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Chapter Summary
Research suggests that growing older doesn't mean you have to lose your
strength and ability to do everyday tasks and the things you enjoy doing.
But an inactive lifestyle does mean that you probably will lose some of
your strength and ability, and that you will be at higher risk for diseases
and disabilities. Fortunately, researchers have found that even many frail
people can improve their health and independence by increasing their physical
activity. Challenging exercises and physical activities done on a regular
basis can help many older adults improve their health, even when done
at a moderate level. They may prevent or delay a variety of diseases and
disabilities associated with aging.
Four types of exercises are important for older adults:
1.Endurance activities increase heart rate and breathing for extended
periods of time. They improve the health of the heart, lungs, and circulatory
system, and have been shown to help prevent or delay some diseases.
2.Strength exercises make older adults strong enough to do the things
they need to do and the things they like to do.
3.Balance exercises help prevent falls, a major cause of disability in
older adults. 4.Stretching helps keep the body limber and flexible.
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Chapter Summary
Contrary to traditional thinking, regular exercise helps, not hurts, most
older adults. Older people become sick or disabled more often from not
exercising than from exercising. Those who have chronic diseases, or risk
factors for them, may actually improve with regular exercise, but should
check with their doctors before increasing their physical activity. There
are few reasons to keep older adults from increasing their physical activity,
and "too old" and "too frail" aren't among them.
If you plan to work your way up to a vigorous level, check with your doctor
first if you are a man over 40 or a woman over 50. Also check with your
doctor first if you have any of the conditions listed under "Checkpoints"
in this chapter.
Your doctor or cardiac rehabilitation specialist should have given you
guidelines for physical activity if you have had a heart attack recently.
If not, call and ask for guidelines. Controlled exercise usually is an
important part of long-term heart-attack recovery.
People with conditions called "abdominal aortic aneurysm" or
"critical aortic stenosis" should not exercise unless their
physicians tell them they can.
Almost all older adults, regardless of age or condition, can safely improve
their health and independence through exercise and physical activity.
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Chapter Summary
Starting with one or two types of exercises or physical activities and
a schedule that you really can manage, then adding more as you adjust,
is one way of ensuring that you will keep exercising. You are also more
likely to keep exercising if you feel you can do your exercises correctly
and safely, feel that they fit into your schedule, and don't feel that
they result in negative experiences, such as financial burdens or lost
time.
Just knowing that physical activity can improve your health and abilities
can be enough to keep you exercising, but you might need extra motivation
sometimes. For those times, try adopting an exercise buddy, listening
to music, charting your progress, marking your calendar for exercise sessions,
giving yourself exercise "assignments" ahead of time, and rewarding yourself
when you achieve your goals.
Overall, your fitness should improve. If it doesn't, review the instructions
on how to progress in Chapter 4.
If you stick with your exercises for more than a month, it's a good sign
that you are on your way to making it a permanent habit. If you would
like acknowledgment fill out the form at the end.
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Chapter Summary
Build up to all exercises and activities gradually, especially if you
have been inactive for a long time.
Once you have built up to a regular schedule, include these four types
of exercises, whether you use the examples here or others: endurance,
strength, balance, and stretching.
If you have to stop exercising for more than a few weeks, start out at
half the effort when you resume, then build back up to where you were.
When bending forward, always keep back and shoulders straight to ensure
that you are bending from the hips, not the waist.
If you have had a hip replacement, check with your surgeon before doing
lower body exercises.
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ENDURANCE
- To build stamina, you can do specific exercises, like walking or jogging,
or any activity that raises your heart rate and breathing for extended
periods of time.
- Do at least 30 minutes of endurance activities on most or all days of
the week.
- If you prefer, divide your 30 minutes into shorter sessions of no less
than 10 minutes each.
- The more vigorous the exercise, the greater the benefits. - Warm up
and cool down with a light activity, such as easy walking.
- Activities shouldn't make you breath so hard you can't talk. They shouldn't
cause dizziness or chest pain.
- When you are ready to progress, first increase the amount of time, then
the difficulty, of your activity.
- Stretch after endurance exercises.
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STRENGTH
- Do strength exercises for all your major muscle groups at least twice
a week, but not for the same muscle group on any 2 days in a row.
- Gradually increasing the amount of weight you use is the most important
part of strength exercise.
- Start with a low amount of weight (or no weight) and increase it gradually.
- When you are ready to progress, first increase the number of times you
do the exercise, then increase the wieght at a later session.
- Do an exercise 8 to 15 times; rest a minute and repeat it 8 to 15 more
times.
- Take 3 seconds to lift and 3 seconds to lower weights. Never jerk weights
into position.
- If you can't lift a weight more than 8 times, it's too heavy; if you
can lift it more than 15 times, it's too light.
- Avoid holding your breath while straining.
- These exercises may make you sore at first, but they should never cause
pain.
- Stretch after strength exercises.
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BALANCE
- Add the following modifications to your regularly scheduled lower-body
strength exercises: As you progress, hold onto the table or chair with
one hand, then one finger, then no hands. If you are steady on your feet,
progress to no hands and eyes closed. Ask someone to watch oyou the first
few times,in case you lost your balance.
- Don't do extra strength exercises to add these balance modifications.
Simply add the modifications to your regularly scheduled strength exercises.
- Another way to improve your balance is through "anytime, anywhere"
balance exercises. One example: Balance on one foot, then the other, while
waiting for the bus. Do as often as desired.
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STRETCHING
- Stretching exercises may help keep you limber.
- Stretching exercises alone will not improve endurance or strength.
- Do stretching exercises after endurance and strength exercises, when
your muscles are warm.
- If stretching exercises are the only kind of exercise you are able to
do, do them at least 3 times a week, up to every day. Always warm up your
muscles first.
- Do each exercise 3 to 5 times at each session.
- Hold the stretched position for 10 to 30 seconds.
- Total session should last 15 to 30 minutes.
- Move slowly into position; never jerk into position.
- Stretching may cause mild discomfort, but should not cause pain.
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Chapter 5: How Am I doing?
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes simple tests you can give yourself to see how you
are progressing. The tests measure endurance, lower-body power, strength,
and balance. Do the tests before you begin increasing your physical activity,
to establish a baseline measurement. Repeat the tests each month. If you
do them more often, you are not likely to see improvement, and that may
discourage you. On the other hand, watching your scores improve every
month can be very encouraging. Be sure to use the safety guidelines listed
for the exercises shown in Chapters 2 and 4 when you do these tests.
Some of you might not be able to complete the tests shown in this chapter
at first. That means you aren't ready to take them yet. Try again after
a month of exercises and physical activities.
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Chapter 6: What Should I Eat?
Chapter Summary
A balanced diet is important for everyone, including older exercisers.
To find out what "balanced diet" means, see the U.S. Department
of Agriculture food-pyramid guidelines shown in this chapter. The guidelines
say that the largest part of your calorie intake should be from grain-based
foods; the next largest from vegetables and fruits; then fish, poultry,
meats, and dairy products. The less fats, oils, and sweets you eat the
better.
The best way to get the nutrients you need is through a healthy diet,
not through expensive supplements that you might not need. Whole foods
provide many nutrients we know about, and probably contain others that
haven't been discovered. You might read or hear many convincing, scientific-sounding
claims about nutritional supplements, such as megadoses of vitamins and
minerals, but not all of them are based on fact. Some supplements may
be helpful in certain situations, but others may cause harmful side effects.
Before taking supplements of any kind, check with your doctor.
If your doctor or nutritionist has asked you to eat or avoid certain foods
or fluids because of a medical condition, please follow his or her advice.
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