Ageing and Thriving - Exercise for over 70s
Different stages of life create different routines. Sadly, as we age, dedicated time for exercising seems to disappear from that routine. However, if you or someone you love is 70+ years old and wants to start exercising, they can!
Whether you start today or in 30 years, exercising will ALWAYS be beneficial for your mental and physical wellbeing, inside and out!
Internally, exercise helps to control your blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes (or chance of), and can improve bone and joint pain if managed correctly. Exercise also reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and maintains joint movement and abilities. It of course also manages your weight and can get you outside in the fresh air and/or in a social environment!
The Science
A study from researchers from Harvard and Tufts University revealed that not only can you start exercising at any age and reap the same benefits, some functional losses from aging can even be reversed!
“100 nursing-home residents, ages 72 to 98, performed resistance exercises three times a week for 10 weeks. At the end of that time, the exercise group could lift significantly more weight, climb more stairs, and walk faster and farther than their sedentary counterparts, who continued to lose strength and muscle mass.” (Harvard Health Publishing, 2019).
At the same time, another study found that over ten years, research participants in their 70s and 80s could become more physically fit than ever before - even if they had never previously exercised!
The takeaway? Age should never be a reason to stop doing something! Especially exercise.
There are some videos online for exercise routines for older people. However, it is always important to check with a healthcare professional before starting an exercise routine or increasing any variables within the routine.
How to get yourself or an older loved one started on an exercise program?
As mentioned previously, the first step should ALWAYS be to check with a healthcare professional.
Anything that raises your heart rate (such as walking at a pace, pushing a lawnmower, water aerobics, or taking the stairs) counts towards the daily goal of 30 minutes of moderate activity a day.
Other aerobic activities you could take up include playing a sport with a similar age group (such as doubles tennis or line dancing), taking an aerobics class, or swimming.
Additionally, you should try to include strength training activities two or three times a week. This might come in the form of a supervised pilates class or resistance program, but also includes carrying or moving heavy loads (such as your groceries), heavy gardening such as digging or shovelling, or lifting weights (always start with light weights before building up - a great place to start is simply using cans of food).
Resistance training is also really important as you age, because if you experience any weight loss it is your muscles that will deteriorate first. Consequently, exercises that use your body weight such as variations on push ups (such as pressing against the wall) or other toe raises are great!
Remember: it is never too late to start!
REFERENCES
HEALTH DIRECT. OCTOBER 2018. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES FOR OLDER ADULTS. ACCESSED ONLINE AT: HTTPS://WWW.HEALTHDIRECT.GOV.AU/PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY-GUIDELINES-FOR-OLDER-ADULTS
HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING. EXERCISE AFTER AGE 70. ACCESSED ONLINE AT: HTTPS://WWW.HEALTH.HARVARD.EDU/STAYING-HEALTHY/EXERCISE_AFTER_AGE_70
AUTHOR : ELLIE GRIFFIN
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