Exercise The Old Use It Or Lose It Syndrome

The truth is – you can’t afford not to get moving.  Exercise is key to staying strong, energetic and healthy as you get older.  It’s good for the mind, body and spirit – also for mood and memory!  Not only does it help you manage illness and pain but it often can reverse symptoms of aging.

Redeeming, restoring, renewing Exercise does not mean exclusively trips to the gym, inappropriately strenuous and exhausting regimens.  It means that you and I and all of us must adopt a joyful mindset to get up, get going and get moving, body and soul together – small ways around the home, natural bending, natural reaching, morning stretching, working out with neighbors, listening to music, keeping rhythm, feeling those aches and pains working themselves out, even dancing,

The Key to Healthy Aging

Maggie Rappaport of The Training Zone in Tucson says that the goals of some of her clients are as simple as being able to handle the three flights of stairs in a family residence.  As easy as that sounds for many of us today, that goal is a reality that may be closer at hand than we know.

The American Council on Exercise is very emphatic about its top ten reasons that Seniors should Get Up and Go.  They are profound and alarming for the host of whole-body rewards and the good health that exercise seems to guarantee for positive and energetic living.

1.    Exercise increases bone-density and helps prevent osteoporosis.  Repeated mild stress on our bones helps them retain calcium content and structure.
2.    Exercise improves self-sufficiency and greater independence.
3.    Exercise increases metabolism because muscle mass grows.
4.    Exercise improves both balance and reflexes that help to prevent falls and serious injury.
5.    Exercise increases core strength and breathing capability.
6.    Exercise releases endorphins that improve mood and give a sense of accomplishment.
7.    Exercise maintains flexibility to preserve function and range of motion.
8.    Exercise can prevent and regulate diabetes, because it helps to control insulin levels.
9.    Exercise, in particular, cardiovascular exercise, will strengthen the heart.
10.    Exercise, as part of an external fitness program, can build community, sociability and further motivate safe and supervised training for meeting realistic and healthy goals.

Who can say ‘no’ to all that?  And there’s more.

There’s more physical and mental health benefits.  As we age and our metabolism slows, we increasingly fight those creeping calories.  A regular exercise program will burn calories and hold weight gain in check.

Exercise will improve immune function, better digestive functioning, better heart rate and blood pressure.  Some seniors have lowered the risks of chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s, obesity, heart disease and colon cancer.

Improved quality sleep is another important benefit as seniors will fall asleep more quickly and more deeply.  Exercise is good for the brain.  It keeps the brain active and is an antidote to memory loss, cognitive decline and dementia because it slows the degenerative progress of mental disorders.

Sometimes – Retraining the Brain

“It’s all about retraining the brain,” so says Michael Bearce, executive director of Fall Prevention Clinics of America.  An overlooked reason for falls is the dysfunction of the vestibular system, a finely tuned system that works with eye, ear and muscles to adjust/compensate for body positioning.  Dysfunctions occur primarily form inactivity.  Fortunately, simple exercises again will reteach the brain to regain the health of such coordinated activity.

Balance and A Balanced Plan

We take our balance for granted.  Usually as we age, we realize its importance to a vigorous life.  Even though balance declines with age, elderly balance exercises and training can limit this loss and improve stability over time.

Balance is a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ kind of function.  And yet, elderly balance is the single most important key to reducing the risk of falls.  And a well balanced home exercise program will begin with retraining the brain through simple exercises.

Balance exercises are challenging.  They can be done at the home.  It is helpful if not essential to have someone with you who is stable on their feet.

One home balance exercise program that is clearly presented with diagrams can be found at www.eldergym.com/elderly-balance.html, entitled ‘Elderly Balance Exercises for Seniors to Help Prevent Falls.”

Exercise Options All Around You

The kinds of activities that are most beneficial to seniors are Walking, Senior Sports or Fitness Classes, Water Aerobics or Water Sports, Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong.  All of these can be adapted to any level. None require special equipment.  Classes for some can be found at local YMCAs, community centers and senior centers.

Or – make purposeful increased physical activity a pleasurable part of your everyday life.  Take what you like to do and expand it to include some fitness training.  With a friend, walk laps at the mall.  Do bending exercises when tying your shoes each morning.  Climb steps up and down several times in the morning or evening listening to your news broadcasts.  Park at the far end of the parking lot.  Do light stretching while watching TV.  Housecleaning, gardening, grocery shopping – all are examples of cardio lifting and moving that make the most of ordinary physical activity.

Or – be inspired and enroll in a fitness and training class, preferably with a friend.  A list of training exercises at the end of this article may provide direction and recommendation for a home-based authoritative program.

Safety Issues Are a MUST.

As you embark on a well balanced exercise program, here are a few safety tips conditioned to keep you safe and secure while you become stronger, happier, healthier and more fit.

–Always get medical clearance from your doctor before committing to any exercise program, since your doctor knows your medical condition.

–Try to achieve a balanced exercise program that includes cardiovascular exercise, often regarded as the #1 building block of senior fitness, strength training and flexibility, the #2 and #3 building block and the #4 building block of senior fitness – balance.  Fitness is a condition of the total body.

–Always warm up and stretch before physical activity.  When our muscles are cold, they are more prone to injury.

–Keep water at hand and drink plenty, so that you don’t get dehydrated, especially if it is warm.

–A family member who is not at risk of falling will be a help to exercise in the home and will allow better focus.

–Be aware of posture as weight should be evenly distributed over our ankles.  Poor posture automatically alters the body’s alignment and proper balance, causing exercises to miss their intended purpose or even to cause a muscular stress or pull.

–Purposely slow down movements and abrupt turns that can cause dislocation.  For example, it is best to rise from a chair slowly.

–At home, set up a preferably hard backed, armless chair to hold onto while standing for exercise or to use for sitting at rest.

–Always, wear shoes with a smooth bottom that will help prevent tripping.

–A long counter, like a kitchen counter, can be a real assist with walking exercises, whether purposeful or just opportune when in the kitchen.

–Listen to your body, that is, don’t discount your body’s needs or what it may be telling you.  Appropriate exercise should never cause pain or shortness of breath or cause a joint to be red or swollen.  In that instance, consult with a doctor or a professional trainer.

–Follow the 10 percent rule.  Increase your activity level only by 10 percent a week.  For example, gradually expand walking distance of one mile to a second mile with incremental increases over time and not all at once.
Here are related links for Senior Exercise.  (List provided by: Sarah Kovatch, M.F.A., Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. Last updated: March 2010.)

General information about exercise for seniors

NIA Exercise Guide– An excellent starting point, this comprehensive guide outlines the importance of exercise, safety tips, sample exercises, target heart rate charts, activity logs, and how to make an exercise plan. (National Institute on Aging)

NIHSeniorHealth: Exercise for Older Adults – Covers the benefits of exercise for seniors, safe exercises to try, an FAQ, and charts to track your progress. (National Institute of Health)

Keep Active for a Longer, Healthier Life – Discusses value of exercise and provides tips to help you get started. (AARP)

Senior fitness plans and exercise instruction

Exercise: The Key to the Good Life– Provides an exercise plan for seniors. Sample exercises include directions and diagrams so that you can get started on your own. (President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports)

NIHSeniorHealth: Exercise for Older Adults – Covers the benefits of exercise for seniors, safe exercises to try, an FAQ, and charts to track your progress. (National Institute of Health)

NIH Exercise Guide – Sample exercises and charts. (National Institute of Health)

Senior sports and types of exercise

The Water Well – Discusses the benefits of water exercise for people with medical conditions like osteoporosis, diabetes, and back problems. (Aquatic Exercise Association)

Yoga Slows the Aging Process – Outlines the benefits of yoga and the many different types of yoga. The site includes extensive health information as well as an animated section showing many of the various postures and poses.

Chair Exercises for Elderly People – Describes a variety of fitness routines for chair-bound seniors. Video demonstrations provided. (Livestrong.com)

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Hazel Kuchsinsky is a Community Reporter and Charter Member with The Village Connector Community News. She the CEO of Ivory House Health Services, a Nursing Care Management Company and Residential Services Agency. Contact Hazel at 410-823-3153 or on the web at www.ivoryhouse.net.