Everything Matters
Over the years seniors have been told that aches and pains that come with exercise are just part of the deal and in time they will go away. This may be true to some extent, but it is possible to learn from these pains.
What is the body telling us? For Seniors
Many seniors have jumped into a new fitness program with great enthusiasm and felt the stabbing pain of a headache before the first session is complete.
Studies suggest that roughly 45 million people suffer from chronic headaches but did you know that 70% of these people feel headache pain while exercising.
When you begin an exercise program and you have not exercised for quite a while, you are 1.5X more likely to experience a headache than someone that works out 3X per week.
Beginning a new exercise program causes the body to respond in two ways. First the increased blood flow around the brain inflames the vessels and stretches the nerves in the vessels creating pain. In response, the body releases endorphins, a sort of natural pain killer to counter the pain.
Regular exercise lessens this response because consistent exercise increases blood flow to the brain area and your muscles become more responsive and less fatigued over time.
Exercise Tips… Senior Health
Breathe: A common response by many seniors during intense exercise is to hold the breath. Doing this once in awhile is not a problem but if you habitually hold your breath to accomplish an exercise, you are likely to get headaches. If you need to grunt or make noises to get through it, do it but stay attentive to your breathing.
Be Careful of Exercise Bursts: One minute you are cooling your jets setting on the sidelines of a group volleyball game and the next minute you are on the court sprinting to save an errant pass without any warm up or stretching as if you were 25 years old. Cardio burst like these can cause problems for any age but are especially harmful for seniors. It is important to stay warm and avoid the intensive bursts when your body is unprepared.
Watch What You Eat: Don’t jump headlong into an intense exercise program with an empty stomach. Try having a 100 to 300 calorie snack maybe 30 to 60 minutes before you begin. You will love the energy burst. But be careful of soy, citrus fruits, yogurts and nuts if you are prone to headaches.
Stay Hydrated: Too often seniors think a short brisk walk or lifting a few weights doesn’t call for active fluid intake. Not true. Dehydration is a common cause for headaches during exercise among seniors. Before you even begin your exercise, drink an 8 ounce glass of water and bring another 8 ounces with you to drink during the exercise. And if it is hot, drink more or consider an indoor program.
These are just a few tips to help you have a better experience during your exercise. Speak to your doctor and be clear about the steps and precautions you should take before you begin exercising. What is most important is that you actually begin. Stay active. Stay engaged. As you see improvement you won’t have any problems being motivated to continue. Senior Exercise
Janet Shapan, has been a publisher, writer and media designer in the special interest magazine and TV production business for over 25 years. A Boomer, her passion is identifying and sharing current innovations in health, wellness and other lifestyle categories of interest to Seniors. For more information on Senior Living, visit: http://For-Seniors.org
Tags: Elderly, senior, Senior Exercise, Senior Health, senior living
Posted in Elderly · March 30th, 2010 · Comments (0)
There are two types of aging. The first type is simple— I just measure with mild celebration how many birthdays I have had. If this was the only test of growing older, many seniors could celebrate because if you ask someone if they feel as old as they actually are they would say no. For Seniors
I admit this is generalizing since there are some that would readily say they feel much older than their years. Personally, this sense of “I” within me doesn’t seem much older than when I was a young kid.
So what’s the problem?
The problem is this inner sense of “I’’ is not always aligned with the sensory experiences associated with my physical body. And this disconnect is what starts a downward fitness spiral for many seniors. Senior Health
Our culture instills the notion of chasing all things that make you feel good. For too many seniors, making a renewed commitment to stay fit feels good as a thought but when you begin to implement a real fitness program, the aches and pains in your body scream at you to stop. And unfortunately most do.
When you stop exercising, the pain often subsides, at least temporarily and your mind says that is good. Each cycle of trying to exercise and stopping enables a slow decline in your overall health and this decline makes it harder and harder to find the courage and commitment to regain control of your health through exercise.
Lack of adequate exercise for people over 50 may open the doors to early diseases that often accompany aging such as dementia. Forget the guilt you may feel for not jumping into a strong formal fitness regime.
The National Institutes of Health studies suggest that just a little daily exercise will improve overall health. And don’t fall for old excuse that you are just too old to start. It is never too late to start.
Some wonder how risky it is to start a new exercise program. Certainly it is worthwhile to talk with your doctor first and discuss the best exercise options given your health, but virtually every study suggests that exercise is safe for virtually all age categories and it is worse to do nothing than doing some form of exercise even if it is limited. Exercise-Fitness
If you do nothing what you will begin to experience more frequently are losses of strength for even the most routine tasks, loss of balance and flexibility and certainly you will experience a loss of endurance.
Linked to these core limitations, you will likely experience more joint pain, your bone strength will decline increasing the risk of breaks due to falls and little or no activity increases risks of heart attacks and strokes. Losing these core fitness elements engages a negative health spiral that is hard to reverse so don’t let it start.
Practical Tips for Exercise
• Before you begin…warm up and stretch. Working cold muscles leads to injury. Spend a few minutes walking in place lifting you knees up high to get the muscles warm and blood circulating. Then do some gentle stretches, holding the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds without bouncing.
• Don’t do too much to begin. Try to get some basic exercises everyday but don’t overdue it. Build slowly but be consistent. Do something everyday. Even if you have to break your activity into three 10 minutes blocks of time throughout the day.
• Ask for help and buy good equipment. If you buy some type of machine, make sure you know how to use it. Don’t be afraid to ask. Even basic exercises require proper form to avoid injuries.
• Only do what you can do now. Just because you could touch your toes in the past doesn’t mean you should be able to now. Start with what you can do now and track slow improvements of perhaps 5-10% per week.
• Cover the basics. Be sure you include strength, flexibility and cardio training in your routine. Try different activities and find a set of activities that you personally enjoy
• Talk to your doctor along the way. Talk to your doctor along the way to ensure you are making healthy progress while minimizing risks of injury.
Janet Shapan, has been a publisher, writer and media designer in the special interest magazine and TV production business for over 25 years. A Boomer, her passion is identifying and sharing current innovations in health, wellness and other lifestyle categories of interest to Seniors. For more information on Senior Living, visit: http://For-Seniors.org
Tags: Elderly Fitness, Exercise, fitness, For Seniors, Senior Health
Posted in Elderly · March 21st, 2010 · Comments (0)
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