Staying Active Over 65
By: Cam Tonkin - Personal Trainer / Senior Fit
This means that only 22 percent of older americans are meeting the Surgeon General's
guideline of 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Why is exercise and physical activity so important?
● Lowering coronary heart disease
● Lower risk of colon cancer
● Helps to manage diabetes
● Helps with arthritis
● Lowers high blood pressure
● Decreases obesity
One of the top benefits of exercise and physical activity is the decrease risk of falling and
injuring oneself. Falls are more common than strokes in older americans and are just as serious.
6% of emergency visits are associated with falls. Along with all the benefits stated above, exercise and physical activity help to improve the quality of life and daily activities of living. 4 out of 10 older americans reported having difficulty with at least one activity of daily living. Many take these activities for granted but they come increasingly difficult with age.
What are some activities of daily living you ask?
● Walking long distances
● Bending over
● Standing up from a chair
● Carrying groceries
● Holding grandchildren
● Bathing
● Dressing
There are many more categories to activities of daily living, but if you thought “yeah I
have some trouble with that activity” listed above or noticed a difference in quality of life, here
are a few ways to improve!
1. Endurance or Aerobic Activity: This activity increases heart rate and breathing which
helps to improve the health of your lungs, heart and blood system. Aerobic activity would
include brisk walking, climbing stairs, swimming or dancing! These help to improve the
daily activities such as vacuuming, raking leaves or dance parties with the grandkids!
2. Strength: safely lifting weights or resistance bands helps to improve muscle mass.
Making muscles stronger helps with daily activities such as carrying groceries, lifting
bags of mulch for gardening, holding grandchildren.
3. Flexibility: helps to keep your body limber. Increasing range of motion allows to perform
daily activities with more ease such as bending over to tie shoes, putting on jacket or
t-shirt, getting into the bath tub. Flexibility can be achieved through individual stretching
of the muscles or activities like yoga.
4. Balance : helps the body to be aware of correcting center of gravity and also helps
prevent falls by strengthening core. Balance can be practiced through different individual
techniques or an activity such as Tai Chi.
These factors are why it is important to stay active with age. There is always a way to
keep moving and improving your individual health and wellness. Join a gym, try out a class
especially designed for older adults, grab a friend and go for a walk, hire a personal trainer
or be creative! Get out there and get exercising!
