Elderly Fitness
To maintain health and vitality, every individual should implement a plan for exercise. Specifically for elderly individuals, fitness can help prevent a variety of symptoms of aging, as it can also help boost both physical and cognitive performance.
Benefits of Fitness and Exercise
Regular exercise can help individuals of all age groups, providing seemingly endless benefits. Examples of these benefits include improvements in conditions such as osteoarthritis, blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, memory and osteoporosis
With regular exercise, individuals can also expect an increased life span, as early mortality and age-related morbidity rates decrease when individuals choose to engage in active lifestyles. While exercise and fitness can stimulate benefits, it is estimated that nearly 75 percent of elderly Americans do not engage in sufficient amounts of activity in order to receive the intended benefits.
In order to engage in a beneficial fitness program, elderly individuals should strive to maintain a specific routine that includes three specific components:
• Aerobic exercise
• Strength training
• Balance and flexibility
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise includes activities such as walking at a brisk pace, jogging, swimming, biking and elliptical exercises.
To engage in these activities, seniors can utilize machines and classes at a local gym or wellness center. Also, for individuals who may suffer from specific areas of joint and / or muscle pain, many facilities offer water aerobics classes. These classes teach minimal-impact movements to provide each individual with specific health benefits and decreased risks of pain and injury. To experience benefits, people should strive to engage in aerobic activities approximately three to five days a week.
Strength Training
To improve posture, bone strength, and stamina, strength training should be implemented into everyone’s exercise regimen. Strength training can be achieved by lifting weights and/or working with resistance bands and machines. Strive for weights that allow you to feel challenged, but that also allow for a full range of motion, as this will help build muscle and strength safely and effectively.
Balance and Flexibility
The focus on balance and flexibility will help individuals to gain core strength with reduced pain and injury. Individuals can engage in these activities both before and after a workout, as research shows that stretching helps boost flexibility as it simultaneously helps prevent specific exercise-related injuries. For guided help in this area of focus, individuals can also participate in a Yoga or Pilates class. Yoga focuses on teaching movements that incorporate fluid balance and core strength. Similar to Yoga, Pilates also focuses on balance, core strength, and flexibility; however, Pilates also utilizes additional tools and items for added physical support and challenge. These classes tend to be widely available at most local fitness facilities, and are also available at many community school areas, such as community colleges.
Make fitness a life choice, no matter what age you are.
Editor’s note: This is a guest article from Zane. He runs a website called Best Diet Pills that provides consumers with no b.s. reviews of diets and diet pills.
Cool blog. Exercise is so important. Aerobic jogging totally changed my life. I have lost 130lbs and kept it off for a year on weight watchers. I have fun reading honest posts from people on the same journey as me. I started running too and that has changed my life a lot. I even ran a 50 mile race. Anyways, cool blog.
Cool Site you have there Jason, thanks for commenting. You are always welcome here!!! I’ll be subscribing to your blog ASAP.
Israel,
You’d be suprised how many baby boomers now in their late 50’s and 60’s are starting to understand that exercise is necessary to extend their lives. Good Post
Hi Tom, exercise is important no matter what age.
I’ve long believed that what most people believe is the effects of aging is in reality simply lack of exercise and fitness. Look at Jack Lalanne. He’s in his 90
s now, looks 30 years younger, and is in better shape than most people half his age. For a role model on how to stay fit your entire life, it’s hard to beat Jack. Thanks for the post.
– Dave
Good point, I have been hearing about him since I was a kid and they had Jack Lalanne fitness centers in NY.
You’re right about the elderly. You have balance problems as you get older and exercise can definitely help with that.
Great point! I work with seniors (I am a social worker) and exercise definitely affects many aspects of your life. There are of course many health benefits, but I think that it also helps in many social aspects (going out or to fitness classes is a great way to get out there and make friends) and it also improves mental health. This is a really great site! Is there a specific spot for the support community?
Excellent points and being 61 I am definitely interested. A friend turned me onto an online support system that tops the weight loss programs list for a number of reasons. First they educate you with the best advice and myth busters from registered dietitians. There are hundreds of free exercises posted by NASM experts with computer modeling so you can do them right at home. They also offer a community forum which is becoming increasingly popular as a key ingredient any diet and nutrition plan. If you need personal coaching options or help putting an individualized plan together that fits your age group and lifestyle, this assistance is also available.
Swan, what site was that?
Hey Israel. I afree fitness needs to be part of your life, no matter how old you get. In fact one of the reasons I want to improve my flexibility this year is because I feel it is so valuable as you get old. I don’t want to get to a level where I cannot dress myself properly, get in the shower or perform other daily tasks because I have lost my flexibility.
Great it’s great to see people exercising into old age. Saw a video of a 70 year old man deadlifting 700lbs! Crazy
Exercise can definitely help prevent the wasting effects of aging. Weight lifting in particular is a great way to strengthen the body and keep you healthy. I have seen a few people that lift weights well into their 70’s and they look amazing compared with those that don’t lift weights and about 20 years younger.
Exercise can greatly help the elderly. Many have said Regular exercise has been shown to decrease mortality and age-related morbidity in older adults.In order to help our elders we should promote and encourage them to do some outdoor work like brisk walking and others.
Actually read this and the content is good. Keep it coming!
Mk
Thanks for this article. I’ve been encouraging my mom to add strength training to her routine. She’s 70 and a little leery of doing weights, but I want her to stay strong so she doesn’t get hurt and get slowed down. She’s got a lot of good years left.