Aging is a natural process, and unfortunately, nobody can stop it. One way to achieve this is to adopt a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise. To keep yourself in shape, try doing routine things on your own to deal with such aging problems like backache and joint pain. The National Institute of Aging has reported that when aged people are unable to do things on their own, it’s not necessarily due to their age, rather due to their lack of activeness, and decreased physical exercise. Hence, daily exercise will make you feel healthy, boost your mood, and enhance your immunity to fight diseases.
Aging is a complex process and an older person’s body is physiologically different from a younger adult’s body. Keeping this factor in mind, seniors should modify their exercise pattern. Your past lifestyle has a great influence on the quality of aging. Chronic habits, genetics, chronic diseases, and lifestyle factors can show their effects during old age. A balanced and nutritious diet has to become part of one’s lifestyle. Strength training exercises can be very beneficial as well. After strength exercises, it is advisable for seniors to have a protein drink to keep their muscles strong and fit. Health advisers can give you a diet chart according to your BMI (Body Mass Index), which is a measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight. You may have to adjust your daily diet according to your age, BMI, and exercise type. Aged people with hypertension sometimes refrain from exercise because of a fear of heart attacks and stroke. Careful regular evaluation of blood pressure and diet is necessary before planning for any strength exercise, but with careful planning and monitoring it can be very beneficial for even those who once suffered serious medical problems. Research has shown that Angiotensin receptor blockers prevent heart attacks or stroke problems during exercise. Exercises for younger adults obviously vary from exercises meant for seniors. Initially, seniors should start with mild exercises. Always make soft and gentle movements at first, and concentrate on your breathing pattern.
Walking regularly is also a great exercise for seniors. Regular walking will burn the unwanted fat which will improve overall health. Gardening is also a good exercise for elderly people. As you grow older, you tend to avoid doing mentally strenuous work. To keep your mind active, start playing crossword games, memory games or any brain exercise. To prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at old age, brain exercises are highly recommended. There are no age bars on physical exercises so it’s always good to improve your physical health. This way, one can remain healthy for the remainder of one’s life. Aerobic exercises for seniors can be started with low intensity training. With age, there’s a reduction of calcium in the bone, particularly in women, wherein bone deterioration may set in from the age of 30. This is why care should be taken by seniors while weight training. It is recommended that seniors follow their physician’s guidelines if you intend to do weight training. Always supplement your diet with calcium.
Follow these links to learn more about healthy living and exercises for seniors.
- Healthy Aging Tips: Provides information on healthy living for older folks.
- National Institute on Aging: Comprehensive resource center for seniors with health and research information, news, events, and more.
- Healthy Aging: Come here to find health information, data and statistics, and other topics.
- Aging & Mental Health: Discusses the importance of mental health for seniors.
- Aging Research Center: A lot of research materials on the aging process.
- Aging: Offers information on the psychological aspects of aging.
- Effects of Aging: Find out how aging affects the body.
- Sensory System: Explains how the sensory system is affected by aging.
- Health of the Aging: An overview on how to achieve healthy aging.
- Women & Aging: A resource center to help women deal with various aspects of aging.
- What is Healthy Aging?: Describes what it means to grow older with good health.
- Healthy Living: Discusses how a healthy life can lead to healthy aging.
- Nutrition & Aging: Highlights the importance of nutrition in older people’s lives.
- Aging Well: Offers a framework for seniors to fight the changes of aging.
- Physical Changes: Excellent place to learn about how the body changes as people grow older.
- Food Safety: As the body changes, it’s important to care more about food safety.
- Changing Diet: Shows how the diet can be changed to account for changes in the body.
- The Age Antidote: A discussion on the importance of exercise for seniors.
- Exercise & Seniors: Describes how exercise can benefit elders, with illustrations of simple exercises.
- Exercise for Seniors: Touches on some aspects of exercises like the benefits, longevity, aerobic exercises, strength training, and more.
- Guidelines: Follow these guidelines for safer exercise.
- Physical Activity: Outlines some of the advantages of exercise for seniors.
- Types of Exercise: Learn about the four main types of exercise.
- Quick Tips: A number of tips o help you pursue an active lifestyle.
- Shoulder Pain: If you are experiencing shoulder pain, here’s some advice and suggestions.
- Exercise & Physical Activity: Lots of information on exercise as well as simple exercises, videos, and more.
- Balance & Weight Training: Some suggestions on how you can do these exercises.
- Balance Training: Provides 9 simple balance training exercises.
- Improving Balance: Explains why it’s important for seniors to improve their balance.
- Strength Training: Discusses the importance of strength training for seniors.
- Strength Training Guide: A special training guide for seniors.
- Back Exercises: Watch these videos to learn some back exercises.
- Strength Exercises: Offers 5 essential exercises for seniors.
- Fitness for Seniors: Discusses how exercise can help to keep seniors emotionally and physically well.
- Walking Tips: Good advice for seniors who like to walk.
- Walking Program: Get inspiration from this walking program for seniors.
- Senior Runner: Great resource center for seniors who like to run.
- BMI: An overview of Body Mass Index with calculator.
- Basic Yoga Poses: Effective safe exercises for seniors.
- Olympic Games: For seniors who are really serious about sports, here’s a good place to go.
