Starting Fitness at 65 and Beyond

Article upon article on the value of exercise- how to exercise if you are 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 etc. Many feature fantastic achievers- such as a 90 year old winning a senior marathon, or US Masters Swimming events after having lost 100 lbs.

As a Fitness Program Designer for the over 50 population, I am immersed in articles about exercise for seniors. My first choice in literature is; A) The facts that come out of exercise research. My second choice is; B) reports on the injuries that occur in classes and gyms. My third; C) is the articles about exercise in the media.

Regarding B), injuries- there is no excuse for such events. Now, I'd like to pull all the articles on "exercise for seniors" and re-title them "exercise for the inactive", as inactivity is one of the causes of medical conditions falsely attributed to ageing. And since the younger set has become the I.T experts, at the cost of being inactive, we see more and more 30 year olds donning the stiffness, joint problems, weight gain and low energy of the traditional "senior".

Basically, inactivity is high on the list of causes of death. Activity, therefore, is a must for a healthier, independent lifestyle; and I reiterate independent- for those of you who don't want to be in assisted living.

Originally, our lifestyle demanded activity- but today, things are so much more automated and easier that we have to recreate activity and that's where exercise comes in. In fact, a good exercise class is better than "activities of daily life", as movement is distributed more evenly over all joints and muscles, not limited to repetitive use of a few joints and muscles.

Three vital components of exercise include:

A. "Cardio". Increasing heart and lung function so as to provide energy from oxygen. This type of energy plan, if done correctly, is comfortable and has longevity, much like a horse trotting.

When performed at too high a level the huffing and puffing is uncomfortable to say the least, and moreover counter productive.

B. Strengthening. GRRR. No- not to look like Mr. or Mrs. Muscle Magazine cover- but to increase bone mass and tone muscles all over for better functioning and endurance for your favorite activities.

C. Flexibility. Tight Joints and muscles limit movement and also can be painful. As one ages, it is vital to focus on flexibility regimes several times a day.

A new item has been added to the exercise group- balance.

D. Now we know that better balance can be achieved in exactly the same way that learning to play an instrument is achieved- practice practice practice.

We can work on building bone, moving better, becoming MORE active and preventing falls. Those are the facts.

One of my next blog posts will go on to explain the actual exercises, as they bring fitness to those who have been inactive and may or may not have medical conditions.