Feature Articles: Food, Fitness and Exercise
Active Aging—Stay Strong and Stay Healthy
Janet Hackert, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist in Harrison County, University of Missouri Extension
When people talk about being physically active, many think of aerobic activities, but it is also about being strong. Getting the heart and lungs working to full capacity has great health benefits. Walking is perhaps the most common form of this type of exercise. When the weather permits, the walkers abound. But as a person ages, fear of falling may prevent a person from getting out and getting moving. Strength training can help by increasing the strength of muscles needed to “catch” a person and help them right themselves before actually falling.
The American College of Sports Medicine has set guidelines
for older adults for resistance exercise to maximize the
benefits. They recommend “performing at least one set of
repetitions for 8-10 exercises that train the major muscle
groups.” A good starter exercise would be a set of chair
squats that strengthen the thighs, buttocks and lower back.
It might also mean bicep curls for the upper arms, overhead
presses for shoulders, upper back and arms, and bent forward
flies for the upper back and shoulders. It could include
standing leg curls for the back of the thigh of the moving
leg and the front of the thigh of the standing leg, side hip
raises for the outside of the moving leg, and knee
extensions for the quadriceps muscles in the front of the
thigh. And to wrap it up, try some toe stands to strengthen
the calves, ankles and feet. They also recommend that these
exercises be done in 10-15 repetitions per set. At least one
set should be done 2-3 times per week on nonconsecutive
days.
The resistance for resistance exercises can be created by
using hand weights and ankle weights. Increasing the weight
increases the resistance and strengthens the muscles. With
strong muscles, a person may find that the everyday tasks
that have become burdensome with age, are not as difficult
as in the past.
Stay Strong, Stay Healthy classes,
offered by University of Missouri Extension, teach older
adults to do the exercises mentioned above. A 76 year old
participant in one such class explained that the bag of
mulch that last year was really heavy, this year didn’t seem
like much at all to lift and carry. An 80+ year old class
member said that after doing these exercises even getting up
out of a chair was easier!
For those who live in northwest Missouri, get a group of 10
or more together and contact me at 660.425.6434 or
HackertJ@missouri.edu
to discuss setting up a Stay Strong, Stay Healthy
class for your group.
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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