Senior Fitness: Is The Aging Athlete here To Stay?

 It wasn’t that long ago that getting in shape just means donning a pair or tennis shoes and the rattiest sweat pants in your closet and then just doing your thing.  Nowadays everyone seems to think that they need the best equipment and the perfect outfit in order to make “fitness” happen.

 

We may not be professionals but at least we like to think of ourselves as amateur athletes.  Savvy marketers are taking a second look at the senior market.  Older men and women athletic hopefuls have found their second wind, and now have the time and money to indulge in all of the extras.  Whether it is the specter of bulging waistlines or the comfort of knowing that you have a bottle of Ibuprofen on your night stand, the senior element is ready to rock and roll.  An article about “Athletic Aging,” by Mac Margolis (Newsweek, February 20, 2006) lays it on the line about what is going on now that the fitness generation is growing older.

 

Amateur athletes want it all.  They are bombarded by hundreds of products that keep track of steps, calories and heartbeats.  The “right” clothing breathes, wicks away moisture and filters odors.  Your fancy treadmill may even remember your name, past performances, and other vital statistics to help motivate you to be the best that you can be.

 

Baby Boomers have spent an entire lifetime being in charge and are looking at retirement as just another phase in their development.  The thoughts of slow deterioration accompanied by the high cost of health care is a powerful motivator when it comes to getting people off of their butts and back into the gym.  Doctors preach prevention and the gym scene is following suit.  The focus today is keeping people motivated and injury free.

 

Equipment trends come and go, but the need to exercise is constant.  Our sedentary lifestyles have become our worst enemy.  Lifestyle disorders have lead to all sorts of problems and none of them are conducive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it is still difficult to get adults to change their behaviors. The good news is that you don’t have to run a marathon to stay in shape.  Researchers agree that improving balance, coordination and agility are more important than working on six-pack abs and bulging biceps. 

 

Fortunately a modest change in your lifestyle can make a big difference.  A more practical approach to getting people to exercise is taking hold, but if wearing the right outfit makes you feel good and the right shoes make you feel like you can fly, why not go for it?  If pedometers, heart monitors, and computer programs make working out more fun they are worth every penny.  Scientists are hopeful that their message is clear when it comes to motivating an aging world to keep in better shape.