Exercise for Older Adults

Brought to you by the American College of Sports Medicine www.acsm.org

Engaging in regular physical activity yields many benefits, regardless of age. For children, exercise is important in healthy growth and development. Preventing chronic disease and helping maintain an appropriate body weight are among the most important exercise-related benefits for individuals of all ages. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recently published physical activity recommendations for older adults. This statement encourages various types of regular activity but with caveats based on health and physical ability. This recommendation is for individuals aged 65 years or older and for those aged 50 years or older who have a disease or functional impairment.

AEROBIC ACTIVITY
Aerobic activity is critical for preventing chronic disease and helping control weight. Individuals should engage in at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity on 5 days per week or at least 20 minutes of vigorous activity on 3 days per week. A combination of moderate and vigorous activity can be used to meet this recommendation. Using an intensity scale of 0 (effort while sitting) to 10 (all-out effort), moderate activity is a 5-6 effort with noticeable increases in heart rate and breathing. Vigorous exercise, 7 to 8 on the effort scale, leads to large increases in heart rate and breathing. Individuals with disease or limited functional capacity may start with shorter and less intense exercise and gradually work toward higher goals.

MUSCLE-STRENGTHENING ACTIVITY
All people lose muscle as they age but especially after the age of 50. Muscle-strengthening exercises help to offset some of this loss. Additionally, these exercises ca help promote good bone health. On at least 2 days per week, older adults should engage in activities that promote muscle strength and endurance. many activities can meet this objective including traditional weightlifting programs, calisthenics, and exercise using resistance bands. Eight to ten exercises that work the major muscle groups of the upper and lower body should be chosen. For each exercise, 10 to 15 repetitions should be performed.

FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE EXERCISE
Falls are a major cause of disability in older adults. Although evidence is difficult to obtain using standard research methods, muscle-strengthening exercises, flexibility training, and activities to improve balance may be helpful in reducing the likelihood of falling. Good range of motion in joints (i.e., good flexibility) makes everday movement easier. To help with flexibility, individuals should do stretching exercises for at least 10 minutes on 2 or more days per week. Balance exercises should be done routinely (3 or more days per week) and must be based on individual skill level. For some people, practicing standing on one foot might be a good balance exercise, whereas for others, standing up without holding onto something is a big challenge.

THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
For individuals with existing disease, activities should be performed at a level that will help alleviate symptoms and/or treat the disease. The amount and type of activity will be individualized based on needs and abilities. Physicians, physical therapists, and fitness professionals can determine the type of program that is most appropriate. Activity plans for older adults should address all of the areas listed above and should include appropriate guidance on progression and strategies for adherence.

SUMMARY
Older adults can benefit greatly from regular physical activity. Although activity may take a form different from that recommended for younger people, the benefits are dramatic. Reducing sedentary behavior will help prevent/treat chronic disease and help maintain functional capacity, a key to independent living.

Adding Exercise to Your Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis is an ailment that affects millions of people. While some people may experience mild discomfort, others are in horrible and debilitating pain every single day. No matter how mild or severe your pain is, you can probably benefit from some exercise. Not only will exercise improve your overall health, it may also help combat some of your symptoms, leaving you pain free and help you with your symptoms.

We all know the importance of exercise, but arthritis patients will probably benefit more from strength training exercises targeting their affected joints. The best way to get this kind of workout is through a physical therapist or personal trainer. They can provide you with exercises designed specifically to improve endurance, and muscle strength. If you perform these exercises as prescribed, you will probably find yourself feeling better, or at least not deteriorating as quickly. You may be able to do more, or your condition may simply worsen more slowly. You can’t reverse the damage arthritis has caused, but you may be able to improve your quality of life.

Another type of exercise your therapist, or trainer, will probably recommend is flexibility training. Many arthritis patients lose flexibility and range of motion in their affected joints because pain is causing them to use the joint less. Flexibility exercises can help keep the joints limber, enabling a better range of motion and increasing how much you can do with that joint.

A good cardio workout is just as important for people with arthritis as it is for everyone else. However, unlike everyone else, people with arthritis don’t skip aerobic exercise because they’re busy or tired, it’s because they’re in pain. If performing activities everyday is painful, then you probably don’t want to consider doing anything more than that; however, there are exercises you can do to work your heart without severe pain or a worsening of your condition. You should work with your doctor to find exercises that don’t stress, or even involve, the affected joints. For instance, patients with severe knee arthritis can get aerobic exercise with table top bike-like devices which you pedal with your hands. While this doesn’t help your affected joints directly, it improves your overall health, endurance, stamina, and circulation, which can improve your ability to handle your arthritis. Exercise can also temporarily relieve pain through chemicals in the blood.

While exercising isn’t going to cure your arthritis, it may help substantially improve your condition. To work properly, exercise should be combined with proper diet, getting enough rest, medication, and other treatments your doctor may recommend. A combination of these therapies goes a long way for relieving arthritis pain.

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Fit or Fiction: Baby Boomer’s Fitness

Whether you’re old or young, in shape or never picked up a weight in your life, you’ve probably heard a lot of fitness myths. There are all kinds of ideas about weight loss and exercise out there, ranging from credible to downright crazy. Here are just a few of the common myths baby boomers hear about their fitness and the real truth behind them.

Myth #1: You can’t be in great shape.

When you think of healthy, sculpted bodies, your mind generally cuts to people in their mid 20’s. While many people want to be more fit and healthy, they have convinced themselves that they are simply too old to be in great shape. This simply isn’t true. Sure, you lose some of your abilities as you get older. You may not be as fast or lift as much, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Plus, the earlier you get started on your fitness program, the less functioning you’ll lose as you age.

Myth #2: You have to work out very hard to lose weight.

Sure, working out really hard is going to burn more calories than if you have a light workout, but you can still achieve safe results while cutting back a little. If you go into workouts full force, you’re not only putting unnecessary stress on your heart, joints, and the rest of your body, you’re also risking injury and other serious health problems. Don’t try to push yourself beyond what your body can do. A little bit of effort does goes a long way.

Myth #3: Doing cardio several times a week is enough exercise.

While cardio and other endurance exercises are an important part of getting and staying in shape, they’re just one piece of the puzzle if you want to stay healthy. A well-balanced workout should also include strength training to keep muscle mass, definition, and bone density, stretching exercises to maintain and improve flexibility, and balance exercises to help prevent future injury. If you are uncertain about your workout, seek the advice of a personal trainer who can help you get started on the right path.

Myth #4: Cutting out carbohydrates and fats will make you lose weight.

Sure, there have been fad diets around for many, many years, but lately they seem to be much more prevalent and often much more crazy. You may be guilty of jumping on the bandwagon, probably only to ump right back off. These diets tend to cut out things completely that your body needs and craves. Instead of constantly looking for diet products, eat sensible meals with lots of fruits and vegetables for nutrients. The best way to get into shape is to do it slowly through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Ignoring the latest fads of fitness myths will usually keep you on the right track to becoming healthy.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Arthritis – A Disease or Disorder?

Many of us are affected by arthritis, or know someone who is. Arthritis is a condition of moderate to severe pain that affects the joints, but what exactly is it that causes some people to get arthritis while others don’t?

The quick and easy answer as to what causes arthritis is that we really don’t know yet. There’s no one answer that explains every case. There’s no ‘arthritis disease’ that you catch like a cold that causes you to develop symptoms. Arthritis is simply a joint disorder that develops with time. In fact, there are over a hundred types of arthritis and many of them are probably caused by different factors.

What we do know is that there are some risk factors that increase your chances of having a problem. While they may not be the root cause of your arthritis, they could definitely be helping to further the problem along.

One of the biggest risk factors associated with arthritis is age. You know that as you get older, there’s more wear and tear on your body. Arthritis may not be caused specifically by wear and tear on the joints, but it will definitely speed up the process or increase symptoms. That is why a large number of people over 65 have arthritis, regardless of other factors.

Another factor that can increase your chances of developing arthritis is weight. If you are overweight, you’re going to increase the stress on your joints and will likely have more problems with arthritis. Starting a healthy diet and exercise plan now may reduce symptoms or slow the progress of the disease.

Joint injury is often a factor in developing arthritis. Just like all the other factors, it’s not a root cause; however, you’re more likely to develop arthritis in a joint that has had a previous injury. If you do injure yourself, be sure to care for the injury properly so that it heals quickly and doesn’t get damaged again.

Doctors aren’t really sure how big of a part genetics plays into the development of arthritis, but they do know it’s related. If your parents have arthritis, it’s more likely that you will as well. Although this doesn’t mean that just because your parents had it, you will too. By reducing the likeliness from other causes, you can reduce your risk.

Many people associate arthritis with athletes and other physically active people. While it would make sense that physical work would put more stress on joints and increase the likelihood of arthritis, studies really haven’t shown this to be true. While the risk of athletes developing arthritis is higher, this is associated with their increased chance of joint injury. This means you can continue your daily exercise routine (it will probably even help), but always take precautions to avoid injury.

When most people think of arthritis, they’re often thinking of osteoarthritis. However, rheumatoid arthritis is less common, but a very serious condition. While symptoms can be similar the causes are not. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means the body is actually attacking itself and causing damage to its own joints.

While you can’t prevent arthritis or control all these factors, you can take steps to reduce them, keeping yourself pain free longer. A good exercise program is one way to do this.

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5 Great Baby Boomer Exercises

Getting older doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself into shape. As you age, it is important to keep a balanced exercise program including endurance training, strength training, balance exercises, and stretching exercises. By performing all of these activities, you can maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

Here are five great exercises that will help keep you looking and feeling great.

1.  Walking

Walking is one of the simplest exercises around, but is still a great way to get in shape, lose weight and keep it off. You can do it on your own, start walking with a buddy or with your dog, or join a local walking club. The best part about walking is you can do it anywhere: the gym, the mall, the local park, around the block, or on a treadmill in your living room. That makes it much easier to stick to than other exercise plans because it’s harder to avoid. And depending on where you walk and who you do it with, it can also be tons of fun.

2.  Water Aerobics

This is a great way to exercise and make friends, whether you’re new to exercise or are in great shape. Gyms usually offer classes for all ages, skill levels, and goal levels. The water offers great resistance, plus it’s low impact and therefore easier on your body. You get the burn of a high impact workout without the strain on your body.

3.  Weight Training

Did you know that people who work out and do weight training lose just as much weight, but a much higher percentage of that weight is body fat. Weight training doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t mean you’re going to get big and bulky. Plus, weight training in addition to your exercise routine can decrease loss of muscle mass and bone density and help you maintain mobility and balance as you age, which can greatly improve your health and quality of life.

4.  Yoga

While some yoga requires an enormous amount of strength and balance, there are plenty of poses that are great for those who are just getting started or who might have health issues. Try taking a class specifically targeted to beginners or those with lower skill levels. Yoga is a great way to gain flexibility and retain balance, and it’s also great for staying relaxed and getting a better nights sleep.

5.  Sports

No, you’re probably not going to be a professional athlete any time soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have some fun. Many local community centers and senior organizations have ‘for fun’ sports leagues that you can join. You can meet people, stay in shape, and have a little fun. Don’t want to play in a league? Why not just go to the park and play baseball with your grandkids; you’ll get a good workout that way too!

Whatever you do to stay in shape, the most important part is to have fun. That way, you’ll stick with it and stay healthy for a long time to come.

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