BENEFITS OF TRAINING FOR OLDER ADULTS
As you age, regular exercise is more important than ever to your overall health. In fact, a recent Swedish study found that exercise was the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life—even if you don’t start exercising until your senior years. But it’s not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years. You’ll not only look better when you exercise, you’ll feel sharper, more energetic, and experience a greater sense of well-being.
PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE & FITNESS FOR OLDER ADULTS
• Exercise helps older adults maintain or lose weight: As metabolism naturally slows with age, maintaining a healthy weight is a challenge. Exercise helps increase metabolism and builds muscle mass, helping to burn more calories.
• Exercise reduces the impact of illness and chronic disease: Exercise for those over 50 has many benefits including improved immune function, better heart health and blood pressure, better bone density, and better digestive functioning. Also you will have a lowered risk of several chronic conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers.
• Exercise enhances mobility, flexibility, and balance in older adults: Exercise improves your strength, flexibility and posture, which in turn will help with balance, coordination, and reducing the risk of falls. Strength training also helps reduce the symptoms of chronic conditions such as arthritis.
MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE & FITNESS AS YOU AGE
• Exercise improves your sleep: Poor sleep is not an inevitable consequence of aging and quality sleep is important for your overall health. Exercise often improves sleep, helping you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more deeply.
• Exercise boosts mood and self-confidence: Exercise is a huge stress reliever and the endorphins produced can actually help reduce feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety. Being active and feeling strong naturally helps you feel more self-confident and sure of yourself.
• Exercise is amazingly good for the brain: Activities like Sudoku or crossword puzzles can help keep your brain active, but little comes close to the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain. Exercise benefits brain functions as diverse as multitasking and creativity and can help prevent memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia. Exercise may even help slow the progression of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Committing to a routine of physical activity is one of the healthiest decisions you can make. The best thing about it is that it gives you the energy to get more out of life. When exercise becomes habit, you’ll never want to give it up.
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