Just move it! Movement is the key to staying active and keeping a close eye on your independent status. “Use it or lose it,” is not just something that physical trainers recite in order to motivate you, it is for real. Fitness, according to and article by Amy Winter (Washington Jewish Week. Gaithersburg: December 4, 2008) isn’t based on age but on attitude.
It is unfortunate that older people often use age or health problems as an excuse for not exercising. Nevertheless experts keep telling us that we need to keep ourselves mobile, no matter what our comfort level is. I grew up in a family of non-exercisers. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you the excuses they came up with. Despite being well read and well educated they tended to believe what they wanted to believe. We can’t know everything, which is why we rely on researchers and scientists to help us along the way.
Staying active is good for us at any age. When we were younger it was all about staying in shape, but now our focus has turned toward promoting health and independence. You don’t have to become old and frail. The human body is quite marvelous, and researchers are finding that we can improve strength and muscle tone even as we grow older.
Just moving a finger or a toe isn’t enough though. You need to pick activities that include endurance, strength training, flexibility and balance. What does that mean? Cardio and aerobic exercises build endurance. They increase your breathing and heart rate and your stamina. Endurance is the thing that gets you through the day. If get exhausted running for the bus in the morning or taking out the garbage, you are lacking a certain vitality that makes life fun. Recommended activities include hiking, stair climbing, swimming, dancing, bike riding, walking, sports or those dastardly aerobic classes. Try to complete an aerobic activity for 30 min five days a week. It isn’t as hard as it sounds because you can find things to do from this list that are quite enjoyable. Walking is the easiest way to get started.
You need to move your body every single day. Exercising with weights or resistance bands twice a week for strength training is important too. You can start out with chair exercises and work your way up, but exercise you must. Flexibility is more than just bending over to touch your toes. It all has to do with increasing your range of motion, posture, and balance. Balance and flexibility improve posture and just might keep you from falling down, which is why AARP recommends stretches, ballet, yoga and Pilates.
Sounds like a lot of work doesn’t it? Believe me you are worth it and the benefits far out weight the time consumption. If you want to remain independent you can’t allow age to slow you down. Ask your family for a membership to your local YMCA and/or Senior Center this year. You will be glad that you did.
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