Active Seniors Enjoy Life More
Did
you know that moderate-intensity physical activity can help you live longer and
reduce health problems? Regular exercise helps control blood pressure, body
weight and cholesterol levels, and cuts the risk for hardening of the arteries,
heart attack and stroke. It conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to
help fight osteoporosis, keep your body more limber and stabilize your joints,
thus lowering the risk of everyday injury. It also improves digestion and is good
for managing low-back pain, arthritis and diabetes. Regular physical activity
helps you maintain your independence. And recently, there’s been more research
that suggests an active lifestyle lowers the risk of some cancers. But perhaps
the best reason for incorporating regular exercise into your life is that
you’ll feel better. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better,
and gives you more energy to enjoy work and play.
Fitness Is Golden
A
good exercise program includes cardiovascular exercise, muscular conditioning
and flexibility exercises. The best cardiovascular exercises for seniors are
non-jarring, such as walking, swimming and cycling. Start with a light regimen
and gradually build up to a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most,
preferably all, days of the week. Playing with children, gardening, dancing and
housecleaning are other ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine.
Strengthening
exercises such as lifting light weights (or even household items such as canned
foods or milk jugs) help to maintain your muscle mass and promote bone health.
Plus, research suggests that adults older than 50 years who do not perform
resistance training lose nearly 1/4 pound of muscle mass per year. Since muscle
mass is directly related to how many calories your body burns each day,
resistance training is important for weight management. And strong leg and hip
muscles help to reduce the risk of falls, a cause of considerable disability
among older adults. Aim to participate in resistance training at least two days
per week, making sure to exercise all major muscle groups through a full range
of motion.
End
each workout with stretching exercises to help maintain your mobility and range
of motion and decrease your risk for injury.
Discover the Exercise You Like Best
The
best way to keep fit is to choose exercises you enjoy. Favorites among some
older adults include aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, line dancing,
square dancing, ballroom dancing or simply walking the dog. You may enjoy group
exercise classes, since they offer an opportunity to socialize and develop
friendships.
When
you’re deciding on a class or program, make sure the instructor is certified by
an accredited professional organization such as the American Council on Exercise
and has completed specialty training in senior health and fitness. And remember
the other elements that contribute to good health in your golden years: A
well-balanced diet, not smoking and seeing your doctor regularly.
Look
at your retirement or senior years as an opportunity to do things you have
never done before. Most of all, enjoy yourself!
Exercise Prescription
The general principles of exercise prescription apply to adults of all ages.The relative
adaptations to exercise and the percentage of improvement in the components of physical fitness
among older adults are comparable with those reported in younger adults. Low functional capacity,
muscle weakness, and deconditioning are more common in older adults than in any other age group
and contribute to loss of independence. An exercise prescription should include aerobic, muscle
strengthening, and flexibility exercises. Individuals who are frequent fallers or have mobility
problems should also perform specific exercises to improve balance, agility, and proprioceptive
training in addition to the other components of health-related physical fitness. However, age should
not be a barrier to physical activity promotion because positive improvements are attainable at any
age.
For exercise prescription, an important distinction between older adults and their younger
counterparts should be made relative to intensity. For apparently healthy adults, moderate- and
vigorous-intensity physical activities are defined relative to METs, with moderate-intensity activities
defined as 3 to 6 METs and vigorous-intensity activities as <6 METs. In contrast, for older adults,
activities should be defined relative to an individual's fitness within the context of perceived physical
exertion using a 10-point scale, on which zero is considered an effort equivalent to sitting and 10 is
considered an all-out effort, a moderate-intensity activity is defined as 5 or 6, and a vigorousintensity
activity as a 7 or 8. A moderate-intensity activity should produce a noticeable increase in
HR and
breathing, whereas a vigorous-intensity activity should produce a large increase in HR or breathing.
adaptations to exercise and the percentage of improvement in the components of physical fitness
among older adults are comparable with those reported in younger adults. Low functional capacity,
muscle weakness, and deconditioning are more common in older adults than in any other age group
and contribute to loss of independence. An exercise prescription should include aerobic, muscle
strengthening, and flexibility exercises. Individuals who are frequent fallers or have mobility
problems should also perform specific exercises to improve balance, agility, and proprioceptive
training in addition to the other components of health-related physical fitness. However, age should
not be a barrier to physical activity promotion because positive improvements are attainable at any
age.
For exercise prescription, an important distinction between older adults and their younger
counterparts should be made relative to intensity. For apparently healthy adults, moderate- and
vigorous-intensity physical activities are defined relative to METs, with moderate-intensity activities
defined as 3 to 6 METs and vigorous-intensity activities as <6 METs. In contrast, for older adults,
activities should be defined relative to an individual's fitness within the context of perceived physical
exertion using a 10-point scale, on which zero is considered an effort equivalent to sitting and 10 is
considered an all-out effort, a moderate-intensity activity is defined as 5 or 6, and a vigorousintensity
activity as a 7 or 8. A moderate-intensity activity should produce a noticeable increase in
HR and
breathing, whereas a vigorous-intensity activity should produce a large increase in HR or breathing.
Aerobic Activity
To promote and maintain health, older adults should adhere to the following prescription for aerobic
activities. When older adults cannot do these recommended amounts of physical activity because of
chronic conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow.
Frequency: A minimum of 5 d·wk-1 for moderate-intensity activities or 3 d·wk-1 for vigorous-intensity
activities, or some combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise 3–5 d·wk-1.
Intensity: On a scale of 0 to 10 for level of physical exertion, 5 to 6 for moderate intensity, and 7 to
8 for vigorous intensity.
Time: For moderate intensity activities, accumulate at least 30 or up to 60 (for greater benefit)
min/day in bouts of at least 10 minutes each to total 150–300 min/wk or at least 20–30 min/day of
more vigorous-intensity activities to total 75–100 min/wk or an equivalent combination of moderate
and vigorous activity.
Type: Any modality that does not impose excessive orthopedic stress; walking is the most common
type of activity. Aquatic exercise and stationary-cycle exercise may be advantageous for those with
limited tolerance for weight-bearing activity.
activities. When older adults cannot do these recommended amounts of physical activity because of
chronic conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow.
Frequency: A minimum of 5 d·wk-1 for moderate-intensity activities or 3 d·wk-1 for vigorous-intensity
activities, or some combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise 3–5 d·wk-1.
Intensity: On a scale of 0 to 10 for level of physical exertion, 5 to 6 for moderate intensity, and 7 to
8 for vigorous intensity.
Time: For moderate intensity activities, accumulate at least 30 or up to 60 (for greater benefit)
min/day in bouts of at least 10 minutes each to total 150–300 min/wk or at least 20–30 min/day of
more vigorous-intensity activities to total 75–100 min/wk or an equivalent combination of moderate
and vigorous activity.
Type: Any modality that does not impose excessive orthopedic stress; walking is the most common
type of activity. Aquatic exercise and stationary-cycle exercise may be advantageous for those with
limited tolerance for weight-bearing activity.
Muscle-Strengthening Activity
Frequency: At least 2 d·wk-1.
Intensity: Between moderate (5,6) and vigorous (7,8) intensity on a scale of 0 to 10 (26).
Type: Progressive weight-training program or weight-bearing calisthenics (8–10 exercises involving
the major muscle groups of 10–15 repetitions each), stair climbing, and other strengthening activities
that use the major muscle groups.
Intensity: Between moderate (5,6) and vigorous (7,8) intensity on a scale of 0 to 10 (26).
Type: Progressive weight-training program or weight-bearing calisthenics (8–10 exercises involving
the major muscle groups of 10–15 repetitions each), stair climbing, and other strengthening activities
that use the major muscle groups.
Flexibility Activity
Frequency: At least 2 d·wk-1.
Intensity: Moderate (5,6) intensity on a scale of 0 to 10 (26).
Type: Any activities that maintain or increase flexibility using sustained stretches for each major
muscle group and static rather than ballistic movements.
Balance Exercises for Frequent Fallers or Individuals with Mobility Problems
Intensity: Moderate (5,6) intensity on a scale of 0 to 10 (26).
Type: Any activities that maintain or increase flexibility using sustained stretches for each major
muscle group and static rather than ballistic movements.
Balance Exercises for Frequent Fallers or Individuals with Mobility Problems
There are no specific recommendations for exercises that incorporate balance training into an
exercise prescription. However, neuromuscular training, which combines balance, agility, and
proprioceptive training, is effective in reducing and preventing falls if performed 2–3 d·wk-1. General
recommendations include
using (a) progressively difficult postures that gradually reduce the base of support (e.g., two-legged
stand, semitandem stand, tandem stand, and one-legged stand); (b) dynamic movements that perturb
the center of gravity (e.g., tandem walk and circle turns); (c) stressing postural muscle groups (e.g.,
heel stands and toe stands); (d) reducing sensory input (e.g., standing with eyes closed); and (e) tai
chi. Supervision of these activities may be warranted.
exercise prescription. However, neuromuscular training, which combines balance, agility, and
proprioceptive training, is effective in reducing and preventing falls if performed 2–3 d·wk-1. General
recommendations include
using (a) progressively difficult postures that gradually reduce the base of support (e.g., two-legged
stand, semitandem stand, tandem stand, and one-legged stand); (b) dynamic movements that perturb
the center of gravity (e.g., tandem walk and circle turns); (c) stressing postural muscle groups (e.g.,
heel stands and toe stands); (d) reducing sensory input (e.g., standing with eyes closed); and (e) tai
chi. Supervision of these activities may be warranted.
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