So you haven’t exactly found hitting the big
6-0 to be motivation for improved fitness. The good news is, there’s still
time. If you haven’t been practicing healthy eating and living a healthy active
lifestyle, you can still improve your health by starting now.
The science of aging works a bit against us in our
golden years. As we age the correlation between our body fat and our lean body
mass changes, and it isn’t for the better. So, instead of muscle working to
raise our metabolism and burn fat, there’s far less muscle to do the job. This
means as we age we must work hard to follow a low calorie diet, and harder at
following an exercise plan to go with it.
According to the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, several population studies among the older
generation (65+) found that following a healthy nutrition plan, along with a
healthy lifestyle plan: 1) reduces the risk of cancer by one third, and 2)
decreases the risk of cardiac events by as much as 45%.
In addition to decreasing physical health, the
older population also faces significant mental health issues. The World Health
Organization reports that 20% of world’s elderly
population, 60 and over, suffers from a mental or neurological disorder. They
further recommend “optimizing physical health” as one of the most important
components of intervention.
It’s time to get motivated with these easy
tip.
Strength
Training. To build more muscle mass as you age, start
with strength training. Stronger muscles make day-to-day activities much
easier. A study by The US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes found that, “muscle mass can be increased through training
at an intensity corresponding to 60% to 85% of the individual maximum voluntary
strength.”
If the idea of strength training at a gym is
intimidating, consider creating your own home gym with a few select pieces of equipment. Read about proper
form to avoid injury and find a free online weight training program that’s best for you
and that can be done from the comfort of your own home. Remember: doing
something is better than nothing, so allow yourself to ease into it and work
your way up when you’re ready.
Get
Moving. Like strength training, a good walk can
increase muscle mass, but walking also has so many other benefits:
· Weight control
· Improve balance and coordination
· Keeping joints flexible
· Lowers your risk for heart disease
· Improves your energy
· Decreases depression and anxiety
Consider purchasing a Fitbit. The Fitbit, worn
around your wrist most commonly, tracks your daily steps via a pedometer.
Keeping yourself accountable for moving so much each day, and increasing your
efforts, will motivate you to move more. Consider competing with a friend for most steps in a
day. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps a day as a goal for
improving health and lowering your chances of heart disease. As always, start
with a small goal and work your way up.
Try
Yoga. Numerous studies have shown that yoga has many
health benefits, particularly in the 50-plus age group. Here’s a few of them:
· AARP published a study suggesting that the slow, controlled
breathing required for yoga leads to a decrease in hypertension and stress, and
may lead to a decrease in medication use.
· The American Osteopathic Association reports that yoga “creates mental clarity and
calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes
the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration.”
Head to your local retailer, and purchase a
yoga mat for as little as $15. These mats can be used for yoga, as well as for
your home strength training.
Easy
home exercises. Start working on easy home exercises
that will help you build your strength and coordination.
Remember, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to
numerous diseases of the mind and the body. Find fun ways to incorporate daily
exercise into your life, and sooner than you know it, the ole 5-0 will feel more
like the younger 3-0.
Post Submitted by: Marie Villeza, Elderimpact.org
Marie Villeza is passionate about connecting seniors with
the resources they need to live happy, healthy lives. So she developed
ElderImpact to provide seniors and their caregivers with resources and advice.
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