Editor’s note: Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program. Stop immediately if you feel pain.
CNN
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Gray hair and wrinkled skin are often lamented as the most unpleasant side effects of aging. It can be discouraging to see your youthful features fade away, but your state of strength, balance and flexibility is far more important. Severe deterioration of these areas can lead to pain, falls, fractures, and loss of overall mobility and functionality. Consider not being able to play with your grandchildren, climb stairs, or carry groceries.
No matter how active you are, you lose muscle mass and strength as you age. In fact, muscle mass and strength peak between the ages of 30 and 35. They then slowly but steadily decline. Statistics show that this decline accelerates at age 65 for women and 70 for men. National Institutes of Health. Similarly, everyone loses balance and flexibility with age due to changes in vision, sensory nerves, joints and ligaments.
“Joints in the spine, hips, knees and shoulders naturally develop arthritis as we age, making the interfaces between ligaments and tendons and muscles stiffer,” said George Eldaily, M.D., a sports medicine physician at the Orlando Health Jewett Institute of Orthopedic Surgery in Winter Garden, Florida. “It’s a very familiar process.”
Since these reductions are well documented, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Adults over the age of 65 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Additionally, he should do strength and balance exercises at least twice a week.
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Adults over the age of 65 should do strength and balance exercises at least twice a week.
How to improve quality and quantity of life
Strength, balance, and flexibility are all important, but is increasing one more important than the other? In general, if you want to improve the quality and quantity of your life, doing aerobic exercise should be your main concern, says John Higgins, M.D., a sports cardiologist at the McGovern School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Resistance training is next, and balance and flexibility training is third.
But on an individual level, Erdaily said it all depends on the patient. “For Masters athletes, strength and flexibility are likely more important to improve performance and reduce injuries,” he said. “But someone who is 85 and wants to be functional will focus on balance and strength to reduce the risk of falls.”
There are also differences depending on the individual’s health status. Eldaily said people with arthritis should focus first on joint flexibility, while people who have just had knee replacement surgery should focus on strength training. If you have osteoporosis, it’s important to have balance to prevent falls.
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Despite evidence supporting the importance of physical activity, 28% of Americans over the age of 50 are inactive. 2016 CDC Survey. In addition, inactivity increases with age, with over 35% of people over the age of 75 being inactive. That’s a problem. Physical activity can improve mental health and prevent dementia and cognitive decline. Add to that gains in strength, balance and flexibility, and you have a great chance of aging healthily.
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Combining strength training with weight training and cardio is a great way to keep older people active.
“Think of it like a pyramid,” says Higgins. “Aerobic exercise is the top of the pyramid, underpinned by strength, balance and flexibility. Without these foundations the pyramid would collapse.
Keep in mind that if the idea of incorporating cardio, strength training, balance and flexibility training into your weekly routine seems overwhelming, you don’t necessarily need a gym membership or a personal trainer. This important job can be seamlessly woven into your life.
For example, golf and gardening are fun ways to add cardio to your life. So is dog walking. Carry on a weighted backpack while walking and begin a “racking” exercise based on military training that combines cardio and exercise. strength training. Yoga is a gentle activity that increases flexibility, but also builds strength and activates the core. Standing on one foot in front of the grocery line or TV is an easy way to add balance training to your life.
“A lot of people like to complicate things by planning and measuring progress, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated,” says Eldaily. “Incorporate these things into your daily routine and try to be consistent. You’ll reap the benefits over time.”
Higgins agreed. “If you don’t believe that strength, balance and flexibility training really works, try it for a few months and see what a difference it makes,” he said. “Maybe it will make things more enjoyable, whether it’s playing with the grandkids or doing exciting activities like ziplining, and you’ll be able to do regular cardio more easily and with fewer injuries.”
Melanie Radzicki McManus Freelance writer specializing in hiking, travel and fitness.
