Exercise for the ElderlyBy Marlo So

Exercise for the Elderly
By Marlo Sollitto | Feb 17, 2009
The benefits of exercise throughout life are often touted. But is it safe for seniors older than 65 years to exercise? Absolutely. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians almost all older people can benefit from additional physical activity. Regular exercise protects from chronic disease, improves mood and lowers chances of injury.

With age, the body does take a little longer to repair itself, but moderate physical activity is good for people of all ages and of all ability levels. In fact, the benefits of your elderly parents exercising regularly far outweigh the risks. Even elderly people with chronic illnesses can exercise safely. Many medical conditions are improved with exercise, including Alzheimer's and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity.

Regular exercise provides a myriad of health benefits in your mom and dad, including improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and neuro-cognitive function. Regular exercise improves:

Immune Function – A healthy, strong body fights off infection and sickness more easily and more quickly. Rather than sapping energy reserves entirely, recovery from illness should be less strenuous.

Cardio-Respiratory and Cardiovascular Function – Regular physical activity lowers risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. If the elderly person has hypertension, exercise will lower blood pressure.

Bone Density/Osteoporosis – Exercise protects against loss in bone mass. Better bone density will reduce the risk of osteoporosis and lowers risk of falling and broken bones. Post-menopausal women can lose as much as 2 percent bone mass each year and men also lose bone mass as they age. Research done at Tufts University shows that strength training can dramatically reduce the loss of bone mass, help restore bones, and contribute to better balance and less fractures.

Gastrointestinal Function – Regular exercise promotes the efficient elimination of waste and encourages digestive health.

Chronic Conditions and Cancer – Regular physical activity lowers risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer, to name just a few. It also helps in the management of high cholesterol and arthritis pain.

Regular physical activity is also associated with decreased mortality and age-related morbidity in older adults. In addition, a study by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined exercise in the elderly and found that exercise training led to improvement in functional reach, balance and fear of falling.

Often, frail elderly people are unable to tolerate aerobic exercise routines on a regular basis due to lack of endurance. But while age-related changes in the cardiovascular system have significant effects on cardiac performance, it has been estimated that 50% of endurance loss can be related to decreased muscle mass.

The ideal exercise prescription for the elderly consists of three components: aerobic exercise, strength training, and balance and flexibility.

What Exercises Can Seniors Safely Do?

Cardio/Endurance Exercises
Physicians recommend 30 minutes of cardio respiratory endurance exercise each day for your elderly mom or dad. This means getting the heart rate up and breathing faster. Walking, cycling and swimming are all examples of cardio/endurance exercises. If the elderly person tires easily and for those just starting to exercise, it is OK to do three 10-minute periods of exercise.

Cardio respiratory endurance exercise increases the body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste over sustained periods of time. After exercising consistently for a few weeks, there will likely be an improvement in the person's ability to exercise and ability to perform everyday tasks without getting winded and out of breath.

Strength/Resistance Training
Strength training uses and strengthens muscles with repetitive motion exercises. Your elderly parent can do strength training with weights, resistance bands, nautilus machines or by using walls, the floor and furniture for resistance. Two to three strength/resistance training workouts a week will provide the greatest benefits. Exercise all muscle groups by doing 1 to 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions at moderate intensity. Progressively increase size of weights used during workouts.

Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass and improves balance. Both of these things will help avoid falls and broken bones among seniors.

Stretching/Flexibility Exercises
Stretching is vital to exercise. Stretching helps muscles warm up and cool down gradually. Stretching improves and maintains flexibility, prevents injury, and reduces muscle soreness and stiffness.

Stretching can also be a time of meditation and a time to appreciate how the body feels. Activities like yoga or Pilates can provide a good form of stretching as well as strength training because they focus on isolating and developing different muscle groups. A number of exercise programs, like yoga and Pilates, focus on developing a strong ‘core,' a term which refers to the set of muscles connecting the inner stomach to the lower back and spine. Because the core muscles provide the foundation for all movement and strength, having a strong core can help with all movement, encourage better posture and reduce allover muscle pain.

Of course, there are some people whose physical abilities are limited by medical conditions or frailty in the elderly. These seniors have to go about exercise more carefully than others, but don't have to dismiss it entirely. With proper instruction and guidance, the elderly can learn activities and exercises that improve mobility and reduce frailty. Especially for those who are frail, it is particularly important to be careful, but to find a way to move the body, because regular exercise greatly reduces the risk of falling and broken bones. Try exercise in a class setting with proper supervision and definitely consider swimming or another form or water exercise as it can be less jarring to the body – the local YMCA or YWCA are good places to start when looking for exercise programs that address special needs.

Print a Checklist: Tips for Seniors

Results (English) 1:

Exercise for the ElderlyBy Marlo Sluts | Feb 17, 2009The benefits of exercise throughout life are often touted. But is it safe for seniors older than 65 years to exercise? Absolutely. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians almost all older people can benefit from additional physical activity. Regular exercise protects from chronic disease, improves mood and lowers chances of injury.With age, the body does take a little longer to repair itself, but moderate physical activity is good for people of all ages and of all ability levels. In fact, the benefits of your elderly parents exercising regularly far outweigh the risks. Even elderly people with chronic illnesses can exercise safely. Many medical conditions are improved with exercise, including Alzheimers and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity.Regular exercise provides a myriad of health benefits in your mom and dad, including improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and neuro-cognitive function. Regular exercise improves:Immune Function – A healthy, strong body fights off infection and sickness more easily and more quickly. Rather than sapping energy reserves entirely, recovery from illness should be less strenuous.Cardio-Respiratory and Cardiovascular Function – Regular physical activity lowers risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. If the elderly person has hypertension, exercise will lower blood pressure.Bone Density/Osteoporosis – Exercise protects against loss in bone mass. Better bone density will reduce the risk of osteoporosis and lowers risk of falling and broken bones. Post-menopausal women can lose as much as 2 percent bone mass each year and men also lose bone mass as they age. Research done at Tufts University shows that strength training can dramatically reduce the loss of bone mass, help restore bones, and contribute to better balance and less fractures.Gastrointestinal Function – Regular exercise promotes the efficient elimination of waste and encourages digestive health.Chronic Conditions and Cancer – Regular physical activity lowers risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer, to name just a few. It also helps in the management of high cholesterol and arthritis pain.Regular physical activity is also associated with decreased mortality and age-related morbidity in older adults. In addition, a study by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined exercise in the elderly and found that exercise training led to improvement in functional reach, balance and fear of falling.Often, frail elderly people are unable to tolerate aerobic exercise routines on a regular basis due to lack of endurance. But while age-related changes in the cardiovascular system have significant effects on cardiac performance, it has been estimated that 50% of endurance loss can be related to decreased muscle mass.The ideal exercise prescription for the elderly consists of three components: aerobic exercise, strength training, and balance and flexibility.What Exercises Can Seniors Safely Do?Cardio/Endurance Exercises Physicians recommend 30 minutes of cardio respiratory endurance exercise each day for your elderly mom or dad. This means getting the heart rate up and breathing faster. Walking, cycling and swimming are all examples of cardio/endurance exercises. If the elderly person tires easily and for those just starting to exercise, it is OK to do three 10-minute periods of exercise.Cardio respiratory endurance exercise increases the body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste over sustained periods of time. After exercising consistently for a few weeks, there will likely be an improvement in the personal ability to exercise and ability to perform everyday tasks without getting winded and out of breath.Strength/Resistance Training Strength training uses and strengthens muscles with repetitive motion exercises. Your elderly parent can do strength training with weights, resistance bands, nautilus machines or by using walls, the floor and furniture for resistance. Two to three strength/resistance training workouts a week will provide the greatest benefits. Exercise all muscle groups by doing 1 to 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions at moderate intensity. Progressively increase size of weights used during workouts.Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass and improves balance. Both of these things will help avoid falls and broken bones among seniors.Stretching/Flexibility Exercises Stretching is vital to exercise. Stretching helps muscles warm up and cool down gradually. Stretching improves and maintains flexibility, prevents injury, and reduces muscle soreness and stiffness.Stretching can also be a time of meditation and a time to appreciate how the body feels. Activities like yoga or Pilates can provide a good form of stretching as well as strength training because they focus on isolating and developing different muscle groups. A number of exercise programs, like yoga and Pilates, focus on developing a strong ' core, ' a term which refers to the set of muscles connecting the inner stomach to the lower back and spine. Because the core muscles provide the foundation for all movement and strength, having a strong core can help with all movement, encourage better posture and reduce allover muscle pain.Of course, there are some people whose physical abilities are limited by medical conditions or frailty in the elderly. These seniors have to go about exercise more carefully than others, but don't have to dismiss it entirely. With proper instruction and guidance, the elderly can learn activities and exercises that improve mobility and reduce frailty. Especially for those who are frail, it is particularly important to be careful, but to find a way to move the body, because regular exercise greatly reduces the risk of falling and broken bones. Try exercise in a class setting with proper supervision and definitely consider swimming or another form or water exercise as it can be less jarring to the body – the local YMCA or YWCA are good places to start when looking for exercise programs that address special needs.Print a Checklist: Tips for Seniors

Results (English) 3:

2009年2月17日由马洛佐拉托|老年
运动
锻炼的好处在生活中常常被吹捧。但它是安全的老年人年龄超过65岁的运动？绝对的。根据美国家庭医生学院几乎所有的老年人可以从额外的体力活动的好处。经常锻炼防止慢性病，改善情绪和降低受伤的机会。

随着年龄的增长，身体还需要一点时间来修复自身，但适度的体育锻炼，适合所有年龄段的人群和各种能力水平。事实上，你的父母经常锻炼的好处大大超过风险。即使是患有慢性疾病的老年人可以行使安全。许多医疗条件的改善与运动，包括老年痴呆症和老年痴呆症，心脏病，糖尿病，结肠癌，高血压和肥胖。

定期锻炼提供了无数的健康的好处，你的妈妈和爸爸，包括高血压，糖尿病，血脂，改善骨关节炎，骨质疏松症，认知功能和神经。有规律的运动能改善：

免疫功能–健康，强壮的身体抵抗感染和疾病更容易和更快。而不是削弱能源储备完全康复，不应剧烈。

心肺和心血管功能–有规律的体育活动能降低患心脏病和高血压。如果老年人高血压，运动可以降低血压。

骨密度/骨质疏松–运动防止骨量丢失。骨密度更会降低骨质疏松的风险和降低下降和骨折风险。绝经后的妇女会失去多达百分之2的骨量每年人也失去了骨量的年龄。塔夫斯大学所做的研究表明，力量训练可以显着减少骨量丢失，帮助恢复骨骼，有助于更好的平衡和减少骨折。

胃肠功能–经常锻炼促进废物的有效的消除和鼓励消化系统的健康。

慢性疾病和癌症–规律的体力活动可以降低老年痴呆症的疾病和老年痴呆症的风险，糖尿病，肥胖，心脏病，骨质疏松症和结肠癌，仅举几例。它也有助于在高胆固醇和关节炎的疼痛管理。

定期的体育活动也与降低死亡率和年龄相关的发病率在老年人。此外，由美国老年社会杂志上的一项研究发现，锻炼的老年人与运动训练的LED在功能及改善，平衡和坠落的恐惧。

经常，年老体弱的人是无法容忍的有氧锻炼例程定期由于缺乏耐力。但在心血管系统中的年龄相关的变化对心功能的影响显著，据估计，50%的耐久性损失可以减少肌肉的质量有关。

为老年人理想的运动处方包括三部分：有氧运动，力量训练，平衡性和灵活性。

什么运动能老年人的安全做什么？

心/耐力运动
医生建议为你的老妈妈或爸爸每天30分钟的心肺耐力运动。这意味着加快心跳速率和呼吸加快。步行，骑自行车和游泳都是有氧耐力练习/例子。如果方便，对于那些刚开始锻炼的老年人的轮胎，这是确定做练习三10分钟的时间。

心肺耐力运动增加身体的能力，组织提供氧气和营养，消除浪费持续时间。几周的锻炼后，一致，有可能会在人的能力的锻炼和不缠绕气喘吁吁地完成每天的工作能力的改善。

强度/阻力训练
力量训练用途和加强肌肉的重复运动锻炼。你的父母可以与权重，做力量训练阻力带，鹦鹉螺机或用墙，耐地板和家具。两到三个强度/阻力训练一周训练将提供最大的利益。锻炼肌肉群通过做1到2组10至15次中等强度。逐渐增加训练期间使用的权重的大小。

力量训练有助于防止骨量丢失和提高平衡。这些都将有助于避免中老年人跌倒和骨折。

拉伸/灵活性练习是非常重要的
伸展运动。伸展运动有助于肌肉热身和逐渐降温。拉伸改善及保持灵活性，防止损伤，减少肌肉酸痛和僵硬。

拉伸，也可以是一个时间的冥想和时间欣赏身体是如何感觉的。活动像瑜伽或普拉提可以提供一个好的拉伸方式以及力量训练，因为他们专注于隔离和发展不同的肌肉群。许多运动项目，如瑜珈和普拉提，发展一个强有力的核心焦点，”一词指的是连接内胃的下背部和脊柱的肌肉组。由于核心肌肉提供所有运动和力量的基础，具有很强的核心可以帮助所有的运动，鼓励更好的姿态和减少全身肌肉疼痛。

当然，有些人的身体能力的老年人的医疗条件或脆弱有限公司。这些老人去锻炼比其他人更仔细，但不必否认它完全。用适当的指令和指导，老年人可以学习活动和练习，改善流动性，减少脆弱性。特别是对那些谁是脆弱的，它是要小心尤为重要，但要找到一种方法来移动身体，因为经常运动，大大降低了下降和骨折的风险。试着练习在一类设置适当的监督，必然要游泳或另一种形式或水的运动可以减少震动对身体–当地的基督教青年会和女青年会是什么时候开始寻找运动项目地址特殊需要的好地方。

打印清单：提示，老年人