MASTER CLASS

Dealing with aging through exercise

Nancy Jeffery contracts her abdominals to prevent her lower back from moving as her legs come up for the Straight Leg Scissors With Medicine Ball.
Nancy Jeffery contracts her abdominals to prevent her lower back from moving as her legs come up for the Straight Leg Scissors With Medicine Ball.

— For active people, aging can be especially daunting because of perceived or actual physical limitations that can develop as the years tick by.

As someone who has spent the better part of the last two decades helping people become more active, I can tell you that there are options out there for anyone. The key is to find which options are right for you.

This week, I’ll present a few ways to deal with exercise and aging, and I’ll present an exercise that fits right in with an older adult’s fitness program.

Physical activity patterns should change over time to reflect differences in your lifestyle and musculoskeletal health. Having said that, it’s also important not to use aging as a reason to limit the quantity of physical activity you perform.

It’s more about the intensity.

If you enjoyed hiking in your 30s, 40s and 50s, there’s no reason you can’t continue to hike in your 60s. However, there are precautions you’ll want to take when you’re 65 that weren’t particularly relevant when you were 35. The terrain should be far less vertical, and the speed of the ascent should be much slower. In addition, while hiking alone is taking a risk at any age, older hikers will want to be sure to go with a partner.

Hiking is just one of thousands of examples of activities that can be modified to accommodate the effects of aging.

Our ability to distribute oxygen throughout the bloodstream decreases by 5 percent to 15 percent per decade beginning about age 30. So a man in his 60s will have approximately 30 percent lower cardiovascular endurance compared to himself from 30years before (keeping activity constant).

This means the absolute intensity of the activity must be lowered.

Walk more slowly, take more breaks and be smart about the preparations for your physical activity. Following these simple steps will help to keep you safely active well after retirement.

Aging adults can also benefit from increasing their core strength and flexibility. Pilates is a low-impact activity that makes perfect sense for the older adult because it’s safe, social and fun. This week’s exercise is a variation of a Pilates movement that might be a good fit for many older adults. Enjoy!

1. Select a medicine ball and lie flat on an exercise mat. Extend your legs fully.

2. Holding the medicine ball, extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling over your chest.

3. Holding this position with the medicine ball, raise both legs a few inches off the floor.

4. Keeping them totally straight, bring the right leg up until the sole of your right shoe points at the ceiling.

5. Lower the right leg and simultaneously lift the left leg all the way up.

6. Continue alternating this “scissor” action with the legs while holding the medicine ball and keeping your abdominals tight for two sets of 25 repetitions.

This exercise makes a perfect addition to the physical activity program for the older adult. You can always modify the movement by increasing or decreasing the range of motion your legs cover, as well as the weight of the medicine ball you use. Enjoy!

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]

ActiveStyle, Pages 32 on 11/12/2012

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