There is a growing concern that not enough seniors take exercise. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that "About 28 percent to 34 percent of all adults aged 65 to 74 and 35 percent to 44 percent of adults ages 75 or older are inactive, meaning they engage in no leisure-time physical activity."
A regular exercise routine can help you to avoid chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure and heart problems . It also reported that "Only 13 percent of individuals between ages 65 and 74 reported engaging in vigorous physical activity for 20 minutes 3 or more days per week, and only 6 percent of those 75 and older reported such exercise." Seniors need to exercise more often.
Benefits Of Exercise For the Elderly
- Better quality of sleep - People who perform regular exercise sleep more easily and deeply at night.
- Greater social interaction - Joining a fitness class or gym is a great way of meeting new people. A 10-minute walk with a friend helps with stress relief.
- Release of natural endorphins - Exercise helps release endorphins which makes you feel more contented and happier.
- Prevention of Alzheimer disease and dementia - Exercise improves brain functionality, helps combat diseases and avoid different forms of depression.
- Weight loss - Regular activity for the elderly helps reduce excess weight, especially if done in conjunction with a calorie-controlled diet.
- Joints - Building the muscles around certain joints is an important exercise for seniors. For example, building the muscles around the knee through leg extensions helps prevent joints being worn away.
- Immunity to viruses and infections - The body is better placed to fight off sickness, so recovery time is vastly reduced.
Precautions when Exercising
- Get a check up from the family doctor - Start training gradually and slowly increase physical exercise each day to build stamina and conditioning.
- Warm up - It's important to do plenty of stretching and to warm up properly. Failing to do this could lead to injuries and be counterproductive.
- Consume liquids - Taking a bottle of water to the gym is important in terms of keeping the body hydrated and flushing toxins. Take regular sips of water during your training session.
- Focus on form and not the amount of weight lifted. Trying to lift too much can only serve to cause serious injury.
Exercises For Seniors
- Leg extensions - Strengthening the muscles around the knee is a great starting point as it prevents your joints being worn away. This increases the longevity of the knee and helps prevent the need for premature knee replacement.
- Abdominal crunches - The correct execution of crunches helps build abdominal muscles and strengthen the back, thus preventing back injuries and spasms.
- Other strength exercises - Lift light-to-moderate weights three times a week to strengthen all key muscle groups, including the legs, abdominal region, chest, back and shoulders. Ensure that a rest day is taken between sessions to aid recovery.
- Long walk - Go for a walk with a friend. Try to walk slightly faster than normal to increase the heart rate and boost cardiovascular conditioning.
- Swimming - A great way to stay in shape that isn't high impact on your joints.
- Cross trainer - Using the cross trainer enables you to monitor your heart rate whilst training. The level can be changed to optimize resistance. This exercise has a minimal negative impact on your joints.
Running As an Activity For the Elderly
Many think of exercise and assume that this means running for miles each day. Running is a suitable exercise for the elderly, but only for those who have built up to that level. It's very high impact as it pounds the joints. Perform leg extensions and take joint supplements, such as cod liver oil and glucosamine, to help.
It's hard to emphasise strongly enough the importance of getting a full health check up before engaging in physical exercise. If knee pain is an issue, a specific exercise routine needs to be used. Being able to avoid chronic diseases and feel better is well worth 30 minutes of your time each day.
Disclaimer: Always remember to consult the family doctor for a full health check up prior to taking any supplements, or engaging in physical exercise, particularly if you're over-weight or have a pre-existing medical condition.
Asa Ghaffar - Asa has over 10 years of practical experience in loan approval, secured lending, bad credit repair, stock trading and debt management.
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