Antiaging Services

Exercise & Aging


With modern life styles we are less active in our daily live. The expression "use it or lose it" is perfect in expressing the effect of exercise on aging. Scientific studies show the functional capacity is maintained at higher level by doing regular aerobic exercises. In addition to that continuous release of Endorphins also play important part in establishing relationship between exercise & aging.

Exercise may well hold the key to the fountain of youth. Besides boosting longevity, getting fit is one of the most important steps older adults can take to maintain their mobility, independence and quality of life. Gone are the days when growing old gracefully meant slowing down and taking it easy. Inactivity, not aging is the culprit behind chronic conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and osteoporosis. The good news is, there is a lot you can do to delay or prevent them. What's more, women between 40 and 65 who walk briskly (20-minute miles or faster) for at least three hours a week, or who exercise vigorously for at least 90 minutes a week, have a 30 to 40 percent reduction in their risk of heart disease according to survey published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The study, which monitored more than 72,000 women, also demonstrated that the more people exercise, the more they reduce their risk of heart disease. For example, walking briskly for five hours a week cuts the risk of heart attacks by 50 percent.

Exercise Effects - a fact sheet

Regular exercise, even initiated late in life, can help fight the effects of aging. Healthy older individuals can substantially increase both strength and endurance with exercise. Some of the physical declines associated with aging, including a gradual decrease in the number of muscle fibers, are thought to be genetic in origin and irreversible. However, others -- including reductions in muscle fiber size due to inactivity -- are reversible through exercise.

The Texas team examined the results of dozens of studies assessing the benefits of exercise in elderly populations. Among their findings:

-- one 1989 study involving individuals in their 70s found that those who exercised regularly regained an average 22% of lost lung capacity within a 6-month span. This achievement effectively restored the exercisers' daily lung function to levels experienced in their 50s.

-- in a 1994 trial, subjects 75 years of age or older increased muscle strength up to 21% after 3 months of resistance training. The Texas authors believe this increase is linked to re-expansion in the size of existing muscle fiber.

-- in a study published last year, 40 elderly women used weighted vests during exercise to improve balance, strength and power. The result? All three factors improved "significantly," according to the Galveston authors.

They conclude that even frail patients of very advanced age can improve muscle strength.

Exercise has even wider benefits to health. Studies repeatedly show that regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise can help prevent or delay the onset of hypertension, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and the falls that lead to hip fracture. In fact, the authors point to the results of one 1995 study, which found that "(elderly) women who spent less than 4 hours per day on their feet had nearly double the risk" for hip fracture compared with exercising women.

A lifetime of regular aerobic and resistance exercise "is the ideal." However, the initiation of exercise in adulthood is also beneficial. And they note that although vigorous exercise may provide more cardiovascular benefits, moderate physical activity is nearly as beneficial and conveys less risk of injury. In other words, any form of exercise -- even in advanced age -- can serve as primary prevention to maintain good physical health.

Beneficial Effects of Exercise

If you think your softening body is an irreversible by product of aging, think again. A regular, long-term exercise program can produce the following list of wonders:

strengthen the heart and lungs

stop muscle loss and slow bone loss that begins at about age 40 and accelerates at age 50

help burn fat faster

increase strength, stamina, and self-confidence

improve balance

lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis

lessen arthritis pain

improve sleep

Exercise for Elderly

The physical benefits of exercise for older adults are the same as they are for twenty-somethings - increased muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Strength is especially important. With age, muscle strength decreases about 10 percent every decade. These losses add up. Strong muscles are necessary for daily activities such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries and mowing the lawn, as well as for recreational activities like hiking or playing golf.

The weaker you are, the less you can do and the more dependent you become - a vicious cycle that often ends with admission to a nursing home. Muscle loss also leads to weight gain since muscle burns more calories than fat even at rest.

"We lose about a third of a pound of muscle each year after the age of 35 and gain at least that much fat," says Miriam Nelson, Director of the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston. "Your weight may stay the same or you may gain a bit, but inside your body, muscle is being replaced by fat.

Strength training reverses that process. In a landmark 1990 study for example, ten nursing home residents aged 86 to 96, boosted their strength by a whopping average 175% after just eight weeks of resistance training. (They also had dramatic improvements in their balance and walking speed.) Strength training also benefits your bones. "Even if your diet is good, unless you stimulate the muscles you'll lose both muscle and bone. When you build muscle, you also build bone," says Nelson.

Besides boosting strength and helping with weight control, strength training improves cholesterol levels, relieves arthritic symptoms and helps prevent diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It also lifts your spirits.

FAQs for Elderly

Q. We all know that physical exercise is good for our health and that most of us don't get enough of it, but what special benefits can exercise provide for the elderly?

A. There is a difference in the reasons for exercise for the elderly and exercise for younger people. An exercise program for the elderly is targeted more specifically for the prevention of disease and disability, while younger people exercise primarily to look better.

Q. What kind of exercise do the elderly need?

A. Not all exercise is good for all purposes. If you are using it like medicine, it's specific in terms of effect. You need to prescribe an exercise in relationship to what it is you are trying to promote. Somebody who has gait disorders - difficulty walking, falls a lot, has osteoarthritis and is susceptible to fractures - needs strength and balance training for the muscles. If the purpose of exercise is to prevent cardiovascular disease, you will need an aerobic exercise.

Q. Is strength training the best exercise for the elderly?

A. We looked at strength training for frailty and functional dependency. We looked at causes of frailty. Loss of muscle strength with aging is a cause of frailty. So the kind of exercise needed is strength training. Stretching and walking don't impact muscle size. If somebody is weak and the weakness is contributing to the health status or quality of life, strength training is the way to go. If core balance is the problem, it makes sense to give them balance training. Tai chi and yoga are examples of balancing exercises. Standing on one leg or walking on a balance beam are balancing exercises.

Q. Isn't it enough to walk regularly, or are the benefits of walking overrated?

A. All exercise training should challenge you to accomplish something not normally experienced and to conquer new challenges. When you walk, you normally don't get any better unless you challenge yourself in a more difficult way, like walking heel to toe. However, the epidemiologic literature shows that walking is associated with reduction in mortality and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke. The more vigorously you walk, the better it is. But, you have to look at it like medicine. You can't use the same form, dose, and intensity, for all people.

Q. Isn't exercise dangerous for senior citizens, particularly those who are already frail and have fragile bones?

A. Being a couch potato is lethal. We recommend seeing a doctor before starting any exercise program, but chronic, age-related medical conditions almost always indicate a need for exercise.

Q. Are there mental as well as physical benefits to exercise for the elderly?

A. Depression is well treated with exercise. Weight lifting and aerobic exercise work equally well. Exercise works 70 percent of the time for depression. It's better than anti-depressants because drugs are often less well-tolerated in older people. Nobody knows how or why exercise works. However, there are no good studies that show it can treat dementia. It helps with attention span, and there is some evidence that people who exercise are less likely to end up with dementia, but there is no way to tell if it is causal or not.

Q. How do you persuade seniors to get out of their rocking chairs and start pumping iron?

A. Independence and quality of life are the driving factors, not longevity. One thing people don't want is to become dependent on others. Strength training effects are evident in just a few weeks. They can see that they get out of chairs more easily and can move around better and that sustains people. Long-term adherence to strength training is quite high, whereas people are likely to drop out of exercising on a bicycle or walking.

Q. Is it ever too late in life to begin an exercise program and benefit from it?

A. It's never too late to start. Lots of people are starting in their 80s and 90s. It's good if you can come to old age with a bit of reserve, but even if you don't, exercise works.

How much is much?

Getting enough exercise isn't as hard as many people think. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes. Moreover, it doesn't have to be high intensity to provide health benefits. Even moderate activity such as gardening and walking can make a significant difference in health and well being. Unfortunately, our society isn't designed to encourage people to incorporate more activity into their normal routine. "We take the elevator instead of the stairs, drive instead of walk. Modern conveniences preclude activity in our daily lives," says Oliphant. Still, the effects of exercise add up. Several short 10 minutes bouts throughout the day can be equivalent to one 30-minute session. "You don't have to be a gym rat," says Oliphant. "It can be as simple as taking the dog for a walk after dinner. Any activity helps." Numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of regular physical activity on bone density, fat levels, blood sugar and a host of other age-related factors linked to decline and disease. What's more, it's never too late to start.

We believe that no anti-aging programme is complete without a proper advice on exercise .Our experts guide you and design a tailored exercise programme for you keeping in mind the capabilities.

 

Following Article provide a good understanding of Aging and Exercise and is worth reading

AGING AND EXERCISE 

Roy J. Shephard
School of Physical & Health Education  and  Dept. of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada
 
Shephard, R.J.  (1998). Aging and Exercise. In: Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science, T.D.Fahey (Editor). Internet Society for Sport Science: http://sportsci.org. 7 March 1998.

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