As we grow older, it becomes harder and harder to maintain an ideal body weight. That can leave us overweight and out of shape. The first step towards reversing that trend and regaining a well balanced healthy lifestyle is exercise.
Exercise is important because it can slow down or even reverse some of the conditions that can happen with aging. These facts are taken from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons:
- Exercise and activity helps to maintain your ability to walk, which is important in maintaining your independence.
- Exercise can reduce your risk of falling by improving your balance and body posture.
- Exercise promotes bone strength and helps our bones retain more calcium.
- Exercise helps to grow muscle. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so the more muscle we have, the easier it will be for us to burn calories and maintain a good body weight. In addition, stronger muscles help to protect our joints from injury.
- Exercise is imperative for joint health! By moving our joints, we promote the body’s natural lubrication process of our joint surfaces. This helps to reduce joint pain.
An exercise program must be well balanced to avoid injury and maximize our outcomes. The best programs are comprised of: aerobic conditioning, flexibility/agility exercises, strength training, and relaxation techniques. Please consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
- Aerobic conditioning means you are constantly moving to increase your heart rate and keep it increased for a certain period of time. Usually it is between 20 – 30 minutes a day, 3 – 4 times per week. If you have arthritis, consider low impact activities such as swimming, water aerobics, stationary bicycle, rowing machine, or elliptical trainer.
- Flexibility/agility exercises increase our range of motion and help to improve our balance. Yoga and Tai Chi are excellent examples of this.
- Strength training uses weights to improve muscle mass. You can also use resistance bands. Please consult with your physician prior to a weight program, especially if you have osteoporosis.
- Relaxation techniques are important to lower blood pressure, decrease stress, and exercise our minds, which is just as important in the big picture of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Make a plan for yourself and stick to it! Remember to take it slow and do not get discouraged. It may have been many years since you last exercised, so it might take a long time to get back in shape. The first step, though, is to start and keep showing up to your workouts. You can do it!
For more info on Orthopedic related topics, please see www.orthoinfo.org. This site is sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
§ Portions taken from AAOS website orthoinfo.org
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