Senior Health
Senior Health
Scientists and researchers believe the maximum life span in humans is in the area of 110 to 130 years. There are some claims that there are and have been people in certain regions of the world that have reached ages of over 130 years old. We have to ask ourselves: What are the benefits to living a long life? If someone told you that you were going to live to 120 years of age, would you take better care of yourself? Most would. So why don’t we just assume we are going to live that long, and take care of ourselves in order to enjoy the time we have here on earth with our families and friends. Hopefully some of the following tips will help you make the best of the days you do have here on earth.
Senior Fitness
OK, so you are part of the generation that never learned how to go to a gym or “workout”. Well the good thing is that it is not too late. Anyone can get started on an exercise program and make it a part of your daily life. The key is to be smart about it. You can start a program too fast and possibly hurt yourself. Using a few of the following proven tips can prevent you from hurting yourself as you get started. Relax, its easy.
Senior Cardiovascular Fitness
Cardiovascular fitness refers to exercises like walking, jogging, running, cycling, the treadmill, elliptical and exercises that will elevate heart rate for a period of time. For seniors, a good idea is to work out cardio for approximately 30 minutes two to three times per week. As far as intensity of the workouts, the intensity should be low to moderate, anywhere from 60-75% of maximum heart rate. We talk about heart rates in the heart rate training section.
Senior Strength Fitness
When working out with free weights, (dumbbells or barbells), machines, or other resistance type mechanisms, the emphasis should be on form of movement. Good mechanical form of movement will correctly isolate the muscles being used, and reduce the risk of injury. When starting a strength training routine with form as the focus, the weight should be little or none until the proper form is understood and performed correctly. When the form of the exercise is learned, then weight can be used. A good starting weight is a weight that you can lift with good form for 12-18 repetitions. A good number of sets would be two sets for each exercise. Wellness4everyone recommends working with a Certified Fitness Trainer when learning a strength training routine.
Senior Flexibility Fitness
The third area of a complete fitness regimen is flexibility training or stretching. Stretching is important for warming up the muscles and preparing them for activity, especially for seniors. A good stretching regimen is important for anyone participating in fitness training and is the same for seniors as it is for anyone else. A quick stretching regimen is as follows, and more information can be found in the flexibility fitness section of this website. When we are stretching a muscle or muscle group, we want to move slowly, and concentrate on the elongation of the muscle or muscle group. Stretch the muscle until you feel slight tension of the muscle and hold, the tension feeling should subside after a few seconds, if it does not, ease off the tension a little. This process should last anywhere from 15-30 seconds per stretch. As you become used to stretching, you can go one step further and stretch to the original tension, and hold, then after the tension eases, stretch the muscle a little more to go into the advanced form of stretching.
Good Nutrition for Seniors
Good nutrition for seniors begins with a good plan. We take four main nutrients into our bodies: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water. A good sound diet consists of around 50% carbohydrates, mostly from complex carbohydrates. Protein needs to make up about 33% of our daily intake, and fats need to be around 15% of our daily intake, preferably from poly or monounsaturated sources. If we concentrate on the correct ratios of Carbs and Proteins, we will have the correct amounts of fats in our diet, so there is really no need to go looking for the fat for your daily diet, it will usually be there already. Vitamins and Minerals are also needed to maintain good health, and seniors need to get as much or more of these vital nutrients as younger individuals. Drinking alkaline water each day is certainly prescribed for those wanting to improve their health, especially seniors. More information on vitamins and minerals can be found in the respective sections of wellness4everyone.com.
More information on Senior Health
You can find more Senior Health information in the Health articles section of www.wellness4everyone.com.