Seniors Need to Keep Moving to be Healthy
May 2nd 2011 15:44
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Reuters reports that 70 million-plus baby boomers roll uncompromisingly into their retirement years, Some experts say for those 65 and over staying active and fit can spell the difference between independence and frailty.
"It's all about moving." said Neal Pire, an exercise physiologist and spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine. "The phrase 'use it or lose it' works here."
I am inclined to agree with Pire, keep moving and you keep living. There is no physiological reason we lose significant muscle mass, strength and mobility as we age, Pire said, other than that we tend to move less.
What I like about this report is that the good news is it's never too late to set that body in motion.
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"Eighty- and ninety-year olds have demonstrated the ability to gain lean body mass, as well as to improve strength and balance by exercising," he explained. "The trick is to start at a place that makes sense and progress slowly."
I agree with a check up performed by a doctor who as the attitude: You should be moving and working out.
By focusing on function, balance and mobility, Pire said popular activities like Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates can enhance the aging body's ability to perform the tasks of daily living. I love Pilates because it works the core area of the body. To me that is so important to staying fit and moving.
Reuters also reported that Dr. Walter Thompson, professor of kinesiology at Georgia State University, wants older people to get active any way they can.
"My dad, who turned 80, still plays golf four times a week," he said. "Older people who have joint issues or osteoporosis would do very well with water exercises, which are non-weight-bearing."
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Thompson said retirement communities with "wide sidewalks, championship golf courses and bocce courts dotted all over the place" have gotten the message that they need to keep their residents healthy.
"What scares me with older folks is their lack of balance," he said.
For a good dose of it, he suggests walking a straight line of 10 to 15 yards (meters) twice a day.
Older people can gain muscle mass, improve cardio vascular health, and certainly lose weight well into their 80s and 90s just by increasing the activities of daily living, Thompson said.
I totally agree and plan to be active well into my century mark.
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