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I have worked
with seniors and their healthcare issues for a long time. The
best advice I can give you is don’t grow old. Don’t get me
wrong, I am not advising you against aging, unless, of course,
you have figured out how to stop the clock ticking. If you
have, I’ll trade you winning lottery numbers! I am suggesting,
however that you can age more slowly if you have a lifestyle of
increased activity and proper nutrition. In the study, “Disuse
and Aging,” Dr. Walter M. Bortz concluded, “at least a portion
of the changes that are commonly attributed to aging are, in
reality, caused by immobility. As such, they’re subject to
correction by mobility – meaning activity and exercise.”
When discussing
this article with one of my co-workers who is in her early 50’s,
her response was, “Exercise? Ugh!” So, how do you convince
someone, don’t be in your 60’s wishing you had taken better care
of yourself in your 50’s? Even though this article is focusing
on the need for exercise in the senior population how many of us
younger than the mid-century mark are getting a head start on a
fitness lifestyle? I don’t think there will be anyone reading
this article who is not aware of the need to exercise more in
order to stay fit, or get fit. Unfortunately, too many of us
will wait until we have a health crisis to get the wake-up call.
Every study of
exercising seniors demonstrates that they will report fewer
chronic illnesses which may impair the quality of their lives.
There is good news for couch potatoes though- it is never too
late to start, and that remains true even for adults in their
60’s, 70’s, 80’ and 90’s.
A 1990 study,
published by Dr. Maria Fiatarone, in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, took 10 frail elderly men and women (aged
87-96 years old) all living in a nursing home and provided them
with an intensive 8-week strength building program. At the end
of the eight weeks, their leg strength tripled and their thigh
muscles increased by more than 10%. There was a dramatic
improvement in their perceived quality of life by increasing
their independence and general feeling of well-being.
As we view our
aging parents. How do we rate their independence along the
continuum? For some, it’s staying active and continuing to live
in their own home, for others it’s being able to feed themselves
and go to the bathroom unassisted.
A common
concern voiced by seniors is their desire not to be a burden to
their children. If they are involved in a program of regular
exercise this can be an achievable goal, because the key to any
fitness program targeting seniors is achieving a maintaining
functional independence. An exercise program can be specifically
geared to improve balance and greatly reduce their risk of
falling by strengthening the trunk and leg muscles. Imagine how
beneficial leg strength is for seniors who need to get up in the
middle of the night to use the bathroom. Not only could they
get there in time, but strong thigh muscles will get them on and
off the commode with ease.
We will all
experience a reduction in reaction times with age. A regular
fitness regimen can actually increase reaction times. This
would be particularly important to those seniors who are still
driving. Osteoporosis, commonly thought of as a condition of
post-menopausal women, can also affect men. Weight bearing or
resistance exercise can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and
has been proven to increase bone density. The benefits of
weight resistance programs can also be achieved with pool
exercise. The pool is a wonderful environment for safe, stable,
weight resistance training, particularly for those seniors with
balance concerns.
Exercise also
increases lean muscle mass. With an increase in muscle mass
comes an increase in metabolism which increases fat burning.
There will also be an increase in aerobic capacity because you
will have more muscles consuming oxygen, ergo, an increase in
cardiovascular health.
If you are not
currently engaged in an exercise routine, please consult with
your physician before you begin. If you haven’t exercised in a
long time, start small. Don’t risk injury. I can guarantee you
that starting with even the simplest exercise, like walking
around the block everyday, will yield results.
So walk around
the mall, take the stairs instead of the elevator. (Do I need
to say quit smoking?) Experiment with different exercises. I
have always believed that if you don’t like exercise it’s
because you haven’t found something you like to do. When you
find something you like and do it regularly, you can’t help but
love the positive effects it will have on your appearance, mood,
and health. Mr. Spock said, “live long and prosper.” I say,
“Live long and healthy.”
If you are
ready to begin a fitness program and would like to be coached by
Sherry, contact her for a consultation.
Sherry
Netherland is available for
seminars for community and professional groups, Corporate
Wellness Programs, or as a keynote
speaker for your organization. |
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