Client Education

Health, Fitness and Nutrition

Seniors and the Benefits of Exercise

By: National Institute on Aging

Whether you are 40 or 60 or 80, you can exercise and improve your health. Physical activity is good for your heart, mood and confidence and has even helped those in their 80s and 90s in nursing homes to grow stronger and more independent. Older people who become more active — including those with medical problems — may feel better and have more energy than ever before.

Staying physically active is key to good health well into later years. Yet only about one in four older adults exercise regularly. Many older people think they are too old or too frail to exercise.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Physical activity of any kind — from heavy-duty exercises such as jogging or bicycling to easier efforts like walking — is beneficial. Vigorous exercise can help strengthen your heart and lungs. Taking a brisk walk regularly can help lower your risk of health problems like heart disease or depression. Climbing stairs, calisthenics or housework can increase your strength, stamina and self-confidence. Weightlifting or strength training is a good way to stop muscle loss and slow down bone loss. Your daily activities will become easier as you feel better.

Researchers know that:

Regular, active exercise such as swimming and running, raises your heart rate and may greatly reduce stiffening of the arteries. Stiff arteries are a major cause of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

People who are physically active are less likely to develop adult onset diabetes, or they can control it better if they do have it. Exercise increases the body's ability to control the blood glucose level.

Regular activity, such as walking or gardening, may lower the risk of severe intestinal bleeding in later life by almost half.

Strength training, like lifting weights or exercising against resistance, can make bones stronger, improve balance and increase muscle strength and mass. This can prevent or slow bone-weakening osteoporosis, and may lower the risk of falls, which can cause hip fractures or other injures.

Strength training can lessen arthritis pain. It doesn't cure arthritis, but stronger muscles may ease the strain and therefore the pain.

Light exercise may be good for your mental health. One group of healthy, older adults said they felt less anxious or stressful after exercising for one year.

What Kind of Exercise Should You Do?

Physical activity and exercise programs should meet your needs, preferences and skills. The amount and type of exercise depends on what you want to do. Different exercises do different things: Some may slow bone loss, others may reduce the risk of falls, still others may improve the fitness of your heart and lungs. Some may do all three.

Talk to your doctor before you begin, however. Move at your own speed, and don't try to take on too much at first. A class can be a good idea if you haven't exercised for a long time or are just beginning. A qualified instructor will make sure you are doing the exercise correctly.

One good way to stay active is to make physical activity part of every day. Thirty minutes of moderate activity each day is a good goal, but you don't have to exercise for 30 minutes all at once. Short bursts of activity, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking instead of driving, can add up to 30 minutes. Raking leaves, playing actively with children, gardening and even doing household chores can all be done in a way that can count toward your daily total.

It's a good idea to include some stretching, strength training, and aerobic or endurance exercise in your exercise plan. People who are weak or frail, and may risk falling, should start slowly. Begin with stretching and strength training; add aerobics later. Aerobic activities are safer and easier once you feel balanced and your muscles are stronger.

Stretching improves flexibility, eases movement, lowers the risk of injury and muscle strain, increases blood flow and gets your body ready for exercise. A warm-up and cool-down period of five to 15 minutes should be done slowly and carefully before and after all types of exercise. Stretching not only helps to loosen muscles, but it's also relaxing.

Strength training (also called resistance training or weightlifting) builds muscle and bone, both of which decline with age. Strengthening exercises for the upper and lower body can be done by lifting weights or working out with machines or an elastic band. Be sure to work with an expert who can teach you how to work with weights. Without help, you can get hurt; with help, older adults can work their way up to many of the same weightlifting routines as younger adults.

Shoot for 30 to 40 minutes of strength training two or three times a week, and be sure not to exercise the same muscles two days in a row.

Aerobic exercises (also called endurance exercises) strengthen the heart and improve overall fitness by increasing the body's ability to use oxygen. Swimming, walking and dancing are low-impact aerobic activities that avoid the muscle and joint pounding of more high-impact exercises like jogging and jumping rope.

Before starting any aerobics program, check with your doctor and ask about your own target heart rate. Some blood pressure medicines, for example, can affect how you figure out your target heart rate.

Helpful Hints

Choose activities that you like.

• Make small changes so that physical activity becomes a part of each day.

• Stop and check with your doctor right away if you develop sudden pain, shortness of breath, or feel ill.

• Exercise with a group, with a buddy, or alone. Pick what's easiest and most fun.

• Be realistic about what you can do.

Resources:

Local gyms, universities, or hospitals can help you find a teacher or program that works for you. You can also check with local churches or synagogues, senior and civic centers, parks, recreation associations, YMCAs, YWCAs, and even local shopping malls for exercise, wellness, or walking programs. Many community centers also offer programs for older people who may be worried about special health problems like heart disease or falling. Your local library may carry books or tapes about exercise and aging.

For more information about the benefits of strength training, click here. [WHERE IS THIS SUPPOSED TO LINK TO?]

National Institute on Aging

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

National Institutes of Health

1995