Exercise For Older Adults and The Elderly

A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Below are some tips to manage exercise for older adults and the elderly.

Find an exercise plan that suits your condition.

Before starting, remember to consult your physician, especially if you have heart problem, bone and joint problem, or metabolic problems such as diabetes. You may need to have some medication adjustment if you are taking any.

Anyone who says elderly people don't need exercise can have a go at grandma.

Start and stop gradually.

Start and stop your exercise session gradually. Avoid doing sudden, intense sudden exercise. Try to prepare yourself with at least 10 minute warm-up before exercising and end your session with another 10 minutes cool down.

Know your limits.

Learn to take hints from your body. Shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or feeling shaky means you probably have overexerted yourself and it's time for a break.

Monitor your heart rate during exercise. In order for your body to reap the benefit of aerobic exercises, you will want to reach a target of 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is 220 subtracted by your age.

Combine different types of exercises

There are four main types of exercise and you need to do a little bit of each. Combining different types of exercise will reduce monotony and increase the overall benefit to your health.

• Cardio-endurance exercises like walking, swimming, hiking, cycling, and dancing improve the health of the heart and circulatory system  
• Strengthening exercises like weight lifting will build muscle tissue and prevent osteoporosis
• Flexibility like exercises stretching or bouncing  keep the body limber and increases your range of movement.
• Balance exercises like yoga and tai chi improve your posture and reduce the chances of a fall.

Stick to the plan.

Commit yourself to an exercise schedule for at least 3 or 4 weeks so that it becomes habit. Try to focus and keep yourself motivated towards your goals.

Changes That Come With Aging

A few entries back we've talked about how accepting changes is one of the keys to aging gracefully. Now we're going to discuss more about those changes, particularly the ones related to your body systems. If the superficial (if not trivial) changes such as the wrinkles and the gray hairs trouble you, be prepare to get even more troubled.

Accept and embrace the changes in your physical and mental function. Your youth won't come back, but it doesn't mean that you can't be happy still.

Cardiovascular System

Your heart muscles will have to work harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body, lowering your tolerance to exercise. Your blood vessels become less elastic and fatty plaque may accumulate in the walls of your arteries, making them stiffer. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems.

Bones, joints and muscles

Your bones may become less dense, a condition called osteoporosis. This lead to increased risk for fracture. You may also contract osteoarthritis as a result of wear and tear to your joints. Your muscles lose strength and flexibility causing you troubles with movement and coordination.

Digestive and Urinary System

Low fiber diet, lack of exercise, not taking enough fluids, and medications may cause constipation in elderly people. Loss of bladder control is also common with aging. Frequent constipation, obesity, and chronic cough may contribute to incontinence.

Memory

The number of nerve cells in your brain will decrease with aging, causing some memory problems and concentration. It may take longer to recall familiar names or to remember new things.

Vision and HearingYour eyes produce less tears, causing a sense of dryness. The lenses lose their clarity and the retina becomes thinner. You may need correctional lenses to help with reading and you may become more sensitive to glare. Your ears may have difficulty hearing high frequencies or following a conversation in a crowded room.

Oral Health

Your mouth may feel drier because of less saliva production. With less saliva to clear out the bacteria, your teeth and gums become more vulnerable to decay and infection. Your teeth also darken in color and become more brittle.

Skin and HairYour skin becomes less elastic, more dry, and wrinkled. It is also more fragile, causing you to bruise more easily. Dark spots or age spots, especially on sun-exposed areas of your body, may occur. Hair loss and loss of color and luster is common.

Weight

Muscle mass decreases with age and they are replaced with fat. Because fat tissue burns fewer calories than muscle tissue, you may need to reduce the number of calories in your diet or increase your physical activity simply to maintain your current weight.

Are you feeling troubled yet?

Don't be. These changes are inevitable, but you can minimize their impact on your well-being by adopting healthy lifestyle long before these changes even begin to occur. Start now. It's never too late to change your lifestyle into a better one. 

Aging Gracefully

What is the secret to aging well?

This is the question we often find ourselves asking as we sail through our years. There is no definite answer to this question because it depends on your personal views on life. But one thing is certain, everyone is capable of achieving it. 

Nobody says getting old is going to be as easy as a walk in park.

As the age increases, people are faced with many emotional struggles. Fears of losing one's independence, loss of loved ones, chance of contracting serious illness like cancer or Alzheimer are only but a few examples. Aging gracefully is an ongoing process full of challenges, and like any other challenges in life, your attitude matters.

Don't listen to the media. Myths of ageless beauty or dying happily at home with the best possible care are misleading examples. Replace these stereotypes with your own image and standards. You don't have to be rich and beautiful in order to attain happiness in your old age.

Accept changes. 

stay active physically and psychologically

Psychological health plays a major role in accepting the fact that your life won't s remain the same. Aging changes everyone. One needs to anticipate these inevitable changes that comes with aging. You will need help in your daily activities, your memory is not what it used to be, your children grow up, and so on.If you can't cope with changes, depression ensues.

Always try to stay active both physically and psychologically.

Find activities that suit your ability. Read a lot. Watch the news. Get a pet like a dog or a cat. Grow plants. Call your families when your friends are not around anymore. Stay positive and continue to look forward because the best is yet to come. Never stop your efforts in giving meaning into your life.