Exercise for Seniors

Most people know that exercise is good for them. However, too many older adults have been left out of the picture - until recently.

Research is showing older people of different physical conditions have much to gain from exercise and from staying physically active. They also have much to lose if they become physically inactive.

Researchers have discovered that exercise and physical activity also can improve the health of people who are 90 or older, who are frail, or who have the diseases that seem to accompany aging.

Staying physically active and exercising regularly can help prevent or delay some diseases and disabilities as people grow older.

In some cases, it can improve health for older people who already have diseases and disabilities, if it is done on a long-term, regular basis.

Challenging exercises and physical activities done regularly can help many older adults improve their health, even when done at a moderate level. They may prevent or delay a variety of diseases and disabilities associated with aging.

Four types of exercises are important:

Endurance activities increase heart rate and breathing for extended periods of time. They improve the health of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, and help prevent or delay some diseases.

Strength exercises make older adults strong enough to do the things they need to do and the things they like to do.

Balance exercises help prevent falls, a major cause of disability in older adults.

Stretching helps keep the body limber and flexible.

You shouldn't exercise until checking with a doctor. Do not exercise if you have:

• chest pain
  
• irregular, rapid, or fluttery heart beat
  
• severe shortness of breath
  
• significant, ongoing weight loss that hasn't been diagnosed
  
• infections, such as pneumonia, accompanied by fever
  
• fever, which can cause dehydration and a rapid heart beat
  
• acute deep-vein thrombosis (blood clot)
  
• a hernia that is causing symptoms
  
• foot or ankle sores that won't heal
  
• joint swelling
  
• persistent pain or a problem walking after you have fallen
  
• certain eye conditions, such as bleeding in the retina or detached retina. Before you exercise after a cataract or lens implant, or after laser treatment or other eye surgery, check with your physician.

Strengthens muscles in abdomen and thighs. Your goal is to do this exercise without using your hands as you become stronger.


Place pillows on the the back of your chair.

Sit toward the front of the chair, knees bent with feet flat on floor.

Lean back on the pillows in a half-reclining position. Keep your back and shoulders straight throughout exercise.

Raise your upper body forward until sitting upright, using your hands as little as possible (or not at all, if you can). Your back should no longer lean against the pillows.

Slowly stand up, using hands as little as possible, then slowly sit back down. Pause.

Repeat this exercise 8 to 15 times.

Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 repetitions.

IMPORTANT! Start out slowly and do only what you can comfortably do until you build your strength.

When my wife became confined to a wheelchair due to diabetic neuropathy, I became interested in learning more about how she could still benefit from exercise. So I wrote an ebook and it has become very popular. So popular that I updated it and switched it to a pdf format so people with Mac's could read it as well.

I gathered information I had from my years of experience in the fitness arena, and found other info I though related very well. I also include a special section on exercise for seniors that is not just related to sitting down and exercising, but dows stress non impact exercise.

You can read more by going to Exercise Sitting Down

Contrary to traditional thinking, regular exercise helps, not hurts, most older adults. Older people become sick or disabled more often from not exercising than from exercising. Anyone who has chronic diseases, or risk factors for them, may actually improve with regular exercise, but should check with their doctor before increasing their physical activity.

There are few reasons to keep older adults from increasing their physical activity, and "too old" and "too frail" aren't among them.

If you plan to work your way up to a vigorous level, check with your doctor first if you are a man over 40 or a woman over 50. Also check with your doctor first if you have any of the conditions listed under "Checkpoints."

Your doctor or cardiac rehabilitation specialist can give you guidelines for physical activity if you have had a heart attack recently. Controlled exercise usually is an important part of long-term heart-attack recovery.

People with conditions called "abdominal aortic aneurysm" or "critical aortic stenosis" should not exercise unless their physicians tell them they can.

Almost all older adults, regardless of age or condition, can safely improve their health and independence through exercise and physical activity.

OK. I have to admit this. I suppose you might consider me a senior as I am 60 years old. :-) I always lie about my age because, truth be told, I don't feel old. I exercise regularly. My eating habits could be better but exercise is done on a routine basis.

I have a 5 year old grandson who doesn't know you don't have to run everywhere. This kid never stops. He's my best friend and he actually calls me Bob. That's a long story but we do everything together.

I can keep up with him and we wear each other out when he spends the weekend. He spends at least 1 evening a week with us plus I pick him up from day care Friday after work and he stays with us until Saturday evening, sometimes the whole weekend. If I hadn't been exercising regularly, I could not keep up with him. No way.

So if you don't want to exercise for any other reason, do it for your grandkids. :-)