The World Health Organization reports that sedentary living (i.e. physical inactivity) is the greatest health risk for older adults. When a health challenge occurs in older adults, it is often the individual’s fitness level that limits their ability to recover.
There are fitness programs for frail, homebound older adults who don’t exercise regularly. Having personally trained those in their 90s, I applaud how these programs work at introducing some activity in their lives. However, it saddens me to think that these programs are even necessary, especially when there is a preventative solution that is so simple.
85% of Adults Don’t Get Enough Exercise; Children Even Less
After active childhood and teenage years, adults in their 20s should begin regular exercise programs. This does not always happen. Recent Canadian research tracked activity levels in 4,500 children and adults and found that only 15 % of the adult participants were getting the recommended amount of exercise to keep them healthy. Children were getting even less.
We often talk to younger adults who start a fitness program but then stop, and then repeat this cycle frequently as they go through their 20s, 30s and 40s. They feel fit and healthy, but the signs of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, although maybe not immediately present, are slowly gathering momentum. However, as they reach 50, the signs of chronic disease begin to appear in the form of high cholesterol, hypertension, expanding waistlines and diabetes. Knees, hips and backs begin to show signs of weakness, and declining balance makes them fearful of falling.
“Getting Older” Is Just An Excuse
A feeling of helplessness is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting healthy. Older adults incorrectly believe that with aging comes physical decline and dependency. Too often, we hear older adults insist that their health problems are just a part of “getting old”, but this is often not the case, nor does it have to be this way.
So, how do you prepare yourself to be in great shape well past your 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s? The answer is simple. A quality exercise program, done for a maximum of 1 hour, 3 times a week, is all you need. Even if you’re 50 and you’ve never done an exercise program before, you can start now and still get all the benefits.
Because frail, older adults with declining mobility are often candidates for nursing homes (both a traumatic and costly lifestyle change), starting a regular exercise program now is vitally important to you wellbeing and future independence. Great health is within your control. As you get older, you can have the quality of life you want, but you must take care of it now.
