Health & Wellness

Health Tips

	COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF AGING WITH EXERCISE Excerpted from www.About.com
-- September 20, 2006 - Are you looking for the fountain of youth? Independence and good health as you age? Wouldn't it be nice to sail through your golden years without disability and disease? There's no reason you can't stay healthy as you age, but it might take a little bit of work. You know how important exercise is, right? Studies show that exercise "has an important role in promoting good health, functional independence, and quality of life in older adults." In other words, it may help slow the aging process by preventing or reducing the chances of disease and disability in seniors. Heart disease is one of the major concerns as one ages, as is osteoporosis. So, if you exercise, can you reduce your chances of both heart disease and osteoporosis? Healthline points out that exercise helps regulate blood pressure and boost the good cholesterol, HDL. Exercise also reduces obesity, which is a contributor to heart disease and also diabetes. As for bone density, studies show that physical activity which includes weight-bearing exercise can help prevent osteoporosis. Older adults are at a greater risk for osteoporosis and it is crucial that they exercise since it reduces your chances of falling and the injuries caused by those falls. Cardiovascular Exercise For a healthy heart, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 15 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 5 days per week, with a heart rate of 60 to 90 percent of one's maximal heart rate (220 minus current age). If you've never exercised, the last thing you want to do is plunge into a difficult and timely workout routine. One option is to join a health club. There you will have access to a variety of cardiovascular machines like stationary bikes, treadmills and cross-trainers. You can also take advantage of the club's personal training staff, which can help put you on a safe and effective program. One of the easiest ways to exercise is to walk. One 30-minute walk or three 10-minute walks a day can help you add a few more years to your life. Another favorite for seniors is water aerobics. Water aerobics can help with flexibility, mobility and cardio endurance. Plus, the water gives your body full support so there's nearly no impact on the joints which is helpful for this with arthritis or other painful joint problems. In fact, in chest high water you are only bearing 10% of your body weight. Strength Training What about lifting weights? Is it safe and, more importantly, is it effective in helping older adults gain strength, balance and bone density? Scientists say the answer is yes. In a study of women aged 50 to 70, the women who strength trained gained 1% more bone density in the hip and spine while the group that did not lift weights lost 2.5 % bone density. Those who trained had strength increases from about 35 to 76% above the control group. Balance improved 14% and general physical activity increased by about 27%. Marian Eure, Senior Health host for About.com, gives some great tips for seniors in her Strength Exercises article. She points out that small changes in muscle size can improve your ability to do things like climb the stairs or get up from a chair. Some exercises you can do at home are arm raises, chair stand, biceps curl, and more. Your primary concern, of course, is safety. You want to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program, and you want to make sure you are using proper form for all of your exercises. Make sure you are breathing throughout the entire exercise, exhaling on the hardest portion of the movement and inhaling on the easy portion. Never 'lock' your joints, always keep a slight bend in your elbows and knees. How often should you strength train? You should work all of your major muscle groups to a moderate level and at least twice a week. At first, you may need to start with very light weights until your body adjusts to your new routine. Start with a weight you can lift only for 8 to 15 repetitions. Once it becomes easy and you can do more than 15 repetitions, you should increase your weight by no more than five pounds. Don't forget, you should also be lightly and slowly stretching your muscle groups after each exercise.
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