Wellness Articles

Active Aging

Wellness Index

When people dream of retiring, they may carry the fantasy a little too far. Retiring from work does not mean retiring from exercise too. A rapid loss of fitness may result.

In fact, William Evans, author of Biomarkers, a book about exercise and aging, says, "there is no single group that can benefit more from exercise than the elderly." Studies have shown that what most people think are the natural results of aging, such as increased body fat, weak muscles, and a shrinking skeleton, are really a result of being less active as we grow older. As far as losing the energy to exercise, one feeds upon the other. You need minimal energy to exercise, and exercise has been shown to improve stamina and energy for all ages.

Take a Good Breath

The main reason to keep up — or even start — exercising at any age is that your oxygen capacity, the amount you consume in a minute, tends to decline as you get older. But it declines twice as fast in sedentary people as in those who remain active.

Since your muscles need oxygen for sustained work, how much oxygen you consume is a good measure of how much energy you have.

By the time some people reach 65, their oxygen intake is so low, they are virtually disabled and therefore not able to get the most out of their retirement. By the time they reach 80, even without disease, everyday activities are a terrible strain.

But even modest exercise can reverse all that. Some athletes in their seventies have pushed back their functional years by an average of 20 to 25 years.

Get Stronger as You Get Older

Although an increase in age brings a decrease in the total number of muscle fibers, older people who exercise have the same absolute rate of strength gain as younger people. In fact, since most older people start out their exercise programs when they're much weaker, their relative gains in health, fitness, muscle strength, and energy are much greater than younger people experience.

Exercise for the elderly has been shown to have many other benefits; prevention of osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones); prevention of obesity and diabetes; an increase in "good" (HDL) cholesterol and prevention of high blood pressure (both resulting in a lowering of the risk of coronary artery disease); and a lowering of the risk of cancer.

Take a Walk

You don't have to join a gym to get the exercise you need. If you're like most older people, especially if you've been sedentary, you won't be motivated to suddenly take up aerobic dancing. But walking is an aerobic activity that’s feasible for almost everyone. And the brisker the better. Walking may also lead to other healthy activities you love, such as ballroom dancing or organized hiking.

With the many substantial health rewards involved — and the fun older people can have earning them — it doesn't make sense to take retired life sitting down.

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