Exercise benefits seniors by reducing the risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, obesity and depression. Rehab exercise during recovery rebuilds the body and helps seniors recover more quickly from health problems. Key elements of exercise include strength, balance, stretching and endurance. Check with your health-care provider before beginning or advancing an exercise program.
Senior Health Conditions
The American Geriatrics Society reports that arthritis accounts for the highest number of conditions causing seniors to have difficulty with daily tasks. The majority of seniors 70 and older have multiple health problems from chronic disorders such as coronary artery disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory difficulty, high blood pressure and arthritis. Proper screening of patients with health impairments is vital before beginning rehab, according to the society.
Key Elements in Exercise
Strength gained in exercise increases the force needed to perform a task. Improving balance aids in fall prevention. Stretching exercise increases range of motion in muscles and joints. Building endurance improves aerobic capacity. Combining these elements allows seniors to perform the tasks of daily living easier and live a fuller, richer life. Rehab involves the concept of progressive overload, according to the society. Overload produces muscle strength by exercising beyond the previous level of exercise. Progression produces stronger muscles by increasing resistance during exercise.
The Borg Scale
Rehab exercise measures exercise intensity using the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, reports the society. Measurements from least effort to perform exercise, to measurements of very hard and maximum effort to perform exercise, assess patients to make certain they have gained strength and endurance in the rehab process. Progressive resistance training at the Borg Scale level requires two to three weeks of somewhat hard to very hard training. Exercise consists of eight to 10 repetitions in two or three sets of exercises. Borg Scale aerobic training requires fairly light to somewhat hard exercise in walking, biking or aquatic exercise. Aerobic capacity increases with 30- to 40-minute workouts over two to three weeks.
Enjoyment
Keeping enjoyment in an exercise routine helps people stay with an exercise program longer, reports the American College of Sports Medicine. Ten percent of Americans die prematurely from disorders caused by lack of physical activity, says Dr. Christine Himes Fordyce of the American Geriatrics Society. The doctor goes on to say that physicians must not only prescribe activity for senior patients, but patients must make exercise a priority in their lives.
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