Importance Of Senior Fitness
Seniors are our most at-risk group for illness and disease in the United States. They also make up the largest age group of our current population. Many seniors require active healthcare and medication to prevent further illness. Evidence has shown that seniors who live a healthy lifestyle and continue to exercise into their twilight years remain healthier, outlive their peers, and live a more active life.
Let’s investigate why senior fitness is essential and how it is never too late to live a healthy life.
Strength
One aspect that seniors have in common, and most of us, for that matter, is that we lose strength as we age. Standing from a sitting position, opening a jar of pickles, or attempting to move an object can sometimes be challenging.
Some people have determined that losing strength as we age is inevitable. It is not. Studies have shown that strength can continue to build with training well into our later years. Does this mean an eighty-year-old woman needs to run out and purchase a barbell set? No, but it does mean that if she works with a professional trainer, she can add stronger muscles back into her life.
Mental Clarity
Another issue those who are aging experience is the loss of mental capacity or memory. This can be due to an underlying disease, but many times can be attributed to a restriction of blood flow carrying oxygen to the brain. Those who age and live a sedentary lifestyle can develop issues with blood flow. In fact, even younger people with a sedentary life can develop the same symptoms. This is why fitness and personal training are so important.
Even a modest and straightforward exercise program like walking or riding a bike can help return mental clarity in our lives.
Balance
The number one accident for seniors is injuries due to falls. Over time our balance can be affected with age. Some of this comes from the inner ear area, but much of it is due to not using the small muscles that help us to balance ourselves.
By creating exercises that focus on a seniors’ balance, a personal trainer can significantly improve a person’s balance and add a little pep back in their step.
Pain and Flexibility
Many times pain that is felt in our bodies as we age is due to a lack of flexibility and inflammation. Fitness programs that focus on stretching and the loosening of muscles work wonders for making our bodies more limber.
People find that when they gain more flexibility, pains that were once felt in the body go away. For example, when a muscle in the lower back becomes tight, it can cause pain in the person’s legs. Once the muscle loosens, the pain can fade away. Instead of reaching for pain medication, try a stretching program or in-home training to see if it helps.
Create Better Mental Health
There are actually a few reasons how fitness can make you happier and create positive mental health.
- Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins that are necessary for our brains to feel happiness. The more you exercise, the more positive outlook your brain will demonstrate.
- As you build strength, flexibility, and balance, you will feel more youthful. That walk in the park will be easier. Joining in at bingo or getting together with friends will sound better than going to bed early. All of these things will make for a happier you.
- If you choose to work out with others in a group workout, you will spend more time outdoors or away from home with others. We know that one of the biggest reasons for depression is isolation. Exercising with others will have a positive effect on your mental health.
As we see, exercise has a massive impact on our mental health. By understanding this and doing something about it through working out, you can be happier and healthier in your life.
Exercise Prevents Disease
Two of the most insidious diseases that attack us as humans are heart disease and diabetes. These two and other types of conditions can be affected by a regular exercise program. Living a sedentary lifestyle (along with a poor diet) is even listed as one of the reasons these diseases are so rampant in our society.
Starting an exercise program and sticking with it will increase your blood flow, burn calories, help us lose unnecessary weight, and build our immune systems. All of these physical reactions from our body will help stave off disease and help us to live longer and lead a more active life.
In Conclusion
It is not a miracle. By simply getting up and moving, you can create a better you as you age. You are never too old to start an exercise program. Find a professionally trained consultant and have them lead you in group exercise with friends. You will not only feel better in the short term by being stronger, but you will also create a lifestyle for yourself that you will enjoy much more.