As we age, most of us
begin to take it a little easier. Instead of running for the bus we walk,
instead of risking a back injury by lifting heavy bags, we have our shopping
delivered to our doors. We generally tend to go about things at a slower pace.
And because we are less concerned with appearance than quality of life by the
time the grand kids arrive, a regular fitness regime tends to get thrown out
with the old 70s compilation CDs.
But is this the right approach to growing older? And should we be more active, not less, after we hit retirement age? According to fitness professionals the answer is yes. “One of the defining things about aging is the loss of muscle mass,” explains health and fitness lecturer Richard Scrivener. “We lose muscle as a natural part of aging and as we do, our metabolisms slow down which causes weight gain. A decrease in muscle mass also makes us physically and mentally weaker.”
The benefits of exercise for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s have been widely documented. Not only does it improve joint mobility and increase physical strength and energy, it can also enhance sleep, cognitive function and help prevent illness and disease. So, why aren’t more seniors joining gyms or signing up to fitness classes? “Part of the problem is psychological,” says Richard. “As people move into retirement they start taking it easier because they think they have to. They might have worked hard all their lives and think that now is the time to rest.”
But is this the right approach to growing older? And should we be more active, not less, after we hit retirement age? According to fitness professionals the answer is yes. “One of the defining things about aging is the loss of muscle mass,” explains health and fitness lecturer Richard Scrivener. “We lose muscle as a natural part of aging and as we do, our metabolisms slow down which causes weight gain. A decrease in muscle mass also makes us physically and mentally weaker.”
The benefits of exercise for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s have been widely documented. Not only does it improve joint mobility and increase physical strength and energy, it can also enhance sleep, cognitive function and help prevent illness and disease. So, why aren’t more seniors joining gyms or signing up to fitness classes? “Part of the problem is psychological,” says Richard. “As people move into retirement they start taking it easier because they think they have to. They might have worked hard all their lives and think that now is the time to rest.”
He adds, “It is true that there is a greater
risk of injury as we age because our joints are older and therefore, more
fragile. But that doesn’t mean we can’t push ourselves. We might not be able to
sprint like the wind as we did in our twenties but it doesn’t mean we have to
stick to gentler forms of activity.”
Exercise for older individuals can have just as many mental rewards as physical, such as reducing stress, anxiety and depression — especially the kind that often accompanies post-retirement boredom. People who suddenly find themselves with all the spare time in the world once they are no longer working often feel like they’ve lost their sense of purpose and identity. Because exercise boosts feel-good chemicals in the brain, and helps improve body image, it can help prevent this psychological slump.
Feeling it
“It’s all about quality of life,” adds Richard. “And this doesn’t just mean being able to get up and down the stairs with ease or having the energy to do chores, it’s about feeling good too. When you are stronger and more capable, you feel it and that gives you better mental strength.”
Maintaining this mental strength has something to do with a protein called BDNF, which stands for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein stimulates the repair and regeneration of both nerve and brain cells and is very active in the areas of the brain linked to memory, learning and higher thinking. Exercise has been shown to increase the secretion of BDNF, which is why it can dramatically reduce the risk of dementia and other
cognitive diseases.
Believe it or not, our brains actually start beginning to slow down when we reach the age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn’t be prevented, but countless studies have since proved otherwise. The fact is people can train their brains to function better and faster at any age. And the secret isn’t just focusing on mind games, but physical ones too.
Dr Barbara Bushman of the American College of Sports Medicine agrees that regular physical activity can minimize the physiological changes that occur with age: “Older adults can benefit from exercise, and although absolute improvements may be less than for younger adults, relative increases can be similar.”
So the best sharpener for your grey matter may not be jumping into a crossword puzzle at all, but slipping into your trainers instead, something television presenter Jennie Bond realized when she tried running for the first time. The 64-year-old former BBC Royal Correspondent had practiced yoga and Pilates for years, but decided to take up the sport last year when she began suffering from insomnia. “I had tried everything before — herbal teas and supplements, changing my diet and even cutting down on caffeine. But for some reason, no matter what time my head hit the pillow, I would wake up
regularly throughout the night. Then I started running most days in preparation for a marathon and in just a few weeks my sleeping patterns completely changed,” Jennie says.
Ideally, a physical activity program for people over 50 should include a combination of balance, stretching, cardiovascular, and crucially, weight-training exercise. It is important to match the program to the individual’s ability though, which is why Richard suggests starting out with an experienced personal trainer.
“It might take longer to ease into and you also have to take account of the fact that there may be some wear and tear on the joints, so your reaction and recovery times may be slower. However, as long as you have someone who understands all that, you certainly can and should start weight training and do it at any age,” he adds.
Get started
Warm up well: It takes longer to get your muscles working properly as you get older because the various systems take a little longer to fire up. So, always perform a light five-minute warm up first, like a jog.
Mix it up: Don’t keep doing the same thing day in, day out. Change your routine
regularly. If you lift the same weights or run at the same speed all the time, you won’t get any stronger or fitter. Incorporate some interval training, combining high and low intensities, or classes into your fitness program.
Don’t cut it short: You need to exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes to reap any benefits, so aim to work out for around half an hour to 45-minutes each time to begin with. As you get fitter you can increase this to an hour.
Work your core: As we age our core strength suffers, which can result in bad posture and a sore back, knees and hips. So make sure you incorporate some core-strengthening exercises twice a week.
Keep it steady: If running for the first time, use a metronome and set it to 180 beats per minute. This ensures you take shorter strides and limits impact on joints.
Exercise for older individuals can have just as many mental rewards as physical, such as reducing stress, anxiety and depression — especially the kind that often accompanies post-retirement boredom. People who suddenly find themselves with all the spare time in the world once they are no longer working often feel like they’ve lost their sense of purpose and identity. Because exercise boosts feel-good chemicals in the brain, and helps improve body image, it can help prevent this psychological slump.
Feeling it
“It’s all about quality of life,” adds Richard. “And this doesn’t just mean being able to get up and down the stairs with ease or having the energy to do chores, it’s about feeling good too. When you are stronger and more capable, you feel it and that gives you better mental strength.”
Maintaining this mental strength has something to do with a protein called BDNF, which stands for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein stimulates the repair and regeneration of both nerve and brain cells and is very active in the areas of the brain linked to memory, learning and higher thinking. Exercise has been shown to increase the secretion of BDNF, which is why it can dramatically reduce the risk of dementia and other
cognitive diseases.
Believe it or not, our brains actually start beginning to slow down when we reach the age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn’t be prevented, but countless studies have since proved otherwise. The fact is people can train their brains to function better and faster at any age. And the secret isn’t just focusing on mind games, but physical ones too.
Dr Barbara Bushman of the American College of Sports Medicine agrees that regular physical activity can minimize the physiological changes that occur with age: “Older adults can benefit from exercise, and although absolute improvements may be less than for younger adults, relative increases can be similar.”
So the best sharpener for your grey matter may not be jumping into a crossword puzzle at all, but slipping into your trainers instead, something television presenter Jennie Bond realized when she tried running for the first time. The 64-year-old former BBC Royal Correspondent had practiced yoga and Pilates for years, but decided to take up the sport last year when she began suffering from insomnia. “I had tried everything before — herbal teas and supplements, changing my diet and even cutting down on caffeine. But for some reason, no matter what time my head hit the pillow, I would wake up
regularly throughout the night. Then I started running most days in preparation for a marathon and in just a few weeks my sleeping patterns completely changed,” Jennie says.
Ideally, a physical activity program for people over 50 should include a combination of balance, stretching, cardiovascular, and crucially, weight-training exercise. It is important to match the program to the individual’s ability though, which is why Richard suggests starting out with an experienced personal trainer.
“It might take longer to ease into and you also have to take account of the fact that there may be some wear and tear on the joints, so your reaction and recovery times may be slower. However, as long as you have someone who understands all that, you certainly can and should start weight training and do it at any age,” he adds.
Get started
Warm up well: It takes longer to get your muscles working properly as you get older because the various systems take a little longer to fire up. So, always perform a light five-minute warm up first, like a jog.
Mix it up: Don’t keep doing the same thing day in, day out. Change your routine
regularly. If you lift the same weights or run at the same speed all the time, you won’t get any stronger or fitter. Incorporate some interval training, combining high and low intensities, or classes into your fitness program.
Don’t cut it short: You need to exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes to reap any benefits, so aim to work out for around half an hour to 45-minutes each time to begin with. As you get fitter you can increase this to an hour.
Work your core: As we age our core strength suffers, which can result in bad posture and a sore back, knees and hips. So make sure you incorporate some core-strengthening exercises twice a week.
Keep it steady: If running for the first time, use a metronome and set it to 180 beats per minute. This ensures you take shorter strides and limits impact on joints.
Learn more about fitness, click Fitness over 50 Plan.com
Originally post at DeccanHerald.com
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