Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your health, no matter what your age. People tend to lose muscle as they age and muscle-strengthening activities can help slow the rate of age-related loss. Aerobic activity has benefits both physically and mentally. Activity that requires moderate effort is safe for most people 55 and older, but if you have a health condition -- such as arthritis, heart disease or diabetes -- it is always best to talk with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Circuit Training
Circuit training combines a series of exercises together into a complete workout. Each exercise lasts approximately one to three minutes with a short rest between. In a commercial gym, the exercises might be set up at stations, but in your home you might just move from one exercise to the next. A well-balanced workout usually includes both strength and cardio exercises. For seniors especially, the more variety, the more improvement in muscle tone, flexibility and balance, all of which are important for maintaining health and guarding against falls and accidents.
Benefits of Strength Training
The benefits to training regularly as you get older are many. Chronic conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and depression, can be helped by regular exercise. A 1994 study at Tufts University followed older men and women with severe knee arthritis. After 16 weeks, the strength-training program decreased pain by 43 percent, increased muscle strength and physical performance and decreased disability. Strength exercises increase flexibility and balance, decreasing the likelihood and severity of falls. They also increase bone density in post-menopausal women.
Benefits of Aerobics
Aerobic exercise brings oxygen and glucose to the brain, which are crucial for brain function. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscle, slows the buildup of cholesterol, improves liver and pancreas functioning. It also helps control Type II diabetes.
Aging and Exercise
Many of the symptoms associated with normal aging are actually the result of sedentary lifestyles. Regular exercise improves heart and respiratory function and bone density, reduces body fat and increases muscle, lowers blood pressure, increases strength and flexibility and reduces depression and disease. When middle-aged and elderly people exercise, they can literally set the clock back.
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