Senior Fitness Tips
Try these senior fitness tips to help you get fit and healthy at any
age. Fitness for seniors is not a modified exercise program nor is it a
special diet. It's a lifestyle that will help promote health and
minimize medical issues.
Fitness at any age for some people is a struggle while others seem to
breeze their way to a healthier body.
Trust me; these people
don’t actually just breeze through it. Everyone from teens to
seniors need to think about it and take action in order to get fit and
stay fit.
As we age there are more hurdles
for us to jump over in order to get fit.
Our bones are
getting
weaker, our joints ache more and our metabolism has slowed way
down. I don’t know about you, but when I hit 40 (which I
denied
for a whole year) I started noticing some changes.
My knees
cracked in the morning when getting out of bed, I couldn’t stay up at
night like I used to and I started noticing the effects of the slowing
metabolism. It was time to change my life style and the way I
approached foods and activities.
If
you are like me and are starting to feel some effects of aging, then
use these tips to get you started on your fitness lifestyle and help build your
senior exercise program.
Know Your Limits
This
is probably the most important senior fitness tip. Before
you dive right into any
senior exercise routine, change your eating habits or
any life style changes make sure you know whether you have
limitations.
If you are not sure what these may be, check with
your doctor.
If you have health risks these may limit your
choices for your workouts and/or your food selections.
Seeing
your doctor before starting any exercise is always sound advice but is
not always followed.
There is no set age or circumstance that
dictates if/when you should see a doctor before exercise.
However
experts suggest you talk to your doctor before starting a fitness
routine if any of the following apply;
- You have had a heart attack.
- You have heart, liver, kidney or lung disease.
- You have asthma, arthritis, osteoporosis or diabetes.
- You have pain in your chest, joints or muscles during
physical activity.
- You
have had joint replacement surgery, have an untreated joint or muscle
injury or persistent symptoms after a joint or muscle injury.
- You have a loss of balance, dizziness or loss of
consciousness.
- You are currently taking medication for a chronic
condition.
- You are pregnant.
Additionally, if you are just unsure of your health status, consult
with your doctor. In
addition to the above, the American College of Sports Medicine also
recommend you see or talk to your doctor if two or more of the
following apply;
- You're a man older than age 45 or a woman older than age 55.
- You have a family history of heart disease before age 55.
- You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- You smoke or you quit smoking in the past six months.
- You're overweight or obese.
Don't believe all that you hear about exercising for seniors. Check out this article on the
myths for working out as you age.
Start Slow
Remember
it took you 40 plus years to get where you are today so don’t expect to
lose tons of weight and get fit overnight.
If you have led a
sedentary life for many years, then it will take some time to get used
to being more active.
Buy a good pair of walking shoes and
start
taking leisurely to moderate speed walks as a start.
Once
you have broken in your new shoes and feel that you are ready, step it
up to a brisk walk. Be sure you are walking correctly in
order to
minimize shin splints and joint soreness.
Check out this article
on
Walking
for Exercise

Mix
up your exercise choices by adding something new and fun.
Water
aerobics
is a great senior fitness exercise.
Or try something you
enjoy
like gardening, golfing or even bowling. Here are even more
fun activities
that burn calories.
If you don’t always have time for the golf course or the bowling alley,
try
getting
fit with Wii.
Video games have come a long way since we were young.
Gaming has gone
virtual and gets
you up and moving. Try playing Wii golf or Wii fit.
Strength Training for Seniors
Getting
up and active is the first step to getting fit for seniors.
But
don’t just limit your activity to aerobic exercises. Add some
strength training to your weekly workouts. Strength training
is
not just for body builders. More and more seniors are picking
up
the weights and getting fit with strength training.
Building
lean muscle not only helps you get fit but has many health benefits as
well. Strength training helps lower the bad cholesterol and
raises the good. You also get the benefit of increased bone
mineral density and overall increase in strength. But the
benefits don’t stop here.
This senior fitness tip not only strengthens the muscles but also
strengthens your bones, improves posture and more. Be sure to check out
all the
benefits
of strength training.
Check Your Calories
Have
you noticed that you are getting the “middle aged” spread? Well welcome
to the 40 plus age. No longer can we eat what we ate just 5 or 10 years
ago.
Remember, your metabolism has slowed down which means you need to
consume fewer calories in order to just maintain your weight, let alone
lose weight. You may have been able to eat what you wanted in the past,
but now it's time to make changes.
This senior fitness tip is all about making some changes in your
calorie
consumption. This may not seem fair but it's what we have to deal with.
Adjust your food intake and lower the calories if needed.
Double check your calorie needs with this free online weight loss
calculator. This calculator will give you your calorie consumption for
maintaining your weight as well as recommended calories for losing 1
pound a week.
Learn more about
losing weight over the age of 40.
Senior Fitness Resources
To help you with your senior fitness program, here are some
useful
links to other useful pages and products.
Senior
Fitness Test Kit
Here's
a senior fitness kit that includes the test manual and
the fitness test software. In the past most physical fitness
tests
have been geared towards the younger crowd.
The updated Senior Fitness
Test Kit addresses this problem and is geared towards senior adults.
It is a simple, easy-to-use battery of test items that assess
the functional fitness of older adults.
The test is safe and enjoyable
meets scientific standards for reliability and validity, and it has
accompanying performance norms based on actual performance scores of
over 7,000 men and women between the ages of 60 and 94.
Other
Helpful Resources for Seniors
National
Institute of Health - Senior Fitness and Health
USA.gov - Health for Seniors
Mayo Clinic - Healthy Aging
Ellison
Foundation
www.fitness60plus.org
Additional Articles
Weight Gain After Menopause
Gaining weight during and after menopause is not that uncommon. Find out why this happens and how you can avoid packing on the extra pounds.
Weight Loss over 40
Don't let your age keep you from reaching your goals. Read this article for tips on losing weight even after the age of 40.