Exercise for Seniors

Exercise changes the body's chemistry. Seniors benefit by improving quality of life, slowing the processes of deterioration, maintaining overall fitness leading to greater independence in later years. The long-term Harvard Nurses’ Health Study indicated specific benefits of mild-to-moderate exercise. Just getting moving is the first step. Including any activity to increase movement, from gardening to golf or dancing, allows a person to start expending energy, allows the muscles to work.

Benefits from exercise include physical, psychological, and quality of life. Physical benefits include fewer fatal heart attacks, diminished risk for stroke, reduced risk for some cancers, and maintained bone density. Psychological benefits include the release of endorphins acting as anti-depressants, decreased stress and improved coping skills, better mood, improved feeling of well-being, and better attitude. Quality-of-life benefits include increased energy and endurance, improved sleep, and better sexual function. Existing medical conditions are not an excuse to keep from exercising. Exercise can provide improvement. For arthritis, professionals recommend low impact, starting slow, and paying attention to the body's signals like additional pain to stop. For those people with diabetes or diabetes risk factors, exercise improves the body's ability to convert blood sugar to energy and has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar.

While many professionals suggest 30 minutes of exercise every day is ideal, studies have shown that one to two hours every week provides some improvement. The important message is to get regular exercise.

During middle age, muscles begin to shrink, and joints begin to stiffen with diminished joint flexibility.

Building muscles creates strong muscles and bones, tones the muscle to do the work it is intended to do, supporting the body and providing strength to perform daily activities. The most effective muscle workout is to exercise major muscle groups. Allow the muscles to recuperate for 48 hours before repeating. Don't do the same exercise every day; vary the routine to allow muscles the time needed to recover and to work different muscle groups.

Using light weights, dumbbells, or resistance bands to work the eight major muscle groups needing attention include chest, back, abdominals, biceps, triceps, shoulder, buttocks, and hips and legs, improves muscle tone. Push ups, sit ups, and squats are all strength exercises and work by lifting the body's own weight. Consulting a professional before beginning a weight program or performing the exercises under professional supervision decreases the risk of injury and improves the efficiency of the exercise.