It Is Not Too Late To Get Into Better Shape

 You can still get stronger and fitter no matter how old you are. I understand that you feel you could have started sooner. And maybe you also feel a good head start would have meant less muscle aches and pains while exercising or even prevent falls. Do not be discouraged. There are major simple and mild exercises that can help you get started. Checkout the blog titled: Recommended Exercises for Seniors | https://www.vigorusfitnessshop.com/blogs/news/what-kinds-of-exercises-should-i-be-doing 

Study shows that exercising has an overwhelming beneficial effect on the bodies of older people. The benefits include an increase in bone density, cardiovascular health, and the reversal of sarcopenia (muscle loss). But if exercise is so great, why does it suck? Well, it sucks because you might have an unrealistic understanding of how exercising should look like. Exercise should be fun. You are supposed to engage in an activity that you enjoy. Once you link enjoyment to an activity, it helps to drive the habit. For example, if you have a podcast that you love listening to, you can link listening to your favorite podcast to walking. And you can make that a regular habit and you will notice you will start looking forward to exercising. You can then slowly build the workout by making it more intense.

The Guardian found that the Department of Health figures show that only 17% of men and 13% of women over the age of 65 are sufficiently active. Other research shows that 44% of adults over the age of 70 years take a 20-minute walk less than once a year - or never.

 It seems that the older we get, the less active we are. But why? According to the findings of a study from the University of Dundee, published in the journal Age and Ageing, the most powerful 'deterrent' among the over-65s is a lack of interest, and disbelief that exercise can enhance and/or lengthen life. It's what Bob Laventure, a consultant on older people and physical activity at the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, classifies under the "it's too bloody late for me" excuse.

The research was done by Nadine and Joan to test the response to an updated physical activity guideline among seniors. And two participants mentioned that it was inappropriate to encourage older people to do vigorous exercise: ‘Strain yourself? Well, I mean, why should we? I would say no, I think, from what I have read, in the aging process, it would be positively harmful because I hear and read every day people pushing themselves and dropping dead or doing some activity that is injurious to their wellbeing”.

This is the reason why the health screening is done by a fitness trainer to ensure that the client is in good condition to begin exercising. The information provided in the health screening is necessary and should inform the exercise program.

Other questions you might be contemplating include:

Is exercise safe for me?

Will I have a heart attack if I exercise?

Will it make an existing condition worse if I exercise?

Another study cited physical symptoms as barriers affecting the lack of physical activity among the aging population - such as painful joints, a lack of energy or shortness of breath - an unwillingness to go out alone or in the evening, and reluctance to join a group or make new friends. They are all factors that are linked to fear and lack of confidence. Some seniors will even avoid walking because they wonder if their neighborhood is safe to walk in. Symptoms of physical activity engagement are often misinterpreted as symptoms of disease. This is why you need to hire a fitness trainer who will help provide the emotional support to start or continue an exercise program. For example, a patient with osteoarthritis may need reassurance that physical activity can be beneficial and may alleviate painful joints. The problem is that a high percentage of people in the aging community find it unbelievable that the bigger threat to their health and longevity is not exercising. 

 If you need assistance with starting an exercise program or would like to hire a fitness trainer, please reach out to me at 263-880-7155 or email vigorusfitnessshop@gmail.com.