Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body and mind. It can have a significant impact on balance, mobility, and strength. No matter how many candles there are on your cake, the importance of exercise only increases as you get older.
Regular exercise can also be the difference between relying on others for daily activities and remaining independent. In fact, your workout routine may need to look a little different than it did when you were younger. Learn safe and beneficial exercise for seniors from experts.
Is exercise safe for older adults?
A common misconception among older adults is that exercise is unsafe and should be avoided. This is not true and has a negative impact on older adults achieving and maintaining optimal health. Fitness is the key to healthy aging.
The unfortunate fact is that Aging increases the risk of many diseasesaccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular physical activity helps reduce risk Patients with the same conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
When done correctly, physical activity is safe for older adults and necessary for a healthy lifestyle. The need for exercise in an aging population is strongly supported by his CDC, physical therapists, and personal trainers around the world.
kevin robinsonSc.D., a physical therapist and professor of orthopedics and kinesiology, shared some general guidelines for safe exercise for older adults.
- Focus on low-impact activities such as water exercise, recumbent stationary bikes, and ellipticals.
- participate silver sneakers program It is often offered at local health clubs. These are usually covered by insurance and are especially designed for seniors. One of the benefits of these programs is that you will make friends, which will help you stay involved.
- Learn your limits by focusing on specific muscle groups like your glutes (butt), quadriceps (thighs), biceps, and abs.
- Make stretching and balance exercises part of your regular exercise program.
Best exercises for seniors
The best exercise for you will depend on factors such as your current fitness level and any medical conditions that require a restricted or modified approach. It’s never too late to start a good exercise program.
The CDC recommends the following weekly physical activity for adults age 65 and older:
- At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as jogging, per week.
- At least two days a week, do strength exercises such as weightlifting.
- Activities that improve balance, such as balancing on one leg.
Here are some examples of what exercise habits look like for older people.
1. Moderate aerobic exercise
CDC Define Moderate aerobic exercise, also known as aerobic exercise. It is expressed as a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 (sitting still) to 10 (working hard). An activity that is light aerobic for one person may be moderate aerobic for another.
Walking is a common method of moderate aerobic exercise, especially popular among older adults. “Walking can be a great activity,” Robinson says. “However, many people with arthritis cannot tolerate long distance walking because the average ground reaction force passing through the knee is 1.2 to 1.5 times the person’s body weight. .Therefore, even activities that appear minimally impactful can have exaggerated impacts.”
Robinson recommends water exercise for patients with arthritis in their legs and feet. “This reduces the force on your knees by 50% to 75% compared to walking on land,” he says.
Other forms of moderate aerobic exercise include hiking, running errands or doing specific chores (like ripping leaves), some types of yoga, riding a bike, and using the elliptical.
2. Light strength training
Erin StimacThe personal trainer and group exercise instructor says functional movement is fundamental to maintaining independence, reducing injury risk and improving overall quality of life. Erin recommends incorporating strength training that covers important functional movements.
- Squat (sitting and standing): Squat exercise is essential for regular daily life and contributes to improving mobility and stability.
- Hinge movement (bending at the waist): Essential for tasks such as picking up objects. Hinge exercises strengthen the lower back and promote flexibility.
- Pushing (weight or objects): Pushing strengthens upper body strength and supports activities such as getting up from the ground and lifting objects.
- Pull (towards the body): This is very important for strengthening the back muscles and maintaining posture and balance.
- Transport: In life, we often need to transport things from one point to another.It is known that grip strength decreases. closely related to mortality ratepredicts risk of early death more accurately than blood pressure.
Certain light strength exercises recommended by the CDC that can incorporate functional movements include weight lifting, using resistance bands, yard work, bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups, and various yoga positions.
3. Balance exercises
It is common for older people to have problems with their sense of balance. Good balance reduces the risk of falling.
“To improve your balance, you need to do balance exercises for short periods throughout the day, rather than just 10 to 15 minutes once a day,” Robinson says. He recommends the following balancing activities, which can usually be done safely at home.
- Stand with both feet in front of the counter. Let go of the counter and see how well you can maintain balance without gripping the counter. Repeat this activity 3 to 5 times throughout the day until you have three 45-second periods. Once you have achieved this, move on to the next exercise.
- Repeat the balance exercise above, but this time close your eyes.
Yoga is also known as a popular form of exercise. improve balanceaccording to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Exercises that elderly people should avoid
Are there certain types of exercise that older adults should avoid completely? According to Stimac, the answer is generally no.
“Contrary to popular belief, older adults do not need to avoid certain movements,” Stimac says. “Fear of injury should not deter you from strength training. Instead of focusing on limitations, you should explore what movements are suitable for each individual.”
If you have an illness, condition, or injury that causes physical limitations, you should always follow your doctor’s guidance, but you can always find ways to improve your fitness. It just needs correction and guidance.
Stimac says there is no one-size-fits-all approach and all seniors are entitled to a customized program that increases strength and performance while taking their individual needs into account. “By embracing personalized planning and debunking myths, we help older adults live active and fulfilling lives,” she said.
