As you age, regular exercise is essential for maintaining your strength and energy. Unfortunately, nearly 75 percent of older adults do not get enough exercise. Even if you think you are too frail to exercise, or if you have never exercised before, it is never too late to reap the benefits of exercise. However, check with your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Cardiovascular Exercise
The first building block of your exercise program is cardiovascular exercise. In this type of exercise, you use your body's large muscle groups to perform rhythmic motions. Regular cardiovascular exercise improves your body's oxygen consumption and waste removal processes. It can also improve your endurance and help you become more independent. Walking, dancing, swimming, tennis and senior aerobics classes are good choices. Choosing an activity that you enjoy will help you adhere to your exercise program.
Strength Training
The second building block of your exercise program, strength training, can help you build muscles and prevent bone loss. In strength training, you use repetitive motion with resistance, including free weights, elastic bands, machines or body weight. By participating in strength training, you can improve your balance and prevent falls. In addition, by building your strength, you will be able to perform everyday activities with more ease, which can help you maintain your independence.
Flexibility Training
As you age, you might notice that you are not as flexible as you once were. To combat this common problem, add the third building block, flexibility training, to your exercise program. Flexibility exercises can help you stay limber enough to complete daily tasks. Common methods of flexibility training include static stretching and ballistic stretching. You might want to perform stretching exercises on your own, or with a partner.
Chair-bound Exercise
If you are chair-bound and cannot participate in traditional exercise programs, you can still benefit from strength, flexibility and even cardiovascular exercise. For strength training, use resistance bands, free weights or any other weighted object to perform sets of arm curls, pull-downs, shoulder rotations and arm or leg extensions. For flexibility, many stretches can be done from a seated position. You can get your cardiovascular exercise through repetitive movements such as rapid leg lifts or seated push-ups.
References
- Helpguide: Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips: How to Gain Energy and Feel Stronger; March 2010
- The New York Times: Fit, Not Frail: Exercise as a Tonic for Aging; Jane E. Brody; June 2008
- American Family Physician: Promoting and Prescribing Exercise for the Elderly; Robert J. Nied and Barry Franklin; February 2002
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