I get asked a lot of questions regarding exercise and one question I get asked is “what is the best physical activity a senior can do”. If I had to choose only one activity for a senior it would be any form of resistance training.
In simplest terms resistance training is basically lifting weights. Anything that you do that provides some kind of resistance on your muscles to make them stronger. For example body weight exercises such as push ups and squats is a form of resistance training that uses your own bodyweight. Using exercise bands, weights, exercise machines or just picking up a bag of rice.
Why is resistance training important? Its important because it increases and or maintains your strength levels. As we age our muscles tend to lose strength and if you think about it. If we don’t have strength we don’t have health. Strength is what enables us to stand, walk, jog, and doing your favorite activity. Everything we do in life requires some sort of strength. With that said if we start losing our strength as we age we increase our risk for injuries, falls, breaking bones, and most importantly it decreases our quality of life.
It is extremely important that the exercises you pick are good for your body. Not every single person should or can be doing the same exercise. An exercise that may work for you may be bad for your friends back. That is why it is essential to find a fitness professional to help you to determine what your needs and abilities are.
Before you start any exercise program please consult your physician if exercise is right for you. In this blog we will be talking about a highly effective and easy exercise called sit to stand. Before engaging in this exercise please make sure you do not have any bone or joint issues that can get worst with physical activity. Do not do this or any other exercise if you feel any pain in your joints, have a hard time breathing, and if you just feel uneasy or unsure of this exercise. Again please seek physician approval if you have any medical condition that may get worst with exercise.
Before you start any exercise program please consult your physician if exercise is right for you. A good exercise to do is a simple sit to stand. In this exercise sit in a chair that is comfortable for you to stand out of. Please make sure you do not have any orthopedic issues or joint pain before you start this exercise and make sure what you are sitting on is stable and secure.
Simply slowly sit down onto the chair and stand back up. If you feel this exercise is too easy for you there are two things you can do. The first thing is to increase the intensity by holding a small weight in front of your chest. Make sure you are not straining yourself when you are holding this weight. The second thing you can do is to lower the height of the chair, that will make it much more challenging it. This exercise should be done 2 to 3 times a week and the amount of repetitions you do is purely up to your ability level. The main thing is to go at your own pace and not to burn yourself out.
For more information on physical activity for seniors please contact Charles Trinh at 808-779-1604 or visit www.functionworksfitness.com
The Best Type of Physical Activity for Seniors
