The golden years or in more crude terms old age brings multiple lifestyle diseases or their complications!
But that does not mean seniors should let age hold them back from exercising ! In fact, expert agencies on exercise and heart disease (such as ACSM, AHA etc.) agree that lifestyle diseases and complications get better controlled with regular exercise in older adults
In people who have had a heart attack, exercise capacity is one of the best predictors of survival and exercise is one of the few things which have been shown to prolong life
In addition regular exercise keeps older adults functional, so that they can not only avoid falls and injuries but also remain self-reliant for longer time in their life
The risks of sudden and unaccustomed exercise are higher in elderly people. Therefore it is important for people above 65 years (may be even 55-60 years of age) to start with caution or seek medical help, if they have
Older adults (defined as people more than 65 years of age or those who have decreased physical capacity) should attempt to do the following level of exercise if they are healthy and do not suffer the above mentioned limitations:
In India, often the only exercise older adults ever do is gentle walk or non at all. In these cases, it is good to begin judiciously and then do the full range workout
Find below our guidance on what type of exercises to do and how to build up your exercise schedule:
Aerobic exercise
Balance exercises
Focus on these, especially if you have been sedentary for a long time or have long standing diseases
These exercises include:
To know how to do these (instructions or videos), go to:
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exerciseandphysicalactivityexercisestotry/balanceexercises/01.html
Stretch exercises:
You should take care to do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week, these include:
To, get directions on how to do these, go to http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exerciseandphysicalactivityexercisestotry/flexibilityexercises/01.html
Functional or strength exercises:
Strength exercises build muscle, and even very small changes in muscle strength can make a real difference in your ability to perform everyday activities like carrying groceries, lifting a grandchild, or getting up from a chair, therefore they are also called functional exercises
The exercises should include:
Upper Body Exercises
Lower Body Exercises
Get instructions on how to do these or to watch videos go to:
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exerciseandphysicalactivityexercisestotry/strengthexercises/01.html
CHECK OUT: Our references for exercise recommendations