Taking Up Exercise As You Grow Older

The Benefits Of Exercise As You Get Older:

There are three broad categories of exercise: aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise and flexibility exercise. These are known as the three “Ss”: stamina, strength and suppleness. As you grow older, your heart needs a regular aerobic workout to function efficiently, your muscles need strength training to prevent them from losing mass, and your joints need flexibility exercise to maintain a full range of movement.

Aerobic Exercise:
Aerobic exercise are those which bring your heart rate into the “training zone” (60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate) and increase the body’s circulation and respiratory rate. Aerobic exercise is sustained by oxygen and it is sometimes called fat-burning exercise, cardiovascular exercise or cardiowork. Aerobic exercise can be kept up for long periods of time; in fact the longer you exercise for, the greater the health benefits.

Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise For The Elderly:
Aerobic exercise gives the heart a good workout, burns up fat, boosts the immune system and helps to prevent the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. It enhances joint and muscle flexibility, stamina, sleep and digestion, and it normalizes hormone levels, helping to alleviate premenstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms. Aerobic exercise that is also weight-bearing can help to prevent osteoporosis by strengthening and slowing down the loss of calcium in the bones.

Types Of Aerobic Exercise For The Elderly:
Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing are effective, cheap and fun ways of taking aerobic exercise. Most gyms hold a range of classes that teach aerobic routines. Some classes use steps and weights, some are high impact and others are low impact – choose a class that matches your fitness level. Swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise and should be combined with another form of exercise, such as walking, in order to preserve healthy bones.

Getting Started:
Aerobic exercise can put stress on the heart if you are not accustomed to it and thus is especially true for older people or those who are overweight. For this reason, it is essential to start slowly and build up gradually. As the fitness level of the body increases, the heart will slowly gain strength, until it reaches a point at which it does not need to work so hard to supply the body with sufficient oxygen to maintain exercise. At this point you will have made a positive change to your fitness levels and should start feeling the benefits of exercise. Walking is a good way to get started on a programme of aerobic exercise: try walking to work or to the shops and walking upstairs whenever possible. As you become fitter, increase the challenge by walking faster and for longer periods, or try hill-walking. You can also join a low impact aerobic class and work at your own pace. Cardiovascular equipment in gyms – such as treadmills and training bikes – is useful because it provides immediate feedback on your heart rate, allowing you to slow down if you are working too hard. Once you have reached a reasonable level of fitness, try to do at least 35 minutes of aerobic exercise (excluding warming up and cooling down) three or four times a week.