep	Short sleep raises it and your hunger
Cortisol	Falls to its low point early in the night, then rises before waking	A healthy morning rise helps alertness; poor sleep flattens the rhythm
Insulin sensitivity	Improves with consistent sleep	Even a few short nights can worsen blood sugar control

Koach’s takeaway: Deep sleep is front-loaded in the night, so a consistent, early-enough bedtime protects your growth hormone pulse. Aim for 7 to 9 hours – regularly. This image from KABOOMER shows the weighty impact of diseases and conditions that restorative sleep can counter or deter…

With the clocks falling back on November 1, use October to lock in a steady schedule: dim lights an hour before bed, keep the bedroom cool and dark, and get morning daylight to anchor your rhythm.

7. counter-Stress: Resilience for Busy Adults

The practical fact: Resilience is a trainable skill, rather than a personality trait. Like strength, it grows through small, repeated doses. You do not need an hour a day; you need a few minutes, done often.

Resilience practices that fit a packed calendar:

1. The physiological sigh (1 minute). Two quick inhales through the nose, then one long, slow exhale through the mouth. Repeat 3 to 5 times. The long exhale engages the calming, parasympathetic side of your nervous system.
2. Box breathing (2 minutes). Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Use it before a tough meeting or a hard conversation.
3. Movement snacks (2 to 5 minutes). A brisk walk around the block, 10 air squats, or a flight of stairs every hour or two burns off stress hormones.
4. Green time (10 to 20 minutes). Time outdoors among trees or water lowers perceived stress. October’s cool air makes this easy.
5. One real connection a day. A phone call or coffee with a friend. Strong social ties are among the best predictors of healthy aging.
6. A gratitude line (1 minute). Write down one thing that went right today, before bed.
7. Protect the boundaries. Set a screen curfew and one no-meeting block each week. Saying no is a resilience skill, too.

Koach’s takeaway: Stack one practice onto a habit you already have, such as the sigh while your coffee brews. Small, daily deposits beat occasional grand gestures.

8. Your Fall Call to Action: Thrive and Strive

October is not a season to hibernate. It is a season to harvest. Pick at least one challenge this month and put it on your calendar:

• Walk or hike tot take in the fall colors for a 45-minute Zone 2 session each weekend.
• Join a pickleball or padel ladder, and do your 6-minute dynamic warm-up before every match.
• Rake, split, stack, and carry. Yard work is functional strength training; hinge at the hips and brace like a Zercher squat.
• Sign up for a fall fun run, charity walk, or turkey trot to give your windspan a target date.
• Test your balance on the first and last day of October with the single-leg stand. Track your seconds.
• Get your flu and updated COVID shots, and ask your doctor what else is due. It is a deposit in your safespan.

9. Coming Soon: Burden? or Banish!

I am excited to share that my next book, Burden? or Banish!, is nearly on its way to sources for you.

10. Train with Me on 7s.fit

The 7s.fit online training and education platform brings all seven S’s together in one place: Strength, Stability, Stamina, Stretching, Sustenance, Sleep, and counter-Stress. It is built for adults who want practical, science-backed guidance to live strong well past forty.

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That’s a wrap for October ’26. Enjoy the crisp air, protect your sleep as the clocks change, and keep making those physical bank deposits.

Talk to you in November.

/s/ Koach Dave, 7s.fit

This newsletter is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your exercise, diet, or supplement routine.

Sources

• Understanding MET: Optimize Your Metabolic Health Today, Strong to Save blog, May 2025
• Your Die Harder & Later Guide for August 2026, Well Past Forty
• 7s.fit Training & Education Package