Physical exercise in the elderly

Do you know how important it is that our elders do physical exercise? Well, in data from the WHO [World Health Organization] it is vital to avoid the deterioration of the muscular and cardiorespiratory system; to significantly improve bone and functional health; to combat diseases such as hypertension or diabetes, and to fight against the feeling of loneliness of our elders. And if we go into detail, how much exercise time should our older relative do? Well, what the WHO recommends is 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 of intensive activity.

From Elderly Care, we will detail the benefits of exercising so that you can explain to your elder the importance of being active, regardless of age, and we bring you some simple tables designed for the elderly, prepared by prestigious physiotherapists. No excuses are worth it!

Table of content

1. Importance of doing physical exercise

2. Why should older people do physical exercise?

3. Advantages of physical exercise in the elderly

4. How do physical exercise for the elderly?

5. Physical exercises for older people

6. Senior care recommendation

Are we aware of how important it is to stay active?

We all know the benefits of physical exercise for our health at any stage of life. However, this data is often stored in memory and we do not have it as present as we should. Furthermore, as our loved ones age we tend to justify by claiming mobility problems of our elder, that he cannot exercise. Big mistake. It is precisely people with certain limitations who must do more exercise to prevent this lack of movement from leading to other pathologies.

Therefore, at Senior Care, we want to give physical exercise the importance it deserves and we propose to refresh these tips that we all know to start putting them into practice in our day-to-day life.

"Physical exercise is directly related to a lower risk of mortality."

Why do physical exercise in the elderly?

In the first place, as we already know, with aging there are a series of changes on a physical level. If we want to live healthy aging, we must attend to all the changes so that they affect our quality of life as little as possible. To do this, we have to keep in mind the two pillars of a healthy life: a balanced diet and physical exercise.

Many changes occur in the body caused by age. In general, the musculoskeletal system undergoes certain alterations that, on occasions, will not be an obstacle to the development of activities of daily living, but combined with another series of pathologies, both physical and cognitive, can hinder mobility and, therefore, the autonomy of the person.

• Bones. Bone density decreases, making bones more fragile.

• Muscles Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass associated with aging and is one of the main causes of muscle weakness. As muscle mass is reduced, movements lose strength and endurance.

• Joints. They become stiffer and all movements will tend to be less flexible.

All of these changes affect body posture, which tends to be more hunched, and gait (walking pattern), which can be slower and weaker. On the other hand, the cardiovascular system is also affected with age, as there is an increase in cardiovascular pathologies and disorders associated with aging.

Many changes occur in the body caused by age, and all of them should be taken as something normal typical of getting older and aging.

In general, the musculoskeletal system undergoes certain alterations that, on occasions, will not be an obstacle for the development of activities of daily living, but combined with other series of pathologies, both physical and cognitive, can hinder mobility and, therefore, the autonomy of the person.

We all know the most frequent ailments in our elders and where they tend to occur, the ones that involve the greatest number of visits to doctors and physiotherapists.

Advantages of physical exercise in the elderly

Physical exercise, always adapted to the conditions of each person, is directly related to a lower risk of mortality since there are many benefits of good sports practice:

• Reduces the risk of heart disease.

• Helps maintain proper body weight.

• Lower the proportion of body fat.

• Improves metabolic balance.

• It also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

• Helps control cholesterol.

• Strengthens the immune system.

In addition, on a psychological and cognitive level there are also many improvements when performing the physical exercise:

• It favors the release of endorphins, substances that promote emotional well-being.

• Decreases stress and insomnia.

• Reduces the risk of depression and anxiety.

• It improves cognitive function and prevents cognitive decline and dementias such as Alzheimer's, among others.

Consequently, by strengthening the muscles and promoting balance, the risk of falls and muscle pain is significantly reduced. In addition, by improving body image, greater acceptance and satisfaction with the personal image can be observed and, therefore, better self-esteem.

How do physical exercise in the elderly?

• It is important to consult with specialists about what type of exercises are recommended based on your general health.

• In the case of cardiovascular problems, arrhythmias, heart failure, or a recent episode of acute infarction, it is considered necessary to consult a doctor to find out if physical exercise is recommended or not.

• To obtain the maximum benefit from physical exercise, regular practice is recommended, that is, following a routine and a training plan, being clear about the time that is going to be dedicated to physical exercise and at what intensity it is going to be practiced. For adults 65 and older, the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical exercise.

• Physical exercise must be combined with adequate nutrition.

• To promote motivation towards exercise we must find the type of physical exercise that we like the most and that suits us, always paying attention to our physical form and our capacities.

• Aerobic or resistance activities: They improve cardiovascular health and increase physical endurance. Some examples are walking, cycling, dancing… etc.

• Strengthening exercises: prevent loss of muscle mass.

• Stretching exercises: these are the warm-up exercises that should be done before and after any physical activity. They help prevent injury and increase flexibility.

• Balance exercises: help prevent falls.

"You have to combine physical exercise with adequate nutrition."

Taking into account that physical exercise helps to prevent many diseases associated with aging, from Senior Care we encourage you to start a routine of physical exercise to improve your health, since doing physical exercise is essential for our physical and psychological well-being.

Some physical exercises for older people

It is important that when our elders practice they have the advice of a trusted physiotherapist, that is why from Senior Care and Physio, we bring you some exercise tables designed for you so that the elderly in the house can practice without the risk of breakage.

To make these effective and simple tables, all you need is a chair, an elastic band, and a mat, for the greater comfort of our elders. Always keep in mind the following guidelines when performing the exercises:

• The exercises are done very slowly to favor the eccentric phase and that there are no problems with lowering blood sugar.

• You have to control the tension and that it does not rise too much, if you notice a feeling of dizziness it is that the effort is very great.

• You have to complete 3 series of 15 repetitions of each exercise, except for the hip abduction, if you do it while holding the position, it is 3 series of 10 or 20 seconds.

Knee extension:

Sitting in a chair, preferably high, with the thighs supported, our older will raise the calves in 2 or 3 seconds and will lower in 3 or 4. If it is too easy for them, you can put weight like weighted anklets.

Our oldest should notice the exercise in the quadriceps, the front of the thigh just above the knee. Beware of older people with chondropathy or patella problems.

Squat:

Starting from being seated on a chair, it can also be done on an armchair to have support from the arms. Our oldest will get up in 2 or 3 seconds and come down in another 3 or 4 seconds without jumping.

Al hacer este ejercicio, la práctica de nuestros seniors debe notarse en los cuádriceps y probablemente en los glúteos. Tenga cuidado con los adultos que tienen osteoartritis de rodilla y problemas comunes de rodilla.

Heel raise:

Standing near a wall, if he needs it, our senior can support his hands, although it is better not to do so, our senior will raise his heels in 2 seconds and lower them in another 3 or 4, if necessary he touches the ground, yes it is not avoided and it is not touched.

With this physical exercise, our senior will notice how the calves, the posterior calf muscles, work.

Hip extensions:

Lying on your back, legs bent and feet flat on the floor; by making force with the glutes, our elder will lift the trunk leaving the weight supported on the head, arms, and feet.

For greater difficulty, it can be done without supporting the arms or with a limp. Our older relative will notice how they work, the glutes and hamstrings, posterior leg muscles.

Those elderly who suffer from low back pain should perform the exercise with special care so that it does not bother them.

Hip abduction:

Our oldest standing, should lift one leg laterally and hold between 10 and 20 seconds. Change and do with the other. He can also perform this exercise by lifting his bent forward leg.

In case our family member tells us that it is a very simple exercise and that it does not present any difficulty, we can also open and close the leg, open in 2 or 3 seconds and it will close again in 3 or 4.

Push-ups:

Standing, hands on the wall below the height of the shoulders, making force with the arms our eldest will approach and move the trunk away from the wall. He should push in 2 or 3 seconds and you will be back in 3 or 4

With this physical exercise, our senior will notice his arms and pectorals. For greater difficulty, they can stand on tiptoe or do it on the ground. Older people suffering from shoulder disease should be careful.

Shoulder retraction:

With the help of an elastic band, our eldest must spread his arms while throwing his shoulders back. He should separate in 2 or 3 seconds and join in another 3 or 4. He should feel the muscles in the back of his shoulders and arms.

Senior care recommendation

It is important, as we have seen, that our elders exercise. Exercising sometimes does not imply having to travel outside the home, which is sometimes problematic for the daily life of the elderly. Exercises can be done in the older's own home. The exercises recommended above are excellent for the elderly in the home and will help them to be in shape and take care of their health. With 20 minutes a day, we will get our oldest in shape.