EXERCISE KEY FOR HEALTHY AGING
It’s Never Too Late To Start!
by Paul Girard, PT
Nurse Next Door Heath Care Services
What Our Elderly Want
It’s interesting to ponder what our society’s elderly want. Many authors and articles will purport to know this. One tends to reach the same conclusion Dr. John Sloan came up with when treating what he termed the ‘fragile elderly.’ In his fantastic book, A Bitter Pill, Dr. Sloan reflected on a career of dealing with very elderly and sick clients. He came up with the amazing answer to what these patients want: “A lot of different things.” He wasn’t trying to be facetious; he was telling the truth. Dr. Sloan’s findings generalize to the entire population of almost any segment of society: What Canadian seniors want is a lot of different things. The better question, perhaps, is how are our elderly citizens going to achieve all the different things they value in life? How are our elderly going to get what they want?
Demographics Meets Revenues
The elderly in our society are at a crossroads in history. Their numbers are growing and the writing is on the wall when we look at what kind of future government resources will be available to help. The demographic tidal wave has arrived. Clearly, in order to achieve their goals and get what they want, our elderly citizens are going to have to rely less on government resources. One way or another, elderly citizens will be financing more of their needs on their own. Logically, it will be in an elderly person’s best interest to minimize their expenditures on items unrelated to their personal goals. One such item is health care. Paramount to avoiding costs of poor health will be maintaining good health. Whatever it is that seniors want, they are much more likely to achieve it by staying healthy and at home.
The Secret To Our Elderly Improving Their Odds
So, what is the latest on staying healthy and at home? Plain and simple: regular physical activity. This translates to better overall health and improved ability to function independently and safely at home as we age. And, there is good news for those individuals who have not been physically active or have lived a relatively sedentary lifestyle – it is never too late to start. Health related improvements have been shown in elderly individuals who did not begin to exercise regularly until late in life. In fact, the late starters did better than those individuals who were active only in younger years and then stopped exercising completely. The key is that it has to be regular exercise, not that once a month walk around the mall with your best friend in search of that really great bargain! The benefits of exercise for older adults are well understood: lowered blood pressure, better controlled diabetes, improved cholesterol profile, improved strength and bone density, better balance and decreased fall risk. Importantly, it has been shown that regular exercise can also improve cognitive functioning – with improvements seen in areas of the brain that perform “executive functions” or tasks related to planning, decision making and working memory. This is worth repeating, since epidemic dementia is foreseen with the growing elderly population: regular exercise benefits brain function.
Now comes the hard part – getting started and sticking with it. Human nature being what it is, there will be many excuses or perceived barriers regarding regular exercise. Truth be told – all barriers can be overcome one way or another. First and foremost it is important to be honest. If you have led a sedentary lifestyle, or are returning to exercise after a long period of inactivity, start gradually and set realistic goals. Walking one block to the corner store to buy the newspaper 3 times a week might be a good start for someone, whereas another individual may start at walking community trails 20 minutes a day 4 or 5 times a week. Since it is accessible to everyone, walking is a good start. Some suggestions for getting walking regularly include scoping out the local mall before the shops open, attending a local community centre, or joining the many walking groups that spring up in communities all over the province. It is a great way to exercise and socialize, while at the same time improving endurance, strength and bone density.
The sky is the limit with regard to the kinds of exercise available to individuals. Finding something that is enjoyable will ensure that it is performed regularly. Look in the local newspaper for listings of local exercise classes or activities that are appealing. Local seniors’ centres hold exercise classes from yoga to line dancing to lawn bowling and everything in between. Seniors’ apartments and living facilities often have activity and group exercise classes. There are all kinds of DVDs available at the library for chair exercise or other exercise classes that can be followed along at home. Begin with a friend, family member or spouse. It’s easier to stick to a program when you have support. The bottom line is that regular exercise is essential for healthy aging, plain and simple. It’s everyone’s responsibility to reduce the strain on our healthcare system. Selfishly, when you reduce your reliance on our government healthcare system, you’ll likely be spending your time doing and getting what you want! Do yourself a favour – start today.
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