Exercise for the Body
 | We are rapidly learning that one of the most important things to contribute to an active and healthy older age is exercise. And exercise can be done safely at any age. Obviously, exercise programs need to be tailored to the individual. Home Health Network will bring to its members a variety of information and resources focusing on exercise and will include in its membership access to a variety of programs, videos and other web sites that will assist and encourage both caregivers and persons receiving care to remain physically active. |
Its never too late to exercise.
According to a study of 1,861 Jerusalem residents who were 70 years old in 1990 through 2008. You should not stop exercising and if you are not exercising you should begin.
Study: Walking 4 hours a week tripled 3-year survival for those in late 80s
Even in the "oldest old," a little physical activity goes a long way, extending life by at least a few years for people in their mid- to late 80s, Israeli researchers found.
The three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-year-olds compared with those who were inactive. Getting less than four hours of exercise weekly was considered inactive; more than that was active.
Get yourself a Wii Fit!!
Kudos to Nintendo's Wii Fit because it has changed the way we interact with video games. For me, it has impacted the design of the "Connected for Life" product. The Wii fit uses a balance board that doubles as a scale so that each session records a body test and calculates a Wii Fit age based upon simple balancing tests and weight and body mass calculations. More importantly, it smartly encourages its use and use by others.
A brief story makes this point.
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Exercise and Aging
National Institute on Aging
Today, we know a lot more about older adults and their need to exercise. Regardless of their health and physical abilities, older adults can gain a lot by staying physically active. Even if you have difficulty standing or walking, you can still exercise and benefit from it. In fact, in most cases, you have more to lose by not doing anything.
Exercise and physical activity benefit every area of your life. They can:
•Help maintain and improve your physical strength and fitness.
•Help improve your ability to do the things you want to do.
•Help improve your balance.
•Help manage and prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
•Help reduce feelings of depression, may improve mood and overall well-being, and may improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information.
Exercise FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can exercise do for me?
Staying physically active and exercising regularly can improve mood and relieve depression, and prevent or delay some types of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Long-term, regular exercise can improve health for some older people who already have diseases and disabilities.
Making exercise a regular part of your daily routine will have a positive impact on your quality of life as you get older.
2. What is the difference between exercise and physical activity?
Exercise is physical activity that follows a planned format using repeated movements to improve or maintain fitness. Exercise progress can be scored and counted. Physical activity is any voluntary body movement that burns calories.
3. How do my muscles work?
Muscle cells contain long strands of protein lying next to each other that shorten or contract when you "make a muscle." When you do strengthening exercises on a regular basis, the bundles of protein strands inside your muscle cells grow bigger. Small changes in muscle size can make a big difference in strength.