Why is Physical Activity Important?

The Impact of Physical Activity on Aging

Physical activity can lower your risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, High Blood Pressure, and Type 2 Diabetes.
 
A sedentary lifestyle (lifestyle with inadequate physical activity) puts you at risk of developing several potentially serious health problems. Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of being diagnosed with one of these problems or can help treat or control it.  We will take a closer look at four such problems, which include heart disease, stroke (blood clot in the brain), high blood pressure, and Type II Diabetes. 

Heart Disease, Stroke, and High Blood Pressure

 
•A sedentary lifestyle is one of the five major risk factors (things that put someone at risk) for heart disease (including heart attack and stroke); the other four are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity (Meyers, 2003).
 
•Exercise has been scientifically shown to help reduce or get rid of almost all of these risks for serious health emergencies such as heart attack and stroke, with the exception of smoking. It lowers blood pressure, helps people lose weight, and decreases the “bad cholesterol” (low density lipoproteins [LDLs]) in our blood (Meyers, 2003).
 
•Sedentary people are 50 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to regular exercisers (Meyers, 2003).  

Type 2 Diabetes

 
•Type 2 diabetes is a condition caused by either your body resisting the effects of insulin or not producing enough insulin, which affects your body’s ability to process sugars, causing blood sugar levels to fluctuate incorrectly in the body.  If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can be deadly (Mayo Clinic).

•Exercise can be useful in helping your body deal with the effects of type 2 diabetes, and can actually help prevent those at risk of getting diabetes from developing it.

•Studies have shown that people at risk for type 2 diabetes that make lifestyle changes, such as an exercise program, helped to reduce the risk of developing it by 58% (Sigal, Kenny, Wasserman, Castaneda-Sceppa, & White, 2006)

*Remember*

•A sedentary or inactive lifestyle puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, but…

•It is a modifiable or controllable risk factor, which means that it is something that you can change. Do not risk it! Take the initiative to follow the advice on this blog on how to become more active today!

How Walking Can Prevent Heart Disease
 

How Physical Activity Can Improve Your Lifestyle

Physical activity can:

• Decrease your risk of falls (by improving your balance).
• Reduce feelings of depression, improve mood and overall well-being.
• Improve your ability to do the everyday things you want to do.
• Decrease fatigue.  

 

The Mental Benefits of Walking

 
According to the Arthritis Foundation:
 
Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17-percent decline in memory, as opposed to a 25-percent decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week.

Walking lowers Alzheimer’s risk. A study from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who walked less.

Walking improves sleep. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women, ages 50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia than women who didn’t walk.

Walking lightens mood. Research reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that walking 30 minutes a day boosted the moods in depressed patients faster than antidepressants. Why? Walking releases natural pain­killing end­or­phins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise. A California State University, Long Beach, study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were.

Benefits of walking courtesy of :http://www.arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/staying-active/walking/mental-benefits-of-walking.php

Barriers to Exercise

5 Myths about Exercise and Aging

 
Myth 1: There’s no point to exercising. I’m going to get old anyway.
Fact: Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity.
 
Myth 2: Older people shouldn’t exercise. They should save their strength and rest.
Fact: Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for adults over 50. Inactivity often causes older adults to lose the ability to do things on their own and can lead to more hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medicines for illnesses.
 
Myth 3: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down.
Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, actually reducing your risk of falling.
 
Myth 4: It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising.
Fact: You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities.
 
Myth 5: I’m disabled. I can’t exercise sitting down.
Fact: Chair–bound people face special challenges but can lift light weights, stretch, and do chair aerobics to increase range of motion, improve muscle tone, and promote cardiovascular health.
 
Myths of exercise courtesy of: http://www.helpguide.org/life/senior_fitness_sports.htm

What prevents you from being physically active?

Lack of time:
 1. Do small amounts of activity during the day
 2. Schedule exercise on your calendar- it’s as important as any other appointment
 
Feeling too old:
1. Choose simple forms of exercise that you can easily cope with and doesn't need too many skills

Tried to get active but always end up quitting:
 1. Choose a form of exercise you really enjoy.
 2. Keep it light and always have recovery days.
 3. Progress each week by simply adding a few more minutes to your routine.
 4. Exercise with a friend.
 5. Your health is worth the time and effort.

Fear of Injury:
1. Listen to you body. If a certain movement causes pain, stop immediately before any damage occurs

Lack of Self Efficacy:
1. Find someone to join you regularly
2. Got to an exercise class and learn new skills.

 

 

Simple Exercises you can do at Home to Get Started Today

The best thing you can do is WALK!
 
Walking "30 minutes a day, 10 minutes at a time if that is all you have time for, can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others."
Courtesy of the CDC from: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/olderadults.html

Basic Exercises to get you Started

Upper Body Strengthening: Overhead Arm Raise

1.  You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair.
2. Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
3. Hold weights at your sides at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Breathe in slowly.
4. Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms up over your head keeping your elbows slightly bent.
5. Hold the position for 1 second.
6. Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms.
7. Repeat 10-15 times.
8. Rest; then repeat 10-15 more times.

Lower Body Strengthening: Knee Curl

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair, holding on for balance. Lift one leg straight back without bending your knee or pointing your toes. Breathe in slowly.
2. Breathe out as you slowly bring your heel up toward your buttocks as far as possible. Bend only from your knee, and keep your hips still. The leg you are standing on should be slightly bent.
3. Hold position for 1 second.
4. Breathe in as you slowly lower your foot to the floor.
5. Repeat 10-15 times.
6. Repeat 10-15 times with other leg.
7. Repeat 10-15 more times with each leg

Balance: Stand on One Foot

1. Stand on one foot behind a sturdy chair, holding on for balance.
2. Hold position for up to 10 seconds.
3. Repeat 10-15 times.
4. Repeat 10-15 times with other leg.
5. Repeat 10-15 more times with each leg.

 

Flexibility:

1. Stand facing a wall slightly farther than arm's length from the wall, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lean your body forward and put your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height and shoulder-width apart.
3. Keeping your back straight, slowly walk your hands up the wall until your arms are above your head.
4. Hold your arms overhead for about 10-30 seconds.
5. Slowly walk your hands back down.
6. Repeat at least 3-5 times.

Exercises courtesy of the National Institute of Health from:http://go4life.nia.nih.gov/try-these-exercises


The National Institute of Health has created a "Workout to Go" pamphlet, which offers sample exercises that consist of simple, easy exercises that can easily be done at home, the office, or even on vacation.

To download a brochure, click here:
 
 http://www.nia.nih.gov/sites/default/files/workout_to_go.pdf

References

Meyers, J. (2003). Cardiology patient page: Exercise and cardiovascular health. Circulation, The American Heart Association, 107. doi: 10.1161/​01.CIR.0000048890.59383.8D

Sigal, R. J., Kenny, G. P., Wasserman, D. H., Castaneda-Sceppa, C., & White, R.     D. (2006). Physical activity/exercise and type 2 diabetes: A consensus statement from the american diabetes association. Diabetes Care, 29, 1433-1438. doi: 10.2337/dc06-9910

Mayo Clinic Staff (2013). Type 2 diabetes: definition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS00585




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