ageless aerobics

The strength of your muscles is the most important health related element of physical fitness as you get older. As the body ages and once we get past 30 years we lose precious lean muscle tissue at an alarming rate of 300-500 grams per year. This loss mainly goes unnoticed as the body increases body fat levels which mask muscle tissue loss. This situation can lead to premature and accelerated aging.

The main cause of this is an inactive or sedentary lifestyle. We have been told all of our lives and we believe that we should slow down as we get older and “grow old gracefully”. This leads to our thoughts becoming old thoughts, and we become old people. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The symptoms of accelerated aging, an growing waistline, decreasing strength and fitness, lack of energy, weakness and decreased brain power will leave you feeling old and exhausted long before your time. Restoring strength is paramount to reversing these devastating consequences of a lack of activity in our lives.

With more than 600 muscles in the human body responsible for movement keeping them strong and healthy will have amazing impact on your life. Stronger muscles contract more quickly leading to faster movement. This will enable you to walk faster, climb stairs easier, and accomplish everyday tasks quicker and with less effort.

Stronger muscles mean stronger bones, when muscles are used and strengthened they impose physical force on the bones stimulating the body to make more bone to support the stronger muscles. An increase in strength can benefit balance, as when muscle is lost balance becomes impaired increasing the risk of falling. Weakened leg muscles can cause unsteadiness leading to a bone breaking fall that can easily fracture weakened bones.

Falls can be serious as senior men are likely to die and senior women are likely to end up in a nursing home from fall-related accidents.

Strength training is the antidote to slow down premature and accelerated aging; the problems connected with muscle loss can be avoided, controlled or even eliminated by the proper exercise program that includes at least 60% strength training exercise. Decades of muscle loss can be regained in just a few months on the right program. It is important to see a Fitness Professional to set up the program and instruct you properly on how to do the exercises correctly and at the intensity level needed for muscles to be stimulated enough to grow stronger. No other form of exercise can be substituted for strength training. Running or other aerobic exercise is great for the heart/lung system but does not stimulate the strengthening of muscles in a complete and balanced manner.

We all would like to keep on feeling young and functioning youthfully for as long as possible regardless of our actual age. Restoring, building and maintaining strong muscles are a very simple and accessible way to do so. Most of what we blame on getting older has nothing with aging but simply a lack of vigorous exercise in our sedentary lives.

It is up to you to take the necessary steps to improve the quality of your life through a simple process like strength training. It is a small price to pay for the vibrant health, youthful energy and precious strength that you will receive in return. This will allow you to live your life anyway and however you please instead of being limited by the ills of aging.

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There was a time, not that long ago, when a senior citizen could plan on living with an adult child as the years took their relentless toll. Now senior retirement centers are popping up seemingly everywhere.

It’s a good idea to take a look at why these changes are taking place and how each of us can best fit into this new pattern of elder care.

The most glaring difference today is the prevalence of working women. Even a few decades ago, a full-time homemaker often had the time and energy to care for an aging parent in her own residence. Many homes boasted a “mother-in-law” apartment in the basement, over the garage of somewhere else on the premises. In many economic, social and religious groups it was a matter of pride to “care for one’s own”. In addition, there were few really appealing options beyond that ethic.

The reason there are so many senior retirement centers today is not just the lack of wives at home to take on the responsibility of geriatric care, there is also a preference surfacing in the seniors themselves. No matter how welcoming the environment is, a private home usually doesn’t offer the stimulation and peer relationships that the new senior retirement centers are providing. Many seniors frankly want to choose their own support-oriented residence.

If incomes are high enough, savings are adequate or HUD and Medicaid benefits are available, it can be a win/win situation. Full calendars and new friendships can replace the isolation that living in another person’s home can produce. Even the most loving adult child is usually busy with the demands of a full life of his/her own. What can ensue is mutual independence.

Not all senior retirement centers are supportive. Careful investigation needs to be done to find a match. However, the rewards that come from putting some serious time and effort into the search can be great.

As this cultural change develops, a surprising factor is surfacing. At one time, the dread of making such arrangements kept seniors from moving on until it was absolutely necessary. What we are starting to observe is a trend involving seniors moving into these new facilities earlier out of choice. Enthusiasm is replacing fear and years of active, support-oriented living can be the unexpected bonus.

Those who doubt the wisdom of selling their homes and moving into a senior retirement center are visiting friends who have made just such a choice. They often find that the pros outweigh the cons. As the new centers appear, competition is emerging and the units, amenities and perks become increasingly attractive. It’s getting to be a “don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it” situation with positive results.

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Forgot where you left the car keys? Can’t remember your mailman’s name? Don’t worry. Even though many age-related cognitive changes are a matter of biology, you can take steps to ward them off as you get older. Practicing good health habits and exercising your mind can protect your brain-and “probably reduce the amount of mental decline, or push it back later into life,” says Cathy McEvoy, Ph.D., a professor of aging studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa..

Here’s How to Challenge Your Mind:

* GIVE YOURSELF A MENTAL WORKOUT.

A recent study at Pennsylvania State University found that participating in 10 sessions of cognitive exercises designed to boost reasoning skills, memory and mental processing speed staved-off cognitive decline in older adults over a five-year period. You also can challenge your mind at home with activities such as crossword puzzles, math games and Sudoku and by reading material that takes you out of your mental comfort zone (Old English literature, anyone?). It also helps to learn a new skill, whether it’s a foreign language, a musical instrument or a computer program.

* GET MOVING

Aerobic exercise boosts circulation-the flow of blood and oxygen-to the brain, which enhances mental performance. It also produces endorphins, which can positively affect how your mind feels and functions. And it increases metabolism, which can help you control your weight and lower your risk of developing medical conditions that could compromise brain function.

* MAINTAIN SNOOZE CONTROL

Sleep is crucial for brain function: “It helps with encoding new information, and it’s important for efficiency in retrieving information from memory,” McEvoy explains. That’s why it’s essential to carve out ample time for shut-eye and to take steps to enhance the quality of your slumber. How?

- Exercise during the day (not close to bedtime)
- Eat early enough so that dinner is digested by the time you turn in
- Avoid caffeine after lunch
- Get sun exposure around midday to keep your body’s sleep-wake clock in sync

* EAT A BRAIN-BOOSTING DIET

When it comes to warding off cognitive decline and dementia, fruits and vegetables are among the best foods for thought, because they are rich in antioxidants, nutrients that protect your brain and body from free radicals, those unstable molecules that dull the brain.

A study at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago found that older adults who regularly eat less than one serving of vegetables a day are far more likely to experience cognitive decline than those who eat almost three servings a day. Consuming small amounts of alcohol, particularly antioxidant-rich red wine, also can help protect against dementia and other forms of cognitive loss, McEvoy notes.

* GET AN UPPER HAND ON STRESS

”Chronic stress is not good for the brain,” Dr. Small says. “In animals, we’ve found that it increases production of cortisol [a stress hormone], which in turn shrinks the memory centers in the brain.”

To prevent these detrimental effects, practice deep breathing exercises a few times a day, Dr. Small suggests, and find some form of long-term relaxation technique-whether it’s yoga, meditation or tai chi-that works for you.

But remember: These stress-relieving techniques “have to be just as chronic as the stress itself to have real impact,” McEvoy says.

Keep your mind actively engaged every day, and you’ll stay sharp in the years ahead.

Writer: Stacey Colino
©REMEDY, Summer 2007

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After the Second World War, upon the return of the American soldiers back to their homes, there had been an unprecedented population explosion between the years 1946 and 1964. The epoch was coined the baby boomer generation. This generation had marked outstanding achievements in almost every aspect of living. They also made significant contributions in in many fields.

For these reasons, baby boomers had been the popular subject of studies and surveys. Baby boomers are enthusiastic and active community of people who are known for being independent. However, the baby boomers are currently entering the inevitable phase of old age. They now range from forty-two to sixty years of age.

Nevertheless, the baby boomers are still the generation that imparts the virtues of labor and being active. And to act what they had just preached, baby boomers have been found to be obsessed with exercising. It is because exercise and sports are the simplest way to stay active and to slow down the aging process. Unfortunately, the baby boomers are not exempted to the rule of “too much for something”. Now, the term “boomeritis” was coined to signify the consequence of devouring too much on exercise.

Reports of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the boomers’ injuries had caused 488 million hours of labor for health practitioners in the past year. The year 2005 recorded over a million injuries which resulted to 365 thousand visits to hospitals. And an estimated nineteen billion dollars were spent for health management of the baby boomers the past year.

Particularly in Windsor, Ontario the baby boomers at the age of 50 still push their bodies hard to exercise. This resulted to tendonitis, arthritis in knees and hips, bursitis and other traumatic health conditions. The popular reason for visiting the doctors was due to colds, but for baby boomers it is the wear and tear injuries.

In Windsor, Ontario Canada, knee replacements hiked to fifty percent since 1995 until 2000. Presently, there are additional centers to perform knee operations to address the needs of the aging baby boomers who are suffering from these injuries.

To avoid undergoing repeated operations due to injuries, the following are some pointers for aging baby boomers who are advocates of the active lifestyle.

The primary rule is to choose the apt exercise according to your health condition. For the aged boomers, jogging can be very exhausting to their joints compared to swimming and walking. It is because jogging involves severe pressure especially on the knees. When doing an exercise or engaging to sports, it is important to listen to your body. When the body starts to experience pains, it is a way of telling you to ease off.

Exercise is not forbidden for aging baby boomers, in fact it is recommended to be part of their everyday routine. On the other hand, moderation is advised. Baby boomers are devoted to their sports in their younger years. But even so, the activities that you used to accomplish effortlessly may need some modifications already. It is because even athletes experience wear and tear of bones and tissues.

To enhance the production of healthy collagens, which are responsible for the cartilage, you must be properly nourished with vitamin C. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. Moreover, healthy foods will equip you with the needed nutrients to sustain your activities.

Another helpful tip for aging baby boomers is to perform warm up exercises first before engaging to vigorous ones. Proper stretching of muscles for at least three minutes will do. This will help avoid breaking the bones and undergoing artificial implants.
Use only the proper equipment such as proper shoes, gears and gadgets. These things can either give you a good workout or a bad injury. Also, follow the proper techniques of the sports and activities that you do.

When you are undergoing a fitness program, it will be helpful to make variations. The combination of the different kinds of exercises such as aerobic activities combined with strength training will make the bones stronger and more flexible.

Despite the adversities of aging, baby boomers are still playing the role of being the active generation. And up to date, they pursue that reputation.

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http://www.reneburton.com
Rene Burton is a senior citizen whose personal mission is to change popular misconceptions about aging. In her exercise DVD trilogy, “Healthy Aging: It’s Never Too Late” which is specifically designed for use by seniors age 55 and over, she seeks to redefine what seniors are and what seniors can be called upon to do. The first DVD is Level 1 and intended for beginners. Level 2 is for seniors at the intermediate level of exercise ability. Level 3 features an advanced level exercise regime. Each of these exercise DVDs will improve the physical agility, mobility, strength, posture, muscle tone, eye-hand coordination, and over-all well-being of seniors safely and methodically. The exercises employ standing and chair routines, the use of resistance bands and hand-held weights. Each program includes warm-ups and cool-downs, as well as stretching and breathing to relax. Thoroughly ‘user friendly’ and strongly recommended for personal workouts, the “Healthy Aging: It’s Never Too Late” trilogy can be acquired as separate DVD volumes, but community center and community library exercise DVD collections should acquire the complete trilogy for the benefit of their patrons.” — Midwest Book Review

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