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As we age many of us don't really put much thought into physical activity. We're thinking about children, grandchildren, retirement, and who knows what else. We all have a lot on our plates, but just because we’re busy doesn’t mean we need to push our health to the side. As an older 
adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others. (CDC)
adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others. (CDC)What drives us not to want to exercise?
- Lack of resources (unable to go to a gym, no exercise equipment, not enough knowledge about physical activity)
- Already with a disability
- No time
- No Motivation
- Fear of getting injured
- Attitude
- Obesity,
- Hypertension
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Early Death
- Respiratory diseases
- Bone and muscle mass deteriorate
Lower risk of:
o Early death (all causes)
o Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke
o Hypertension
o Type 2 diabetes
o Cancers- colon and breast
Prevention of weight gain Prevention of obesity Weight loss (with less caloric intake) Prevention of falls Depression, cognitive function Strengthen your bones and muscles Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent fallsThere also is moderate evidence of preventive health benefits of physical activity:
Prevent hip fracture, maintain or slow loss in bone density, reduce prevalence of osteoporosis (lifespan issues) Lower rates of lung and endometrial cancers Maintenance of weight after weight loss Enhanced sleep quality Improve your mental health and mood
Above I listed just briefly how much different our lives would be as we age if we stay active and exercise. I know it is hard to picture yourself seventy years old running a 5K, but is it? Anyone can do it with the proper exercise, diet and ambition. When many of us think of exercise we may picture athletes or younger adults running just to stay in shape but really exercising helps with more aspects than just getting fit. As we age we have to take certain things into consideration. Are we strong or capable enough to take care of ourselves? If we increase our physical activity and exercise we decrease the chances of falling, increase cognitive function, and we can even increase bone mass. (ppt)
I know many of us wonder where do
we even begin to exercise if we haven’t in years.
1.
The first step is to consult your physician. This is a simple and easy step that many of us forget to do. By consulting your doctor, they can provide you with simple instructions on what you can or can’t do while exercising. The physician is not going to tell you to run a mile the first day you start exercising, with being out of the swing of things for awhile the only way to begin again is to work into it slowly. Any form of physical activity such as gardening is better than having a sedentary lifestyle. This is known as “functional fitness”, such as walking, transfers, and performing ADLs.
The first step is to consult your physician. This is a simple and easy step that many of us forget to do. By consulting your doctor, they can provide you with simple instructions on what you can or can’t do while exercising. The physician is not going to tell you to run a mile the first day you start exercising, with being out of the swing of things for awhile the only way to begin again is to work into it slowly. Any form of physical activity such as gardening is better than having a sedentary lifestyle. This is known as “functional fitness”, such as walking, transfers, and performing ADLs.
2. The second step is to determine your needs. What do you feel that you need to work on most? Here is a physical activity health risk assessment that you can take to determine your physical activity level and things you can do to start being physically active.
3. The third step is to lay out your plan. Find out what activities suite you best, activities you enjoy, and your availability. Write down a week to week plan of activities and times you are planning on exercising. By having this plan mapped out it will be easier than trying to remember back to what you were originally thinking. Having a week to week plan will help you organize your time to fit exercise into your schedule.
4. The fourth and final step is to engage in the activities. If you don’t feel comfortable doing them by yourself ask a friend, or go to your local fitness center where there is help and friendly people to assist you. If you haven’t been active for awhile don’t forget to slowly ease your way back into the exercise scene. Do not over exert yourself if you aren’t inclined enough to do the exercises yet.
If you are currently inactive and want to start picking up physical activity you should increase the amount of physical activity gradually. It can take months of fitness to gradually meet your activity goals. To reduce injury risk, if you are inactive you should avoid vigorous aerobic activity at first when you begin exercising. You should gradually increase the number of days a week and the duration of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. If you have a very low level of fitness you can start out with exercises of activity less than 10 minutes and slowly increase the minutes of light-intensity aerobic activity, such as light-intensity walking.
"Older adults who are inactive should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of relatively moderate-intensity physical activity. Getting at least 30 minutes of relatively moderate–intensity physical activity on 5 or more days each week is reasonable. Doing muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or 3 nonconsecutive days each week is also an acceptable and appropriate goal for you." (health.gov)
Just remember it’s never too late to become physically active and the more enjoyable the activities are the more you will actually want to do them without even realizing you are exercising! And more importantly, don’t be afraid to try!
If you are having troubles getting started here is a flyer from the CDC that give examples of weekly activity routines that you may want to try:
Other Helpful Resources:
National Institute on Aging: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exerciseforolderadults/benefitsofexercise/01.html
National Institute on Aging: http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/ExerciseGuide/default.htm
Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips: http://helpguide.org/life/senior_fitness_sports.htm
National Institute on Aging: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exerciseforolderadults/benefitsofexercise/01.html
National Institute on Aging: http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/ExerciseGuide/default.htm
Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips: http://helpguide.org/life/senior_fitness_sports.htm
References:
"Physical Activity for Everyone: Guidelines: Older Adults | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. <http://cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/olderadults.html>.
Healthy Aging: Be Sure Your Exercise. Powerpoint.
"2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: Chapter 5." Health.gov | Your Portal to Health Information from the U.S. Government. Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services., 16 Oct. 2008. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. <http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/chapter5.aspx>.
Pictures: steadyhealth.com; livestrong.com; healthsmart.com
