Many older adults believe that they can’t exercise.
It’s a pity because without exercise they run the risk of a decline in metabolic, musculo-skeletal and psychological wellbeing.
Without regular, systematic exercise, things are destined to get worse. Just look around you and see for yourself what dreadful shape a lot of people are in. It’s doubtful that their condition will be improved by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
That being said, anyone regardless of age can improve their health by improving their:-
- aerobic fitness,
- strength and
- flexibility.
For instance, if everyone had a good aerobic fitness training program, their metabolic and psychological health would be improved markedly, their weight would be close to their ideal weight and they’d feel better.
If everyone had a decent strength and flexibility training program, the incidence of joint and muscle pain would be dramatically reduced.
If you’re committed to improving and approaching fitness with awareness and goals, you can achieve much more than you imagine.
For Exercise Tips for Elderly, Start with What You Know You Can Do
The first step to getting in shape, at any age, is to begin with something you know you can accomplish. For example, you know you can walk for ten minutes. This is important. Start small and start slowly. Learn how your body responds to movement and exercise.
Here’s a link to the One Minute Aerobic Fitness Training Program ebook.
http://www.fitandhealthyonline.com/21-day-aerobic-fitness-training-program
Make Strength Training Part of Your Workout
Strength training is an essential ingredient of musculo-skeletal health. It’s well nigh impossible to go through life without joint and muscles pain if you don’t have a regular and systematic strength training program.
Strength training decreases bone loss so you can prevent osteoporosis. It also improves your balance and coordination which reduces your risk of falling.
Along with aerobic fitness training, strength training plays an important role in maintaining normal blood sugar levels.
Strength training simply means using resistance to contract your muscles. You don’t have to use barbells. Bodyweight strength training can be very powerful. There are four great strength training exercises you can do at home – squats, pressups, situps and Superman back arches.
If you want to use weights, start with hand weights.
Make flexibility training part of your workout
The number one contributor to joint and muscle pain is lack of flexibility. Muscles that are tight take bones out of alignment. Flexibility training gets them back into alignment.
Only on the rarest of occasions will your doctor give you a suite of exercises to get your bones back into better alignment. Instead you’ll be sent to the radiologist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, masseur, surgeon or chemist.
None of these people will be as effective in reducing your muscle pain than you, yourself doing the exercises you need to do – at home – to get your bones back into better alignment. http://www.fitandhealthyonline.com/my-flexibility-exercises
Uneven Surfaces Matter
While any exercise is better than no exercise, for older adults it’s very important to walk on uneven surfaces. For example, instead of a treadmill you might go for a hike on an easy trail. When you walk on an uneven surface you actually use your ligaments, tendons, and muscles differently. Your body has to adapt to the subtle changes in the walking surface.
This helps strengthen your muscles and tissues and it improves mobility.
Exercise with Friends
Exercising with friends helps ensure that you not only stay safe, but that you commit to a time to exercising. You can all watch out for one another.
Exercise good for mental health
Exercise is good for your mental health. It improves circulation, including circulation to your brain. Thew release of endorphins boosts mood. Whether you are 40 or 80, there’s no such thing as too old to exercise. Get started today.
