How can we stay fit and healthy as we age? Keeping an active lifestyle, we need to have aerobic activity and anaerobic activity. But, older individuals also need to emphasize balance and speed to help avoid falls. Benefits of a consistent fitness routine are improved strength and endurance, reduced stress, improved sleep patterns, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, weight management, and a potential of slowing the aging process.
There are several areas to be sure to include in your fitness routine:
Endurance.
This is your aerobic activity. Choose your favorite activity, walking, biking, swimming, stair climbing. You can use an indoor stationary bike, stair climber or elliptical machine or head outside for the activities and benefits. You can also jog or run, but the injury risk is notably higher.
Strength training.
This is your anaerobic activity. You can easily accomplish this without gym equipment with pushups, squats and lunges, and planks. You can use resistance bands and hand weights at home, or use the weight machines at the gym. There are many options that vary with range of motion and intensity. Be sure to do a warm up of light aerobic activity, to avoid injury due to “cold muscles”
Balance.
Balance training can help anyone who may have lost skills because of age or injury. Improved balance can decrease the risk of falls as we age. It is easy to do at home with act such as standing on an unstable surface such as a cushion on the floor or standing on 1 foot at a time. Practice for a few minutes a day.
Speed training.
Activities such as jumping rope, hopping, skipping, even punching can improve overall body speed. Practicing this and balance activities can help your central nervous system respond with increased velocity which will help you avoid trips and falls.
Stretching and flexibility.
Do not forget to stretch, especially your glutes and hamstrings. This can also be done at home, or in a gentle yoga class. A foam roller or “Stick” can also be used to loosen the soft tissue.
Don’t worry if this seems like a lot of work. Make your routine work for you. You can pick and choose what activities you like and how much time and effort you want to expend. You do not have to do all components every day. Find a variety and complete all components by the end of each week. The important thing is to find a routine that includes each component to maintain or improve our fitness as we age.