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Exercise & Fitness

Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

The fantasies of retirement paint almost the perfect picture of finding your zen in life – you’re done working for a living, stress simply washes away, you’re in perfect health to work on your garden every day or go on that cruise you’ve been eyeballing. The reality, however, is not always so picturesque. Retirement is a symbol of getting older, and with aging can come medical ailments, tightening the purse strings if you’re on a budget and no longer working, fighting harder to maintain relationships and seek out social interaction, and the seemingly inevitable stresses of losing independence. Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

What effective, mindfulness activity is a sure-fire tool for finding zen in your Golden Years no matter what life throws at you? You guessed it, yoga. While the practice of yoga has grown significantly in popularity over the past 15 years, for many seniors the vision of yoga is one of curling and twisting yourself into a pretzel, which obviously seems painful and impossible. Breaking down these yoga misconceptions is a must for living a full, happy and healthy life in retirement. Check out these 5 superior health benefits of senior yoga: Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

Relieves Stress

The stress of getting older is enough without piling on anxiety over health, money and family situations. Yoga for seniors is a proven stress-reliever in both its focus on meditation and relaxation, as well as its physical effects on the body. Regular exercise (about 30 minutes a day) including yoga, has been shown to boost endorphin production, endorphins being those feel-good brain chemicals that lead to feelings of euphoria and diminish the negative associations stress has like depression, tense muscles, and stomach aches. Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

Builds Strong Bones and Muscles

You don’t have to run a marathon to feel the physical benefits of exercise. Low-impact exercises, of which yoga is included, may seem lighter on the exertion but are extremely beneficial (and recommended) for seniors. Moving the body, stretching the spine, and holding yoga positions helps your body build up bone mass and fight osteoporosis, while a boost in heart rate strengthens the heart muscle and consistent deep breathing expands and strengthens the lungs.

Alleviates Back Pain

The gentle, flowing stretching and deep breathing of yoga practice have been shown to help alleviate back pain as well. By stretching tense muscles and tendons in your back, yoga boosts blood flow to the affected area and aids in reducing inflammation. The mindfulness and meditation of yoga can also alter your perception of pain – as you relax and your nervous system unwinds, your body produces more endorphins, you focus your thoughts positively, and stretch sore and tense muscles like they haven’t been stretched before. The American College of Physicians, in fact, issued new recommendations at the beginning of 2017 that hailed practices like yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture for relieving low back pain over medicines and pharmacological aids. Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

Encourages Socialization

Yoga classes are a great way for seniors to get out with friends, or meet new people and interact with others socially. Look for a class near you to join by reaching out to your local YMCA or senior center, or look online with free services including DoYogaWithMe.com and YogaFinder.com. Even though yoga is practiced in quiet, relaxing settings, the before and after engagement with others is fun, welcomed and continues to boost overall mood. Avoiding social isolation and seeking out the company of others regularly is also an important way to prevent memory loss, dementia, and age-related cognitive decline.

Helps Prevent Falls

With the statistics on senior falls being pretty drastic, 1 in 3 seniors over 65 will experience a fall at some point, fall prevention plays a vital role in your health as you age. Yoga practice naturally incorporates balancing, flexibility and coordination activity – from holding poses to gently bending, arching, lunging, and grounding yourself to the floor. The stronger your balance and coordination, the less chance of falling as you age, which means avoiding serious injury, hip fractures, and potential hospitalization. Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

Practicing yoga is possible for everyone, even older adults with mobility problems. Chair yoga can be done sitting down or bracing yourself with a chair while water yoga is actually practiced in a shallow warm pool, allowing for weightless movement with all the same mental and physical health benefits. The ancient practice of yoga has truly transformed into a modern way for seniors to stay healthy, fight stress, and live their best life in retirement.

By Joe Fleming

Co-Founder, Vive Health

Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga Finding Zen in Your Golden Years with Yoga

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Exercise Tips for Seniors
Exercise & Fitness

Exercise Tips for Seniors

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Exercise Tips for Seniors

Follow these tips to start – and maintain – a safe exercise program.
Exercise Tips for Seniors1. Get medical clearance. Before you start exercising, visit your doctor and get his or her permission for the type of exercise you plan to do.
2. Start slowly and build up. Especially if you haven’t exercised for a while, go slow and start with just 10 minutes at a time. Little by little, increase the time you exercise and the intensity. Your comfort range may change daily, so don’t become discouraged if you can’t do the same amount of exercise as you did the day before.
3. Warm up and cool down. Always start by warming up your muscles. Walk slowly and stretch for a few minutes. When your workout is coming to a close, ease your body out of exercise by doing the same.
4. Stop exercising if you feel pain. And don’t overstrain. Do just what is comfortable, but also a challenging intensity level. If you can’t carry on a normal conversation while you’re exercising, you’re overstraining. Moderation is critical. Don’t overwork muscles; instead, use slow, controlled movements.
After exercising, if fatigue and/or discomfort lasts longer than one or two hours, cut back on your session the next day but don’t stop completely. Limit the number of repetitions or shorten the duration of your exercise.
5. Drink plenty of water – before, during and after you exercise (unless your doctor has advised you to limit your fluid intake) – even if you don’t feel thirsty. And don’t eat a heavy meal for two hours before you exercise energetically.
6. Remember to breathe consistently – and don’t hold your breath, especially during strength/resistance exercises. Breathe out as you lift and breathe in as you relax.
7. Wear appropriate clothing – comfortable fabrics that let heat escape and loose styles that let you move, and use footwear that provides support. Wear layers so you can take them off as your exertion level rises. For outdoor daytime exercise, use sun screen, a hat or visor, and sunglasses.
8. Use appropriate safety equipment; for example fluorescent colors if you’re bicycling or walking at dusk, a helmet for bicycling, and the shoes that give you traction when you’re hiking.
9. Make sure you know how to use the equipment at your gym. If you’re not sure, ask an instructor. You should only use weights that you can easily carry. If a weight is difficult for you to take off the storage rack, don’t use it.
10. Listen to what your body is saying. Don’t exercise if you’re injured, sick or running a temperature. Then start up slowly when you’re feeling better. Don’t exercise hot or inflamed joints. If joints are stiff, use warm, moist heat before exercising.
11. Consult a doctor immediately if you experience any of these warning signs:

  • Chest pain or pressure in the chest, neck or throat
  • Breathing trouble or excessive shortness of breath
  • Abnormal heart rhythm
  • Persistent or sharp muscle or joint pain
  • Excessive cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Unusual balance difficulty, light headedness, visual interruption or dizziness
  • Severe illness

NOTE: Always talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Every type of exercise is not appropriate for all people, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. And it’s important that you start slowly with any physical activity.

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Muscle Deterioration
Exercise & Fitness

Programs to Get Fit after 65

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Programs to Get Fit after 65

It’s Never Too Late, Experts Say

Getting Fit after 65America’s aging population is posing special challenges, fitness experts say, because it is difficult to design effective workout routines for people with such a wide range of abilities. Programs to Get Fit after 65
For one 70-year-old, the goal may be to run a marathon, for another it’s getting out of a chair.
“If you are teaching 10-year-olds, it’s perfectly reasonable to do an activity that everybody would participate in,” said Dr. Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, an expert on aging with the American College of Sports Medicine. “But 20 80-year-olds could be as different as chalk and cheese.”
Some baby boomer could be athletic, he explained, while others would be unable to get out of bed.
There are now more Americans age 65 and older than at any other time in U.S. history, according to Census Bureau figures. Some 40 million people age 65 and over lived in the United States in 2010, accounting for 13 percent of the total population. The older population grew from 3 million in 1900 to 40 million in 2010.
Older adults should be doing aerobic activity to help maintain body weight, strengthening exercises to develop and maintain muscle mass, and some type of flexibility training, according to Dr. James Graves, Dean of the College of Health at the University of Utah.
Physical activity can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis, he said, as well as improve the quality of life by maintaining functional capacity, such as the ability to climb stairs, open doors, and carry groceries.
“A very healthy 70-year-old can safely participate in high-intensity activity while a frail 60-year-old needs to lower the intensity,” said Graves. “My recommendation is to work with a personal trainer or group leader who has knowledge and qualifications to work with the elderly.”
Mary Ann Wilson is the creator and host of the “Sit and Be Fit,” a senior fitness program that has aired on U.S. public television since 1987.
The majority of her viewers are women over 65. For that population, she said, the goal of exercise is health and well-being, not physical prowess.
“Gravity has been working on them for 70 years,” said Wilson, a registered nurse who specialized in geriatrics. “Gravity is not our friend after many years of pulling our heads, shoulders and upper torsos forward and down.”
The 30-minute class includes warm-up, circulation and strength segments, a finger segment (for stiffness), standing for balance, and final relaxation.
Posture, breathing, balance, cognitive functioning and reaction time are among the most important — and neglected — components of elder fitness, she said.
“Focusing on gait is really important because as we age our gait changes,” said Wilson.
Karen Peterson, author of “Move with Balance: Healthy Aging Activities for Brain and Body,” stresses a mind-body approach in workouts with seniors.
“In our society it seems people don’t really like to do things unless they’re good at it already,” said Peterson, a kinesiologist based in Maui. “But what the brain likes is to be challenged.”
Her exercises include tossing a bean bag to improve reaction time, walking a figure-eight pattern for balance, as well as eye stretches, jaw relaxers, childhood games and cognitive challenges to keep body and mind alert.
“We take balance exercises and add conversation or math problems,” she said. “The concept is to always progress, always get more challenging.”
To tackle the isolation and diversity of the older population, Peterson initiated a mentoring program in which the fitter seniors work with the frailer.
“Some partners will become friends,” she said. “They’ll get really turned on.”
Experts agree that it’s never too late to do something. “Exercise is effective even in the most frail individual,” Wilson said. “If they can wiggle their toes, they can exercise.”
NewsMax / Thomson/Reuters
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Muscle Deterioration
Exercise & Fitness

Four Areas of Muscle Deterioration

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Four Areas of Muscle Deterioration

Muscle DeteriorationRegular physical activity is one of the most important ways to prevent functional decline as we age. This is critical because any functional decline can result in more serious and life-threatening issues such as broken bones, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Four Areas of Muscle Deterioration
To maintain optimal function, human bodies require muscular activity and regular movement. When these are lacking, our muscle mass, bone density, strength, flexibility and range of motion all decline rapidly. As we age, if we stop moving and don’t use our muscles, four areas can begin to deteriorate:

Endurance

When you participate in endurance exercises, you’ll keep your heart, lungs and circulatory system in better condition. An endurance exercise should make you breathe hard and you should be active for at least 30 minutes a day – most days of the week.
Working on endurance doesn’t require expensive equipment or a fancy gym. A well-paced walk several times a week works just fine at getting your heart and lungs working better. You can also swim, hike, dance or ride a bicycle.

Strength/Muscles

As you age, you’ll begin to lose muscle mass unless you perform strength exercises.
If you keep using your muscles, they’ll stay strong and healthy. You’ll be happier too because you’ll be able to get in and out of a chair – and your car – by yourself. You’ll be able to play actively with your grandchildren. And you’ll be able to take a walk on the beach or through your favorite nature preserve. Best of all, strong muscles will help you avoid falls and broken bones.

Balance

As we age, our sense of balance can diminish at the same time that our strength is declining. This is a dangerous combination that can lead to falls and broken bones. Balancing exercises can help. They’re simple, need no special equipment – and require just a few minutes a day.

Flexibility

Losing flexibility as we age can make it difficult to perform everyday living activities – and can become a downward spiral toward further loss of motion. Start now to maintain – or even increase – your flexibility. Flexibility exercises are quick and easy to do – with no equipment or specialized clothing required.
If you are exercising, keep doing it and you can avoid deterioration! If you’re not exercising, start right away. You can prevent or reverse any deterioration due to aging. Not only will you start moving better and feeling more fit, you will also experience many other benefits.
NOTE: Always talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Every type of exercise is not appropriate for all people, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. And it’s important that you start slowly with any physical activity.

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