Exercise Tips for the Older Adult

Maintaining physical and mental health are extremely important items on most people’s “to do” lists as they get older.  As people age they generally become less active for a number of reasons including fear of injury and a decrease in many physical attributes.  Exercising for just 20 – 30 minutes a day, however can increase your mental and physical well-being significantly and reduce the rate at which strength, balance, flexibility and endurance diminish over time. Exercise can also have a positive impact on brain activity, which can help slow the development of brain disorders like Alzheimer’s. 

Exercise does not have to be strenuous to provide an array of benefits.  Things like taking a walk in the park, swimming and gardening are all great ways to gain mental and physical benefits while staying active. 

Starting an exercise routine can be difficult, especially if you are not sure what is safe for you.  Here are a few guidelines to follow:

• Make sure to consult your physician to see if you are healthy enough to start an exercise plan and ask how much
  exercise you should be getting per week in order to provide optimum results.
• Drink plenty of water before and after each workout.
• Eat a well balanced diet in order to ensure that your body gets the right amount of nutrients to help build and
  maintain muscles and energy levels.
• Make sure to stretch and do a warm-up before and after each workout.
• Do a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic workouts each week.
• Try to exercise at least 3 times a week.

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