1
Get Ready
Today, we know a lot more about older adults and their need to exercise. Regardless of their health and physical abilities, older adults can gain a lot by staying physically active. Even if you have difficulty standing or walking, you can still exercise and benefit from it. In fact, in most cases, you have more to lose by not doing anything.
Exercise and physical activity benefit every
area of your life. They can:
• Help maintain and improve your physical
strength and fitness.
• Help improve your ability to do the things
you want to do.
• Help improve your balance.
• Help manage and prevent diseases like
diabetes, heart disease, breast and colon
cancer, and osteoporosis.
• Help reduce feelings of depression, may
improve mood and overall well-being, and
may improve or maintain some aspects of
cognitive function, such as your ability to
shift quickly between tasks, plan an
activity, and ignore irrelevant information.
As you’ve probably noticed, the key word is
you. The benefits you gain from physical
activity will depend on your starting point
and how much effort you put into it. You’ll
need to match your physical activity to your
own needs and abilities. For example, some
people can swim a mile without thinking
twice about it. For others, a slow walk to the
corner and back is a big achievement. Exercise
and physical activity are good for just about
everybody, and there are many activities to
choose from. This guide has ideas to help you
be active and have fun.
Endurance
Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you do the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others. Physical activities that build endurance include:
• Brisk walking
• Yard work (mowing, raking)
• Dancing
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Biking
• Climbing stairs or hills
• Playing tennis
• Playing basketball
Strength
Even small increases in muscle strength can make a big difference in your ability to stay independent and carry out everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.” Strength exercises include:
• Lifting weights
• Using a resistance band
Balance
Balance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. Exercises to improve your balance include:
• Standing on one foot
• Heel-to-toe walk
• Tai Chi
Flexibility
Stretching can help your body stay flexible and limber, which gives you more freedom of movement for your regular physical activity as well as for your everyday activities. To increase your flexibility, try:
• Shoulder and upper arm stretch
• Calf stretch
Get Ready
Today, we know a lot more about older adults and their need to exercise. Regardless of their health and physical abilities, older adults can gain a lot by staying physically active. Even if you have difficulty standing or walking, you can still exercise and benefit from it. In fact, in most cases, you have more to lose by not doing anything.
Exercise and physical activity benefit every
area of your life. They can:
• Help maintain and improve your physical
strength and fitness.
• Help improve your ability to do the things
you want to do.
• Help improve your balance.
• Help manage and prevent diseases like
diabetes, heart disease, breast and colon
cancer, and osteoporosis.
• Help reduce feelings of depression, may
improve mood and overall well-being, and
may improve or maintain some aspects of
cognitive function, such as your ability to
shift quickly between tasks, plan an
activity, and ignore irrelevant information.
As you’ve probably noticed, the key word is
you. The benefits you gain from physical
activity will depend on your starting point
and how much effort you put into it. You’ll
need to match your physical activity to your
own needs and abilities. For example, some
people can swim a mile without thinking
twice about it. For others, a slow walk to the
corner and back is a big achievement. Exercise
and physical activity are good for just about
everybody, and there are many activities to
choose from. This guide has ideas to help you
be active and have fun.
Endurance
Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you do the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others. Physical activities that build endurance include:
• Brisk walking
• Yard work (mowing, raking)
• Dancing
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Biking
• Climbing stairs or hills
• Playing tennis
• Playing basketball
Strength
Even small increases in muscle strength can make a big difference in your ability to stay independent and carry out everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.” Strength exercises include:
• Lifting weights
• Using a resistance band
Balance
Balance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. Exercises to improve your balance include:
• Standing on one foot
• Heel-to-toe walk
• Tai Chi
Flexibility
Stretching can help your body stay flexible and limber, which gives you more freedom of movement for your regular physical activity as well as for your everyday activities. To increase your flexibility, try:
• Shoulder and upper arm stretch
• Calf stretch
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