There are a host of reasons why staying active is crucial for seniors’ health and their overall well-being. In this blog post, let’s look at a few of the most important reasons (I think) why the elderly should exercise regularly.
Exercise Helps Maintain Muscle Strength and Bone Density
As you age, you’re just not as active as you were in your youth and your body naturally loses it’s muscle mass. But another thing that happens is our bones get softer and we lose bone density.
Losing muscles can lead to a higher risk of falls and decreased bone density can lead to fractures. However, regular exercise can help you to combat these particular effects of aging. Strength training exercises (that’s “weight lifting” folks), in particular, can help you build and maintain muscle mass and bone density. By keeping muscles and bones strong, older folks can maintain their independence and reduce their risk of injury.
We all may understand that exercise builds muscle and makes us stronger, but many don’t understand how exercise can help make bones stronger.
For those with or worried about osteoporosis, regular exercise has been shown to improve and maintain bone density and is important as you age. But how exactly does exercise increase bone density?
When you exercise, you put stress on your bones. This stress triggers your body’s natural bone-building process, which involves a type of bone cell called an osteoblast. These osteoblasts are responsible for creating new bone tissue.
During exercise, osteoblasts are activated and begin to lay down new bone tissue in response to the stress placed on the bones. This process helps to strengthen and thicken the bones, increasing their density over time.
But also, exercise can also help to increase levels of certain hormones in the body, such as estrogen and testosterone. These hormones also contribute to increased bone density. Studies have shown that weight-bearing exercises, such as walking or jogging, have been shown to increase levels of these bone-building hormones in both men and women.
It’s important to note that not all types of exercise are equally effective at increasing bone density. Weight-bearing exercises, such as running, jumping, or lifting weights, are generally the most effective. Non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming or cycling, will still provide many benefits but just won’t have as significant an impact on bone density.
Exercise Improves Cardiovascular Health for Seniors
When you read the word “Cardiovasuclar”, what thay includes in your heart, the arteries that take blood from the heart, and the veins that bring blood back to the heart to start the process all over again.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among seniors. But regular exercise can help to lower the risk of developing heart disease by improving cardiovascular health.
Aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling, or swimming, can help to strengthen the heart and improve blood flow. This, in turn, can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and improve overall function of the whole cardiovascular system.
What Regular Exercise Can do for Seniors
Strengthen the heart: Like any other muscle in your body, the heart can be strengthened through exercise. When you exercise, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your muscles, which can help to strengthen the heart muscle over time. A strong heart pumps the blood more efficiently.
Improve blood flow: Exercise can help to improve blood flow throughout the body. This is because exercise causes blood vessels to expand and contract, which can improve circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots. And the contraction of the big muscles in the body helps to improve the blood flow also.
Lower blood pressure: High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and many seniors have it. Exercise can help to lower your blood pressure by improving the flexibility of your blood vessels, which decreases the amount of work your heart has to do.
Reduce inflammation: Chronic inflammation is caused by stress, certain foods, and even things in your environment that you have no control over. This chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Exercise can help to reduce inflammation by decreasing the production of inflammatory proteins and increasing the production of anti-inflammatory proteins.
Improve cholesterol levels: High levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Exercise can help to improve cholesterol levels by reducing LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.
Regular Exercise Helps Managing Chronic Conditions in the Elderly
Many seniors live with chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercise can be an effective way to manage these conditions and improve overall health. For example, regular exercise can help to reduce joint pain and stiffness in those with arthritis, lower blood sugar levels in those with diabetes, and lower blood pressure in those with hypertension.
There are many chronic health conditions that people have to deal with and manage over time. We’ve already looked at how exercise can help with heart problems and blood pressure. Let’s take a look at a couple other common chronic conditions.
Arthritis: Exercise can be an effective way to manage the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis. Low-impact exercises, such as Tai Chi, Yoga, swimming, or cycling, can get the blood flowing and strengthen muscles without the increased joint pain that comes from jogging, weight lifting or playing sports. Gentle stretching also can help you improve your joint flexibility and range of motion, reduce inflammation, and take the pressure off the joints which reduces pain.
Diabetes: Performing regular exercise can help you manage your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity if you have diabetes. Doing either or both aerobic exercise and strength training is good for managing your diabetes, as they will reduce blood sugar levels and improve the body’s ability to use insulin.
A Daily Exercise Routine Can Enhance Cognitive Function in Seniors
Exercise has been shown to have numerous benefits for the brain and cognitive function. In seniors, regular exercise has been linked to a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Exercise can also help to improve memory, attention, and processing speed. Additionally, exercise can help to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, which can be common among seniors.
Physical Activity Improves the Quality of Life for the Senior
Finally, exercise can have a significant impact on seniors’ overall quality of life. Regular physical activity can help to boost mood, increase energy levels, and improve sleep quality. Exercise can also provide opportunities for socialization and community engagement, which can be particularly important for seniors who may be experiencing social isolation.
I have written here and here on how seniors can start a regular exercise program
Bryan Williams
Physical Therapist
is a licensed therapist with near 30 years of professional experience treating a diverse patient population in a multitude of settings. With simple strategies, he educates and empowers his clients with simple strategies to help them move better and with less pain.