Stay Fit For Life

Exercise is of vital importance for older adults. It keeps you strong, helps burn calories and maintain weight, improves flexibility, and contributes to balance and bone strength.

What are the best types of exercise? A regimen that builds lean muscle and promotes endurance, flexibility and stability is the goal. Here are six of the most effective exercise options to accomplish this with minimal risk of injury. (It is highly recommended that you consult your doctor for a complete physical evaluation prior to starting any new exercise routine.)
1. Brisk Walking: Walking is a great low-impact form of cardiovascular activity. It improves endurance and lean muscle tone in your legs. The key is to avoid walking too slow; maintain a brisk pace with long strides and arm swings. Adding ankle or wrist weights to enhance aerobic calorie-burning helps send more oxygen to your heart, increasing endurance.
2. Resistance Training: It's important to maintain your existing muscle tone as you age; the most effective way is via strength training. However, instead of using your typical weights and gym equipment, try working out with rubber tubes and bands instead. These give you added resistance in two directions, making for a more effective workout and much less chance of injury to your joints, ligaments and tendons.
3. Yoga: Talk about a powerful exercise routine that can add relaxation and fun to your life! You can attend a class for beginners or seniors to ensure proper technique. Working with an instructor and a group of like-minded, health-conscious people is a wonderful way to get in shape and expand your social circle at the same time.
4. Swimming: Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Swimming tones your upper and lower body because you're using almost all of your major muscle groups. There is low risk for swimming injuries because there's no stress on your bones, joints or connective tissues due to buoyancy, and the fact that you weigh one-tenth less in water.
5. Bicycling: Exercise declines with age, yet cyclists show a smaller decline than those involved in gym activities. Cycling is an activity that you can safely adopt without the risks of more strenuous exercises. A non-sport exercise such as cycling allows year-round participation as part of a daily routine.
6. Active Stretching: Yes, stretching can be an effective workout if done correctly. A technique called active isolated stretching (AIS) employs a strap or rope hooked around your foot to assist with the stretches. This is different than static stretching, where you hold a stretch for 20 -30 seconds. AIS is performed actively: You move your muscles back and forth in a controlled manner instead of holding them in one position.

Call Dr. Crew at 880-2531 for more information.