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Exercise: Getting Fit For Life
Many older adults are living proof that exercise and physical
activity are good for you, no matter how old you are. In
fact, staying active can help you:
- Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent.
- Have more energy to do the things you want to do.
- Improve your balance.
- Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes,
and cancer.
- Perk up your mood and help reduce depression.
You don’t need to buy special clothes or belong to
a gym to become more active. Physical activity can and should
be part of your everyday life. Find things you like to do.
Go for brisk walks. Ride a bike. Dance. Work around the house.
Garden. Climb stairs. Swim. Rake leaves. Try different kinds
of activities that keep you moving. Look for new ways to
build physical activity into your daily routine.
Four Ways to Be Active
To get all of the benefits of physical activity, try all
four types of exercise – 1) endurance, 2) strength,
3) balance, and 4) flexibility.
- Be sure to get at least 30 minutes of activity that makes
you breathe hard on most or all days of the week. That’s
called an endurance activity because it
builds your energy or “staying power.” You
don’t have to be active for 30 minutes all at once.
Ten minutes at a time is fine. Just make sure you are active
for a total of 30 minutes most days.
How hard do you need to push yourself? If you can talk
without any trouble at all, you are not working hard enough.
If you can’t talk at all, it’s too hard.
- Keep using your muscles. Strength exercises
build muscles. When you have strong muscles, you can get
up from a chair by yourself, you can lift your grandchildren,
and you can walk through the park.
Keeping your muscles in shape helps prevent falls that
cause problems like broken hips. You are less likely to
fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong.
- Do things to help your balance. Try
standing on one foot, then the other. If you can, don’t
hold on to anything for support. Get up from a chair without
using your hands or arms. Every now and then walk heel-to-toe.
When you walk this way, the toes of the foot in back should
almost touch the heel of the foot in front.
- Stretch. Stretching can help you be
more flexible. Moving more freely will make it easier for
you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder
when you back the car out of your driveway. Stretch when
your muscles are warmed up. Don’t stretch so far
that it hurts.
Who Should Exercise?
Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of physical
activity. You can still exercise even if you have a long-term
condition like heart disease or diabetes. In fact, physical
activity may help. For most older adults, brisk walking,
riding a bike, swimming, weight lifting, and gardening, are
safe, especially if you build up slowly. But, check with
your doctor if you are over 50 and you aren’t used
to energetic activity. You also should check with your doctor
if you have:
- a chronic disease, such as diabetes or heart disease
- any new symptom you haven’t discussed with your
doctor
- dizziness or shortness of breath
- chest pain or the feeling that your heart is skipping,
racing, or fluttering
- blood clots
- an infection or fever
- unplanned weight loss
- foot or ankle sores that won’t heal
- joint swelling
- a bleeding or detached retina, eye surgery, or laser
treatment
- a hernia
- had hip surgery
Safety Tips
Here are some things you can do to make sure you are exercising
safely:
- Start slowly, especially if you haven’t been active
for a long time. Little by little build up your activities
and how hard you work at them.
- Don’t hold your breath during strength exercises.
That could cause changes in your blood pressure. It may
seem strange at first, but the rule is to breathe out as
you lift something; breathe in as you relax.
- Use safety equipment. For example, wear a helmet for
bike riding or the right shoes for walking or jogging.
- Unless your doctor has asked you to limit fluids, be
sure to drink plenty when you are doing activities. Many
older adults don’t feel thirsty even if their body
needs fluids.
- Always bend forward from the hips, not the waist. If
you keep your back straight, you’re probably bending
the right way. If your back “humps,” that’s
probably wrong.
- Warm up your muscles before you stretch. Try walking
and light arm pumping first.
Exercise should not hurt or make you feel really tired.
You might feel some soreness, a little discomfort, or a bit
weary, but you should not feel pain. In fact, in many ways,
being active will probably make you feel better.
How to Find Out More
Local fitness centers or hospitals might be able to help
you find a physical activity program that works for you.
You also can check with nearby religious groups, senior and
civic centers, parks, recreation associations, YMCAs, YWCAs,
or even area shopping malls for exercise, wellness, or walking
programs.
To read the rest of this article (with good contact information)
from the National Institute on Aging, please click here: http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/exercise.asp
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