Staying Fit as You Age

Staying Fit as You Age

According to Men’s Health, one of the top 10 fitness trends we’ll be seeing in 2018 is fitness programs for older adults. In general we’re seeing older adults staying active and interested in their health and fitness. As we age we may feel less inclined to stay active but health and fitness actually increase in importance with age. Being fit can protect your heart, help control blood glucose levels, help control blood pressure and helps to manage pain. Aside from the physical benefits of staying fit there also are psychological and mental benefits, such as staying physically independent, energy boosts, strengthened memory, sharpened cognitive skills and a more steady and positive mood. Looking at all of these benefits of an active, healthy, fit lifestyle we see that the time and energy invested in fitness programs is well worthwhile. Let’s look at some physical and mental benefits of being fit.

Physical Benefits of Staying Fit
Some of the physical benefits of staying fit in older years are:

Weight Control – Whether you’re wanting to lose weight or maintain your current weight, exercise is the path to take. Our metabolism naturally slows as we age and as this occurs managing weight becomes more difficult. Exercise helps keep the metabolism up which then helps in weight control.

Mobility and Flexibility – As we age our flexibility declines. This can have dangerous effects on balance, leading to falls or injuries. Exercises that focus on mobility, flexibility and balance will improve strength, balance and coordination, and will decrease the dangers of falls or injuries. Symptoms of chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome can be decreased with weight training.

Illness and Chronic Diseases – Exercising also helps with managing diseases, such as diabetes, that target and are worsened by fluctuating glucose and glycogen. The more you can control blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels and heart rate the better chance you have of controlling these types of diseases. Physical activity has also been shown to positively impact immunity, digestion, bone density, cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Mental Benefits of Staying Fit
Exercise doesn’t only affect our physical health but it has some very positive effects on our mental and psychological health:

Mood – Physical activity produces endorphins, which can elevate our moods and how we view ourselves. It’s a fact that as we age our cognitive abilities and emotional health can decline. This is often due to factors such as stress, grief, anxiety, isolation. In dealing with sadness and depression, which leads to low energy levels, physical exercise can raise those energy levels thus assisting in controlling emotional and cognitive issues.

Brain Power – While there are endless ways of keeping our brains active and fit – mental games such as crossword puzzles, reading challenging material, etc. – the importance of physical activity with regards to cognitive skills is often overlooked. Exercise can improve brain functions such as memory, creativity, cognition, and has been shown to have a strong, positive impact on diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. 2Studies have shown that fitness training has strong benefits on cognition and that aerobic exercise has positive effects on age-related cognitive functions.

Sleep – As we age our sleep patterns change. It’s often increasingly difficult to get a restful, full night’s sleep. Regular physical activity, done earlier in the day, helps regulate and control the quality of sleep. (Physical activity done later in the day – evenings or nights – can actually do the opposite, causing us to feel too worked up to relax and sleep.) The amount and the quality of our sleep have strong impact on our energy, concentration, mood and cognitive abilities.

3Other Ways to Stay Fit (that don’t involve a gym or class or group)
Here are some suggestions for staying active and fit in your day-to-day life:

Listen to music or an audiobook while lifting weights
Window shopping while walking laps at the mall
Take photographs on a nature hike
Watch a favorite movie or TV show while on the treadmill
Chat with a friend while walking, stretching, or strength training
Walk the golf course instead of using a cart
Walk a dog
Go for a run, walk, or cycle when you’re feeling stressed
The importance of staying (or getting) fit as we grow older cannot be overstated. Physical strength leads to mental and emotional health. The dangers of falls and/or injuries are lessened if you’re in good physical shape. The dangers of brain “stagnation” are also lessened. Exercise can help in regulating moods and sleep, improving memory and cognitive skills, and self-confidence.

Next week we’ll be looking at some of the things to watch out for in older adult fitness programs and some tips on how to stay motivated and fit in different surroundings and situations (traveling, circumstances, illness, injury, etc.



SOURCES
1”The Top 10 Fitness Trends You’ll See Everywhere This Year,” Alisa Hrustic, https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/top-fitness-trends-20180
2“The impact of aerobic activity on cognitive function in older adults: A new synthesis based on the concept of executive control,” Courtney D. Hall, Alan L. Smith, Steven W. Keele,
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09541440126012
3“Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips,” Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, MA, Jeanne Segal, PhD, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/exercise-and-fitness-as-you-age.htm