Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults
We want to know are benefits of exercise for seniors and aging adults.
Everyone learns from childhood that an active lifestyle is healthier than immobility, and the question “why” rarely arises in people.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to answer it if we are talking about an older adult and his activities.
“Often, patients come and say that they constantly do exercises, but this does not protect them from strokes, or arthroplasty for arthrosis, or other diseases,”
says Oleg Watson.
There is an error here.
Let’s discuss the Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults.
The purpose of classes for an older adult is to preserve (or return) the ability to self-service and movement, that is, the preservation of independence.
What Are Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults?
I am talking about really older adults: 75-80 years old. A person at the age of 55 is still young. Records are opposite for older people.
“You will teach a young patient to put his arm behind his head if you teach him to raise his arm to shoulder level after an injury.
In an elderly patient, everything is strictly functional:
They taught him to take a cup, drink from it, and that’s it.
They taught me how to stand with a walker after a fracture or a long illness, then we’ll teach me how to walk with them, and that’s it”.
The main thing is to engage constantly, including at a young age (after all, now most people spend 80% of their time in a state of weakness – in offices and cars).
For elderly patients, this is vital.
Oleg Watson:
“I heard the phrase from a good Israeli rehabilitator: “If an elderly person goes to bed, he will die.”
It brings to a logical conclusion, but, unfortunately, not to the point of absurdity.
Immobility causes older adults to develop congestive pneumonia.
Exercise Therapy
Exercises are selected by a specialist, not by the person himself.
The rehabilitator and exercise therapy instructor compose a set of activities based on the goals they set together with the patient and his initial state.
Note: Take into account, for example, the state before a stroke or fracture and the form at the examination time.
Tips And Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults
You need to select exercises when you already have health problems in a rehabilitation center and not at home, based on what you read on the Internet and heard on TV.
It is better to give elderly parents, for a start, not an expensive simulator but a ticket to a good rehabilitation center, where they are examined, and activities are selected.
That is why there will be no good exercises in this article: the conditions of the elderly and their needs are too diverse.
You need to at least one-time call the house of an exercise therapy instructor or go to an appointment with a doctor in physical therapy to draw up an individual rehabilitation plan.
If a patient has pain in his legs, first you need to find out why they hurt. If he has arthrosis and uses a cane to walk, the goal is to maintain at least some joint motion.
Using this information, exercises that maximize the joint range of activities will be selected.
There are many: you can spin the bike and raise or bend your legs while lying on the bed.
Exercise Bike:
You can pick up an exercise bike – for example, variations of the “motored” simulator.
This device is placed close to an older adult’s wheelchair, chair, or bed.
Simulators allow the patient to pedal without sitting “in the saddle” and balance.
There are also simulators where the pedal “drags” the patient’s leg along with it – this is a passive-active development of the limbs to prevent contractures and improve muscle tone.
“Of course, it is better to create a set of exercises individually with a specialist, not just move those body parts that move.
Body Movement
But speaking abstractly, it is better to move at least somehow than not at all.
Let’s compare those older adults who fell ill and just lay and those who at least somehow moved.
The former are more likely to leave, and the latter are more likely to be rehabilitated.
But no recommendations of universal sets of exercises in absentia for all readers are possible.
Nordic walking: for almost everyone
The so-called Nordic walking is beneficial for the elderly.
Although the sticks do not serve as full-fledged support, they reduce the load on the legs (at least the weight of the hands is transferred to them).
“At the same time, the severity of the pain syndrome decreases, there is a general strengthening of the body, cardio training.
Such walking can be contraindicated only for people with severe heart failure.
Due to being in the city and having limited mobility, the elderly person is afflicted with the typical “bouquet” of diseases.
”It will allow a complex positive effect on the body,” recommends Oleg Watson.
Useful for older people walking along the health path.
It brings surprising benefits Exercise for seniors and aging adults.
Exercises for the spine for the elderly
The natural aging process causes back problems, even without chronic diseases.
Osteochondrosis and osteoporosis can be considered senile diseases.
To prevent them, you need to regularly do exercises to strengthen the back muscles of the elderly.
However, they are effective only in the first degree of development of the pathology.
However, they are more often recommended as a preventive measure.
Gymnastics
Special gymnastics can help you strengthen the back muscles in the following ways:
- Strengthen muscles
- Ligaments near the spine;
- Normalize blood circulation in this area;
- Improve overall health with a sedentary lifestyle;
Physical Activity
In old age, it is necessary to follow the rules of physical activity.
Regardless of the type of physical education in which one is engaged reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease diseases.
Make the spine more flexible and resistant to stress; boost your mood.
Therapeutic Effect
The main ones are as follows: Perform the treatment complex every day. It depends on obtaining a therapeutic and healing effect.
In addition to the primary workout, short exercises and a hitch in the morning and evening are recommended.
Class instructions often indicate an average load when performing the entire complex.
It is necessary to modify it, considering the patient’s age, physical fitness, the presence, type, and severity of the disease.
Therefore, to draw up a training program, it is recommended to contact a specialist.
During the Exercise, you need to focus on your feelings.
It is recommended to reduce physical activity if discomfort occurs.
Performing strengthening exercises at a slow and medium pace are recommended.
There should be no sudden movements, jerks, and twitches.
In addition, the exercise rate during execution may change, i.e., at first, you can do it slowly.
A little faster, then reduce the intensity again. It also applies to the range of exercises.
At the same time, discomfort or poor health should not occur.
The feeling of thirst cannot be ignored.
How To Take Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults.
Drink More Water
Drinking water or fortified drinks between sets of a therapeutic physical culture complex or movements during a dosed walk is recommended.
You can and should drink, but at the same time, you can’t drink much water at a time, and it’s better to do it in small sips.
In addition, water should not be consumed if it is too cold.
Contraindications
Gymnastics for the elderly has its contraindications. These include the following:
- the presence of problems with the circulatory system and respiratory organs
- fractures of limbs and other bones
- oncological diseases
Physical activity is not recommended at the last stage of diseases.
Back Exercises
A set of exercises for the back Exercises are performed in 3 stages:
It can lead to complicated fractures and soft tissue damage. Every bodily movement requires effort in old age, which limits physical activity.
Warm-up
The purpose of this stage is to warm up the muscles so that they become more elastic.
Main load
At this stage, a set of basic exercises is performed, which is the most difficult to achieve.
Hitch
At this stage, the spine is relaxed and prepared to return to its natural position. Each step involves a different number of exercises.
Age 70+ How to keep your health?
In the process of aging, our body composition changes:
- We lose muscle tissue.
- We lose muscle size.
- Our bones become more fragile.
- Our fat tissue increases.
Since muscle mass decreases with age, energy is also needed less; therefore, it is necessary to reduce nutrition.
Nutrients
In addition, aging can lead to decreased physical activity. The less we exercise, the less food we need.
Thus, with age, a person needs fewer calories.
It is essential that what he eats contains enough nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
With age, bone fragility increases. They become less dense, and at some point, osteoporosis may develop.
In this case, the chance of getting a bone fracture increases significantly.
Osteoporosis is prevalent in postmenopausal women due to hormonal changes.
Men also have osteoporosis, but it develops more slowly and at an older age than women.
Take care of your bones:
Get enough calcium, the essential building material for teeth and skeleton.
Much calcium is found in dairy products, cheese, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.
Suppose you cannot consume dairy products for some reason.
In that case, soy drinks with added calcium and vitamin B12 can be a good alternative.
Vitamin D
Take vitamin D, but be sure to check with your doctor first. Vitamin D ensures better absorption of calcium.
Foods that contain vitamin D include fatty fish, meat, and eggs.
Older people are advised to take 20 micrograms of extra vitamin D daily.
How to Strength Bones?
Don’t forget about physical activity. Movement and sufficient physical activity improve the quality and strength of bone tissue.
The loss of muscle mass with age is called sarcopenia.
Skeletal muscle, strength, and group play a significant role in maintaining health and increasing the duration of an active life.
In old age, muscle fibers break down faster than their synthesis.
Besides aging, physical inactivity and various diseases also contribute to sarcopenia.
The process of losing muscle mass begins in the body at the age of 30.
It is a long process, but after decades it leads to a noticeable decrease in muscle mass.
Protein
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent muscle loss. However, this process can be significantly slowed down if you continue to exercise and consume enough protein.
Dairy products, fish, meat, eggs, and substitutes such as soybeans and tofu are protein-rich.
Exercises
There are many Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors And Aging Adults.
Exercise reduces the risk of chronic disease.
At an older age, Exercise reduces bone fractures, increases muscle strength, and maintains walking speed.
Studies indicate that sufficient physical activity in old age can reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Moderate Exercise, at least 2.5 hours a week, will have a beneficial effect on your health.
Physical activities include;
- cycling
- Nordic walking,
- swimming
- gardening
Climbing stairs, brisk walking, and strength training at least two times a week will also help strengthen bones and muscles.
Specific exercises like tai chi or yoga will allow for better balance.
And finally, try not to sit still too much.
You’ll feel better if you walk up and down the stairs, around the area, or even move around the apartment regularly.
Whole Grain Products
Many older people develop bowel problems as they age.
For gastrointestinal health, drinking enough water and eating plenty of fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and whole grain products, is essential.
Low Salt Diet
Limiting salt in your diet will prevent high blood pressure and kidney damage.
Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Kidney function deteriorates with age, resulting in poorer excretion of salt from the body.
The kidneys and intestines also need plenty of water to function correctly. It is essential to monitor the use of water in hot weather.
Note
If you are 70+ and want to lose weight, you should not do it yourself.
Be sure to consult a doctor and lose weight under his control.
What if you’re losing weight?
It may be because you get sick more often, have a poor appetite, and have a poorer smell and taste.
You may feel full more quickly, less thirsty, or have trouble chewing and swallowing.
When you lose weight, you get too little energy and nutrients.
Then the body begins to use the reserves represented by our body’s fat and muscle tissues.
That is, you lose fat and muscle. The loss of muscle mass is hazardous because it can lead to new difficulties in everyday life.
A person with less muscle mass is more likely to fall, feel fatigued, and lose appetite.
The benefits of Exercise for seniors and aging adults is to lose weight healthily.
Be at a higher risk of disease, heal wounds less quickly, and recover from injuries more slowly.
Watch your weight and consult a doctor if you lost without application any effort of more than 1 kg in a month or more than 3 kg in the last six months.
Read More:https://www.ncoa.org/article/the-life-changing-benefits-of-exercise-after-60
Read More:https://proasmablog.xyz/5-tips-for-building-a-sustainable-workout-program/
