Exercise to stretch the body and sooth the soul

If weight management, strength, and better flexibility are not motivation enough to exercise, consider two additional benefits - happiness and life satisfaction. The psychological benefits of exercise are often attributed to aerobic activities like running, walking, and bicycling, but new evidence suggests that toning and stretching exercises go beyond the muscle to the mind. Researchers at the University of Illinois examined how physical activity influences social support and overall well-being in older adults and published their findings in a recent issue of Preventive Medicine.

Two regimens for two groups

One hundred seventy-four sedentary, but otherwise healthy men and women, ages 60 to 75, were randomly assigned to either an aerobic walking program or a mild stretching and strengthening class. Both groups were led by an instructor and met for 40 minutes, 3 times a week, for 6 months. The walkers gradually increased from 10 to 40 minutes of walking per session and the stretching/toning class consisted of a warm-up, resistance and flexibility exercises for each major muscle group, and a cool-down. All participants completed assessments of happiness, loneliness, satisfaction with life, and social support at the start of the study, after completing the exercise program, and six months after the exercise classes ceased.

It only works while you do it

The researchers found that the participants noted improvements in happiness and life satisfaction as well as a decrease in loneliness after completing the exercise programs. At the 6-month review, however, these self-rated well-being scores were lower than they had been at the start of the study. Overall, the life satisfaction score of volunteers who missed the least number of exercise sessions and had the most social support increased the most and declined less the following six months. Interestingly, these patterns were the same for both exercise groups. Not surprisingly, by the 6-month follow-up, some people had stopped exercising; 50% of the walkers and 25% of those in the stretching/toning group.

Keep moving, stretching, and toning

These findings lend support to the idea that exercise in any form can benefit overall well-being and provide opportunity for social interactions. This is great news for those who have difficulty with aerobic activities yet want to enjoy the psychological benefits of exercise. Aerobic exercise is still the most effective for weight control and cardiovascular health, but strength and flexibility are both equally as important for fitness, enabling a greater range of motion, balance, and increased muscle mass. Stretching and toning may be easier for older adults to incorporate into their lifestyle, which could be why more people continued it beyond the study's conclusion.

The "buddy system" works best

The declines in well-being shown in this study after the organized exercise programs ended may have been caused by the loss of activity and social supports. The solution to this is simple; start, but don't stop exercising. Many community centers, YMCAs, and churches offer exercise programs geared specifically to older adults. If there is no exercise program in a facility near you, request one and be the first to sign up. Or, organize your own with neighbors and friends. Acknowledge that some days it's harder to generate enthusiasm for exercise. Counteract those times with encouraging phone calls, a new route, or a social activity afterward. Emphasis the fun, not the exercise itself, because the socialization benefits are as important as the fitness gains.