3 Anti-Aging Exercises That Will Keep You Fit As You Go

There’s no getting around it: exercise is an essential part of healthy aging. But you won’t be able to skate into your golden years looking good while doing minimal aerobic exercise. You should focus on anti-aging exercises that can help you improve your muscle strength, balance and mobility. In turn, this can help you maintain good manners and self-control as you grow older. You can’t ignore exercise as a way to help keep your brain healthy.

Regular exercise can also prevent you from relying on others for daily help with your tasks. However, your exercise routine should change to suit your changing needs. To find out which anti-aging exercises seniors should focus on to stay healthy, we spoke to experts.

Is exercise safe for adults?

A common misconception among older people is that exercise is unsafe and should be avoided. This is not true and works against the desire of adults to achieve and maintain a healthy life. Exercise is key to healthy aging, even when it comes to brain health.

The sad fact is that aging increases the risk of many diseases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular exercise helps reduce the risk of similar conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.

Physical activity is safe for older people when done correctly and is necessary for good health. The benefits of exercise among the elderly are strongly supported by the CDC, physical therapists and personal trainers worldwide.

Kevin Robinson, a physical therapist and professor of orthopedics and kinesiology, provided a general guide to safe exercise for adults:

• Focus on low-impact activities, such as water exercise, stationary bikes and ellipticals.
• Attend SilverSneakers programs, often offered at local health clubs. These are usually covered by insurance and are designed specifically for seniors. Another advantage of these programs is that you can also make friends, which will help you to be there regularly.
• Focus on specific muscle groups such as gluteals (butt), quadriceps (thighs), biceps and stomach, and know your limits.
• Make stretching and balance exercises part of your regular exercise program.

The best antiaging exercises for adults

The best exercise for you will depend on factors such as your current fitness level and medical conditions that require less or modified exercise. It’s never too late to start a good exercise program.

The CDC recommends the following weekly exercise for adults 65 and older:

• 150 minutes a week at least of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as jogging.
• Two days a week minimum of strength training, such as lifting weights.
• Activities to improve balance, such as balancing on one leg.

Here are some examples of what that exercise might look like for adults.

1. Moderate cardio

The CDC defines moderate aerobic activity, also known as cardio, as a 5 or 6 on a scale of one (resting) to 10 (vigorous). Some light cardio activities for one person may be moderate cardio for another.

Walking is a common form of moderate cardio, especially popular with older people. “Walking can be a lot of work,” Robinson said. “But many people with arthritis can’t tolerate walking long distances.” This is because the average ground reaction force passing through the knee is 1.2 to 1.5 of the human body weight. So, what seems like a small impact process can be a lot.”

Robinson recommends water exercise for patients with arthritis in their feet or legs. “This reduces the force on the knee by 50% to 75% compared to walking on the ground,” he said.

Some forms of moderate cardio include hiking, jogging or doing some activity (such as raking leaves), some forms of yoga, cycling and using the elliptical.

2. Light strength training

Erin Stimac, a personal trainer and group exercise instructor, says active movements are the foundation for maintaining independence, reducing your risk of injury and improving your overall quality of life. Erin recommends incorporating strength exercises that cover key functional movements:

• Squatting (sitting and standing): Squatting exercises are important for regular daily life and contribute to improving mobility and balance.
• Hinging: It is important for activities such as picking things up, exercises to strengthen the lower back and promote flexibility.
• Pushing (body weight or objects): Pushing strengthens the upper body and supports activities such as getting up from the ground or lifting objects.
• Pull-up (to the body): This strengthens the back muscles and is important for maintaining posture and balance.
• Carrying: Life often requires you to carry things from one place to another. Reduced grip strength is closely related to mortality, predicting the risk of early death more than blood pressure.

Other exercises recommended by the CDC that may include functional movements include lifting weights, using resistance bands, gardening, and bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups or squats. push and different yoga poses.

3. Exercise to help balance

It is common for older people to have balance problems. However, good balance reduces the risk of falling.

“To improve balance, you need to do short bursts of balance activity throughout the day, as opposed to 10 to 15 minutes once a day,” said Robinson. He recommends the following balancing activities, which can often be done safely at home:

• Stand on both feet in front of the counter. Step off the counter to see how long you can keep your balance without touching the counter. Repeat this exercise three to five times throughout the day until you have three 45-second periods. Once you’ve accomplished this, move on to the next exercise.
• Repeat the balance exercise above, but this time close your eyes.

Yoga is also a common form of exercise known to improve balance, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Adults should avoid exercise

Are there specific exercises that adults should avoid completely? According to Stimac, the answer is generally no.

“Contrary to common beliefs, there is no need for adults to avoid any movement,” said Stimac. “Fear of injury should not prevent them from participating in strength training. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, we should examine which movements are suitable for each individual.”

If you have a disease, condition or injury related to physical limitations, you should always follow your doctor’s instructions. With the right guidance and adjustments, you can still find ways to achieve a healthy body.

Stimac says there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that every senior deserves a tailored program that builds strength and capabilities while considering the needs of the individual. “By embracing individual goals and debunking myths, we empower older adults to lead active and fulfilling lives,” she said.