Exercises for Seniors

Can I start Exercising? Asked a 65 year old lady to me. I said, Why not? She had gained weight since her menopause and was trying hard to reduce it. She was otherwise healthy, doing her daily household chores smoothly and a regular morning walk. She was worried about her increasing weight and the complications which may arise like diabetes and other heart conditions. I put her anxiety at rest and explained too her the importance of exercise and diet and that, how it is crucial to take the professional advice to get the desired results, avoid injuries or any health problems arising due to improper forms during exercise and imbalanced diet. I planned her strength training and cardio routine and suggested her to join a gym where she could properly do her weight training. YES, you read correctly. I told her to do strength training.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

“A gradual loss in muscle cross-sectional area is consistently found with advancing age; by age 50, about ten percent of muscle area is gone. After 50 years of age, the rate of loss accelerates significantly. Muscle strength declines by approximately 15 percent per decade in the sixties and seventies and by about 30 percent thereafter. Although intrinsic muscle function is reduced with advancing age, age-related decrease in muscle mass is responsible for almost all loss of strength in the older adult.”

So older people those who do not strength train will have

Increased risk of falls and fractures
Impaired ability to regulate body temperature
Slower metabolism
Loss in the ability to perform everyday tasks

It is the misconception about older people not being able to train with weights. In fact weight lifting can be fountain of youth! Just two sessions per week can lower blood pressure and heart rate, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduces other risks of heart diseases. Regular strength training increases or maintains bone density. Increase in muscular strength will help to support joints too. Peak age of bone density building is 20s. After that, bone density drops off gradually through your 30s and 40s, then more sharply in menopausal women. Drop in bone density is responsible for osteoporosis and brittle bones that break easily. For a 20 year old a fall from stairs is just a few bruises, but for a 60 year old it can be a shattered hip. Women are particularly prone to osteoporosis due to smaller frames and lighter bones. Research has shown weight training can produce substantial increase in bone density, muscle strength and power in older people. So if you are a little older, don’t be shy about using heavier weights. As long as exercises are executed under guidance of a professional trainer and done with good form and slow constant movements, strength training can be extremely beneficial for the health and well being of older people.

Benefits of Weight Training for Older Adults

Weight training is important throughout your life, but in many ways it becomes even more important as you age. Even if you’re in your 90s, it’s not too late. One study found a group of nursing home residents with an average age of 90 improved their strength between 167 and 180 percent after just eight weeks of weight training.

Improved walking ability: After 12 weeks of weight training, seniors aged 65 and over improved both their leg strength and endurance, and were able to walk nearly 40 percent farther without resting.
Improved ability to perform daily tasks: After 16 weeks of “total body” weight training, women aged 60 to 77 years “substantially increased strength” and had improvements in walking velocity and the ability to carry out daily tasks, such as rising from a chair or carrying a box of groceries.
Decreased risk of falls: Women between the ages of 75 and 85, all of whom had reduced bone mass or full-blown osteoporosis, were able to lower their fall risk with weight training and agility activities.
Relief from joint pain: Weight training strengthens the muscles, tendons and ligaments around your joints, which takes stress off the joint and helps ease pain. It can also help increase your range of motion.
Improved blood sugar control: Weight training helps to control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It can also reduce your type 2 diabetes risk; strength training for at least 150 minutes a week lowered diabetes risk by 34 percent compared to being sedentary.

Other aspects of fitness you need to consider in older adults

Coordination, maintaining balance and agility are also important aspects of senior fitness. Motor coordination is necessary to perform simple and complex tasks such as walking, cleaning and climbing stairs. Opening a jar may seem like an easy task, but when you look at the hand and eye movements involved, it becomes apparent that this task requires complex motor coordination. Coordination exercises involve internal and external processing that trains proprioception, balance and timing. Common coordination exercises include:

Eye and hand coordination
Hand and foot coordination
Eye and foot coordination
Reaction to Cue (coordinating movement based on a cue in a timely manner)
A combination of the above

Integrating balance and agility exercises into exercise routines for active aging clients can benefit coordination. These exercises are ideal for senior fitness and improving their motor coordination.

Balancing with one leg and tossing the ball. Standing on one leg and opposite leg lifted at 90 degrees at hip and knee. Beginners can stand on both legs. Take a tennis ball and toss it into each hand. The eyes should follow the ball.
Alternate Leg and Hand rises. Lift the right leg to 90 degrees at hip and knee and simultaneously lift left hand overhead. Hold for 3 to 5 secs and bring it to starting position. Alternate the sides.
Same side Leg and Hand rises. Lift right leg to 90 degrees at hip and knee and simultaneously lift right hand overhead. Hold and bring it to starting position. Repeat other side
Walk back and forth while bouncing a tennis ball back and forth.
Stand with feet hip distance apart. Lift arms to shoulder height and extend the wrists with fingers facing the ceiling. There are two ways to execute this squat. First, find a focal point on the wall or the floor in front of them. Perform a squat as right arm moves to the side of the body (rotating the torso) while focusing on the focal point. Return the torso and arm to the center standing position. Next, perform the same movement on the left side. Alternate moving the right and left arms while squatting. The second way involves performing the same squat, but this time focus gaze on the moving fingers. The head will also rotate in the same direction as the arm.

The trainer and the client will face each other. The trainer will use their hand to point to the right or left. The client must coordinate and synchronize a side squat in a timely manner based on the direction signaled. Trainers can regress this exercise to a side step.
The trainer should cue the client with, “right” or “left,” followed by the client performing a step-up leading with the leg that has been cued.

Beginner clients can step up on the top of the bench with both feet. Intermediate clients can drive the opposing leg to a 90-degree angle to improve balance.

So no matter what your age is, its never too late to start exercising and strength training. Consult your physician before starting your exercise program and seek a professional advice. Look for a trainer who is a certified personal trainer and has experience in training senior persons. Give all details regarding your health and ask him/her to coordinate with your physician.