Our Aging Bodies: Staying Upright & Moving
The Necessity of Cardio, Strength, Flexibility, and Balance Exercises
Several years ago, I began researching the impact of aging on the human body, looking at all body parts. I didn’t include chronic health conditions or cancers. I simply wondered what naturally happens to our bodies if we are fortunate enough to live a long life. I also wanted to know the best strategies for minimizing our body’s natural decline. I reviewed 25 clinical studies, including several meta-analyses (a review of a collection of research studies on a specific topic). Every study concluded that diet and exercise were the two most important factors in increasing longevity and maintaining mobility.
Of course, we all know this. The challenge is developing the habits of daily exercise and mindful eating.
If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But by all means, keep moving. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cardio & Movement: Motion is the Lotion
Research indicates that we become less active as we age: 67% of older adults sit for more than eight hours each day, and adults over 65 move even less; only 30% are physically active. Sedentary lifestyles create additional health problems, especially with circulation, mobility, and overall strength. Medical experts recommend incorporating daily cardio activities, and the CDC recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of activity weekly. There are a variety of ways to incorporate cardio into your schedule:
Walking
Jogging/Running
Swimming
Hiking
Cycling
Dancing
HIIT/Cardio routines
I am not a jogger or runner, but my daily walks outside are mandatory, not only for my physical energy but also for my mental state. A few years ago, thick, ash-laden wildfire smoke confined me to the house for weeks, and I was like a caged animal, desperate to be released.
Walking in a natural setting also reduces stress and improves cognitive function. Walking outdoors has made me a better writer and a keener observer. When I step away from the computer for a 45-minute walk, I often return with a new, better idea, clarity, or a fresh approach to what I am developing. Walking outdoors almost always improves my mood.
Intensity matters, so increasing walking speed or incorporating different aerobic activities will help develop endurance, fitness, and strength. The AARP website offers an aerobic fitness test, and I have to report that my fitness intensity, a 20-minute mile on a not completely flat road, is in the poor range. My walks involve stopping to identify plants and birds, admiring Mount Adams, and retrieving the dog from some disgusting thing he considers a potential snack. I need to step up my cardio game.
Strength Training: Use It or Lose It
One of the biggest research findings in the last two decades has been the “discovery” that strength training is as important as cardio and is a key factor in longevity and healthy aging. In my newsletter on Our Aging Muscles, I discuss how the natural process of sarcopenia - muscle loss, function, and strength - restricts our mobility and sets us up for falls.
If you aim to maintain your independence and mobility and escape the limitations of frailty, then consistent strength training is the most important activity you can do. Strength training builds and maintains muscle mass, increases bone density, supports our balance ability, and can reduce the aches and pains we experience in our aging joints. Researchers have noted that it, too, can improve our moods.
I used the weight machines at the gym for several years, but I found them boring (and was often grossed out by the previous user’s sweat on the machine!). I changed my seldom-used guest room into an exercise room I use daily. I invested in a stationary bike, a set of dumbbells, and resistance bands. Once I developed the habit of daily exercise, this investment has been one of the best I have ever made.
Fitness experts recommend three 20-30-minute strength training sessions each week with rest days in between. Strength training can also include functional exercises like squats, push-ups, planks, and lunges. Adding weights to these types of functional exercise routines makes this an efficient way to build strength.
Flexibility & Balance: Flexibility is the Key to Stability
One of the most challenging mobility changes of aging is the loss of muscular flexibility. It affects our ability to move efficiently, reduces our stamina, and sets the stage for accidents, falls, and broken bones.
In the US, older adults (65+) fall almost every second of every day.
As we age, our risk of falling increases.
Over 3 million older people annually visit an emergency room for fall-related injuries.
Roughly 36 million older people fall per year.
More than 32,000 people die each year from falling.
Approximately 30% of older people who experience hip fractures from falling will die in the following year.
How I miss my young body’s flexibility! It’s been replaced with stiffness, mild groans, and sighs that let others nearby know I am on the move. My decades of yoga practice have helped me maintain some of my flexibility, but it is offset by many hours sitting in front of a computer. I try to incorporate at least 15 minutes of stretching every day. Yoga, pilates, and mobility exercises are part of my weekly routine.
Balance: Stay Steady, Stay Safe
If you have experienced vertigo, you know our ability to balance is complicated. Some days, I can stand in Tree pose for 60 seconds; others, I am lucky to make it to 10 seconds. A few years ago, I noticed my balance had changed while hiking. Walking on rocky trails and crossing small creeks while stepping on rocks suddenly became challenging, and anxiety about falling would kick in. Exercising and practicing balance have improved my hiking skills, but I am still cautious. In addition to practicing, having a strong core is key to improving your balance, stability, coordination, and balance. Practicing the plank is one way to improve your core muscles.
Diverse Home Exercise Routines
The closest gym is 25 minutes down the mountain, and it’s small and has basic equipment. It took a few months, but I have developed the consistent habit of home exercise routines. My daily goal is one hour of cardio and one hour of strength, toning, and stretching.
Two years ago, I discovered Senior Shape Fitness on YouTube, and each day, I select a routine from her many videos. Lauren offers just about every kind of activity, so I never get bored. Her routines combine strength training with barre, full-body workouts, walking, and pilates. Her style is quiet and encouraging, and she offers routines that range from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. (Please note that I am not an affiliate; I like her style and diversity. )For years, I have been utilizing Yoga with Adrienne’s free yoga videos on YouTube. If you are a member of AARP, they also offer a range of exercise videos.
To keep myself motivated and track my progress, I developed a monthly calendar of exercises, which I have included here.
A reminder it is never too late to start but do check in with your health care practitioner if you have any health conditions that may be affected by exercise. Start slow and build your strength and endurance. Keep a fitness journal and note how you feel both physically and mentally.
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I would love to hear from you about the strategies you use to stay upright and moving!
Age catches all of us, but doing as this post recommends gives our lives a much healthier quality. Endorphins (if I spelled that right) are produced during excercise--a direct connection to increased potential for happiness.
If any readers of this blog haven't been exercising for a long time, it's okay to start now, even if it feels minimal. Give yourself the grace to slowly up your exercising. And pat yourself on the back for doing so.
That’s right. Keep moving. Guidance from a competent physical therapist as to what’s best and most effective for you is strongly recommended.