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Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health and well-being. No matter how many candles are on your cake, exercise becomes more important as you get older.
Making exercise part of your routine can profoundly affect your balance, mobility, and strength. It can also make the difference between depending on others for daily activities or maintaining independence. The reality is, your exercise routine may need to look a little different than it did when you were younger. Below we present safe and beneficial exercises for older adults according to experts.
Is exercise safe for older adults?
A common misconception among the aging population is that exercise is unsafe and should be avoided. This is false and works against older adults achieving and maintaining optimal health. Fitness is key to healthy aging.
An unfortunate fact is that Aging increases the risk of many diseases.according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk. of the same conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.
Physical activity is safe for older adults when done correctly and is necessary for a healthy life. The CDC, physical therapists, and personal trainers around the world strongly support the need for exercise among the aging population.
Kevin RobinsonDSc, physiotherapist and professor of orthopedics and kinesiology, shared some general guidelines for safe exercise for older adults:
- Focus on low-impact activities, such as water exercises, recumbent exercise bikes, and elliptical.
- Join SilverSneakers Programs It is often offered at local gyms. They are usually covered by insurance and are designed specifically for older adults. A benefit of these programs is that you can also make friends, which will help you attend consistently.
- Focus on certain muscle groups like the glutes (glutes), quadriceps (thighs), biceps, and abs, and know your limits.
- Make stretching and balance exercises part of your regular exercise program.
The best exercises for older adults
The best exercises for you will depend on factors such as your current fitness level and any medical conditions that require a limited or modified approach. It’s never too late to start a good exercise program.
The CDC recommends the following weekly physical activity for adults age 65 and older:
- At least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as jogging.
- Two days a week minimum of strengthening exercises, such as lifting weights.
- Activities to improve balance, such as balancing on one foot.
Below are some examples of what that exercise routine can look like for older adults.
1. Moderate cardio
The CDC define moderate aerobic activity, also known as cardio, with a 5 or 6 on a scale of one (sitting still) to 10 (working hard). Some activities that are light cardiovascular for one person may be moderate cardiovascular for another.
Walking is a common form of moderate cardiovascular exercise, especially popular among older adults. “Walking can be a great activity,” Robinson said. “But many people with arthritis cannot tolerate walking long distances. This is because the average ground reaction force passing through the knee is 1.2 to 1.5 times the person’s body weight. Therefore , what seems like a minimal impact activity may be too much.”
Robinson recommends aquatic exercises for patients with arthritis in the legs or feet. “This reduces forces through the knee by 50% to 75% compared to walking on land,” she said.
Other forms of moderate cardio include walking, running errands or doing certain tasks (such as raking leaves), some types of yoga, cycling, and using an elliptical machine.
2. Light strength exercises
Erin Stimac, personal trainer and group exercise instructor, says functional movements are the foundation for maintaining independence, reducing the risk of injury, and improving overall quality of life. Erin recommends incorporating strength exercises that cover essential functional movements:
- Squatting (sitting and standing): Squatting exercises are vital for normal daily life and help improve mobility and stability.
- Hinge (leaning): Essential for tasks like picking up objects, hinge exercises strengthen the lower back and promote flexibility.
- Pushing (body weight or objects): Pushing improves upper body strength and supports activities such as getting off the ground or lifting objects.
- Pulling (towards the body): This strengthens your back muscles and is crucial for maintaining posture and balance.
- Transportation: Life often requires you to carry objects from one point to another. Reduced grip strength has been shown to be closely related to mortalitypredicting the risk of premature death better than blood pressure.
Some specific light strength exercises recommended by the CDC that can incorporate functional movements include lifting weights, using resistance bands, gardening, bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups or push-ups, and various yoga postures.
3. Exercises to help your balance
It is common for older adults to have balance problems. Good balance reduces the risk of falls.
“To improve balance, you need to do balance activities for short periods of time throughout the day, rather than 10 to 15 minutes once a day,” Robinson said. He recommends the following balance activities, which can usually be done safely at home:
- Stand on both feet in front of a counter. Let go of the counter to see how long you can balance without grabbing it. Repeat this activity three to five times throughout the day until you have built up to three 45-second periods. Once you have achieved this, move on to the next exercise.
- Repeat the balance exercise above, but this time close your eyes.
Yoga is also a common form of exercise known for improve balanceaccording to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Exercises that older adults should avoid
Are there specific exercises that older adults should avoid completely? According to Stimac, the general answer is no.
“Contrary to common belief, there is no need for older adults to avoid any specific movement,” Stimac said. “Fear of injury should not deter them from strength training. Instead of focusing on limitations, we should explore which movements are appropriate for each individual.”
If you have an illness, condition, or injury that involves physical limitations, you should always follow your doctor’s orders, but you can still find ways to achieve good physical fitness. It simply requires modification and guidance.
Stimac says there is no one-size-fits-all approach and every senior deserves a personalized program that improves strength and capacity with individual needs in mind. “By adopting personalized plans and debunking myths, we empower older adults to lead active, fulfilling lives,” she said.
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