Strength Training and The Senior

 

Seniors often feel that exercising is a waste of time. I hear comments pro and con from my contemporaries and I know that not everyone is into this kind of thing.  I am not only a senior myself but I work with seniors and the thing is, if you can’t get up out of a chair by yourself it is a pretty good bet that you can’t dress yourself, walk to the grocery store or prepare your meals.  Is that the way you want to be?  More and more people are trying to figure out how to live out their lives in their own homes (a.k.a. aging in place).  In order to do this it is necessary to be healthy, strong and independent.

 

Providing that your mental capabilities are still reasonably intact, the secret to aging in place is strength training.  Exercise isn’t about retaining a 26-inch waistline any more; it is about being physically strong enough to take care of your self. 

 

Smart Senior is about learning how to be an independent senior, because it isn’t over yet.  It is time to talk about strength training and seniors.  As we get older, we need to spend more and more time on physical fitness.  At the same time we find that we tire more easily and time really does fly.  But, strength training needs to rank high on your “to-do” list, every single day.  The experts really do say that a regular program of strengthening exercises combined with some cardiac work is essential for your well-being.

 

Terrie Henrich breaks down key elements nicely in an article written for Arthritis Today magazine (April/May 20009). Many of us don’t have arthritis per se, but most seniors will agree that joints and hand strength are both issues to be faced, as we get older.  This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t exercise but it does mean that you need to be very careful.

 

You don’t have a lot of time in your day, so you want to know how long and how often you need to exercise, how heavy of weights do you need to use, how many repetitions, what kind of exercises and how to do them properly.

 

1.     How long and how often:  twenty to thirty minutes two to three times a week.  Give your body at least one day to recover after a weight-training day.

2.     How much weight do you need to be able to handle? You don’t have to be a body builder.  Whatever you can manage is fine.  Start with a pair of 2-3 pound dumb bells.  If you can’t do 12 repetitions; the weights are too heavy.  If you don’t feel tired after your repetitions the weights are too light.

3.     How many exercises? One set of 8 to 12 repetitions, working the muscle to the point of fatigue.

4.     What kind of exercises? Work all of the major muscle groups.  Work at the gym or work out at home with an instructional book or video.  I like television or DVD videos myself.

5.     How to do it? Lift slowly and smoothly, counting four counts up and four counts down.  Exhale when lifting, inhaling when lowering. 

 

Now, is that so bad?  We are talking twenty minutes here, followed by a brisk walk around block.   Twenty minutes can make the difference between dependence and independence.  What could be more important than that?

 

Comments

[Al Van Abbema]

I think the main benefit of regular exercise is just plain "feeling good". Once you get into it and a little past the stiffness, your whole body feels appreciative and you feel good about yourself with a sense of accomplishment.