Senior Exercise

Recently my grown kids gifted me with a membership in the fitness center at our local senior center. Senior fitness is something I wanted but didn’t seem able to achieve on my own. My major exercise was moving from the couch to the car. Clearly something needed to be done about my lack of fitness.

Use it or lose it. Much disability among seniors is due not to age but to inactivity. Without even realizing it, many of us slowly become less and less active until we don’t meet the minimal requirements of functional fitness.
Functional fitness refers to a level of strength, endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, joint flexibility, and balance that enable us to carry out the activities of daily living easily. Functional fitness also reduces the risk of many major diseases and illnesses.

But is it safe for a senior to exercise? Check with your doctor, but you will probably find she is thrilled that you are finally doing something about your couch potato lifestyle. If you have a family history of heart disease, she may want to run some tests before you start exercising. Here are some basic cautions to take when exercising.

? Don’t try to do too much too fast, easy does it
? Exercise at an intensity appropriate to you
? Pick activities that are fun, that suit your needs and that can be done year-round
? Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
? Take time to warm up and cool down. Stretch slowly
? Don’t rely on your sense of thirst; drink water on a fixed schedule

There are two basic types of exercise: aerobic and strength training and seniors should do both. Aerobic exercise is good for the cardiovascular system, reduces blood pressure and cholesterol and raises good cholesterol while reducing the bad. Strength training increases muscle mass and many studies have shown that it also increases bone mass thus preventing or slowing down osteoporosis and bone fractures.