The Importance of Exercise As We Age
The Importance of Exercising As We Age
Exercise is an integral part of aging well and has many health benefits that go beyond our physical appearance.
Benefits of Exercise
Studies have found that even minor increases in physical activity can improve our immune system, improve our cardiovascular system, improve our physical appearance and even improve our cognitive function.
As we age, memory becomes a funny thing. Sometimes we set out to find something in our home only to arrive in a room and not be able to remember what we set out to find. Some of us start to misplace things, find it difficult to maintain sharp focus on tasks, experience greater levels of depression. Further, some have difficulty socializing with other people as we age. Not everyone is affected the same way. In some people, cognitive function decreases at a slower rate. In others, people experience rapid levels of decrease in their cognitive function.
Exercise can play a role in slowing cognitive decline at any age. Exercise functions to increase blood flow, get your heart beating and limber your muscles. Increasing blood flow through exercise causes increased amounts of oxygen to enter the brain, flushes away free radicals and can result in endorphin release throughout brain centres.
What the Research Has Shown
Studies have shown that exercise reduces hypertension in older adults who engage in aerobic exercise. These studies have also shown improvements in memory and thinking. Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve your brains capacity to form new neural connects and adapt to changes. Some researchers found that by increasing aerobic activity slightly, (Ex: taking 7500 steps per day) brain volume increased. The idea is that increased brain volume corresponds to decreased brain aging.
Who Should Be Exercising?
People of every age, shape and background can increase their exercise levels. With warmer days arriving in April and May, walking and hiking are great options for increasing brain health. Walking outdoors can improve brain health in several ways. It will stimulate your heart, increase blood flow and increase access to the oxygen that is readily available in the environment. Walking outside forces you to avoid obstacles, change your points of visual reference, and naturally go up and down over different terrain. All the obstacles you encounter in the outside environment stimulate your brain, causing you to evaluate and conquer objects and increase brain plasticity. The overall effect will be reduce brain aging and slow the development of degenerative brain changes that can result in Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Exercise Improves Mental Health
Exercising with friends outside while maintaining safe social distancing measures can reduce depression by encouraging safe social interactions, experiencing new environment and establishing new social ties.
How Much Exercise Do I Need?
According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week to improve their health–aerobic activity and muscle strengthening.
150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, but it’s not. That could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The good news is that you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don’t have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day.
Recommended Levels for Health Benefits Provided By the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition are provided below:
Example 1
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity (e.g., brisk walking) for 150 minutes every week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week)
AND
Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
Example 2
Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
(e.g., jogging or running) for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) every week
AND
Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
Example 3
An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on 2 or more days a week
AND
Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
Your Health is Important to Us
At Optimal Rehab, your health is our number one priority. We understand how important it is for you to move past your pain and injuries. Our mission is to help you heal or improve function to let you be the best you possible. Above all, our experienced group of therapists will work with you to achieve your health goals all while providing you with our best level of care each visit. As a result you’ll get back to doing the activities you love. It’s time to put yourself first and Optimal Rehab will be there every step of the way.
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