Exercise is an effective way to combat the physical effects of aging and it’s never too late to start. Being a senior isn’t a reason to avoid exercise, says Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Illinois. In fact, any physical activity such as walking, even if it requires the use of canes, will benefit health. It’s important to “choose an activity that you’re going to do,” whatever that is, the professor said. “It’s really less important what exactly you do than it is important to avoid sitting completely.” A 1996 report from the U.S. Surgeon General shows that only about 15 percent of adults over 65 get a recommended level of physical activity and up to a third do no exercise at all, Chodzko-Zajko noted in an article he wrote wrote for Quest magazine. Chodzko-Zajko suggests that some people might benefit from strategies such as keeping a journal of all their physical activities, including short walks to the store with their walking sticks, housework, or gardening. Journaling your activities can help motivate people to exercise as they want to avoid days when they have nothing to write about. Another trick to encourage more walks is to get a dog.
The dog will insist on going for a walk even when the owner may not be in the mood. “Part of the problem may be that we’ve adopted a medical model of exercise where exercise is kind of a bitter pill and you’re given a prescription and you’re expected to stick to it,” Chodzko-Zajko said. “But the bottom line is that it takes time to change behavior, and I personally think the broader you can define your activity program, the less likely you are to become demoralized.” Sedentary Exercise Is Also Beneficial People who need mobility chairs can still benefit from exercise, although they may need to do so in a sitting position. Many of those who use mobility chairs use their limbs, but they use the chairs because they tire easily. Walking may not be a good exercise choice in this case. Instead, you can try lifting legs while sitting. Start by lifting one leg at a time to a horizontal position, then bring the leg back to vertical. Do this 10 times with each leg to start, working up to three sets of 15 leg raises per leg. Once this becomes easy, lift both legs at the same time, starting again with 10 lifts and working your way up to three sets of 15 leg lifts. To increase the load on the leg muscles, ankle weights can be added. Start with one pound per leg and start with the lowest number of lifts. Training your upper body is also important. This can also be done from a sitting position. Do a variety of arm exercises. Start with one pound weights for 10 reps per exercise. If you don’t have weights, a can of peas from the kitchen is a good substitute. Many websites and exercise bands show upper body exercises that can be done while sitting.
Filed under: Exercise
Tagged With: Aging Exercise, Sitting Exercise, Walking for Exercise
Published by May Healthy Lifestyle