Life goes better with exercise

BY ROBERT MULLANEY

The benefits of exercise, unlike the Fountain of Youth, are real for everyone – even for senior citizens who avoided exercise in their younger years. Whether you start now or not until your golden years, exercise will maximize your quality of life and productivity.

Many research studies prove that anyone, including seniors, can improve their health and extend their longevity and time of independent living by extending their arms and legs in regular physical activity:

• According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, regular aerobic, strength, balance and flexibility exercises can lower seniors’ chances of major walking disabilities. The study involved individuals ages 70 to 89, including those who had been sedentary for years.
• A study at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston involved seniors who were physically inactive and had a variety of health problems. Those who stayed on track with the study’s exercise program showed the greatest improvement in physical functioning.
• A study at the Accident Research Center in Victoria, Australia, was more specific in focus, concluding that exercise reduces at-home falls among the elderly more than home safety modifications or vision correction.
• Yet another study, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, reported that improvement in physical function was greatest for the previously least active participants in a tai chi class that met twice a week for six months.

An exercise program that combines aerobic conditioning, flexibility, strength training, and relaxation techniques offers seniors – all of us, actually – a multitude of benefits. Among them:

• Coordination and mobility. Makes chores and activities easier, leading to greater independence.
• Balance. Lessens the risk of falling.
• Strength and endurance. Improves ability to perform daily activities of living, without stress.
• Immunity. Strengthens body’s defenses against infection and shortens recovery time.
• Strong bones. Reduces risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.
• Strong heart and lungs. Lowers risk of heart disease.
• Disease prevention and management. Decreases risk of chronic conditions such as dementia, diabetes and various cancers.
• Joint health. Promotes weight loss and strengthens muscles, putting less stress on joints. Also, the repetitive motion of exercise promotes the body’s natural lubrication of joints, helping manage arthritis pain.
• Attitude. Heightens self-confidence and mood. Natural endorphins produced by exercise help alleviate depression.
• Social life. Provides opportunities to meet people in group activities and classes.
• Rest. Promotes restful sleep, which decreases disease risk.
• Mental function. Helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by improving circulation and memory.
• Metabolism and weight loss. Makes the body an efficient calorie-burning machine. Muscle burns more calories than fat. ■

Robert Mullaney is local owner of homecare agency Comfort Keepers, servicing the South Shore and Cape Cod. He can be reached at (508) 746-4800 or www.comfortkeepers.com.


Published in Cape & Plymouth Business September 2009