Keeping fit as you enter old age

Here are some common myths keeping older adults from exercising – and some tips from the experts at Trusted Care to help get you started.

Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine can be challenging at any age — and it doesn’t get easier when you are older. Regular exercise improves both your physical and mental fitness as you get more senior, and living an active life and exercising often leads to several benefits for your mental health.

Independence

Exercise and physical training are good for your mental and physical health and may also help you maintain independence as you age. Regular physical activity and exercise for seniors help to boost mental and physical well-being, which will help keep you independent as you get older.

Routine, training and mobility are vital for maintaining health and well-being but are even more critical in aging and older adults. In older adults, exercise helps them to live longer, healthier,

and happier lives.

Immunity system & Body Function

Exercise boosts your overall immune system function, which is important in older adults

because their immune systems are often compromised. Exercise does not just help keep your insides healthy, but also seems to slow down or even reverse the effects of aging on your most visible organ, the skin. Exercise helps keep an aging body healthy by increasing blood flow to your brain, carrying extra oxygen and other nutrients.

Weight-bearing exercise, in particular, helps to keep bones healthy and strong. Exercise does more than boost heart and lung health–research shows even moderate amounts of exercise are beneficial to your brain, bones, muscles, and mood. Exercise helps you build strength, prevent

bone loss, improve balance and coordination, improve mood, improve memory, and reduce

symptoms of many chronic conditions. Exercise can enhance your strength, flexibility, and posture, which can, in turn, aid your balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls.

With regular exercise, you may boost your metabolism and strengthen your muscles, which may help you burn more calories and shed extra pounds. Having an active lifestyle helps you

maintain balance and prevent falls, building strength in the muscles that later enhances your bone health through easy, low-impact exercises.

Time

It is never too late to find easy, pleasurable ways to become more active, boost your mood and outlook, and reap all of the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. Regular exercise and a positive life-style for older adults provides many health benefits beyond the obvious, including improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, neurocognitive functions and much more.

The human body responds to exercise, regardless of age, with many benefits. Regardless of age, individuals can increase cardiorespiratory fitness with regular exercise. In fact, men can benefit from exercising at any age, although older adults need to be particularly careful, particularly if

they are starting out. A recent Swedish study found that physical activity is the single biggest contributor to longevity, adding years to life – even if you only started exercising during your later years.