eFitnessConnection

Exercising is important for all age groups, especially for the older adult. Besides good genetics, the one thing that makes a difference in quality of life, once you reach 40, 50 or 60+ is exercise.

 

Some of the things that could happen as we grow older are the loss of:

Strength: The loss of muscle, strength and quality of the tissue often seen in older adults.

Endurance: We might lose aerobic fitness, which often contributes to reduced mobility in daily life.

Flexibility: Joints change with age and it can lead to stiffness, decreased range of motion and more injuries.

Balance: The lose of balance could lead to a broken hip due to falling.

In order to avoid or delay the above, it's very important that you exercise or become active. Older people lose their ability to do things on their own, but it doesn't happen just because they have aged. More likely it is because they have become inactive.

 

 

 

It's never too late to start exercising

No matter how old you are, exercising or being active can improve your quality of life and you don't have to spend a lot of time doing it to see and feel improvements. Like everybody, seniors also need to engage in cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises in order to stay healthy and maintain as much mobility and functionality as possible.

 

In the case of women over 60 who exercise for at least 30 minutes three times per week, studies have indicated that they have the heart, lungs, and muscles of a woman ten years younger. Can you think of any better reason to get active and exercise? In fact, there are other reasons, as well. Women reach a peak bone density at age 35, at which point bone density slowly decreases. At menopause, bone density begins to drop sharply if hormone replacement therapy is not administered. Lack of activity or exercise, in addition to not eating enough dietary calcium, may be an important promoter of bone loss. Women who are well past the age of menopause may be able to increase their bone mass through weight-bearing exercise.

Exercise will help you maintain your weight as your metabolism slows down. This can help you avoid developing diabetes and heart disease. Increased circulation can help your digestive system stay healthy and keep your immune system strong.

 

What kind of exercise to do?

The kind of exercise that you do depends on what effect you want to see. Stretching promotes flexibility, makes movement easier, and decreases the risk of muscle injury; strength training promotes muscle strength and builds up bones; endurance exercises strengthen the heart and improve overall fitness. The best workouts will combine all three types of exercise.

 

Stretching

Older joints may become stiff and inflexible. In order to avoid injury during strength training and aerobic exercises, you need to warm up and cool down with stretching exercises for 5-15 minutes. There are stretching exercises for the calves, thighs, stomach, chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Here are just a few of the many you may want to try:

• Shoulder Rotation
• Lie flat on the floor with a pillow supporting your head.
• Stretch your arms out to the side and then bend your elbows so that your lower arms point downward (towards your feet) at a right angle.
• Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
• Now bend your elbows so that your lower arms point upward (towards your head) at a right angle.
• Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
• Repeat 3-5 times.
• Make sure to keep your shoulders flat on the floor throughout this exercise.
• Calves
• Stand far enough away from a wall so that when you place your hands on the wall your arms are straight.
• Move one leg back 1-2 feet and make sure the heel and foot of that leg are flat on the floor.
• Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
• Bend the knee of the leg that is moved back; make sure to keep the heel and foot flat on the floor.
• Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
• Now repeat with the opposite leg.
• Repeat 3-5 times with each leg.

 

 

Strength Training

Muscles in the upper and lower body can be strengthened through the use of machines, free weights, or even by using household items such as soup cans as weights. When lifting weights, you should start with a weight you can lift without very much effort 5 times. When this becomes too easy, increase to doing 2 sets of 5, and then 3 sets of 5. When this is too easy, move up to 10 repetitions in each set, then increase to 15 times in each set. Once this becomes too easy, increase the amount of weight you are lifting. Strength training should be done for 30-40 minutes 2-3 times a week.

There are also a variety of strength training exercises that can be done simply around the home. Here are a few examples:

Plantar Flexion: this exercise strengthens the ankle and calf muscles.

• Hold a table or chair for balance and stand up straight.
• Slowly raise your body up so that you are standing on tiptoe (as high as possible).
• Hold this position for about 1 second.
• Then slowly lower your heels so that they are back on the ground.
• Repeat 8-15 times, rest a minute, then do another set of 8-15.
• As your strength increases, do this exercise standing on only one leg and alternate legs.

 

Arm Raise: this exercise strengthens your shoulder muscles.

Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor even with your shoulders.

Put your arms straight down at your sides with your palms facing inward (toward your body).

Now raise both arms to the side until they are at shoulder height.

Hold this position for 1 second and then slowly lower your arms back to your sides.

Repeat this 8-15 times, rest, then do another 8-15 repetitions.

 

Endurance Exercises

These are any activities that increase your heart rate and breathing for a long time-span. You may need to avoid "high-impact" exercises such as jogging and jumping rope because they put a large amount of strain on your muscles and joints.

Good exercises to engage in are low-impact exercises including:

Swimming

Walking

Dancing

Endurance exercises should be done for 20-40 minutes at least 3 times per week. Make sure that you pay attention to warning signs such as lightheadedness, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

When exercising, you should work toward your target heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be calculated by subtracting your age from 220. For instance, if you're 60 years old, 220-60=160. This means that 160 beats per minute is your maximum heart rate. Your target heart rate is 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. 60% of 160 is 96 and 80% of 160 is 128. This means that someone who is 60 years old should work up to a heart rate when exercising of somewhere around 96-128 beats per minute.

 

Back Strengthening Exercises

Back pain is a common symptom of aging. Here are two exercises you can do to strengthen your back muscles:

• To strengthen the muscles in your upper back and shoulder:
• Sit with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.
• With your arms relaxed and bent, pull back your shoulders as far as they will go.

Another one:

Lie face down with a cushion or pillow under your hips and torso with your arms at your sides and your legs straight.

Lift your head and feet off the floor at the same time and hold this position for a moment.

Relax and repeat.

 

You can also check out your local gym or health club to find out what kinds of classes they offer for seniors.

Before you begin any type of exercise program, make sure you consult your doctor, especially if you are over the age of 60.

 

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