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Seniors
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Active Seniors Enjoy Life More! Good news for seniors
Part of the prescription for a healthier, better retirement
is exercise. That simple? Yes, it is! Physical exercise has
been proven to discourage declines in health and fitness.
Join the growing number of seniors who are actively demonstrating
that exercise helps keep a body strong and on the go.
One of the most popular senior fitness programs available
today is Nordic Walking.
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The best retirement is a healthy one
Did you know that moderate physical activity can help you live
longer? That it can actually reduce health hazards? It's true.
So is the fact that regular exercise helps control blood pressure,
body weight and cholesterol levels, and reduces the risks of hardening
of the arteries, heart attack and stroke.
A well-balanced fitness program holds other benefits for you,
too. It conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to help
fight osteoporosis, keep your body more limber and stabilize your
joints, lowering the risk of everyday injury. Regular physical activity
can even help you maintain your independence.
Physical exercise is probably the best all-natural laxative you'll
find. It not only improves digestion, but exercise is also good
for managing lower back pain, arthritis and diabetes. And recently,
there's been more indication that an active lifestyle helps lower
the risk for certain types of cancer.
But maybe the best reason for incorporating regular exercise into
your life is that you'll feel better and enjoy life more. Exercise
helps you sleep better, manage stress better, and gives you more
endurance to enjoy work and play.
Fitness is golden
A good senior fitness program is one that includes aerobics, muscular
conditioning, along with exercises to stretch your body and promote
good posture. Start with a light regime and work your way up slowly.
The best aerobics for seniors are non-jarring ones, like walking,
swimming, cycling and low-impact aerobic dance.
If you haven't been doing muscular conditioning, begin with the
calisthenics you probably remember. As you get used to these exercises,
add some gentle resistance, such as light hand weights or low-tension
rubber exercise tubing. As your conditioning improves, you could
incorporate variable-resistance exercise machinery, but be sure
you do so under qualified supervision. Heavy-resistance routines
are not recommended for seniors. The key to safe and effective exercise
for seniors is moderation.
Don't ignore the other elements that contribute to good senior
health, including eating a well-balanced diet, not smoking and seeing
your doctor whenever you need to.
Discover the exercise you like best There are plenty of choices out
there for you. Favorites among seniors are aqua aerobics, yoga, Tai
Chi, line dancing, square dancing, ballroom dancing, even taking your
dog for a walk. There are also many group exercise classes you might
enjoy that offer social benefits as well. When you're deciding on
the class or program that suits you best, we recommend you select
one with an instructor certified by an internationally recognized
professional organization, such as the American Council on Exercise.
Also, check to be sure the instructor has completed specialty training
in senior health and fitness. |
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