What you will learn...
Studies show that exercise and fitness as you age have a lot of health benefits. You don’t have to engage in vigorous activity or exercise to gain from its promising health benefits. Even modest exercises and physical activities can make your fragile elderly body stronger and healthier. Exercise can help you to keep carrying out your normal activities as you age. If you hope to maintain your independence, you must make exercise and fitness a normal part of your day to day life. Exercise can help you to deal with symptoms of sickness or pain and even reverse the symptoms of aging.
The physical and psychological benefits of exercise as you age
Exercise and fitness as you age is very significant for the maintenance of your overall health. A study conducted in Sweden revealed that exercise makes people to live longer even when they started exercising in their old age. In addition to helping you live longer, exercise ensures that you live a more valuable and healthy life during those extra years.
Physical health benefits of exercise and fitness for older adults
- Exercise helps the elderly to lose or maintain a healthy weight
Naturally, your metabolism gets slower as you age and this can make it difficult for you to maintain a healthy weight. However, when you exercise, you boost your metabolism and burn more calories.
- Exercise mitigates the effects of sickness on you
When you keep to your exercise and fitness goal as you age, you boost your immune function; improve your blood pressure and heart rate. Exercise also improves your digestive system and makes your bones stronger.
- Exercise boosts your balance and makes you more active
Exercise makes you more flexible and improves your balance or posture as you age. It, thus, boosts your coordination and can reduce the symptoms of chronic health condition like arthritis.
Psychological health benefits of exercise and fitness as you age
- Exercise helps you to sleep better
You don’t have to cope with poor sleep as an unavoidable part of the aging process. Keeping to your exercise and fitness goal regularly helps you to have deeper and sound sleep.
- Exercise elevates your mood and improves your self-confidence
Your body produces endorphins while you exercise and this can minimize feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety.
- Exercise astonishingly helps to keep your brain active
Exercise helps your brain functions; it thwarts loss of memory, decline of your cognitive ability, and averts dementia. Exercise may also prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise and fitness as you age: How to stay safe
Engaging in exercise and fitness as you age is one of the best things you can do for your health. However, you must ensure that you do it appropriately to be safe. The following tips ensure you are safe as you exercise:
- Get your doctor’s recommendation particularly if you are suffering from any health condition.
- Take your health issue into consideration and engage in appropriate exercises.
- Take it easy and don’t be hard on yourself especially if you haven’t been active for sometimes.
- Plan an exercise schedule and stick to it.
- Boost your motivation by concentrating on quick-fix goals like enhancing your mood and energy levels or minimizing stress, instead of long lasting goals like weight loss.
- Exercise safely; stop exercising if you feel dizzy or pain and consult with your doctor.
- Pay attention to your body while you experiment. Make use of your common sense.
Why you need to commit to exercise and fitness as you age
Engaging in or maintaining a regular exercise routine can be a challenge as you get older. You may have concerns about your health conditions, constant health issues, or fear to get injured. If you haven’t earlier formed the habit of exercising, you may also wonder where and how to start or think that you are too old to engage in a physical exercise.
Although, these may look like plausible reasons to avoid exercise and fitness as you age, the benefits of exercising far outweighs these concerns. The importance of exercise for getting you strong, energetic and healthy as you age can never be overemphasized.
Regardless of your age or your present physical state, you can profit from exercise. You don’t have to engage in strenuous exercise or make a trip to the gym. All you need is to engage activities that make you more mobile and active. You can actually engage in exercise whether you are generally healthy or struggling with some health conditions. No matter your state, there are simple ways to get more active and improve your health and fitness. Exercise and fitness as you age are good for your body, psyche, disposition, and memory!