Beginning an Exercise Program for the Aging Adult

By: Kristin Oliverio, PT, MSPT

Have you ever asked yourself the question, what will exercise do for me or is it safe for me to exercise? This article is designed to give you, the aging adult, guidelines on how to get started with a safe and effective exercise program that is appropriate for you. Staying physically active and regularly exercising can improve the health of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, as well as decreasing fat, increasing muscle strength, and increasing metabolism. Moderate levels of activity that incorporate strengthening, flexibility, endurance, and balance are important for staying healthy and independent. Strengthening exercises are important because they help build muscle, which can increase an individual's ability to perform daily activities such as rising from a low chair with more ease and less stress on the body. Strengthening exercises should be completed at least two times a week. Remember to start with lower weight and gradually build up to a heavier weight. If you cannot perform 8-15 repetitions, the weight is too heavy. Once the muscles are warm (after strengthening or endurance activity) you can begin stretching. Any stretching of muscles before they are warmed up can result in injury. Flexibility is the key to maintaining joint fluidity and joint motion at any age. Stretching can help decrease the sense of joint stiffness that is common among individuals with arthritis. You should hold the stretch 15-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times. You want to feel a mild to moderate stretch. Remember not to bounce or stretch so far that it causes pain. The next component for a healthy exercise regimen is endurance exercises. How much and how often? You should build your endurance gradually. Start out at as little as five minutes and progress to moderate or vigorous activity that is designed to increase your heart rate. Your goal is to build up to a total of at least 30 minutes of endurance exercise on most or all days of the week. Remember to build the time of the activity first, then progress the difficulty of the activity. Safety tips to remember: drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods, proper shoe wear and safety equipment (helmet) are required, and stretch after your endurance activity. Examples of moderate activities include dancing, gardening, walking, golf (without cart), tennis (doubles), volleyball, bicycling, and mopping the floor. Examples of vigorous activities are climbing stairs or hills, shoveling snow, digging holes, swimming laps, hiking, jogging, and brisk bicycling up hills. Lastly, incorporate balance activities into your exercise regimen. These types of exercises are important in preventing falls. Most of your balance comes from strong hips, knees, ankles, and trunk (mid section).

Another form of exercise that is particularly beneficial for individuals with arthritis is aquatic or water exercise. Aquatic exercise increases circulation, strength, endurance, joint range of motion, balance, coordination, and muscle tone. It helps protect joints during exercise by reducing the stresses on the weight bearing joint. Aquatic exercise can improve body awareness, trunk stability, and respiratory muscles. The temperature of the water promotes muscle relaxation, facilitates stretching, and generally reduces the sensation of pain. Talk with your doctor to determine whether aquatic exercise is appropriate for you.

Is it safe for me to exercise? Please check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program if you have: chest pain, irregular, rapid, or fluttery heart beat, severe shortness of breath, significant, ongoing weight loss that has not been diagnosed, infection or fever, blood clot, joint swelling, foot or ankle sores that will not heal, hernia, or a history of heart surgery. If beginning an exercise program, remember to check your blood pressure on a regular basis. Exercise can induce a rise in blood pressure.

For many adults, motivation to keep up an exercise program is a problem. Some suggestions to keep you motivated are: include activities in your routine that are enjoyable to you and that you can do safely and correctly, do not choose activities that are too expensive, ask someone to be your exercise partner, listen to music while you exercise, set goals and work toward them, keep a record of what you do during your exercise time, and lastly, have fun. Almost all older adults, regardless of age or condition, can safely improve their health and independence through exercise and physical activity.

References:

1. Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging
2. http://www.aasp.org
3. http://www.agmc.org
4. http://www.arthritis.org
5. http://www.NIH.gov/NID

Kristin Oliverio, MSPT is a Physical Therapist for KORT Physical Therapy. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2005. She works at KORT-Preston Physical Therapy located at 7926 South Preston Highway, Suite 101 . She can reached at 502-964-5404.